Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers --

Into the Great Wide Open

(MCA 10317)

For the past decade and a half, Tom Petty has been making liars out of cynical critics by proving that it’s still possible in the fashion-happy music industry to write a good song and actually get it played on the radio.

From 1976’s "Breakdown" to 1989’s "Freefallin’," Petty has been running off a long, consistent string of FM hits, and getting plenty of MTV time. He’s never had to worry too much about keeping a record contract, and, amazingly, he’s fueled his career with quality song material.

A stickler might complain that the understated, moderate musical accompaniment that backs Petty’s songs is a lot less than his band, the Heartbreakers, are actually capable of, and that his music is geared specifically for AOR stations to feel comfortable playing it.

Listening to this new release it’s hard to find fault with the guy, even if two or three of the songs are destined for excessive play on radio stations a lot of us hate, for reasons many of us find utterly regressive.

How can anyone keep from laughing at the hilarious title cut: "Eddie waited til he finished high school / He went to Hollywood, got a tattoo / He met a girl there with a tattoo, too / The future was wide open."

Then there’s the bent guitar hook on "Makin’ Some Noise" to feed to your cerebellum, and the irresistible singalong chorus of "Built to Last."

Hearing the new Petty disc should make you want to grab a 12-pack of Old Milwaukee, get a fresh pack of Marlboros or a can of Copenhagen, and drive down Rt. 58 in a junky car. If you happen to be riding next to a bunch of rowdy navy guys who’re doing the same thing, bear in mind that irony is often an enjoyable element of a genuine life. Throw an empty beer can at them and ride on, laughing, into the great wide open.

--- Brian Greene / Catharsis #21 - Sept. 1991