Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

by Tom Petty, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

Overview

At the time Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' debut was released in 1976, they were fresh enough to almost be considered punk. They weren't as reckless or visionary as the Ramones, but they shared a similar love for pure '60s rock and, for the Heartbreakers, that meant embracing the Byrds as much as the Stones. And that's pretty much what this album is -- tuneful jangle balanced by a tough garage swagger. At times, the attitude and the sound override the songwriting, but that's alright, since the slight songs ("Anything That's Rock 'N' Roll," to pick a random example) are still infused with spirit and an appealing surface. Petty & the Heartbreakers feel underground on this album, at least to the extent that power pop was underground in 1976; with Dwight Twilley providing backing vocals for "Strangered in the Night," the similarities between the two bands (adherence to pop hooks and melodies, love of guitars) become apparent. Petty wound up eclipsing Twilley because he rocked harder, something that's evident throughout this record. Take the closer "American Girl" -- it's a Byrds song by any other name, but he pushed the Heartbreakers to treat it as a rock & roll song, not as something delicate. There are times where the album starts to drift, especially on the second side, but the highlights -- "Rockin' Around (With You)," "Hometown Blues," "The Wild One, Forever," the AOR staples "Breakdown" and "American Girl" -- still illustrate how refreshing Petty & the Heartbreakers sounded in 1976. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	05/07/2002
Label:	Warner Bros.
UPC:	0081227817725

Tracks

1. Rockin' Around (With You)
2. Breakdown
3. Hometown Blues
4. The Wild One, Forever
5. Anything That's Rock 'N' Roll
6. Strangered in the Night
7. Fooled Again (I Don't Like It)
8. Mystery Man
9. Luna
10. American Girl

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers   Primary Artist
Tom Petty   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Organ (Hammond),Vocals (Background)
Dwight Twilley   Vocals (Background)
Donald "Duck" Dunn   Bass (Electric)
Emory Gordy Jr.   Bass (Electric)
Phil Seymour   Vocals (Background)
Mike Campbell   Guitar
Stan Lynch   Drums,Keyboards,Synthesizer
Charlie Souza   Saxophone
Benmont Tench   Organ,Piano
Jim Gordon   Drums
Randall Marsh   Drums
Ron Blair   Cello,Guitar (Bass),Bass (Electric)
Jeff Jourard   Guitar (Electric)

Technical Credits

Joe Gastwirt   Digital Remastering
Luther Campbell   Composer
Greg Allen   Design,Reissue Art Director
Mike Campbell   Composer
Daniel Goldmark   Editorial Research
Tom Petty   Composer
Ken Perry   Mastering
Shawn Amos   A&R
Ed Caraeff   Photography
Gregg Geller   Reissue Producer
Denny Cordell   Producer
Gary Peterson   Project Assistant
Max Reese   Engineer
Bill Flanagan   Liner Notes
Marty Jourard   Photography
Vanessa Atkins   Editorial Supervision
Jo Motta   Project Assistant
Chris Walter   Photography
Noah Shark   Mixing,Engineer
Vigon Nahas Vigon   Logo Design
Zox   Design,Photography,Art Direction
Michael Putland   Photography
Adrian Boot   Photography
Andee Cohen   Photography