Tom Petty

Wildflowers

Music

Sound

Label: Warner Records/Because Sound Matters

Produced By: Rick Rubin, Tom Petty, Mike Campbell

Engineered By: David Bianco, Jim Scott

Mixed By: Richard Dodd

Mastered By: Chris Bellman

Lacquers Cut By: Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering

By: Michael Fremer

September 22nd, 2025

Genre:

Rock Classic Rock Folk Rock

Format:

Vinyl

Tom Petty "Wildflowers" One-Step Is it That Much Better?

double 33 1/3, pressed on Neotech VR900-D2 vinyl

To be brief: compared to the version included in the deluxe box set of a few years ago, this re-mastered One-Step version cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering sounds soooo much better, it's kind of ridiculous.

I took it to my friend Anthony Chiarella's (he's CEO of Specialty Sound & Vision, which distributes Gryphon among other products) and played it on his system during a meeting of the New York/N.J. Audio club and the reaction in the room was unanimous. It sounds much better.

Greater vocal clarity, cymbals and overall drum clarity way better as is transparency. In every audiophile check list category you can think of the One Step was better. I chose just "It's Good to Be King" for its combination of great drum sound, dynamics and other telling qualities. Steve Ferrone's drums and especially the Michael Kamen arranged strings pop in ways the previous one only suggests.

Limited to 6000 numbered copies (probably more unnumbered if it sells out, which I'm thinking it will). Is it worth the $124.98, housed in a beautiful slip case and a jacket that faithfully reproduces the original paper, depends on how much you love the record but if you do, you won't regret buying it.

It's available for pre-order at the Tom Petty Store

Music Specifications

Pressing Plant: RTI

SPARS Code: AAA

Speed/RPM: 33 1/3

Weight: 180 grams

Size: 12"

Channels: Stereo

Source: original analog master tapes

Presentation: Multi LP

Comments

2025-09-23 01:21:29 PM

Kevin wrote:

This is getting crazy. How does one know if it’s worth it to buy even a “definitive audiophile version” at high dollars if another better definitive audiophile version will be out a couple of years later? (For even higher dollars😂) . I love the choices but it’s making me poor!
- 2025-09-23 03:47:54 PM
  
  Spin The Black Circle wrote:
  
  I completely agree! It is ridiculous how many “audiophile” reissues there are of any given album. In most cases the differences between one to the other is like splitting hairs. Unless you have unlimited income, and can afford to buy a system for $100k or more, the level of sonic improvement is barely noticeable.
  - 2025-09-23 04:48:51 PM
    
    Michael Fremer wrote:
    
    This one is not "splitting hairs".
- 2025-09-23 05:30:21 PM
  
  Malachi Lui wrote:
  
  i agree that there's generally an exhausting redundancy in audiophile reissue selection, but this album hasn't been reissued into the ground nearly as much as, say, 'kind of blue' or the doors catalog.
  
  michael and i compared this new one step to the the existing AAA bellman cut from the 2020 'wildflowers and all the rest' box. now, the 2020 cut is very, very good, and given that the smaller 3LP package is widely available for $45, it's truly a bargain. but on a high end system, the one step is absolutely better. i too was a little skeptical about HOW much of a difference the one step plating and the neotech vr900-d2 formulation would make. but it's truly a big difference. you can argue that the one step is softer than the normal three step pressing, and that seems to be a characteristic of the vr900-d2 compound, but there's much more striking presence and inner detail resolution. every layer is fully clarified in three-dimensional space. it's outstanding.
  
  whether or not you like this album enough to spend $125 on the ultimate pressing, that's up to you. a lot of people will be totally fine with the existing $45 copy from five years ago. but those who've invested insane amounts of money into their system, who deeply love this album? the one step is worth it and it IS a major improvement on top of what's already available and very good to start with.
  - 2025-09-23 07:08:45 PM
    
    Todd wrote:
    
    Well I dont have an existing copy to upgrade so will take the plunge since it’s a great album. Bought Purple Rain at the same time.
  - 2025-09-24 12:02:43 PM
    
    Rolando wrote:
    
    Thank you for your thoroughness, cheers bud.
  - 2025-09-24 12:33:50 PM
    
    Jeff 'Glotz' Glotzer wrote:
    
    THIS is the language I was looking for. Put simply, I am getting that this is the best sounding version- by a lot. Having both MF and Malachi respond from his reference system is definitive to me. $125 is a reasonable entry fee here.
2025-09-23 08:02:55 PM

Michael Zlotnicki wrote:

It doesn’t matter how much better it sounds. I bought the 9 LP box last time and vowed that would be the last time I bought Wildflowers. Happy for others.
2025-09-24 12:49:44 AM

Sam Casanzio wrote:

How does it compare to the original 1990s vinyl pressing? I have an original, and it’s jaw dropping good. Valuable too, as this was a time when vinyl was being fazed out. This was the vinyl pressing that got me back into vinyl full bore. I also owned the original CD, and it was a joke compared to the vinyl.