1980s
The Petty Archives

Record review: Petty's latest has moments
By Mark Simpson
The Wainwright Star-Chronicle - Wednesday, August 5, 1981

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Hard Promises | Performance: Taking My Time | Substance: Byrd-like | Sound: Excellent
I can't say I have been overly impressed with Tom Petty's last two albums, in particular Damn the Torpedoes. They have their moments but rarely do the numbers shine or stand out.

Petty has always paid tribute to one of the truly great American groups, the Byrds. And this album you can hear it more so than on his other albums. The single, The Waiting is a classic example of what I mean.

One problem that most groups have when they copy or imitate a group, is that they can't find their own sound. I believe Petty has, on this album, with the song The Night Watchman, even though it has a Dylanesque sound to it. Recommendation: Take your time with this album. Don't throw it away, given time you will enjoy and treasure it.