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ALBUM REVIEW

TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS

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Damn The Torpedoes


Released - November 1979, MCA Records. Produced by Tom Petty and Jimmy Iovine

Tom Petty - Lead and Backing Vocals, Guitar
Mike Campell - Lead Guitar, Harmonica, Organ
Stan Lynch - Drums and Backing Vocals
Ron Blair - Bass
Benmont Tench - Keyboards, Backing Vocals

Additional Personnel - Duck Dunn - Bass on 'You Tell Me'

All songs written by Tom Petty except Here Comes My Girl and Refugee written by Petty & Campell

SONG RATING
Refugee   10.0
Here Comes My Girl     9.2
Even The Losers     8.0
Shadow Of A Doubt (A Complex Kid)     8.1
Century City     5.8
Don't Do Me Like That     7.9
You Tell Me     5.6
What Are You Doin' In My Life     7.4
Louisiana Rain     9.0
Ave     7.9

                                                                         REVIEW

This was the first real big hit album for Tom Petty. Damn The Torpedoes has a pretty good flow to it, especially the first four songs which get it off to a great start.. The album opens with one of  Petty's best songs ever, "Refugee", a true rock n roll gem. "Here Comes My Girl" and "Shadow Of A Doubt" are two more great tunes, while "Louisiana Rain" makes you want to sing along to it.

This album has a few nice slide guitar bits on a few of the songs, and the band plays well. But I always felt Tom should have just worked with different musicians as a true solo act; he is the only reason The Heartbreakes got where they did. This album might have rated highter with a tighter band. That is not to take anything away from Tom himself, as he was one of the few rock superstars who made it big and continued to put out great new music when we entered the otherwise dull eighties.

- Keno 2001

To listen to some soundclips from Damn The Torpedoes or to purchase it, click on: Damn The Torpedoes [Remastered]

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