Disco de Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers: “Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers”

T.P. and the Heartbreakers have had a turbulent career to say the least, from struggles with pricing to internal conflict and most recently Petty's separation from his wife. At the end of the day, however, these Floridians gone L.A. know that it's about the music. Just listen to this album, their debut. Your classic rock collection is a disgrace without "American Girl", not to mention "Breakdown". But Petty's famous Byrds sound and blues tinged rock isn't all that the Heratbreakers offer. Everything from punk ("Anything That's Rock n' Roll") to country ("Mystery Man") shines. The Heartbreakers not only have an affinity for any type of music, but everything seems so well-placed on this album. You could hardly accuse them of a diffuse album. It's coherent and from the first drum rythms of "Rockin' Around" (garage rock if there ever was such a thing) to the Byrdisms of "American Girl", Petty and the Heartbreakers deliver a classic and an opening to a career that still flourishes today.

Tom Petty would never again sound as "new wave" as he did on his first album. The songs are relatively short and have an unpolished feel that he and the Heartbreakers would loose as they matured. He would also never again aspire so hard to be Bruce Springsteen as he does especially on "The Wild One, Forever." "American Girl" is the best and most well known song, but there's a lot of other fine songs in the mix. Overall, a fine debut album.

I can't Stop thinkin' about how I HEY! Dig, rockin' around with this album. Start to friggin' finish. If there are songs on here you haven't heard, I'm talking to YOU. Petty's trailer park punk is perpetually fresh, worth your bucks, and all the stars Amazon will let me throw up.

You knew Tom Petty was going to stay true to rock and roll from the very beginning. While not as sophisticated as his later work; TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS gives the listener every indication that this band was in it for the long haul. When you hear the first few notes of "Breakdown," you know there is a darkness here, along with the skill to grab a listener immediately. Sure there are two songs with "rock" in the title, (always a concern)and the band's sound is far from consistent, but you can't hide the energy. A fine debut recording for one of America's great bands.

Tom Petty is a real rock n roller first and foremost. The guy is a brilliant songwriter. He truely understands the craft and magic behind sitting down writing a song and recording it with a band, a band of friends you hang with and party with and make music with. When his former band Mudcrutch split up after signing with famed English producer Denny Cordell's (Leon Russel, Procol Harum) indie label Shelter Records in 1974, Tom was recording his debut record with session musicians in Hollywood but decided one day to go home and check on his old friends. Guitarist Mike Campbell and keyboardist/pianist Benmont Tench along with a rhythm section consisting of Stan Lynch on drums and Ron Blair on bass. He realized the huge potential, snagged em, brought em in and cut the first Heartbreakers album released in '76.

Of course Mudcrutch had played some great bar music in the Southeast but for some reason on record it didnt translate so when Petty brought in 2/3ds of that band plus 2 new guys it seemed like something had been missing all along and this record shows it. In 76, Springsteen had just gotten hot with Born To Run and the singer/songwriter rocker idea was there. Petty had that but he also had a great set of songs that like Springsteen, told stories. Slice of life rock n roll stories about friends, relationships, past times, and a sort of epic poetry style that packed the good with the bad. Rockin Around (With You), Anything Thats Rock N Roll and Hometown Blues are decent British influenced punk styled rockers that landed the band huge attention across the pond but it was stand out rock gems like The Wild One Forever, Strangered In The Night, and the brooding truely rocking classic Fooled Again that really make this an inspired record front to back.

The more country oriented Mystery Man show the bands early influences and its the bands first single Breakdown that show that heavy Dylan sound they were flirting with. Breakdown and American Girl went onto become radio favorites but at the time this album was really a cult item. It would take the next 2 years before it went fully discovered (in America). The album is great, it really demonstrated everything Petty and band loved and made it their own. It was like an accidental miracle, finding these guys you love to play with, finding that song and making your first real record and that youthful attitude is all over it. The world is right there infront of us lets take it. Any real rock n roll fan needs this debut from one of the best bands of all time.