Reviews (page 4 of 12)
An old regular, and the forerunner of even bigger, better sellers.
Good debut album, and a harbinger of things to come from this guy. This one has a couple very good tracks that stood the test of time, and a bunch of good-but-not-as-memorable songs that leave me wishing I was listening to one of his later records.
I liked it. A few songs really stood out.
When it was good, damn was it good. When it wasn't, damn was it average 7/10
Really foundational stuff here, his vocals are a little all over the place but I feel like each style has influenced a whole different genre of rock
Like the sound. Breakdown was a highlight.
Prima achtergrond muziek
Nice
I kept thinking how similar his voice was to bowie’s
Rock hecho a la perfección con un sonido limpio y bien tocado. Inspiración para muchos músicos qué surgieron en los 80.
I’m a pretty big Tom Petty fan so I’m always down for another spin on his classics. Damn The Torpedos, Hard Promises, Wildflowers and Hypnotic Eye are currently my favorites of his but this is the one that started it all and it’s incredible. Petty’s music and voice has always had a way of calming my mind and reminding me to slow down a bit. While this album has some of his most notable songs, “Breakdown” and “American Girl” it also has a couple songs that weren’t quite there yet. Overall, the band does a phenomenal job throughout the album as well. While this isn’t my favorite TP album I’d still give it a solid 4.
I once read a discussion about American things that British people just can't get into, and some Brit offered the suggestion "Tom Petty," saying that to their ears it's just so very American and hard to relate to. I thought that was interesting because I never thought of his music in those terms, but I suppose he is pretty solidly American, stylistically and thematically (okay, "American Girl" is making this easier to see). Somehow, the British editor of this list must have seen fit to include some Tom Petty anyway, and I'm glad to have listened to this album. The standout for me was the opening track, other than the two hit singles. It had a kind of rockabilly energy that made it a great opener. There was a good amount of variety sonically here. The album came and went so quickly, though. Solid debut, and I hope there are some more albums from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on this list.
There's a couple of all timers on here. Breakdown and American Girl are superb So short and so sweet. Rockin Around is a good opener
Classic rocknroll - Tom Petty was always a master for that. This album sometimes is a bit restrained by its connection to blues here and there though.
This is one of my absolute favourites and I never get tired of listening to it. It has such a classic sound. I know people love to hate on it, but for a debut, I think it's more than solid. Overall, I think it's got a very cohesive sound, true to the tradition of its time and you can't really go wrong with that, can you?
I love my man from when I was like 10 years old. Very easy listen, kinda repetitive, but he has certified bangers!!!
After receiving this album, I played American Girl with my phone held up to my ear in a loud cinema lobby. It sucked. I thought, "Man, this is getting a 2-star rating at best. It all sounds like a whole load of electric-country mush." But I tell you, when I sat down to listen to the album with headphones, it was a completely different experience. The music is alive, heavy, rocking... and the vocals sound slightly better. Sure, they're still the weak point, but if I've learned anything from this list, the vocals are *always* the weak point. But Tom Petty's generic rock singing (and the similarly generic rock backing vocals) fade nicely into the background and you end up focused on some of the best parts. I also appreciate the album's succinct 31-minute runtime. The song Breakdown is hecking groovy, man. It's such a simple keyboard riff, but backed heavily by a guitar and bass, it sneaks cozily into your ear and refuses to leave. Strangered in the Night has a piercing guitar sound, in a good way. It has a sneaky background kind of wailing, wrought with emotion and personality. And American Girl is substantially, indescribably better with headphones. The main takeaway is this: get yourself a good speaker system if you're going to listen to this without the old earmuffs. It'll do wonders. The production itself is a little patchy in places, and there are a few "miss" track in the middle (though honestly I enjoyed those too). But there are enough bangers and fun rock noises to justify a cool 4. 4/5 Key tracks: Breakdown, Strangered in the Night, American Girl
summer roadtrip album. 3.6
Actually really nice shortish album. Would be really sweet for a sunny park chill or a little country drive. Deffo a fan
A surprisingly fully formed debut album that includes all-time Petty classics "Breakdown" and "American Girl." Most of the other tunes feel less polished by comparison, but still a great listen nearly fifty years after its release.
Pretty generic rock, but damn if he doesn't execute really well. 4
really good, always been sour on tom petty for no reason. wish i had time to finish this
it was good. liked the first song a lot
Basic, solid rock stuff. Breakdown and American Girl are higlights. Tom grew enormously later on.
Some great classic rock songs.
American girl is about the only song I got excited about, but Jesus he has an iconic voice.
Classic. Great to listen to this album the full way through rather than the 2 songs that endlessly play on classic rock stations.
2 great songs
Such good heartbreak
Petty's debut album features a couple of Tom's best songs (Breakdown, American Girl) and it's an impressive accomplishment so early in his illustrious career. The record shows promise and a blueprint to the style of music and direction he and his Heartbreakers were headed. It's a bit of a surprise this album made the list because it's a tad uneven with more throwaway tracks than his next several albums. I just feel the next album, "You're Gonna Get It!" is even better, followed by "Damn The Torpedoes" which is his best record. The first album is good, in fact better than most debuts, but lacks the complete effort that would deem it essential.
I love this album! it's really fun to listen to and great background music or dancing. Each song was a mood booster. My favorites by far are breakdown, anything rock and roll, and mystery man. American girl is also top tier.
Have never listened to this album in full. Great rock. I might be scoring it too low.
It’s good but I’ve heard American girl a bajillion times because of work
Tom Petty is just one of those guys. By ‘those’, I mean 1970s/80s heartland rock artists. You can’t pretend that the music is spectacular, but by God, if it isn’t extremely fun. Huge hits Breakdown and American Girl will stand out the most, but aren’t fully emergent against the heavily consistent backdrop of (I could name any of the others here) things like Anything That’s Rock ‘n’ Roll and Fooled Again. This hasn’t swayed me from thinking Petty’s finest moment was his Last Dance with a certain M. Jane about 20 years later, but it has opened me up to further Heartbreakers listening. Excellent.
Great addition
I thought this was fun and lighthearted. Sometimes what I'm looking for is easy listening, and not some profound creation that was foundational to music history. I enjoyed this album through and through!
I'm curious if anyone out there has a strong opinion on Tom Petty. Like if anyone has him as a S-tier musical artist. Because I feel like he's generally well-liked (like A or B tier) but don't think many people consider him as one of the great artists of his generation. Anyway, that kind of encapsulates my feelings about this album. It was enjoyable listen at a tight 30 minutes. American Girl is a classic. Breakdown was another one I've heard quite a bit over the years. Also enjoyed Anything That's Rock n Roll and Mystery Man. Solid album all the way through.
This is a short and sweet album. Breakdown and American Girl hit hard. I give this 4.5 stars.
Some easy ass listening. Never been a huge Tom Petty fan but he sure does have his hits. Breakdown is an all timer along with American Girl.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers > The Beatles
Interesting choice, because most of it is pretty unremarkable. The two singles are as great as anything he ever did but the rest sounds like an ordinary band (unlike, say, the Cars or Van Halen whose first albums presented an entirely new sound). I'd take Damn the Torpedoes any day.
not bad, short by todays standards
Not bad
A wonderful album that must be on any list of remarkable debut albums. Copy/paste to read more: https://tinyurl.com/4znkehys
Fire aber hat nicht so gezündet bei mir Heartbreakers bevor es cool war i guess? Okkk aber was geht bei american girl Banger
Perfect album! I never heard it before. Thanks.
Really liked this, fun to listen to
That was actually pretty solid
American Girl has basically set the blueprint for every Strokes song, 25 years before the Strokes wrote a song; as well as the intro being lifted wholesale for Last Nite. It's probably the only real classic here. But punchable face on the cover aside, this album has the hallmarks of everything I like: compact, polished garage-rock, still a rawness, catchy melodies, no guitar wankery. It is very naive but charming. It has a few throwaways (Fooled Again, Anything That's Rock n Roll) Hmmm. Scrapes a 4 for it's ramshackle charm, naïveté, and lack of pretension, alongside a handful of good tracks.
There are three songs where they use their own voice. "Breakdown," one of the most memorable TP tunes of all - a heavy, soulful tune with a hint of shuffle, lonely and frustrated. "Luna," the only real artistic risk, has that 4 AM can't sleep feeling, trippy, evokes the Eagles at their best. "American Girl," the double-time raver that got them a punk rock trading card. We get some Beatles, Stones, Springsteen, Van Morrison (listen to Mystery Man again). All to good affect, though. Everything has Petty's Jagger-soaked drawl and that... Americana wash. Before it was called Americana. Good, even great in places. I look forward to seeing what these guys will do in the future, lots of potential here if they can find their own style! ;)
• I love Tom Petty. I listened to him a ton as a little kid and he was probably one of my first favorite artists. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gone back to checking out the full LPs more. This shit rocks. Has an edge and grit to it, but then there’s the vocal harmonies and the keyboards? Hell yeah. I don’t like this as much as Damn The Torpedoes, but it’s still great. And ten tracks in about 30 minutes? • It isn’t power pop, but it has that element there. • Guitar and bass tones on this rock. Gritty, jangly, chimey
T.P. Is on my Mount Rushmore, but this is not my favorite album, great songs as always, but I think his compositions and Campbell’s guitar sound reach higher peaks on the next couple of records particularly. The mix on this is super nice.
American Girl is the big hit from this and it's obvious why. It far and away clears the rest of the songs which are a mixed bag in terms of quality and sometimes sound similar. Overall, a pretty good album.
I really liked it
quintessential 70s rock. makes me feel like I’m in a dive bar in late August, playing darts and bumming a cigarette outside.
A few good tracks, and a lot that's just fine to listen to.
i enjoyed this a lot, would want to listen to more by him and maybe listen to this again
American Girl is such a genius closer.
I love Tom Petty - let's just put that out there right away.. his debut album is full of promise of what is to come, shining w Breakdown and American girl. It just keeps getting better from here.
I have never loved Tom Petty but I have liked him for as long as I can remember. The guy writes great songs that are well played with thoughtful arrangements. A little old. A little new. Deliver with a voice that is inexplicabaly effective. A couple of classics on an album that moves along - simply. He and Bruce share more than a little DNA - and career arc - though it comes off a bit different in the final product. Tom Petty is just a likeable guy that has something for everyone with trying to appeal to everyone. A great listen.
I LIKE.
★★★★½
y'know what, tom petty? hell yeah.
Ok
Quintessential Tom Petty. A poet with a knack for entertainment and top-class lyricism and song writing. BREAKDOWN has one of my favorite intros in all of the Rock and the Roll genre.
Good old American Southern Rock, Gainesville style. Tom Petty has done more to save and educate the music listener on American Garage, Soul, and Funk music. His initial outing on this album cites many of the influences. Full Moon Fever introduced a lot of people to his music, but this freshman release is a great raw introduction. 4/5
Ok so I listened to this album once and kinda forogit whay it sounded like but I enjoyed on the first listen so
Algunes cançons estan molt bé. Molt rock dels 80-90. Pero moure el cap i el cos, però lletres ahí ahí
Great music from a lost era
4/5
American Girl is an all-time fave. I didn’t LOVE the rest of the album but liked it enough to round up to a 4z
Seems good so far (song 2) Verdict: Good 7.5/10
I really liked it, it gave me a different change of pace and the songs were nice.
This shit slapped, I have nothing else to offer other than that.
Promising debut, but not as great as "Damn the torpedoes" or "Wildflowers"
Good stuff.
Didn't know much about Tom Petty other than the big ones so was surprised by how much I liked this album.
7/10. Some classics, and a good overall album but nothing blows me away with it.
Well, it's Tom Petty, so it was great. I love some of these songs. Others I had never heard before.
A classic. Great first album.
Great album - not his best but it’s solid.
Americana at it’s best, corny and stale at times but make up for it with pure catchy rock. iconic classic album
Kinda lacklustre as a full album, but still love Tom Petty
Skitterend
Nice and enjoyable heartland rock. Short 30 minute record which makes it concise and high quality.
Era bueno el Petty éste. No sé porqué nunca me gustó cuando estaba vivo. Creo que porque salió en la banda sonora de la película ñoña She is the one. Prejuicios míos.
Pretty good. The songs Breakdown and American Girl are strong enough to bump this album up to 4 stars for me. Those two songs feel like something that people will still be listening to in 100 years. Is Tom Petty another artist who would be best represented on this list with a best of compilation? That would be wall to wall five star songs.
Can’t deny Tom Petty has a talent for a catchy tune. This isn’t quite on the level of subsequent albums, but still really good.
2 of the best rock songs of the 70s and 8 other fun but mostly forgettable songs (strangered in the night the best of them imo).
4.4 Great album, maybe 1-2 standard rock and roll songs that keep it out of 5 star rating
classic
I was kind of on the fence here for the 1st half, but this album is really back loaded. It would be a 3.5, but going with a 4.
Good album - not really heard a lot of Tom Petty before, but a good classic-rock album, some good songs and his gritty vocals. Good listen, will probably explore more
Excellent debut album
This first offering by TP & the Heartbreakers has a refined sound without being over-produced. I think this is in large part due to the songwriting, arrangement, and performance by the band. Songs are fresh and a little punchy.
Haven't heard this all the way through before. Quick, easy to listen to, solid throughout. Great crafting of songs. I feel like it’s a strong four, four and a half, but being rooted in classic rock and roll, and not being really, well, weird, it might have a hard time standing out in my memory.
New favorite: "The Wild One, Forever" What a good musician. Loved this. 4 1/2 stars.
Classic, timeless storytelling. Good album, good sounds, good songs.
Solid Album. Classic and Fun!
Some good ol fashioned rock n roll music. Tom Petty does a good job of it, and the guitar playing is great on this record. Perfect length too, just 30 minutes. All you need
Enjoyed this. Although wasn’t as petty or as heartbreaking as you’d expect. 3.6
2 major hits. The rest was ok, but solid debut album. Much bigger things to come.
A breezy 30 minute debut. Like most Tom Petty its up and down. However - ending your debut record with a banger like American Girl is great.
Enjoyed it
4/5
This record is a little hit or miss for me. I can tell what is coming and it's going to be genius. But this is not quite baked yet. Which is totally fine since it's a debut.
I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to. It probably would have gotten a lower rating if it were longer; as it is, it doesn’t overstay.
this site has me fugking bugged this was literally on my slate of albums to get to rly soon , kicking off the fire in my heart telling me to do a tom petty dive. petty is strangely over-represented in the rotation of the classic rock station that plays where i work, and my relationship with him evolved from disgust at him somewhat signifying Shit I Was Forced To Listen To, to a slowburn casual appreciation of a few of his songs, to crying to his greatest hits album (which became one of my great Comfort Albums of recent). i figure i thusly owe his proper records some time and i think this sets a great precedent to how i will respond to them. a couple rly big hits that are probably the highlights, but comfortably cushioned by deep cuts that prod at different directions of petty's aesthetic interests and more than anything Pure Songwriting Sensibilities (its my understanding most of this album was written in a day). petty is one of the most intuitive songwriters to ever work in the Rock Idiom as far as im concerned, and front to back this is full of little melodic delights for me...and ofc petty and the heartbreakers absolutely kill their performances and bring out surprising subtle bits of variety track for track (including a few synths, the horror!). i think with all my ccr raving my tom petty raving is inevitable, he brings more Rock Star energy but perfectly balances approachability with total coolness and not an ounce of gross swagger...just a guy with a weird expressive voice who can smith a tune in his sleep and hand it to a great band
Great album! 4/5
Good range of songs 4/5
Oh so that’s where that songs from
Probably my least favorite of all TP albums, but it's still TP! Some classic hits and straight-forward rock n roll.
Not my favorite TP album but always solid
Cool rock ****
This is a really great debut album, including Breakdown and American Girl. I'd go 4.5 if I could.
Honestly this is a really strong debut. It starts off pretty okay with 'Rockin' Around With You', gets really good with 'Breakdown', has a few ups and downs in between, and ends very strong with the fantastic 'American Girl'. It does have some '70s rock cheese, but that doesn't hinder the overall quality or experience of listening to it.
Not their greatest album. - see Damn The Torpedoes - but damn fine for a debut. Breakdown and American Girl - absolute classics.
I think a Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers "best of" compilation was in the rotation of music I listened to at a job in the early 2000s, so this benefits from a bit of a nostalgia bump. The tracks I recognize are great, but some of the others feel a bit filler. Fave tracks - "Breakdown" and "American Girl" are both classics. Hah, I was gonna pick "Anything that's Rock n Roll" as a fave from the other tracks, but I checked and I'm pretty sure that was on the compilation too. Let's say "Luna" then....
first song: ...we want the funk. give up the funk. we want the funk, gotta have the funk... i haven't exactly been fair to heartland rock. in all fairness, the indie rock/public radio scene has been inundated with insufferable imitators. the war on drugs, my morning jacket, the gaslight anthem -- these people have made their trade off of hazy, ignorable music infused with "authenticity", like smoke flavor in a cocktail served in a gentrified "gastropub". there's exposed brick. the wings cost way too much for how middle-of-the-road they are. you've been there (if you live in colorado these places clutter the cities like cholesterol). it's low energy dross that isn't worth the tape it's recorded on. if there's anything you can fault Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for, it's definitely not lack of energy. there's a driving force behind each song that you never feel lulled into a trance. maybe it's his voice, maybe it's the tempo of the songs, but barring the droll-bordering-dull country balladry of "Mystery Man" and the brief cliche of "Hometown Blues", the record is a packed gunpowder cap that won't stop exploding. there's some odd things i didn't expect from Petty -- "Strangered In The Night" features lyrics about blowing someone's head off and is apparently autobiographical -- but you can see the origins of what was to come from the later hits in the deeper cuts. it's not perfect, but in half an hour of fluorescent midnight, Petty and co. prove themselves. and of course "American Girl". the anthem, the legend, the song of the hour. its the song all these throwback motherfuckers try and fail to write. if some madman made it so "American Girl" played in full was the US anthem, i might actually start standing up at hockey games. patriotism! from me! that's the power of "American Girl", baby.
True authentic rock and roll music. Tom Petty’s voice is very whiny but in the best way. I like the variety of song themes and the lyrics that go along with them. Classic album all around.
Hurts me to give this only a 4 but it weakens at the end after a fantastic start and a variety of classic tunes. This is not his best album and if this is his only representation on the list, it's a tragedy.
I have really come around on Tom Petty in recent years. Sadly my epiphany about his music came after his death. This record has a number of my favourite tracks from him: Breakdown, Hometown Blues, American Girl. There are a few tracks that let the album down a bit songwriting-wise but they all still feel great and I think they definitely achieved the loose 'off the floor' feeling they were going for.
Not my fave Tom Petty songs, but a pretty solid first album
This is probably by 4th favorite TP album, but it is a great one.
Didn't realize how long ago this album came out. Great stuff
Not the most thought provoking thing out there, but I had fun listening to it. It’s alright.
80% Fav: Rockin' Around (With You), Breakdown, Fooled Again (I Don't Like It), Mystery Man, Luna, American Girl Must-Hear? Sure
Later Tom Petty is literal Dad Rock. As in my dad's. Don't think I've heard this before, not even the hits? It's Bruce Jagger. Mick Springsteen. And good at it. Went past pleasantly and uneventfully. Not going to return to it, but if it returns to me, I might take it.
Enjoyed this one on the whole A lot of these songs were so so good, and then I'd get hit with a few bum songs. A shame, but on the whole a good album! 4 ⭐️
The genre of this album is “music”
STRANGERES IN THE NIGHT is my favourite. not my favourite artist, because of the way verses are written - though admirable and crafty I find the way they're stretched over multiple lines and the lack of rhyme annoying. His vocal style is also not soaring and roaring enough for me - too many gimmicks and stops where we should be flowing ahead.
This was pretty good. I liked how it didn't stick around for too long. I'm not a huge fan of Tom Petty's voice, but I liked the songs.
8/10
Really enjoyed this one. A short but sweet debut.
Good to have
buoyed by some bangers. could i write poetry to this? n
I think it was an objectively good album, but not exactly suited to my personal tastes
I liked two songs off it.
Breakdown and American Girl stand out on this debut effort from a Hall of Fame act.
my favorite so far of the "clean" rock category.
I love this album. I love Tom Petty.
It was good. I liked the lyrics and music. Good recommendation
Love it. What a wonderful album. Standout for me is always "Mystery Man".
You guys are seriously underselling this album. It's not 'average', it's solid.
This was the first album in two weeks that didn't make me feel relieved when it was over. Thank you, Tom and the Heartbreakers! RIP, Tom. I miss knowing you were out there rocking somewhere 4.0
A certified classic if I'd ever heard one, the only problem with this album is how short it is.
I had forgotten about "Hometown Blues" for whatever reason it was one of my favorites in the late 70s. A friend had the album and I would play that track when I could. Not a bad debut album and "Breakdown", "American Girl", and (to me) "Hometown Blues" are great songs.
Have always loved Breakdown. Album is pretty okay overall, will be adding it to my rotation.
First Tom Petty album I’ve heard. Good debut
4-
Good
While this album is not Tom’s best, it is a still a very solid debut album from his band. The band has some great songs on this one.
I don’t understand the hate if you heard all the other songs as hits you would like them. The album wasn’t 100% polished but it was still really good
Look as far as debuts go, this one is pretty cracker. The songs are varied from slow and sad to more upbeat and lively. “American Girl” is such an incredible song (maybe my favorite of Tom Petty’s) and is such a banger of a way to end the album, although it is an interesting choice to have it at the end but I love it. You can hear how much promise this group has and what they will become.
It’s a very good, solid album. Don’t think it’s his best tho. Love his sound-Breakdown & American Girl are classics
aww yeah, all right
9 very solid rock and roll tracks before the unleashing of American Girl shows what a career this is going to go on and be.
Old rock and roll!
Classic sound
Good album but nothing special as a whole
Lekker rockalbum, niet 100% mijn smaak, maar goed gemaakt, origineel geluid, begrijp waarom men dit goed vindt!
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers self-titled debut was not a success at its release - either commercially or critically. It includes tracks that became signature songs for the band, like "Breakdown" and "American Girl." Petty's version of country rock eventually met with popularity; his later albums were far more commercially successful. Petty's distinct vocals are the central element of his guitar-based rock songs. This album includes a strong collection of his songs, which all have good hooks and catchy lyrics
Are there better Tom Petty albums? Yes, but Breakdown might be my single favorite song and this is getting bumped up a star for the entirety of his work, not just this album.
Straight up rock and roll, well done — nothing fancy, and it doesnt have to be!
Pretty solid, just tom petty. 6/10
Tom could rock, straight up. Great album, especially American Girl, that’s a definite favorite of mine.
Despite my lack of interest in other heartland, this one hooked me. I'm very glad I gave this a shot.
Nice nostalgia
Great album. Will especially liked it. And Carolyn.
Didn’t Breakdown on this one.
I like Tom Petty, his impressive catalogue of music is one those that chronologizes my life, or at least the first 4 decades. Most of his work with The Heartbreakers I get from the radio or his Greatest hits album, so it was good to deep dive into one of his earlier works. I like this album, but when I am in the mood for older Petty I will probably go back to the greatest hits.
Prob a 3.7 so rating up
8/10 I know him...he's famous 5-24-2024
A vocally and sonically great rock album worthy of being the Heartbreakers debut record, with as much fun rock and roll as great raspy vocals. A classic rock and roll album.
This is a banger of an album. It might not be hit after hit, but great songwriting from front to back. It is full of all the indications that a legendary band is being born.
Really nice probably an 8.5/10
What a fun rock album. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers really harken back to the older days of rock and roll, both with their sound and songwriting. Yet they also managed to keep this quite fresh. Really nice listen.
Real good but they really buried lead on this one
Solid.
Ég fíla Wilburys, en Tom Petty þekki ég lítið sem ekkert. Fyrsta rennsli: þrjár stjörnu. Og þið sem hafið lesið þessa dóma mína áður vitið hvert þetta stefnir. Fjögur rennsli og platan komin upp í fjarka.
Favorite Tracks: American Girl Breakdown
Favourite song - Hometown blues
Wonderful voice and music!
Good singer/band. Some great songs. Died way too soon. Even his later music was good.
Oh my god he looks so young on this cover, thats my first thought. Also, Breakdown is a phenomenal song, just so good. This album is classic Classic Rock. Also a very short album all things considered, a tight 30 minutes. I liked it in the way that I had expected.
A good album
Really good - pretty consistent in style and theme without feeling repetitive and boring.
Muy bueno.
81/1001
LP
Good old school Rock
The album is a unpretentious and in many ways a breath of fresh air. There is a rawness about it that does not exist in the later album by the band. While his later songs may be catchier, Tom Petty is very focused on his songwriting on this album.
Never listened to this whole album before. Hints of Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead.
Pk
Actually really good. Didn't think I'd like this
The two heavy hitters on this one alone get it to a 4. The American Girl riff is one of my top faves of all time. Great song and sustains the energy from the open all the way through. Solid debut for the greatest singer/songwriter of our generation. RIP Tom.
The opening track almost serves as a passing of the torch. You can hear Roger McGuinn passing the jangly Rickenbacker right into Tom’s hands which would go on to become Petty and crew’s signature sound. The two radio hits alone merit high marks for this one. A great debut for one of (if not the) greatest American songwriters of our time.
I def would not have guessed American Girl closed this was out. Feels like a classic track one side one. Anyways, definitely enjoyed this and have always loved Petty. Easy 4 for me
I was always amazed by ol’ Thomas Earl Petty. I don’t think you’d consider him a great guitarist and dude isn’t really an amazing singer (maybe even goofy at times). But god damn he could write a song and seemed to stay true to his own style that resonated during times when you’d think his music wouldn’t fit in. Wildflowers was one of my fave albums of the mid 90s and crazy to put that in context of all the other rock music of the time. All that to say, he’s pretty great. And this album is pretty great. American Girl is one of my all time faves.
Went into it thinking it’s likely a 5-banger but didn’t hit me like I thought it would. Also very interesting that American Girl is the last track on the album. Anyways, I’m rounding up cuz Petty rocks. 4/5
Not my favorite Petty album but still solid.
I hadn't heard the album and the band didn't sound familiar to me, but when I was listening to the album, it felt like I was listening to the Platonic ideal of 1970s rock. I recognise the final song of the album (American Girl) from an episode of Scrubs (My American Girl).
Great debut album.
Love Tom Petty, but not super familiar with album releases. Huge hits in ‘Breakdown’ and ‘American Girl’ but also some outliers that sounded out of place (‘Mystery Man’ and ‘Luna’). For a debut album it shows the promise of the great artist Petty will be, overall a solid album but not his greatest. 3.75/5
Solides Rockalbum mit einzelnen heraustechenden Songs und ein paar Fillern.
Never a bad time listening to some Petty. Couple songs that aren’t my fav on this one, but it all blends together so nicely for an amazing listen. My 5-star is still Full Moon Fever, but this was still a fantastic listen.
Old fashioned rock and roll. Drive around your shitty small town with no specific destination. Drink beer. Pick up chicks. Get rejected by chicks. Fight. Drive. Nostalgia. 🤘
Very solid and quite enjoyable, even if it didn't make a super strong impression. Favorite track this time through: "Fooled Again."
Disappointingly generic. American Girl is an all timer, but the rest of the album is forgettable. Still fine to listen to, but I expected more.
I really like that this is a short album (31 minutes) of snappy songs. There's plenty of musical hooks and excitement, the production is crisp. Ok maybe the songwriting is fairly basic, but Petty does sing them well. My main criticism is the snare drum, which sounds like a drum machine, probably not helped by it being so loud in the mix. On the upside, at least the groove is tight.
So fucking cool. Tom Petty's twangy, rocky sound is perfect here. Every song has a different vibe from the others, but they're all so perfectly Tom Petty. His voice really shines and some of the grooves are just super cool and clean. Production quality is also quite good, as well as just absolutely stellar performances on all instruments (and vocals, of course). This album is very good, but the sound can be a tad grating after a while. Four stars.
Good, I thought this was going to be a smash the like button... 5 stars... fire... 100 100 100, but the actual album was just an excellent album, not mind blowing emoji level awesome.
Loved this!
Definitely has that 70s vibe to it but still sounds timeless.
Great first album and a great kick off to this me of the greats. Straight ahead rock and roll with some excellent lyrics.
Just good old Rock n Roll
There it comes to light - the unique Tom-Petty-sound. And there are the first of his hits: "Breakdown", "Anything That´s Rock´n´Roll" and "American Girl".
Good album! 4 stars
Didn’t realize this was old as it is. Some big hits mixed with eh.
Good jams. This album feels like it flys by.
Such a fun rock and roll album
Tom Petty was always cool, this was a solid album aside from Anything That’s Rock ‘N’ Roll, that song sucked. Mystery Man, kinda caught me off guard, I liked it but it sounded like Petty was doing a Van Morrison impression. Breakdown has always been a favourite of mine, American Girl is another classic. This album has some cheese to it for sure, starting with the cover art but it’s fun to hear a vocalist switch things up several times within. This is great, 4 stars
listened a couple times. He’s just great
I liked it
Pretty good album. Not a Tom Petty fan but the album was good. Short and sweet.
Excellent, especially the closer, American girl!
Lots more Fun then expected! Kinda short tho
Pleasantly surprised that while this is generic 70s/80s rock, it also slaps.
A solid debut by Petty et al. "American Girl" will always be one of his best tracks.
Breakdown & American Girl get a perfect 5, but the rest of the album lags. You can hear the beginning of something great, though. When I think of my favorite artists of all-time, Tom Petty is in my top 20. He's sorely missed, but at least we'll always have his music.
Damn the torpedoes is better but this one is good too
I totally missed this album in '76 as I was heavily into Northern Soul and the birth of Punk in the UK. Finally got around to appreciating Tom Petty as one of the greatest singer songwriters the US ever produced. One of the few artists I never managed to see live.
8/10 - 4/5 Pretty solid early rock. Good sound, fun influences. I knew more songs than I thought I would.
Breakdown 🔥 Hometown blues- summer chill Wild one forever- happy love Anything that’s rock and roll- upbeat Strangered in the night- good driving Fooled again- don’t like it- pretty chill, nice Mystery man- good love song Luna- did not like American girl- 🔥
Solid tom petty album
Enjoyable 1970s vibes. I hadn't heard much Tom Petty before and he has such a unique voice!
Yeah! I was surprised to find I knew practically all these.
Helt udemærket 70 rock. Kunne sagtens høres igen.
The first half of the album works really well. A good catchy Tom Petty song always hits for me. The second half loses a little momentum with longer and more shapeless tracks before finally ending on a high note with American Girl. Overall, good stuff!
Ég hef alltaf vitað af Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers en hef eiginlega aldrei hlustað á þá. Það eru kannski engir dúndursmellir á þessari plötu en þetta er vel þétt plata sem ég mun alveg pottþétt setja á fóninn af og til. Ég fílaði þetta stöff.
A mix of his early hits and lost tracks.
Good stuff.
Great album. Wasn’t sure at first about a couple of the songs. They didn’t sound “Tom Petty-ish” enough. As I listened, though, there were some hidden jewels that I had not heard. Mystery Man, Luna and Strangered in the Night are really good songs that I wasn’t even familiar with.
It was pretty good, a couple of songs I had never heard
Amazing debut album by a legend! 4/5
Great album that was followed by so many other gems! 4
A really great debut album for this group, but it sounds like they are still finding their stride on a few tracks. Some amazing guitar work and soundscapes on a few tracks, and the song Luna specifically stands out for me as something totally different sounding. What a great tune. Not a perfect album, but extremely good. Favorite tracks: Rockin' Around (With You), Breakdown, Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll, Strangered in the Night, Fooled Again (I Don't Like It), Luna, American Girl.
I really like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, but this is not their best album by a long shot. It's still good, and all the songs are solid, but there's definitely other solo or Heartbreakers albums that should be on here instead of this one.
Rating: 8/10 Short and sweet, a lot of great riffs and catchy melodies. Favorite songs: Breakdown, Hometown Blues, The Wild One Forever, Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll, Strangered in the Night, Luna, American Girl. Worst song: Rockin' Around (With You).
Great storytelling album with some of the hits
Great reflection of the promise the band would later fulfill time and time again. Their musical chops were already on display and Tom’s legacy as one of the best songwriters ever began with this album. In a sad coincidence “American Girl” closes out the album and was the last song the band played before Tom Petty’s tragic death. Both the man and his song are American classics.
Achei muito gostoso de ouvir. Um álbum de 74 que parece bem atual. Vocal e guitarras interessantes. Sonzinho gostoso! Flui muito bem! Rock/blues/country/Hard rock.
good vibes
Volim rock al ima mi i boljih
Jako simpa
Tom Petty is always great.
Wow. I'm pleasantly surprised by how good this album was. While many of the lyrics come across as quite dated, the vibes are through the roof this album. Really outstanding. Would I come back to these? Well, maybe not. It's not my favored genre of music. But I sure won't forget any of these songs.
Debut from Tom Petty, classic American rock'n'roll from one of the best to do it. This record is a little uneven with some very forgettable tunes but boasts two monster tracks -- Breakdown and American Girl, the latter being one of the most recognizable songs from the entire decade of the 70's. Quality guitar and percussion work overlaid with Tom's unmistakable voice. I'm a big Tom Petty fan -- this album is not his finest work but it's solid and you can hear the first steps of a fantastic journey
I didn’t really listen to Tom Petty much but he was a talented artist, and I liked some of his music.
You can see that Petty is heading somewhere, but he's not fully developed yet.
Classic
one of the GOATs
Good, and as importantly, short
Una sorpresa de disco!. Tiempos medios (breakdown, luna) junto con latigazos de rock (Hometown blues, American Girl o Anything that's rock'n'roll )
Eclectic album, a lot of different genres/sounds on here. Enjoyed it for the most part, but got a bit weak near the end (apart from American Girl of course). If it had kept the quality of the earlier tracks I would have enjoyed it more, but I ended up just waiting for American Girl. Also a very weird placement of that track, feels like a perfect opener. Tom Petty's guitar work is quality, without being overly technical or complex.
American girl worth 4 stars alone.
WOW ha sido el que más me ha gustado hasta ahora sin ninguna duda, rockerito de los 70 mi personalidad favorita. lo volvería a escuchar 100%. 9/10. canción fav: rockin around (with you)
good!
I'd never really listened to Tom Petty before outside the singles and I really dug this album! Straight rock and roll played well and earnestly. Tom Petty himself is weirder of a vocalist than he gets credit for
A tasty chunk of American rock and roll. Mike Campbell is an unsung secret weapon.
Not really able to be completely unbiased on this one. This album, and especially "Breakdown" and "American Girl" and a slew of other Tom Petty tracks were background music in my house growing up. Tom Petty is my parent's shared favorite artist. Hell, my dad looks like a brunette (and unaddled by drugs) tom petty. That said, it was nice to revisit it as a whole album, something I havent done on my own. The lyrics are sometimes a tad shallow, but undoubtedly fun, and the guitar work is solid. Its not the best Tom Petty album but it got the train started.
The more I listen to this album the more I like it. The beats are simple but really catchy. I’m not the biggest fan of Tom Petty’s voice but it’s not off putting enough to hurt the score. I swear the opening singing to “Breakdown” Tom sounds like he is singing with a mouth full of mashed potatoes. Still my favorite song on the album. 8/10
Classic rock smash. Nearly every song a hit!
Rock & roll canónico. Un megahit. Un 4, porque el resto de canciones no me han entusiasmado.
- Die erste Tom Petty Platte beinhaltet mit "Breakdown" und "American Girl" zwei große Hits. Ansonsten ein grundsolides Album - v.a. für ein Debütalbum ziemlich stark! - Stimmig und stringet - An "Into the Great Wide Open" oder auch ohne die Heartbreakers an "Full Moon Fever" kommt er mit dem Album leider nicht ran. Dafür sind die beiden zu große Meilensteine. - Mein Geheimtipp: "Fooled Again (I Don't Like It)" - Insgesamt macht das Album Spaß und ich werde gern mal wieder abseits der 3-4 bekannten Songs darauf zurückkommen. Rating: 3,5-3,75/5
- fands ganz geil, hat mir eine fiebrige halbe Stunde im Bett versüßt - allerdings stellenweise auch nicht die aufregendste Platte - nichtsdestotrotz würde ich sie wieder hören
Really good album. Great debut with Breakdown and American Girl. Not necessarily their best but still solid.
Can’t go wrong with Tom.
"What Jefferson was saying was, Hey! You know, we left this England place 'cause it was bogus; so if we don't get some cool rules ourselves - pronto - we'll just be bogus too!" I couldn't resist. Whenever I hear American Girl, I think of Fast Times at Ridgemont High. I was really surprised how much I enjoyed this album. I am very familiar with Petty and (probably) the 2 most popular songs off the album, Breakdown and American Girl, but I though the entire album was solid from start to finish. American Girl is definitely in my top 3 all time Petty songs. Added bonus that it's part of the Fast Times soundtrack. I have listened this album a couple times before New Years, again today and think I enjoy it more and more with each listen. Other songs that stood out to me include The Wild One, Forever, Fooled Again, Mystery Man and Rockin around. There wasn't a song that gave me the urge to want to skip through. I leaned to 3.5, but after another listen today, I'm going with a 4. Maybe it was Petty memories from MTV days or Fast Times, either way, solid album. 4
Love love love. American Girl will always be Silence of the Lambs to me.
Rock
Great Classic Rock Album.
Refugee was the first video I ever saw on MTV. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers were the first band I ever saw live (1982). This album, for the most part, sounds exactly like what it is - a bunch of teenagers trying to sound like their heroes. But then Breakdown. A preview of that iconic, instantly identifiable Heartbreaker's sound. And American Girl. Holy Macaroni.
One of the greatest
Damn good album. Tom Petty came out of the gate firing hot.
Great songwriter. Didn't listen to it all though. 4/5
Enjoyed this WAY more than I thought I was going to. Admittedly Tom's voice has always kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Can't explain it. Like I've heard him my whole life and you know how there's just a few artists that for whatever reason - do that to you? That was Tom. Because of that, I've obviously never given a full album the time of the day. Just knew him from the big singles. Speaking of singles, I recently saw a thread asking - "biggest song that closes out an album?" and surely ending this album with American Girl has got to be up there. Anyways. Really really enjoyed this record and look forward to exploring his solo stuff in contrast to with "the heartbreakers" as I don't know if there's a consensus on which is better.
listened to wont back down - good song
4 - just a great solid album for me
4.2 - very solid album. Not familiar with any of these tracks, but all round very clean crisp catchy sound, not what I would’ve expected from their debut.
Good sounding classic rock but a little more subdued and plenty of substance.
can picture myself driving around windows down jamming
Great album. American Girl is a perfect song.
Never enjoyed Tom’s later period stuff, but this is pretty good. Like an American Elvis Costello with hints of Fleetwood Mac (but way better than FM).
It's so much better than I was expecting. Kinda bluesy and a little bit of an Allman brothers vibe. It's definitely easy listening - good music to work to.
3.75
Became a fan after this album had been & gone - happy to rediscover it !
Not Tom’s best album but has some real gems on here. Obviously Breakdown and American Girl are the hits but The Wild One, Strangerwd in the Night, and Fooled Again are really good songs too. We lost this one way too early. RIP
Hard to understand him sometimes, but the instrumentals are generally enjoyable. Had a hard time deciding between a 3 and 4, but Mystery Man convinced me.
I was going to make an argument about how there are 2 or 3 better Tom Petty albums than this one, despite the fact that it's an amazing debut album by one of classic rock's essential artists. Then I re-listened to it, and marveled about how well it holds up. Is it as good of a debut album that you'll ever listen to? Probably. It's got the two ubiquitous hits (Breakdown, American Girl), and any other song could have been released as a single and been a hit. There ain't any filler here, and it's sort of insane how this broke through big in England but not the States. I'd still put "Damn The Torpedoes" on this list over this album.