1980s
The Petty Archives

Editor's Note: This review leaves me wondering if the guy even actually listened to the album beyond "Don't Come Around Here No More."

On Record
By Carson Hoag
Cardinal Points - April 11, 1985

TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS - "Southern Accents" (MCA Records)
The sound of five pairs of feet jumping up and down in their own puddle of urine. Don't get me wrong; I'm dumping on these folks just because they happen to be commercial, but this vinyl slab is a real nosedive. (Anyone who remembers the brash, trail blazing "Damn the Torpedoes" should agree.) Cuts like "Rebels" and "The Best of Everything" make one wonder why dribble like this is ever committed to plastic. "Don't Come Around Here No More" sounds like the Ohio Express overdosed on Cosmic Candy. Save your money and go buy some Mr. T cereal.