Review -- Full Moon Fever
By Gary Graff
Boca Raton News - May 5, 1989
FULL MOON FEVER Tom Petty (MCA): During the past two years, Petty's been on a roll: 1986's "Let Me Up (I've Had Enough)" was one of the best efforts from the California rocker and his group, the Heartbreakers; he was one of the Traveling Wilburys; and he lent a land on the late Roy Orbison's new album. "Full Moon Fever," Petty's first solo album, continues the streak -- a dozen songs that offer a broad range of musical styles and lyrical approaches, reflecting the low-key, relaxed feel of the Wilburys and the last Heartbreakers album. Among its numerous highlights are steamroller rockers like "Runnin' Down a Dream" and "Depending on You," the playfully nostalgic "Apartment Song," a raucous sociology lesson called "Zombie Zoo," the wonderfully ambiguous lost love sentiments in "Free Fallin'," and a Xerox rendition of the Byrds "Feel a Whole Lot Better." The solo Petty offers no dramatic departures, but the overall quality makes this "Fever" worth catching.