Tom Petty has been working on a solo album, Highway Companion, which he plans to release next year. "Unless it gets out this year," he tells Rolling Stone, "in the last little bit of December."

The album will be Petty's third under his own name, following 1989's blockbuster Full Moon Fever and one of Petty's (and critics') favorites, 1994's Wildflowers. Fever featured the hits "Free Fallin'" and "I Won't Back Down," while Wildflowers, spawned "You Don't Know How It Feels."

According to Petty, Highway Companion is a worthy addition. "I think it's a special one," he says. "I really do."

On their U.S. tour with the Black Crowes, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are playing a couple of the new tunes, "Melinda" and "Turn This Car Around," as well as some surprises. "We're doing plenty of hits, but also some hits we haven't done in a while," says Petty, citing gems like "Listen to Her Heart" and "Don't Do Me Like That." "Then we'll throw in some old-time rock & roll, some R&B and some album tracks like 'Wildflowers' and 'Crawling Back to You.'"

Superfans should catch a couple of the smaller gigs (such as the two-night stand at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California), where Petty promises longer, crazier sets. Also, prepare to be visually stunned. "It's the greatest stage set we've ever had," he says. "It was inspired by Saul Bass, who did screen titles in the Fifties and Sixties, like Anatomy of a Murder. I can't describe it -- you gotta see it. It's gonna crack your head."

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers tour dates:

6/17: Camden, NJ, Tweeter Center at the Waterfront
6/18: Mansfield, MA, Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts
6/21: Wantagh, NY, Tommy Hilfiger at Jones Beach Theater
6/22: Holmdel, NJ, P.N.C. Bank Arts Center
6/24: Hartford, CT, Meadows Music Theatre
6/25: Buffalo, NY, Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
6/28: Grand Rapids, MI, Van Andel Arena
6/30: Cleveland, Blossom Music Center
7/1: Milwaukee, Marcus Amphitheater (Summerfest)
7/9: St Louis, MO, UMB Bank Pavilion
7/10: Kansas City, KS, Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7/13: Nashville, Starwood Amphitheatre
7/15: Tinley Park, IL, Tweeter Center
7/16: Caddot, WI, Rockfest
7/18: Des Moines, IA, Wells Fargo Arena
7/20: Detroit, DTE Energy Music Theatre
7/21: Indianapolis, Verizon Wireless Music Center
7/23: Scranton, PA, Ford Pavilion At Montage Mountain
7/24: Atlantic City, NJ, Borgata Resort & Casino Event Center
7/27: Columbia, MD, Merriweather Post Pavilion
7/29: Mansfield, MA, Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts
7/30: Saratoga Springs, NY, Saratoga Performing Arts Center
8/4: Paso Robles, CA, California Mid-State Fair-Grandstand
8/13: Phoenix, The Dodge Theater
8/14: Irvine, CA, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
8/16: Las Vegas, The Joint
8/19: Phoenix, The Cricket Pavilion
8/20: San Diego, Coors Amphitheater
8/23: Reno, NV, New Reno Downtown Events Center
8/24: Sacramento, CA, Sleep Train Amphitheater
8/26: Berkeley, CA, Greek Theatre
8/27: Berkeley, CA, Greek Theatre
8/30: Denver, Red Rocks Amphitheatre
8/31: Denver, Red Rocks Amphitheatre
9/2: Seattle, The Gorge
9/3: George, WA, The Gorge