“…the augmented Wildflowers is the best and most justified boxed set of this kind since the Beatles’ White Album compendium."
“Petty was on fire during this period, as the presence of 32 distinct compositions in the big box attests. Although it tough to fathom why he left ’Something Could Happen’ out originally, the reason reveals itself: It needed to be sequenced as an album opener, and the ‘Wildflowers’ title track already owned that slot in ’94. ‘Leave Virginia Alone’ finally gets the fate it deserves, which was not to be handed over to Rod Stewart for a cover. The close of All The Rest brings in Carl Wilson and Ringo Starr as guests on ‘Hung Up and Overdue,” which weirdly does marry the Beatles’ and Brian Wilson’s styles. Even the live disc brings surprises, like ‘Drivin’ Down to Georgia,” a frantic early Heartbreakers-style barnburner they only ever perfected live.”
“It’s no wonder that, 26 years on, Wildflowers seems like the last classic-rock record that a plurality of fans would consider a class. As rock ’n’ roll—arguably a cult now—might say of its former self, as channeled through this set: It was good to be king.”