They broke in the UK in 76, just as the Punk tidal wave was sweeping all before it. I have been a fan of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers from the first album, and saw him play for the first time at Knebworth in 78, followed up by the Damn The Torpedoes tour in 1980, and then again in London in 87.

So they better be able to play and sing, right? They can. The lead singer and drummer look as though they should be in a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute, the bass player is a dead ringer for Trevor Bolder from the Spiders From Mars, the keyboard player a Frank Zappa / Rick Wakeman hybrid. On stage, visually, Too Petty appear to overtly challenge the originals’ image. A Tom Petty tribute does not have that restriction. A Rolling Stones, Led Zep or Who tribute is pretty much defined by how their Jagger, Plant, or Daltrey looks, beyond that, if you can sing and play convincingly that is enough. Even more fortunately, Petty was not a flamboyant frontman. With around twenty albums, in various guises, recorded over five decades, there is no shortage of material for Too Petty to delve into. No-one goes to a Beethoven concert, then complains that Beethoven wasn’t playing, or conducting, and so with rock, the torch of the original artists’ music is handed from one generation to the next. As the greats from the classic rock era grow old, infirm, or die, the demand for their music remains. Four decades later, it remains as fresh and exciting as it was on the day of its release.The age of the tribute band is upon us. What Are You Doin’ in My Life? is on the weaker side while Louisiana Rain is a gorgeous but heart-wrenching ballad.ĭamn the Torpedoes was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the height of their powers.

You Tell Me with that stunning bass line deserves more appreciation. Century City is an energetic, straightforward rocker.ĭon’t Do Me Like That is catchy anthem and easily shines on its own. Shadow of a Doubt (A Complex Kid) is an underrated song that’s often overshadowed. Even the Losers is one of their strongest efforts and showed the band’s tight playing.

Here Comes My Girl is an upbeat, bouncing tune that’s a clear standout. Refugee is a blistering rock number that opens the album with raw power. His confidence is evident in the well-crafted tracks he wrote. Petty touched on roots, pop, folk-rock, and acoustic without losing his credibility as a rocker. The LP is heavy-hitting, unapologetic, and unrestrained. They pulled out all the stops and went in hard.

Shadow of a doubt tom petty tribute