Customer Reviews

Let Me Up

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

"Jammin' Me" begins this CD, full of well-produced vigor, big drums and desperately annoyed lyrics. Also of note is the amusing CD cover and album title, which display Tom Petty's humor amid difficult times. It's a little hard to grasp where this album may have stood upon its release in 1987. Far from disposable 1980s pop or over-the-top hair metal, Petty and his boys may have stood slightly alone in a sea of fluff and pretention back then.

"Jammin' Me" is an angry, first-rate observation about the all-encompassing aspects of celebrity in the world we live in, often shoved down everyone's throat. (It's even worse today than it was in the late '80s.) Other topics that make Petty's diatribe include politics, money and the environment. Co-written with Bob Dylan, "Jammin' Me" reveals a fed-up Tom Petty, and truthfully, he doesn't stop with just that song. Though "Let Me Up (I've Had Enough)" is filled with lighter weight musical fare sandwiched between the rocking opening song and closing song, many of these lyrics reveal pent-up frustrations voiced straightforwardly and in the open.

Hints of a glossy '80s sound come through on a song or two on "Let Me Up" (though never overbearingly), but this material transcends decades, like any good Petty album. In fact, "Think About Me" and "All Mixed Up" contain a retro 1960s vibe. "Self Made Man" is a country-tinged tune that is catchy and a little defiant. Benmont Tench plays a mean piano on "How Many More Days," and the rest of the Heartbreakers do their usual stellar job on their instruments. Many of these songs are low key and tuneful, guaranteed to get you happily humming along, tapping your toes with abandon or bobbing your head with enthusiasm. Though they've been put on the backburner of the Heartbreaker catalog, the songs on this CD are enjoyable and never get old, probably due to lack of airplay. Nothing is forced on this record. It's not overproduced or overhyped, and clocks in at just the right length.

Each time a new Tom Petty compilation comes out, it baffles me as to why this album seems to get the short end. The first greatest hits disc has NOTHING from this album. Just about every Petty album opens with a few gems, and this one does as well. Most people know "Jammin' Me" and maybe "It'll all Work Out". You will be rewarded for buying this disc. "Runaway Trains" is one of the all-time best Petty songs. It did get some airplay in '87, and so did "The Damage You've Done". All of Side One is great, and Side Two isn't bad either. Hey, let's face it, every Petty album has a few so-so tunes, but this one less so than most. A very consistent album with some pleasant surprises. It's similar structurally to Full Moon Fever, but doesn't have any of that Jeff Lynne/ELO sound. If you like Full Moon Fever, you'll definitely like this.

Don't be fooled by the one poor review here, this alblum ROCKS. It's probably my favorite of the Petty alblums after Torpedos and maybe Hard Promises but at any rate this is one great alblum. It's certainly of the earlier, more raw Petty sound found on his earlier workds. I for one prefer the older, more raw Petty sound to the highly produced sound that came out with Full Moon Fever. I own numerous Petty alblums, yet this seems to be the one I play most often of them all.

This is a great album/cd. Every song is solid and well produced. The thing that I love about this album is that it is not over produced like some of Pettys and the HB's later works. The songs blend well with each other and there are some rockers and some wonderful ballads also.

This band really misses the drumming of Stan Lynch. Lynch's all over the kit style really added alot to this album and the other Heartbreaker's albums he played on.

For me the best album of all time is "Exile on Main Street" by the Rolling Stones, because of the loose feel of the album and the raw sound that emits from your speakers. "Let Me Up.." reminds me a lot of Exile in that there is a raw feel to songs such as "Jammin Me" (co-written with Bob Dylan) and "Think About Me". Ballads such as "Runaway Trains" and "The Damage You've Done" are slick and well produced. I also enjoy the banter of the musicians prior to several songs on the album, such as "All Mixed Up." Another similarity with Exile is the variety of music styles on "Let Me Up...". "Jammin Me" is a straight up rocker along with the title track, but this album also has a r&b feel on some songs such as "All Mixed Up."

This one of those albums I love to play when I am in a bad or confused mood. Although this album was released in the late eighties, I can still relate to "Jammin Me" and sometimes I insert names that are prevelent in the news currently. For expample "Take Back J-lo". This is a great album, I noticed that very few songs from this release made the anthology release.

After watching CNN and seeing all the problems in our world today, sometimes I want to scream "Let Me Up, I've Had Enough"

When I bought this album it hit me like a sledgehammer. I was a Petty fan for many years, his hooky Byrds influenced rock and his tear your heart out lyrics made him one of the finest songwriters of the rock era. Admittedly he has slowed down a bit, but any album before ECHO is excellent. If you've never heard him, buy it, if you've a fan, buy it. Critics scorn the album, but it's tough to understand why, every track is excellent and could have been hit. In the seventies, eighties and early nineties Petty could do no wrong. If I must, I will select `All Mixed Up', `The Damage You've Done' and `A Self Made Man' as the standouts. Haven't I praised it enough? BUY IT

The difference so often spoken about in this album is the "live" feel that is easily noticed in each of the songs. Petty and the Heartbreakers use this album as a chance to screw the production-is-god attitude of the rock world by simpy laying down great tracks. The album is brilliant, featuring songs such as "Jammin' Me" and my personal favorite "My Life/Your World." Indeed, Tom Petty is what is good about rock and roll today. As I write this review, I eagerly await the upcoming 1999 album. You see, the great thing about Tom Petty is that all of his albums have distinct differences. And different is good.

I was already a Petty fan when this came out; yet I found, and still find this to be the most consistent, satisfying album of his career. Each song fits well with the others, there's no "experimentation" going on here, no pretentiousness, just true expression, of, among other things, humor! What is it with critics who dislike a musician getting in touch with his roots and his lighter side? Petty has made no secret of his adoration for the Byrds, and it's evident here, as is his collaboration with Dylan. What's not to like? I agree....if you like "Full Moon Fever," you'll like this. Play it and then hit replay.

One cannot play "Jammin' Me" loud enough !
Howie Epstein, Benmont Tench, Mike Campbell,
Stan Lynch, oh, and yes, the guy named
Tom Petty.
"Take away that country club Trump is
building outside MY DOOR"!

It takes several listenings to fully appreciate this album, but if you give it a fair chance you'll be greatly rewarded. The first song - Jamming Me was the only single taken from the album, and it's a decent rocker but doesn't really fit with the rest of the album. To me the album really begins with the next song - Runaway Trains, as this well represents the "style" of the rest of the album. That style is hard to describe, but it's different from most other Heartbreakers albums: it is a subtle yet sophisticated sound, and has a very "immediate" and "live" feel. You can hear the individual instruments very clearly, which gives it almost an acoustic sound; it still has the electric guitars but with a very focused, somewhat subtle sound. The piano work is excellent and very present, yet it's not overpowering. The drumming is very creative and interesting, very full when appropriate, yet again it's not the kind of "pounding" that some rock drummers can overdo. You'll just have to hear this music for yourself.

As far as songs, I'd have to list Runaway Trains, The Damage You've Done, Ain't Love Strange, All Mixed Up, My Life/Your World, and It'll All Work Out as my favorites; but all the songs on the album are very enjoyable. The melodies are subtle but very, very good, the musicianship and lyrics are outstanding. If you are a Petty & Heartbreakers fan, or just appreciate fine musicianship and intelligent, meaningful lyrics - you must have this album. But be sure not to judge it after one listen; keep coming back to it over a period of time, and it will likely become an all-time favorite.

The song "all mixed up" should be on a hits collections. It's a fan favorite ( NOT MUCH AIR-PLAY ). Man, what a treat it is, on this very fun album. This album is alot like the rolling stones album " It's only rock an roll "........BOTH never get the credit they deserve , WHICH IS 5 STARS in this case. The only song I dislike is the song "JAMMIN ME", which was a single release. STRANGE !!!