Reviews (page 9 of 14)
Enjoyed it
Great album by a great artist. I love the simplicity of Tom Petty. Rock and roll in its purest form.
4/5
2,5
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.
Ahhh, comfortable rock’n’roll of my youth. This is as stereotypical of the 70s Springsteen/Jackson Browne/Tom Petty trifecta as it gets. “American Girl” is my standout here, and I must admit not much else other than the driving-down-the-highway vibe stays with me after the first listen. But I know how much good stuff is on the way from TP, so I’ll give him a 3 for his out-the-gate effort…
I’d never heard this album in into entirety. I knew the two huge songs but not the other same it’s pretty good. Not my favourite but definitely enjoyed it. Crazy how fully formed Tom was out of the gate. breakdown and American girl are two of his best and for that alone this has to get 3 stars. Breakdown is also the first in a long line of songs where Tom tells us to listen.
classic rock! a lot of songs I’ve heard before so I can now put a name to the songs. very nostalgic
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.
Not enough to tank the album but enough to take the score down significantly. I'm really glad Petty and his boys figured out their own thing and got better from here.
I’m not the biggest Petty fan, but there is no doubt that he has a gift for good hooks in his songs. This album seems like he’s not quite fully formed, so some songs seem like throwaways to me, but American Girl is an all timer.
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
Blegh. Ok album.
Good debut. But not great. Saved by a few top songs. 3.25
Great album! 4/5
Good range of songs 4/5
Interesting sound very classic American even if British. A few songs were flat due to mumbled lyrics. But the last 3 stood far apart from the rest, almost getting better with each. 3.5/5 Notable song: Luna
Garbage. No song ever takes off. As much flavor as flat sparkling water. Only one song is mediocre on the album.
It's not bad, I like Tom Petty but I think it's best stuff is not on that album
Good
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
Better than most Tom Petty, mostly in the first half.
Tom Petty can churn out the hits hit he might not be an album guy.
Cool rock ****
Not my sort of thing
You know, sometimes it's nice to just get a run-of-the-mill decently successful rock act. As much as I may like some (key word: some) of the weird stuff I get, it can be nice to get something that I know I'll understand. Case in point: Tom Petty! I mean, he's a pretty well known name, right? I think he deserves to have an album here. Not only are Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers a successful group, but their self-titled debut album is pretty good! It's not amazing or anything, but it's nice. It's just a solid rock album. It's not groundbreaking, but it's not bad at all. The singing is nice. The instrumental sound is even better. The writing is solid, but not the most unique or impressive. It's a very short album, but that's not a bad thing. "American Girl" is not only the album's closer, but also it's best song. The album's good, I don't have much else to say. High 3/5.
3.5
Not a bad debut, definitely showcases a band with a lot of potential. Some decent songs, some classics, and some filler.
Predictability detracts from the album. Crooning over a slow blues-y groove provides some redemption, particularly on Luna and Breakdown. The energy of Rockin' Around is fun. The vocals in Anything That's Rock and Roll offer an interesting staccato feel. But overall, aside from the well-loved track American Girl, the album is forgettable. Tom's face, on the other hand, is not. He's a little too handsome for his own good, even (especially?) with that smirk.
Tom Petty is not a good singer. I'm not sure if it's the tone of his voice or the type of music he produces but his voice just isn't good to my ears.
What a great start to a great career full of great music.
I didn't hate this album. Breakdown and American Girl were both cool songs. However, I feel like it's very "generic". There are times where I feel like Tom is mumbling his words or trying to do be "too cool"? Kind of like a teenager who can't make it seem like they're trying at anything. It's a 3, but a pretty weak 3
Disappointed. Thought I would enjoy this offering. Have listened to bits and pieces here and there and know he is a revered artist but this didn't do it for me
This is a really great debut album, including Breakdown and American Girl. I'd go 4.5 if I could.
GO GATORS, GO GATORS, GO GATORS, COME ON GATORS GET UP AND GO!🐊🐊🐊🐊🐊🐊
Hackneyed and corny
Can’t believe I’ve never heard this.
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.
сплошное нытье, но пару треков прикольные. Альбом показался однообразным. Luna поинтересней всех по-моему.
В обчем, мысли такие. Том Петти - это такой типа лжерокер, типа нашего Макара из «Машины времени», пока молодой был еще ничего так бодренько и незатейливо, а на деле самый настоящий попсуль. Ничего в этом альбоме ни революционного, ни там цепляющего я не узрел. Прослушал альбом в хайрезе раза три, ну пара песен норм, которая про то, что Тома обули и он обиделся, даже хорошая. Не знаю, ни одного человека, которому нравится Том Петти. P.S.Читать про Тома Петти было смешно, персонаж он какой-то карткатурный. Всем добра!
Not their greatest album. - see Damn The Torpedoes - but damn fine for a debut. Breakdown and American Girl - absolute classics.
not special
3.5
Sept. 13, 2024 This is truly a Friday the 13th album for me because I HATE TOM PETTY (rip) sorry!!!! I just can't deal with his voice it angers me. Aka I'm pre-biased with this album. Okay Rockin' Around was fine. But I hate the weird pseudo-spanish accent in the beginning of Breakdown. Damn it! I don't hate it! AH! But I still hate his stupid face! Okay I do still hate American Girl. 3/5
I enjoyed American Girl, it had a really fun, poppy sound. The rest of the album felt a bit memorable to me, though.
Well, before I listened to this album I would've considered myself a Tom Petty (RIP) fan, though I mainly know the singles from the radio. I still am a fan, but woooow, this album is not good. Other than the two big songs (Breakdown and American Girl), there's not much worth listening to here. Lyrically, most of the songs are a variation of the same thing — boy wants girl, boy won't give up until he gets her. Musically it's fine. It's very safe, vaguely Southern rock that gets kind of boring after a while. And if you think Tom Petty's voice is annoying, dear God, you're going to hate this album. He experiments with his higher register (nails on chalkboard) as well as his lower register (still not great) and even seems to be trying on different voices at times. Of the two noteworthy tracks, Breakdown has aged like milk. I guess I never really paid attention to the lyrics before, but it's a song about a sex pest trying to badger his girlfriend into sleeping with him. Yikes. Just when you're ready to rip your eyeballs out after listening to Tom wail and whine for 25 minutes, the album's sole redeeming track comes on to close out the album. American Girl is where Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers finally come together and gel as a band. The music works, the lyrics work, and Tom's voice manages to find that balance between annoying and interesting. It's a classic song that's a classic for a reason. 2/5 — Sorry Tom, but I'm never going to play this album again.
Middle of the road rock and roll. Breakdown is good, Luna is curious, Americal Girl is meh.
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....
Not for me
It's fine. It all sounds the same and it's lucky that that sound is pretty good. Sounds what I imagine stepdads to sound like Strong 6 to a light 7
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.
The only album of his?!!!!
so fucking boring holy shit okay tom petty we get it you are tom petty and youre HOT THAT IS ALL YOU HAVE GOING FOR YOU
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.
Pretty good, only knew breakdown and American girl
Just pure meh, innit?
I was a bit surprised by this, there was a lot I liked in it. But it wasn't really that good except for American Girl
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.
Some good tunes
Not great. A couple absolute classics but he has MUCH stronger album offerings.
Ih nada demais
Not my fave Tom Petty songs, but a pretty solid first album
Listenable but not great
Alright. Some good hits
hated it loved it who am i
amusant, mais personnellement, le type de musique qui me fait fixer le vide dans une voiture ou dans un bar
I like breakdown, mystery man, luna and American girl... the rest is pretty good...
Pretty standard rock and roll album. Gets to the point and has some fun songs. 3/5 Might listen again
Great
American Girl is a knockout, the rest of the album seems like a search for a sound. Even Breakdown sounds a bit like Steely Dan.... variety is not a bad thing but the overall blandness is something Petty needed to escape from to become a bigger musicial star.
Good vibes and good music but didn’t leave an impression on me
Boing
Claire enjoyed the 2nd and last song and by the 4th song his voice was grating on her, she didn't enjoy the song in between. Albert: it wasn't the album he'd listen to before. This one was ok but he preferred the other one. Ronni: nice guitars, pleasant to listen to. Enjoyed American Girl at the end
This is probably by 4th favorite TP album, but it is a great one.
I didn't particularly like the album. I thought Breakdown was the best. I couldn't do much with American Girl. I listened to the whole album and the best thing I can say about it is that it didn't bother me. 3/5
I hope there's more Tom Petty on this list besides this one.
Pretty good, some songs a little underwhelming, some surprisingly fun. American Girl definitely the biggest hit, a chill upbeat one.
This is kind of middling for me. It’s easy-listening enough but I’m not excited by it.
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.
It was okay, but the standout is Breakdown, then Mystery man. The rest is ... eh.
The album is saved by the final track, American girl, which is iconic. The rest is forgettable and, frankly, mediocre rock and roll (aka a piss-poor imitation of e.g. the Stones)
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.
Short and sweet
Pleasant and enjoyable. That being said, I probably won't seek it out voluntarily again.
Dad rock
I don't get Tom Petty. He may have had some good songs, even though I don't like those either, but this record sucks.
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 ⭐️
Pretty Colourless
Classic Tom Petty. Little rough around the edges still but good.
The genre of this album is “music”
jep katsokaas nyt kyllä vituttaa rupes vähä vituttaan tänä aamuna kävi vähä näin sunnuntaiaamuna kävi tälles tälle kahvinkeittimelle tuli tunnit täyteen varmaan kattokaas mitä tälle kävi tolle tälle näin tälle kävi tälläin näin jos se näkyy tähän kameraan kai se nyt näkyy jotenki halkes toi pohja perkele tosta halkes pohja tästä kahvinkeittimestä halkes pohja nyt kyllä vituttaa ku halkes pohja niin vituttaa kyllä meni kahvinkeitin paskaks pohja halkes tästä oikeen halkes joo pohja halkes oikeen kunnolla tosta napsahti vaan ja halkes pohja niin nyt rupes kyllä vituttaan oikeen rankasti että vituttaa hyvä kahvinkeitin meni siinä tommonen kahvinkeitin meni siinä meni siinä sitte nyt sitte rupes vituttaan ai ai löytysköhän roskiksesta uutta tämmöstä pannua vai mistä löytyis noh kyllä se vituttaa mutta onneksi mulla sattu oleen varakahvinkeitin tämmönen varakahvinkeitin ku BRINSEEES oikeen kunnon kahvinkeitin siinä on sitte varakeitin päästään keitteleen tällä sitte ravitsevat kahvit tällä keittimellä tämmösellä keittimellä keitetään sitte kahvit taas tänään sitte ravitsevat kahvit tulee tämmösellä keittimellä sitte onneks oli varalla tämmönen huh huh muuten ku tää hajos niin vituttaa kyllä silti vaikka on varakeitin niin kyllä vituttaa tää oli hyvä keitin tää oli pirun hyvä kahvinkeitin kyllä nyt kyllä vituttaa ankarasti juu-u ei mulla täällä muuta että tälläsiä tunnelmia täältä tänään oikeen vituttaa rankasti vituttaa hajos kahvinkeitin siinä se ny meni rockin' around with you
Generic rock to me
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.
Perfect!
I don't think I like Tom Petty enough for this dose of him. I do like American Girl enough to be surprised when it was the last track on this otherwise pretty boring album. 3 mostly for American Girl.
So many otherwise good songs ruined by Tom petty singing he was so annoying on his early work lol
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.
In the words of Tom Petty himself: I don't like it, I don't like it. I reached a point listening where i realized it really is just the vocals that i find off putting, which is to say: I have nothing against the heartbreakers. 1.5 for them. (also American Girl is overrated k thx bye)
American Girl is bumping this up like, half a star at least. I don't hate later tom petty but there wasn't quite enough going on here for me
american girl is not the only good song on here ok breakdown is also good
Heartland rock is far from my favorite, and there was a little too much honky timbre for my liking. The vocals are uneven and the lyricism (outside of standout Luna) is straightforward and dull. Guitar work is the most engaging element in most tracks. This sounds more negative than I intend it to, it's music that I don't *mind* but wouldn't ever seek out. Well produced. I'm glad this is my first Petty album, really interested to contrast with later career efforts. Listened to: at Target. Favorite tracks: Breakdown, Luna
American girl is a fun song.
8/10
Didn't really do much for me, seemed like fun uncomplicated rock though. I enjoyed listening to it on my drive home from work. I only knew one or two songs beforehand and I enjoyed some of their later work more. Mary Jane's last Dance is their best song imo.
I kinda wish I never listened to this, haha. Hearing American Girl for the first time in Silence of the Lambs was such a perfect moment. Left a really great taste in my mouth, but apparently Tom Petty is in a #smalldose category for me. That nasaly head-cold thing he does gets pretty insufferable. He's basically another Elvis Costello. They're like Ed Debevics characters.
Really enjoyed this one. A short but sweet debut.
Good to have
At times bluesy, others more hard rocking. It's a concise record: 10 tracks at just over half an hour, but not a great one for me. Luna with its quiet organ playing is the most interesting song. Other highlights: Breakdown, Strangered In The Night.
buoyed by some bangers. could i write poetry to this? n
As he will forever be remembered as a Classic-Dad-Rock god, Tom Petty doesn't get enough credit for being a fresh sound in his early years. Incorporating some New Wave flourishes to the tried-and-true Southern Blues Rock formula, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers were ahead of the curve on a sound that wouldn't fully bloom until the 1980's. He delivered the cheeky sneer of Punk Rock from the North to the swamps of Florida. Add a some New-Wavey hand claps, Poppy vocal accents from the band, and shimmering, heavily chorused guitar licks, and there ya go.
3.5
2.5 moved up because of the brevity of most songs and American Girl is great.
I think it was an objectively good album, but not exactly suited to my personal tastes
Not bad but not quite my thing
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.
Meh wasn't anything all that special imo
Really admire this first record by TP and the H’s. The 60’s were only a few years in the rearview but seemed light years away, when he channeled them in combination with punk / new wave energy as well or better than anybody in this era.
I love this album. I love Tom Petty.
I liked the vocals a lot, but of those lines haven’t exactly aged well lmao.
The difference between the famous songs and album filler is very stark. The 1st and 3rd tracks are horrible, but sandwich Breakdown, which I could listen to all day.
It was good. I liked the lyrics and music. Good recommendation
Love it. What a wonderful album. Standout for me is always "Mystery Man".
Middle of the road radio-friendly blues rock though served with charisma and no little skill. Interesting to see how some of the tracks here, including the opener, resemble unfinished jams rather than fully-fledged songs. The moody Breakdown is the most interesting song though American Girl's catchiness is undeniable.
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 didn't dislike this and American Girl is a great track, but the best thing about this was it's relatively short length at 30 mins
2.5. Enjoyable background tunes, short songs/album which was pleasant to listen to.
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.
This one was ok for a debut album. A lot of the songs were decent with the better known songs being standouts.
Well, some killers, some fillers. A promise of what's to come, but not more. Like it, but certainly not something needed to hear before death.
Pretty good for a debut. The hits are all time greats with the rest being somewhat filler. The opening track feels anachronistic, sounding like mid 60s British Invasion, but not bad.
I don't know, this is fine, but I feel like there are probably better Tom Petty albums out there. A lot of this songs don't feel finished, they kind of just fade out as they are getting started. A lot of them sound the same too. I feel like this album was only picked because it had two hits songs, not because it is a good album. 2.5
Man has this project done Tom Petty dirty. The only album on the list is this one, which is, at best, fine. It's also his/their first album, so it's not surprising that it's not the best. Why the hell did they choose this one? I get that this list may lean more towards "influential" than "great," and if a band has an original sound then you can make the argument that their first album should be the pick...but are mediocre albums all that influential even if they have a newish sound? Aren't the "influential" albums the ones that inspire other bands, meaning that they were *good* albums that those later songwriters would listen to repeatedly? At some point I'll stop complaining about the list because it's an impossible task and everything artistic is subjective, but this album is a terrible representation for an artist/band with decades of music. Obviously, "Wildflowers" is the single greatest album that isn't on the list of 1,001, but even some other Heartbreakers albums would have been better choices. RIP, Tom. You deserve better.
It's pretty unremarkable, honestly. I tended to zone out a few seconds into each song, there's never really anything that interesting happening. It's one of the albums on this list that I feel like is only on there for one or two songs, in this case, it's "Breakdown" and "American Girl" - so it doesn't help that I didn't think much of the former. At least it's short, with a 31 minute runtime, but that didn't stop me from checking how long was left at some point during each song. 4.5/10
First Tom Petty album I’ve heard. Good debut
Nice bit of early Tom. I wonder if he’ll have some more on here.
boring rock
2024-07-08...
Dad rock. Not super interesting and I don't hear the few songs of his I know. Meh. 2*.
4-
Solid album
some kind of an counterfeit Iggy Pop, but we already have one, and he is the best
Liked Songs Breakdown American Girl
I didn't care for this. I wouldn't listen to it again. I must just like their newer stuff.
Albums that absolutely should be on this list: “Damn the Torpedos”; “Full Moon Fever”; “Wildflowers”. Albums that should not be on this list: this one. Not only is this album way worse than most of Tom Petty’s catalog, but the album cover alone should disqualify it. “American Girl” is one of the greatest rock songs of all time and “Breakdown” is a great song as well, but those two songs are all this album has going for it. Tom Petty is such an amazing artist with so many great albums that the decision for this to be his only album included on this list is absurd.
Está fixe, mas não tenho paciência para ouvir este álbum do início ao fim. Mais do mesmo, é só música normal sem nada de especial. Do que eu ouvi, acho que é aquele tipo de música que fica bem na banda sonora de filmes tipo Arma Mortífera 2 ou assim, música de domingo à tarde.. ou de quando eu tinha 6 anos e ia para a quinta do meu avô ou para o escritório do meu avô ou os meus tios me levavam a andar de carro.. aquelas situações em que eu era um puto sem nada para fazer, e na cozinha ou algures havia um rádio, às vezes saía música assim... Mas mesmo dentro deste estilo de música de rádio que me faz lembrar a minha infância prefiro Seal ou Simply Red... Se for para falar de bandas "fun" que têm um nome "X and the X", prefiro o Huey Lewis and The News. Isto é só um álbum sem nada de especial.. se um português fizesse esta música ninguém ia querer saber. Propaganda da CIA.
This is like if someone without any talent made a cover album of the Rolling Stones from memory. Generic rock blues, every second word is baby, all songs ending in fade outs. And what about the lyrics of American girl? Is he saying she makes him come too soon or that she drinks too much? Either way the guy has some shit he needs to solve with this baby he keeps going on about for the whole album.
Generic classic rock that gets played at boomer radio stations. Not sure what is special apart from nostalgia factor.
Fine filler for oldies radio stations
Good
Tom Petty is one of those artists whose music has stood the test of time and aged incredibly well. Rooted deeply in rock traditions, he’s hands down the best artist within the heartland rock genre. His music is evenly balanced and fits perfectly with just about any mood and any time.
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
Decent
I'm not necessarily impressed nor upset I indulged. The faux bad boy from back home is kinda stupid though, not gonna lie. Tom Petty is a better song writer in his later days when I bent to the folk singer songwriter image. Let it be known though, he was no bob dylan but he produced better sounding songs then. Aside from is mid and late 70's hits the other music on this album seems to not strike me as good. Just average. Anyway, he's acclaimed for his hits which were pretty great. American Girl being one of them from this album.
STANDOUTS: American Girl OVERALL: 2.5/5
aww yeah, all right
paar goeie nummers, paar van dertien-in-een-dozijn... niet slecht maar geen verplichte kost
One thing about this project is I’m always wondering if I’ve pegged some well-known artist completely wrong. Of course I’ve heard Petty’s singles a million times and grown sick of them long ago, but what if the albums were actually really good and I never knew? Well, guess what, this album is absolutely spirit-crushingly boring middle-brow rock just like you thought it would be!
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.
american girl three stars she is that girl
Old rock and roll!
Pretty decent. Although it probably sounds a little too much like the Beatles/Dylan/Bowie for its own good at various points, and offers few singular qualities that make it worthwhile to revisit.
no hearts were broken in the making of this record 61/100
It’s OK
Classic sound
I dunno... first this was not on Apple Music so I had to play around and make my own playlist of the album from YouTube and what was there. But I wish I hadn't bothered because it wasn't very good.
Standard 70's rock with nothing special.
I had to listen to a Frankenstein of a version of this album via YouTube because apparently at some point recently this album got stripped from streaming, and it doesn't feel worth going out and tracking down a vinyl for an album I already know is going to be anywhere from mediocre-to-not my thing. Tom Petty's voice isn't bad on a surface level, but it always sounds like he is a nerdy kid trying to hold in a sniffle because he has a cold, and it can be noticeably bad the longer you sit and listen. Not helping things is that this album just doesn't have the star power throughout. Yes, American Girl is a classic, and that guitar solo at the end is great, but do the rest of the songs hold up? No, not really... it just leaves this album feeling like it is the epitome of 70s dad rock, which is ironic, because my dad can't stand this guy. Either way, the album isn't bad, it is actually mostly inoffensive, but I have no thoughts after listening that I didn't already have from his hits. His deep cuts aren't spectacular, and the singles are baseline good, but don't reach the upper echelons of classic rock, so this album just feels like it exists. Really easy pill to swallow, at least; that run time is fantastic for this kind of music.
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
Had the distinct pleasure of seeing Tom Petty live at the original Pemberton Music Festival in 2008 and he was absolutely phenomenal. This album is such a raw, beautiful example of one of the greatest songwriters of all time balanced beautifully by the heartbreakers backing him up. Can't like this one enough.
Pretty good record, but not interesting enough to rate it higher than a three. I don't really have much to say about it, except that I wouldn't mind it playing in the background; it was pleasant enough. Highlight: Breakdown 3.5 stars
Another album I've never listened to. This was sometimes really high energy and fun. However some songs lost the momentum and blended together, lacking something that made them distinct. The more well known songs are definitely the highlights. I'd listen to a few of them again. Highlights: Breakdown Anything That's Rock 'N' Roll American Girl
Only track I know is American Girl and I have never considered that song to be anything special. The rest is even more mediocre than that. So that leaves an album full of music I don't give a crap about.
Solid but not Tom Petty’s best imo.
It's Tom Petty, so it's pretty good. I. kept hoping there might be a sleeper on this album that was earlier than I started listening to him. I found that late in the album on "Luna". That's a song I never knew before and liked here. Starts out slow and clambers into itself, before striking a very deep and strong footing. Not an every day song, but nice to find.
Fully agree with hellyeah - young Tom Petty may not have known quite what kind of music he wanted to make. Blues rock? Americana? Southern rock? Bob Dylan lite? Van Morrison crooner? There’s absolutely signs of talent here. “Breakdown” is simply an amazing song, and “American Girl” is a classic for a reason. But there’s a lot of forgettable imitation here. Petty wouldn’t really find his groove until the Heartbreakers’ second or third album, but then they go on a run of hits like few other rock groups in the late-70s, with lasting impactful success all the way into the 90s. “Damn the Torpedoes,” “Full Moon Fever,” and “Wildflowers” are the albums that actually belong on the list, not this self-titled debut. Those first two, along with his other 80s offerings, gave Petty a string of hits that would carry heartland rock for two decades, and after his first greatest hits album in 1993 he followed it up with the 3x platinum “Wildflowers,” reeling off a string of radio hits just as grunge was taking over rock radio. The kind of lasting power Petty had shouldn’t be understated, but the 1001 manages to try by only including his debut on the list.
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.
TP&TH get their career off to a promising start. They’ve got two hits in Breakdown and American Girl and a collection of other decent songs. As with many debuts, it feels like they are still figuring out their sound. I have to point out that I saw them live in the early 2000s and TP has the best stage presence I’ve ever seen. He was humorous, engaging, and commanded my attention to every detail of what he was doing. He’s one of those performers that I’m glad I saw before they passed away. As an aside, I recently saw girl in red and she is the closest performer to TP that I’ve seen. She is high energy the whole show bouncing all over the stage. She has the most admirable connection with her audience that I’ve ever seen. Her crowd is hard core. At the end of the show, she parted the bodies, entered the middle of the floor, crushed the end of her last song, and crowd surfed back to the stage. It was phenomenal, especially the trust she had in her audience to be so vulnerable amongst them. It was remarkable.
2.5/5
Not for me, I don’t find this album catchy or interesting, and the vocal delivery doesn’t make sense to me unfortunately
the only rock and roll i like is the roller coaster
American Girl and Breakdown are two all-time great tracks, but the rest of the album strays too far into bland Billy Joel/Van Morrison territory and I quickly lost interest.
Not great. Voice did grate, however. Only good track is the last one. Nothing more to say really.
Track 1 - better than Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree, but only just, and not in December Track 2 - silly voice Track 3 - swing your pants Track 4 - sounds like an early Bon Jovi demo Track 5 - decent guitar break, tired Stones influenced rocker Track 6 - I prefer Frank Sinatra singing Strangers... Track 7 - I don't like It Track 8 - silly voice, ok guitar Track 9 - silly voice, dull song Track 10 - The title and chorus are a master stroke - in terms of marketing. Good tune & guitars but the Strokes stole it, energised it, and made something much cooler. Final comment - is this the worst album cover ever produced? Absolute final comment - a top 1001 album, really?
Already 1 star from the album cover alone. 🤮🤮🤮🤮
Something about his face on the album cover is unbelievably irritating. He was sat there smirking at me the whole time I was listening, judging me intensely with those beady eyes. It was very distracting. Not cool Tom. As for the music, it was alright
Honestly not too crazy about this album. Good rock sound but it felt repetitive song to song. Good windows down summer album, but nothing really stands out to me. Favorite song: American Girl 2.4/5
Straight up rock and roll, well done — nothing fancy, and it doesnt have to be!
Pretty solid, just tom petty. 6/10
If Tom Petty's name wasn't attached to this, I'd call this a pretty boilerplate rock album with some southern sensibility and a good voice. I'm still going to do that, but this does have "Breakdown" and "American Girl" on it. "Luna" deserves a skip for the voice alone. Favorite tracks: "Breakdown", "American Girl"
Not a huge fan of these guys
Mira, Breakdown es una gran cancion. El resto la acompaña. American Girl es algo que solamente los gringos podrían apreciar.
Would need more listens for a 4 but better than expected and would listen again
..(.
kinda fun?
Ok buddy
Tom could rock, straight up. Great album, especially American Girl, that’s a definite favorite of mine.
Just bangers. Straight kooky bangers. Early TP is inspiring.
Despite my lack of interest in other heartland, this one hooked me. I'm very glad I gave this a shot.
Obviously one of the greatest albums of all time.
Florida man
What is it about white guys in the 70s overusing the term "rock and roll"
Nice nostalgia
Well, this album came out just as I was starting to take an interest in records. I was aware of Tom Petty, but never really listened to this or any other record by him as we were then in the rise of the UK punk scene and then into post-punk. I guess I'd characterise this as rather old-style rock music. I don't think there's anything outstanding here, but then again, nothing here is particularly annoying. Of all the tracks, I was most familiar with Breakdown, owing to Grace Jones' version, powered by the mighty Sly and Robbie.
I never really got the appeal of Tom P, obviously reasonably popular and moved in some well respected circles. I thought if I got the chance to listen to an album or two I might understand a bit better… but no, this just seems like very average and unadventurous dad rock. I still don’t get the fuss.
Tom Petty is a legendary artist no doubt, and his hits stand the test of time. But I feel like his non-hits don't. Honestly, I think his voice is kind of annoying, but really on the songs that I don't know, which was all of these. The instrumentals were generally good, however.
I only enjoyed one track on this album. I'll let you guess which one. The rest are borderline boring. I do have a urge to wear jeans and a leather jacket now though.
Sometimes you just need some good old back to basics rock n roll. Peggy’s best work was before him, but this is a promising debut.
Excellent! Has left me wondering why I've never listened to Tom Petty before!
This album has a couple of hit songs that I have heard but not the other songs. It's not bad and I imagine if I had been 18 in 1976 I probably would have listened to this a lot. It's pretty good American rock and roll.
Great album. Will especially liked it. And Carolyn.
Didn’t Breakdown on this one.
kind of sukc
Straight rock from the 70-ies.
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.
didnt grip me!!!!!!!! it had some cool tracks though one of the worst albums
Simple and to the point, not bad from a not big Tom Petty guy. Although my biggest pet peeve is when bands use & one place and then “and” another, it’s aesthetically the same as nails on a chalkboard
En 1976 Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers y los Ramones compartían su querencia por el rock inmaculado de los años 60, pero el resultado musical fue muy diferente aun cuando a los de Tom Petty les reconocieron su actitud punk. Este fue su álbum de debut, un ejemplo meridiano de lo que era el power pop, una mezcla de melodías y rock de garaje. En este sentido me gusta especialmente "Strangered in the Night", así como sus dos éxitos "Breakdown" y "American Girl", este último un tema de inspiración "Byrds" pero impulsado por un sonido más rock & roll. También destacaría el arranque del disco, "Rockin' Around (With You)", y el tercer corte, "Hometown Blues".
It was okay
classic sorta rock style but not hardcore? a bit cheesy rock vibe. Not really my thing i don't think. He looks like a bit of an egotistical chancer lmao. -
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 wasn't bad but I didn't find anything special about it.
Favorite Track: American Girl other picks: Luna (has a Pink Floyd feel), Breakdown
Amazing band, album, and songs!
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.
Did not really like the first song, rockin around with you. Breakdown is an amazing song though and starts to set the stage for a much better album, however, I'm not sure it delivers on that premise. The next song is not much better than the first. The next songs does deliver what I expect from TP and was a nice return to form (The wild one, forever). Followed by yet another forgettable song, anything that's rock n roll doesn't do anything special. Of course, in the way this album seems to go, I quite like the next song (Strangered in the night), nice melody and chilled out solo. Fooled again is another good one (TWO IN A ROW!) but is followed by mystery men (ok) and luna (meh). American girl rounds it out and its no wonder that american girl and breakdown were the ones that stood the test of time. Good album as a debut, but definitely nothing I would note as an album you must listen to before dying. 3.5/5
3.5 Ideal American rock and the perfect length for an album!
On one hand, it’s refreshing to hear a bit of stripped-down 80s bar rock in the heart of the overwrought 70s. On the other hand, well, aside from a few exceptions, the tunes aren’t particularly memorable. Not much interesting storytelling or passion, and, on the whole, it’s all a bit facile.
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
I've enjoyed this album and have grown an appreciation for Petty's Americana power pop and recognizing how tight the Heartbreakers were. I realize, too, this debut is good but just shy of being great. It suffers from being a little awkward.
This album improved as it went on and upon second listen. I really like and appreciate Tom Petty‘s vocal style and voice. That being said still somewhat generic Americana rock ‘n’ roll to me, which is not my favorite genre. However, breakdown is awesome and American girl is iconic probably due to that guitar riff.
Pretty forgettable.
Solid.
Incredible debut album. Perfectly encapsulates the sound the Petty and the Heartbreakers would rock for the next 40 years. Not a fully finished product, obviously, but nonetheless sets a high standard for what to expect from these legends.
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.
I know this guy is a legend but I’m really not getting what the deal is!? Definitely being more and more affirmed that this is not my genre of music. Maybe listening to it after Steely Dan didn’t help? Luna is a nice track though. Half stars would once again be welcome here
Favorite Tracks: American Girl Breakdown
Best thing: it’s only 30 mins Worst thing: VERY boring
Favourite song - Hometown blues
Wonderful voice and music!
For me Tom Petty is an artist where you can basically get by with the greatest hits record. And even on his greatest hits I think there is some pretty skippable stuff. Breakdown, for instance. This record definitely doesn't change that feel.
Nice although I don’t think it has that lasting impression feature lol
Dull. Middle of the road. Uninspiring. Like a lot of the very American stuff on here tbh. Maybe it’s a cultural thing
Good singer/band. Some great songs. Died way too soon. Even his later music was good.
It was fine.
Not bad, a few hits. Thought this was gonna be worse than it is.
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.
cool but tom just got better
Not sure I like Tom Petty’s younger voice very much - I prefer his later music. This album sounded kind of like an early Bon Jovi style. Listens: 1 Fave Track: American Girl Rating: 3
I’m not disappointed, but I expected more.
On first listen it is somewhat bland. Not bad at all, though.
BL: Aware of this album only through "American Girl" which is a cultural classic at this point. Needed to get into Tom Petty for a while so this is a good excuse to. AL: this personally to me, didn’t resonate at all that much. It just felt very cookie cutter 70s rock. Maybe this album is on here because it kickstarted the career of one of rocks all time greats, but it generally doesn’t feel like it has any outstanding features to me besides the aforementioned track FT: “American girl” 2/5
Was waffling between a 3 and a 4 here. I guess this is the only petty album on this list which is absurd. The debut is far from my favorite of his works but it is a great debut. The singles breakdown and american girl really stand out. The rest are just some solid country rock, not as memorable though
Rockin' Around (With You) 3.4 Breakdown 3.7 Hometown Blues 3 The Wild One, Foreever 3.2 Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll 3.3 Strangered in the Night 3.4 Fooled Again (I Don't Like It) 3.6 Mystery Man 2.8 Luna 2.5 American Girl 3.6 Score: 3.25
I know very little about tom petty, didn't recognise anything from this album, and looking at his discography doesn't spark many memories except for free fallin', assuming it's that one. This album was very of it's time, breezy pop rock, there were a couple of decent songs, liked breakdown and American girl. Wouldn't rush back but it was fine, 2.5.
A bit too breezy. Tend to agree with the rest - American Girl is the best. Just not enough for me.
Know some Tom Petty songs and have liked what I've heard so was looking forward to this..... Unfortunately the majority of this is quite forgettable. However, I do think "American girl" is an amazing track and helps to redeem this. It captures that small town American dream brilliantly, similar to how Springsteen does. 3, largely because of American girl. Breakdown is decent too
Muy bueno.
Classic
I love it when the albums are only 30 minutes, even when they’re good (which this one isn’t).
I enjoyed this fairly well. A couple of classic and well known songs. I had never listened to this album.
81/1001
Some enjoyable tracks with Breakdown and The Wild One, Forever. But overall a bit eh
Quite catchy at points. Bit of Dylan mixed with Zeppelin even the cure. The last song “American Girl” has an indie rock feel to it. Definitely the stand out track for me
Just couldn't get into this. Whether I came in with the wrong expectations I dunno, but this was very forgettable.
Found these tracks pretty plain and underdeveloped. Was bored and tuned out! Fave track: Luna
banger after banger
Not my favorite Tom Petty output, though American Girl is an obvious classic. Three stars because it's mercifully short.
"Breakdown" is awesome but "American Girl" carries this album big time. There really aren't any other standouts for me. I do like the overall sound of it and could see it being on a wider rotation of 'set and forget' albums/artists.
Tom was an expert songwriter and hit maker. Albums not so much
Surprisingly I haven't known any of the songs on this album though I do know some other songs by Tom Petty. It's a good rock'n'roll album, nothing too outstanding but I enjoyed the sound of the album. The second half was a bit better, more consistent than the first one. Overall good, 3.5 out of 5.
LP
Was worth it for "American Girl".
2 stars — one for Breakdown and one for American Girl
Okaish Rock'n Roll.
Like the second half of the album better than the first. A bit cleaner and more interesting than the first, more rock, part of the album.
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.
Really saved the best for last