Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers #6: Southern Accents

Release Date: March 26, 1985

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

Produced by Jimmy Iovine

Side One: Rebels; It Ain't Nothin' To Me; Don't Come Around Here No More; Southern Accents

Side Two: Make it Better (Forget About Me); Spike; Dogs on the Run; Mary's New Car; The Best of Everything

Conceived as a concept album about the South, Tom Petty's most problematic LP Southern Accents was recorded during a stressful point in the band's career. Nevertheless, it was well received and produced a major hit with "Don't Come Around Here No More." During the tour in support of the record Petty used Confederate iconography during concerts, as modern critics have pointed out the Neo-Confederate undertones running through the record and subsequent tour.

"Rebels" opens the album with a hardscrabble tale of tough love and generational resentments, specifically referencing Sherman's March and the damaged pride of Southern white men, while remaining silent on the debt owed to Black culture. Petty reframes these themes through the lens of '80s rock and roll with a catchy arrangement and impassioned vocal performance. Conflating rock and roll with rebellion appears trite these days and was even showing its age by the 1980s, the sentiment comes through but not without mawkishness.

"It Ain't Nothin" To Me" is a Dylanesque sermon of sorts with hints of a disco beat. The Alice in Wonderland themed music video for "Don't Come Around Here No More" was an MTV staple. Petty wrote the song with Dave Stewart, inspired by a wild L.A. party and an encounter with Stevie Nicks. The most sophisticated track by the band up to that point, the production and vocals are inspired. "Southern Accents" could be accused of trafficking in 'Lost Cause" mythology of the white man being the only one who truly understands freedom (or the perspective of poor whites exploited by the economic system), Petty ends the songs with:

I got my own way of livin'

But everything gets done

With southern accent

Where I come from

The "Don't Tread on Me" sentiment comes off as more aggrieved than poetic, once again tonally out of synch with the song's intention. 

"Make it Better (Forget About Me)" seeks to mend a relationship in a nod towards blue-eyed soul. "Spike" is a playful track about an eccentric character, I wonder if they debated whether this one belonged on the album. "Dogs on the Run" muses on life and desire, the mix of guitars and horns cancel each other out. "Mary's New Car" is exactly what the title promises and nothing less. Ending with 'The Best of Everything", Petty deals in iconography like Bruce Springsteen, a sad romance with a waitress (not that Bruce holds a monopoly on tragic diner romances). 

To his credit, Petty later disavowed the strains of white supremacy on Southern Accents and implored his fans to not display the confederate flag. One can read an interview here with Michael Washburn who wrote the 33 1/3 book on the album and interrogated its ties to lost cause ideology. 

Musically, Southern Accents is a band trying to escape from a creative stupor. Petty's frustration with the production led to him punching a wall and seriously injuring his hand. Whether one views the record as a failed experiment, a misguided reflection on southern culture and history, or a record at best hinting at creative breakthrough, it was anything but a disaster as the band continued to tour and make records in the decades to come. 

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers #5: Long After Dark

 

Release Date: November 2, 1982

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

Produced by Jimmy Iovine and Tom Petty

Side One: A One Story Town; You Got Lucky; Deliver Me; Change of Heart; Finding Out

Side Two: We Stand a Chance; Straight Into Darkness; The Same Old You; Between Two Worlds; A Wasted Life

With their fifth record, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers leaned further into a modern rock sound, a few of the tracks even sound truly New Wave with synthesizers and distorted guitars. 

"A One Story Town" is boilerplate small town blues rock, no doubt informed by Petty's hometown in Florida. "You Got Lucky" is moodier and benefits from the excellent musicianship and production. "Deliver Me" builds on a smooth melody, suitable for a campfire singalong, "Change of Heart" was a minor hit and illustrates Petty's gift for taking a simple notion and making it sound epic. "Finding Out" is unremarkable except for Mike Campbell's heavy guitar. 

"We Stand a Chance" is a hidden gem, sounding very much like The Cars. "Straight Into Darkness" is downbeat, but forceful. On the "The Same Old You" Petty allows the band to let loose a little. "Between Two Worlds" returns to familiar rock staples of life on the road, once again carried along by Campbell's distinct guitar leads. "Wasted Life" ends the record on an uneasy note.

Long After Dark is a middling album at best, still sounding vibrant but resting upon some recycled ideas. Floating between despair and hope, the songs point to a band trying to make the next big step, but not quite there yet. 

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.  

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers #3: Damn the Torpedoes

Release Date: October 19, 1979

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

Produced by Jimmy Iovine

Side One: Refugee; Here Comes My Girl; Even the Losers; Shadow of a Doubt (A Complex Kid); Century City

Side Two: Don't Do Me Like That; You Tell Me; What Are You Doin in My Life?; Louisiana Rain

Damn the Torpedoes launched Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers to superstardom after their promising first two albums. The album yielded four hit singles: "Refugee", "Here Comes My Girl," "Even the Losers," and "Don't Do Me Like That." 

"Refugee" channeled primal rock and roll with its supple statement of defiance, lyrically vague enough to make it relatable to many. All cylinders were firing from the jump: Petty's iconic vocal, the melodic guitars, and Tench's keyboard smoothing out the edges. "Here Come My Girl" channels angst, desperation, and salvation. Petty's "talkin" delivery brings an edge and passion to an otherwise conventional love song. "Even the Losers" is more pop perfection, Petty knows his audience. "Shadow if a Doubt (A Complex kid)" is about another mystery girl, with another great vocal from Petty, a voice relatable with great details to make the song unique. "Century City" evokes the chaos and splendor of California life. 

"Don't Do Me Like That" opens with one of the iconic intros in rock history. Even though it was overplayed on FM classic rock radio, the beats and the riffs remain catchy as hell. Imagine a sunny day in the late 70s, this song just might send you there. "You Tell Me" is more conniving and hints at a darker relationship, and let the band go into something approaching a jam. "What Are You Doin' In My Life" taps into the country rock influence on the band. The closer "Louisiana Rain" could easily be a country song, but Petty and the Heartbreakers transform it into an epic rock song.

There's a progression on Damn the Torpedoes, charting Petty's growth as a songwriter. Petty's contemporary Bruce Springsteen reimagined rock as a mythological landscape to write his tortured ruminations on modern America. Yet Petty made it all look so easy, channeling early rock into a fresh sound, creating something singular in the era of Punk and New Wave. 

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers #2: You're Gonna Get It

Release Date: May 2, 1978

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

Produced by Denny Cordell, Noah Shark, Tom Petty

Side One: When the Time Comes; You're Gonna Get It; Hurt; Magnolia; Too Much Ain't Enough

Side Two: I Need to Know; Listen to Her Heart; No Second Thoughts; Restless; Baby's a Rock 'N' Roller

At 30 minutes, You're Gonna Get It is devoted to the three-minute rock song. Building upon the tight riffs and melodies of their debut, the record yielded two hit singles.

"I Need to Know" is a moody track agonizing over the impending end of a relationship. "Listen to Her Heart" seems to be in response to the power pop infused "I Need to Know" with lyrics aimed at a romantic rival.

The opener "When the Time Comes" promises devotion in hard times, "You're Gonna Get It" is a slightly darker love song with a more adventurous production. "Hurt" expresses a wounded romanticism - and nothing much beyond that. "Magnolia" is underrated and had potential to be a hit single, highlighting the strengths of the band. "Too Much Ain't Enough" highlights late 70s excess on the rock scene. 

"No Second Thoughts" features a retro '60s sound, it would be at home on a Stones record. "Restless" goes for a swaggering blues vibe. The album closes with "Baby's a Rock 'N' Roller" another track in the '70s power pop style. 

You're Gonna Get It is a mostly an unremarkable second album, mostly staying the course. In saying that, it's also a fitting companion to the debut in sound and theme.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers #1

Release Date: November 9, 1976

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

Produced by Denny Cordell

Side One: Rockin' Around (With You); Breakdown; Hometown Blues; The Wild One, Forever; Anything That's Rock N Roll

Side Two: Strangered in the Night; Fooled Again (I Don't Like It); Mystery Man; Luna; American Girl

The eponymous debut by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers sustains itself on catchy riffs and Petty's confident vocals. They are confident rock and rollers, letting the songs speak for themselves, and clever enough not to overstay their welcome. 

"Rockin' Around (With You)" opens the record on a minimal riff with a retro doo-wop sound, lyrically simplistic, but knowing. "Breakdown" is another effective riff with Petty's iconic delivery ideal for FM radio. "Hometown Blues" also channels early rock, perfect for the jukebox. Petty pays tribute to mythical woman on "The Wild One, Forever." It would work on a Springsteen record, but Petty's twangy delivery takes it a level above pastiche. Appropriately titled, "Anything That's Rock and Roll" would fit in on a Ramones record, but Petty seems to have a direct line to the foundations of Rock.

"Strangered in the Night" imagines a violent racial confrontation, not so much social commentary, more a reflection of reality in 1970s America. "Fooled Again (I Don't Like It) is rooted in the blues, and heavy on atmosphere. "Mystery Man" digresses into country rock, musically "Luna" is the most complex track. Recorded July 4, 1976, "American Girl" quickly became enshrined as a classic. Mystery surrounds what inspired the song; the lyrics encapsulate Petty's longtime fascination with exuberance and darkness of American identity. 

A strong debut for its no frills approach and steady determination.