Customer Reviews

Full Moon Fever [Vinyl]

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Tom Petty has produced many masterpieces (so far) in his long and brilliant career, but none more enjoyable than this rocking collaboration with producer and fellow Travelling Wilbury Jeff Lynne. It sounds so effortless and breezy, yet FULL MOON FEVER was a sales and airplay titan from 1989-1991, and remains a staple of classic rock radio to this day.

Listening to it, one is amazed that this is not a "greatest hits" collection, but a studio CD recorded over a relatively brief period of time while Petty and Lynne were also working on their Traveling Wilburys VOLUME ONE project, on the Roy Orbison MYSTERY GIRL album, Del Shannon's ROCK ON album, and numerous other sidelines. Petty, in his book CONVERSATIONS, says that he and Lynne were writing non-stop and recording a song a day in order to beat Lynne's travel deadlines. That sense of speed and urgency, coupled with Petty and Lynne's close friendship and unique chemistry, give this album a sense of sponteneity and fun that keeps it fresh every time you hear it.

Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench, two of Petty's colleagues from The Heartbreakers also contributed significantly to FULL MOON FEVER. Campbell, in particular, demonstrates why he is one of the most respected guitarists in rock and roll with a brilliant, monster, "one-man Skynyrd" solo in "Running Down a Dream," a searing, atmospheric rocker that was a major hit single.

Other enduring hits include the ubiquitous and perfect acoustiCali-pop of "Free Falling," and the bluesy "I Won't Back Down," which has become something of an anthem for anyone who believes in their cause. "Love Is a Long Road" was another cut that garnered significant airplay, with it's stuttering keyboard and guitar interplay.

But the "famous" songs are not all there is to this long-play master work. There's the witty and sprightly "Yer So Bad," and the punky "Apartment Song," and the folk-rock "Feel a Whole Lot Better," which outflies the Byrds' original. "Alright for Now" is a gorgeous, spare lullabye, while "A Mind With a Heart of Its Own" rocks and rolls and tumbles with a Bo Diddley-esque jump. "A Face in the Crowd" aches with loneliness and longing while the giddy bounce of "Zombie Zoo" belies its own melancholy core.

In short, what's not to like? It's as good a folk-rock-pop confection as has ever been wrought, drawing on Petty's and Lynne's deep appreciation and experience with Brit-pop, California country-folk-rock, and even a touch of Southland swamps.

Without question, this is an absolutely essential recording for fans of all of the above. T Petty belongs in the pantheon of great singer-songwriters in the tradition of B Dylan, B Springsteen, B Seegar, J Mellencamp, N Young, J Cash, K Kristofferson, and W Nelson.

If you like this CD, you should also check out the Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers CD entitled INTO THE GREAT WIDE OPEN, also produced by Jeff Lynne, and the upcoming Spring 2006 Petty/Lynne collaboration. Of course, the Traveling Wilburys VOLUME ONE and VOL. 3 recordings are a must, as is the Roy Orbison MYSTERY GIRL record. Finally, I highly recommend the book, CONVERSATIONS WITH TOM PETTY by Paul Zollo, which is a great read filled with revelations and great stories on every TP song.

I am such a big Petty fan that it was hard to give some of his prior albums less than five stars. But okay, I admit it, he had lost some of his brilliance. Full Moon Fever represents a thorough and effective restoration of Petty's rule over American rock music.

Perhaps this sounds like something of an oxymoron, but let me give this a try to sum up the album: In FMF, Tom Petty ties together a lot of the themes of his earlier albums and states implicitly a lot of the themes of ambivolence and confusion of modern life that he'd alluded to in the 70s and 80s. (My sister got lucky, married a yuppie, took him for all he was worth/Now she's a swinger, dating a singer/I can't decide which is worse.) But, as a subsequent line reads, "But not me, baby/I've got you to save me". Tom Petty, you save me every day and you conveniently also saved your career with this one.

Full Moon Fever, along with the later Into the Great Wide Open, are probably, and personally, Tom Petty`s best albums. They doesnt even break a sweat to accomplish it. The Melodies on Full Moon Fever, Written by Petty and my ever favorite Jeff Lynne, delivers to the max.

Can ANYONE who have heard Free Falling tell me they didnt love that song? From the moment he pulls out that guitar and strikes the first few strings, the wonderful music never stops to grab the listener.

The Best songs on this album are co-written with Lynne(The Mastermind behind ELO), and they are:

-Free Falling: Beautiful piece. Simple, yet so anthemic and good that it has become one of Petty`s most loved songs.
-I Wont Back Down: My Personal Favorite on this album. Upbeat and sweet, this song is about doing what you like and fighting for it, without giving up. One of Petty`s most catchy rockers ever with one of the worlds best Choruses, filled to the brim with a classic Petty&Lynne Sound.
-A Face in the Crowd: A beautiful song again penned by Petty&Lynne. Almost Dreamlike, with Slide guitars and typical Lynne influences all over.
-Yer So Bad: Love this song. So Catchy, with a funny lyric and a Killer Chorus. Once again, Petty&Lynne.
-The Apartment Song: Written by Petty Alone, this short but sweet little song has a catchy, accousticsounding style, and sounds refreshing and its just a pure fun song all around.
-Zombie Zoo: Incredible. The song is just so fun! Its supercatchy and the lyrics are totally hilarious, but the most important thing is that it just works. From the nearly horror influenced introriffs to the ELO throwbacks, it is a twister of fun. Penned by Petty&Lynne.

Those are the absolute highlights on this album imo. There arent a bad song here, and although the ones not mentioned are "weaker", they are not in any terms bad. Not quite my style of Petty, but still so good that they dont detract from a grand 5`er.

Petty and Lynne have continued to work together, and they recently appeared playing together. I`m still praying they will consider one more album together, as its pure magic.

After more than a decade of working with The Heartbreakers, Tom Petty took a breather and decided to fly solo. Well, sort of. "Full Moon Fever" is a Tom Petty album in name, but features songs co-written by Mike Campbell (who co-produced), and features Campbell, Howie Epstein and Benmont Tench on assorted songs.

What set this apart from the Heartbreakers' work was the impressive guest list. ELO's Jeff Lynne produced, Roy Orbison and George Harrison - three of the Traveling Wilburys - sang (and Del Shannon contributes 'barnyard noises'), along with a crack group of session cats. Lynne's fascination with roots rock hybrids (Dave Edmund's Information and some of his ELO songs) meshed perfectly with Petty's new direction, and Petty brought his strongest album's worth of songs since Damn the Torpedoes.

The result was an album that was consistent all the way through, with Petty sounding loose and relaxed. There's his terrific anthem "I Won't Back Down," the rocking "Running Down a Dream" and the powerful tribute to Los Angeles, "Free Fallin'," some of the best singles he's ever done. Finally, there's a serious affirmation of his influences with the Byrds' "Feel a Whole Lot Better" marking Petty's first cover.

The non-hits here carry "Full Moon Fever" to the top of the ratings. The single-acoustic guitar of "Alright For Now" was one of the simplest pieces Petty ever committed to tape and one of the most beautiful. "Zombie Zoo" is a lighthearted laugh of a rocker, and "Yer So Bad" has a great sense of humor in it. There really isn't a bad song in the bunch, with the weakest ("Apartment Song") still better than some of his other album tracks. It's a classic album from an artist that already had two five-star albums under his relatively young belt.

Having listened to Tom Petty on the radio for many years, I could never break down and buy one of his CD's
This is the CD that changed all of this. Tom along with Jeff Lynne and former Beatle and fellow Willbury George Harrison contribute to this effort, and it makes it just that much sweeter. It's fun seeing Harrison and Lynn on the video as well.
This CD is pretty much a best of package in itself.
This CD contains, I won't back down, Runnin' down a dream, Freefallin' Love is a long road and several others.
Once I listened to this CD for a few months, I was able to buy much of his catalog with the Heartbreakers.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and are truely one of the great Rock and Roll bands ever.
I would recommend this CD to anyone who loves Rock and Roll.........A true classic.................

I am so mad, so mad, so mad at myself, all these years of hearing Tom Petty on the radio and taking his artistry for granted. SO many completely exceptional songs, his heart and soul ripped bare for us to feel,and oh, Tom, I am so sorry it has taken me so long to feel the gift you have so generously given us. I just didn't know, but it is never too late to fall in love, and with all my appreciation to your wonderful wife Dana, I have to say I am enthralled and in love with Tom Petty!
After seeing the Peter Bogdanovich documentary ( HIGHLY recommended, I bought it at Best Buy good price) I have a newfound deep love and appreciation for this genius among us. Free Falling, so beautiful! The melodies, the harmonies.
Actually I am crazed and am in the midst of buying every single Tom Petty CD either with or with out the brilliant Heartbreakers.
Full Moon is a passionate beautifully recorded album, but as I said before I am in the midst of a crazed frenzy of buying everything Tom has done.

As the music scene progressed in the 1980s, things began to change in the pop music landscape. The synth-pop sound that had dominated the 1980s was now being replaced by a more "natural" guitar-laden sound. This trend was promoted by such artists like John Mellencamp and John Fogerty who would enjoy commercial success as well as critical acclaim. Five musicians in the 1980s would also find themselves at the center of this movement on the music landscape. Jeff Lynne of ELO was working with George Harrison on his "Cloud Nine" album. At the same time Lynne was working with Roy Orbison.. The story goes that Lynne, Harrison, and Orbison all agreed to sing on Orbison's song. They needed a place to record, so they contacted Bob Dylan to use his studio. Meanwhile word is that George's guitar was with Tom Petty (who was also working with Lynne). The rest is history and a supergroup called "The Traveling Wilburys" was born. The Wilburys would enjoy enormous success. While some people felt that Lynne was the weak member of the Wilburys, he was the man who also brought them all together. As mentioned, Lynne was also working with Tom Petty at the time on a "solo project". That project would turn out to be his highly successful 1989 album, "Full Moon Fever". "Full Moon Fever" not only encapsulates the guitar-laden sound that had now taken over the landscape, but it also brings 3 of the 4 other Wilburys (the exception being Bob Dylan) into the fold.

The Traveling Wilburys would release two albums - "Volume 1" and "Volume 3". There was no "Volume 2". However over the years, "Full Moon Fever" has unofficially become "Volume 2". In fact there is a Russian Import version that actually labels "Full Moon Fever" as "Volume 2". As mentioned this was technically a "solo album" by Tom Petty. For years, Petty had recorded with his band - "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers". While this was a "solo album", there are many of the Heartbreakers that are present on this album. Howie Epstein lends background vocals to two songs - "Love is a Long Road" and "I Won't Back Down". Benmont Tench lends his piano for "The Apartment Song". Finally, Mike Campbell - possibly one of the most sought after musicians in the business contributes throughout the whole "Full Moon Fever" collection - including guitars, mandolin, bass, and keyboards.

When Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers burst on the music scene - they appealed to a wide variety of musical styles including Classic Rock, New Wave, and even Punk. However, I feel that Petty's roots were still in Southern Rock. "Full Moon Fever" definitely isn't rooted in Southern Rock, but it does have a strong incorporation of the guitar-laden sound mentioned. This isn't an album where you are going to hear horns or a string section. While you hear some keyboards, it will be the guitars that are going to be the story of this album - whether it's electric or acoustic, every song will make an integral use of the guitar. On top of that, given Petty's unique voice - this really becomes something special. I give a lot of credit to Lynne for putting this all together. It's kind of ironic that Lynne was able to pull off producing both "Full Moon Fever" and the Traveling Wilburys. Lynne was known for his intricate orchestral arrangements with ELO, yet Lynne finds a way to make the natural guitar-laden sound work for Petty on this collection.

"Full Moon Fever" is known for the "hits" that were spurned off this album - these songs being: "Free Fallin", "I Won't Back Down", and "Runnin' Down a Dream (to a lesser extent "Yer So Bad" and "A Face in the Crowd" were also hits). These are good songs, but surprisingly, I found the "other songs" to be the strong points of this collection. Songs such as "Love is a Long Road", "Feel a Whole Lot Better", "Depending on You", "The Apartment Song", "Alright for Now", "A Mind With a Heart of It's Own", and "Zombie Zoo" were the albums strongest songs. Any of these songs could have easily been released as singles and could have achieved a high level of commercial success.

As mentioned, three of the Wilburys make contributions to this album Roy Orbison lends his background vocals to "Zombie Zoo". George Harrison lends Acoustic Guitar and Background Vocals to "I Won't Back Down". Lynne, while lending his hand at co-producing this album with Petty and Mike Campbell also lends Vocals, Bass, Guitar, and Keyboards to the effort. Who can forget the terrific vocal jam between Petty, Harrison, and Lynne on "I Won't Back Down" - i.e. the classic "Hey Baby!". While Harrison didn't directly contribute to the track "Feel a Whole Lot Better", I'd like to think he had some influence on the cover of the Byrds' "Feel a Whole Lot Better". This cover gives the song a distinct Beatle-sque quality. I give Petty a lot of credit for being able to pull this off. At the same time, Petty also remains true to his Southern Rock roots. "A Mind With a Heart of It's Own" definitely sounds like something Petty would have done with the Heartbreakers. Finally, if you want to hear Tom Petty do a lullaby, listen to "Alright for Now".

Perhaps the most interesting part is when Petty puts an interruption prior to the start of "Feel a Whole Lot Better". This interruption tells CD listeners to "wait" until LP or Cassette listeners are able to flip over their media on their player - most humorous.

The liner notes do include all of the lyrics and all of the musician credits and acknowledgements. Overall, fans of Tom Petty and the Wilburys will not be disappointed with this effort. Although this collection does have a guitar-laden sound, it will have a lot of appeal to the mainstream. This is one collection I highly recommend.

Despite having numerous hits before releasing this album, it took until we heard the ultra famous "Free Fallin" and "I Won't Back Down" to REALLY establish Tom Petty as one of radios favorite musicians at the time. With this album, now everyone knew very well who Tom Petty was. Before this, while he was still popular (especially with that late 70's album he did) I remember how his popularity sky rocketed after Full Moon Fever was released. I recommend the album too. With so many great quality tracks, you HAVE to buy it.

Of all the songs Tom petty has ever wrote, the song-"A MIND WITH A HEART OF IT's OWN", maybe the most AWSOME music i have heard him play. "BUT" This has the most terrible (STUPID) lyrics, I have ever heard -----and just shoot-downs the song. WHY? If you are ever going to change one song in your career TOM, keep the CHORUS line the same, and please rewrite the lyrics. This music to this song, and chorus line are awsome. Write, something like "my girl friend left me for a lawyer.....a mind with a heart of it's own......or I got into a fight with a boss....A mind with a heart of it's own.......My dog never barks....a mind with a heart of it's own......etc. Honestly the lyrics, in the song make everyone nut's------but----they love the song (music). It would be great to save this good song and rewrite the lyrics and put it on a REMASTER OF THIS ALBUM. HECK ! it would be another hit.SERIOUSLY, I aint the only one that agrees. This is the only mess-up ,in your collection.

FULL MOON FEVER is a great album. One of TOM PETTY's classics for sure. This one always does manage to slip to the bottom of my CD collection for periods of time, but whenever I finally dig it out, I'm always happy that I did.
This is the album that brought TOM PETTY to my generation (sort of..). After DAMN THE TORPEDOS in 1979, Petty sort of slipped in the charts for most of the eighties. He did still release decent records compared to most of his era of rockers, but nothing as memerable I guess as other stuff.
Finally in '89 he released this, and for many, it was like a brand new dude entered the scene... the songs sound like Petty always did, but this one was delivered with a freshness. There is very little of that eighties synthesized sound here, most of these are timeless tunes, that still sound just as fresh.
FREE FALLIN and WONT BACK DOWN are the first two tracks, and these were the albums big hits, but for me the album really gets in gear at LOVE IS A LONG ROAD the albums third track. From there we get rockin stuff that you can blare out your windows on a spring day, or just play soft when you are chillin' with the lady friend.. FEEL A WHOLE LOT BETTER, RUNNIN DOWN A DREAM, YER SO BAD, ZOMBIE ZOO... the whole album is quality. I still have this from it's original CD issue, where PETTY breaks up the album in the middle.. "attention CD listeners.." to let us know that normally this is where we would have to flip the album, I don't know if the CD still does this, but I've always thought that was pretty cool. Tom Petty is good stuff for anybody. This is a top shelf TP record. I also reccomend the severely underated SHES THE ONE album from '96.