This is where Petty's Dylan influence begins to rear its head. He made his name as an all-American, Byrds-inspired rock & roller, but on HARD PROMISES Petty began to explore a more reflective style, leaning on the softer side of his folk-rock roots. This is no NEBRASKA-there are plenty of spirited rockers and classy pop tunes-but Petty does sound like he's been spending some time with BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME. There are sharply observed character studies of hard-luck and no-luck guys ("Something Big," "Nightwatchman"), urgent power-pop declarations of romantic desperation ("A Thing About You") and even some light-hearted socio-cultural observations ("King's Road"). HARD PROMISES is Petty's first step towards the eclecticism that would mark his later work, and it's easily his most underrated album.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: Tom Petty (vocals, guitar, piano); Mike Campbell (guitar, autoharp, accordion, harmonium, bass); Benmont Tench (organ, piano, vocals); Ron Blair (bass); Stan Lynch (drums, vocals).
Additional personnel: Stevie Nicks (vocals); A. Bugs Weidel (piano); Donald "Duck" Dunn (bass); Phil Jones (percussion); Sharon Ceylani (background vocals).
Recorded at Sound City, Van Nuys, California; Cherokee Studios, Hollywood, California; Goodnight, Los Angeles, California.
All songs written by Tom Petty except "A Woman In Love" and "You Can Still Change Your Mind" (Tom Petty/Mike Campbell).
- Format: Vinyl
- Genre: Rock
- Remember, for our lowest prices, always order directly from our official JocoRecords website!
Track Listing:
A1 The Waiting 3:54
A2 A Woman In Love (It's Not Me) 4:21
A3 Nightwatchman 3:58
A4 Something Big 4:45
A5 Kings Road 3:21
B1 Letting You Go 3:22
B2 A Thing About You 3:32
B3 Insider 4:21
B4 The Criminal Kind 3:55
B5 You Can Still Change Your Mind 4:01
