Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers #4: Hard Promises

 

Release Date: May 5, 1981

Members: Tom Petty (vocals, guitar); Mike Campbell (guitars); Benmont Tench (piano, organ); Ron Blair (bass); Stan Lynch (drums)

Produced by Jimmy Iovine; Tom Petty

Side One: The Waiting; A Woman in Love (It's Not Me); Nightwatchman; Something Big; King's Road

Side Two: Letting You Go; A Thing About You; Insider; The Criminal Kind; You Can Still Change Your Mind

Hard Promises built off the momentum of Damn the Torpedoes, staying the course with a collection of more FM hits solidifying Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers as a major force in rock during the 1980s. 

The cover is a photo of Petty browsing in a record store, alluding to a dispute with the record company over pricing, Petty insisted the record stay at the standard $8.98 rate. The album cover may reference the dispute, but also a charming reminder Petty himself was a fan of records. 

"The Waiting" remains a rock classic, irresistibly catchy with its killer hooks. It's also a testament to Petty's songwriting, taking a universal situation and providing a bit of comfort. "A Woman in Love" is a moodier track, "Nightwatchman" also rocks along distilling a Springsteen song down to its bare essence. "Something Big" works nicely as a middle track on the album, a story song with an edge, no doubt sordid tales of the music industry. "Kings Road" could be a sequel to "Century City" in a fish out of water take that was Petty's specialty. 

Petty also excelled at writing sunny rock songs with hints of late summer melancholy, "Letting You Go" being a great example. "A Thing About You" is charming in its lack of pretention. Stevie Nicks joined Petty on vocals on "Insider", another highlight of the record. "The Criminal Kind" is a neo-noir tale that roots itself in the blues. "You Can Still Change Your Mind" plays homage to dreamy California pop in a change of pace, ending the album on a soothing note.

Hard Promises is of a piece with Damn the Torpedoes, but more serious in tone. The band's reverential approach to making rock records allowed them to tap into writing those rare songs that hit a universal note, while avoiding falling into being a mere retro band. Petty's precision songwriting and the pristine musicianship of the band suggested a longevity that would elude their peers.