A solid debut from the classic rock legend

Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers (1976.) Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers' first album.



Over the years, Tom Petty made a name for himself as a classic rock icon. Whether it was with his band the Heartbreakers, with the Traveling Wilburys, or as a solo artist, Petty managed to create a classic rock sound all his own. With instrumentation that could suit any musical style and a voice that sounded like the rock and roll equivalent of Bob Dylan's, Petty won audiences over all across the world. His first album, which was self-titled, was released in 1976. Read on for my review.



Like the debut albums that most classic rock artists release, Tom Petty's is uneven, and certainly rough around the edges. But that doesn't mean it's a bad album! Petty's first big hit, Breakdown, came from this album. Even to this day, Breakdown remains a legendary song. It takes some artists several albums before they score any big hits, but Petty scored his first on his first album! Good for him. A minor hit, American Girl, also came from this album. Though often overlooked in favor of the more popular track I just mentioned, it too is excellent. The other tracks explore a plethora of stylings, which certainly give the impression that Petty hadn't decided on which direction he wanted to shift with his music. These songs feature elements of southern rock, pop rock, and even traces of country and rockabilly. The debut album would soon be cast into the shadows of other, more popular future releases by Petty, and even though the debut hasn't aged as well as some of his later material, it holds its own.



Tom Petty's catalogue was reissued and remastered in America, but this is one of those lame remaster series that doesn't do anything special at all. You don't get any bonus tracks, or any twofer issues (which really sucks, since the follow-up album, You're Gonna Get It, would have fit with this album onto a single CD.) Oh well. It's the most readily available version of the album, so we're gonna have to settle for it for now.



Tom Petty's debut album is an excellent one, despite its wildly uneven nature. Future releases from Petty would be more focused and would show a maturing of his own personal classic rock sound, but this is where it all started for the legend. It's a release that belongs in any classic rock collection.

From the Shelter stable of rockers ....

Classic meat and potatoes 70's rock / power pop. Would have been great to see these guys when they still played clubs. Compare "Strangered in the Night" with "Im on Fire" by Shelter labelmates Dwight Twilley of the same year.

(hint hint if you are looking for other solid 70's power pop!)

Tom Petty's Debut Is A Masterpiece

Tom Petty's debut album is a masterpiece. Most of the songs are great, and there are several that became standards on FM radio. In addition, there are also a couple, such as "The Wild One, Forever" and "Fooled Again (I Don't Like It)", that are undiscovered gems. This album started a hot streak that lasted through 1994's WILDFLOWERS. You should own this one in any form.