Tom Petty – Full Moon Fever (1989/2017 Vinyl Reissue)

Full Moon Fever is the debut solo studio album by Tom Petty, released on April 24, 1989 – the previous seven albums were released as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Petty had a distinguished career starting in the mid-70s, but by the late 80s, he must have been getting a little restless. He and the Heartbreakers agreed to be Dylan’s band for his 60-date True Confessions Tour through Asia, Oceania, and North America, including some dates with the Grateful Dead. I saw one of those Dylan/Petty/Dead shows on June 26, 1986, in Minneapolis at the Metrodome – it ranks as one of the worst-sounding concerts I have ever witnessed.

Enter ELO’s Jeff Lynn as Petty’s new collaborator. Lynn and Petty had recently worked together in the Travelling Wilburys. What they created together on Full Moon Fever was absolute magic. Full Moon Fever is arguably Petty’s best album – I juggle between Full Moon Fever (1989), Wildflowers (1994), and Damn The Torpedoes (1979) depending on my mood. It was his most commercially successful album, with over 6 million copies sold (his Greatest Hits album sold twice that, but Full Moon Fever hits were an important part of that package).

I purchased Full Moon Fever when it first came out on CD. I had transitioned to CDs a few years earlier, but fortunately, I never got rid of my vinyl LPs. I wish I had originally bought it on vinyl – it would be worth $80 to $100 today. I recently picked up the 180 g 2017 vinyl reissue/remaster used from my new favorite Valley record store, Vinyl Record Dude, in Near Mint* condition for a mere $20. I will never know, but I bet my reissue sounds better than the original – this reissue sounds great!

Side one of Full Moon Fever (tracks one through five on CD) is perfection. It includes the big hits: “Free Fallin’,” “I Won’t Back Down,” and “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” Side two is good, it just doesn’t have the pop-rock magic of side one. Overall, the album feels like a homage to Petty’s influences – namely the Beatles and the Byrds. Producer Jeff Lynn’s production values can sometimes overwhelm an artist, but with Petty, Lynn’s pixie dust feels just right. The vinyl edition is missing the tongue-in-cheek hidden track:

“Hello, CD listeners. We’ve come to the point in this album where those listening on cassette, or records, will have to stand up, or sit down, and turn over the record, or tape. In fairness to those listeners, we’ll now take a few seconds before we begin side two. [pause] Thank you. Here’s side two.“

*Per Discogs, a Near Mint (NM or M-) vinyl LP is a nearly perfect record. A NM or M- record has more than likely never been played, and the vinyl will play perfectly, with no imperfections during playback. Many dealers won’t give a grade higher than this, implying (perhaps correctly) that no record is ever truly perfect. The record should show no obvious signs of wear. An LP cover should have no creases, folds, seam splits, cut-out holes, or other noticeable defects. The same should be true of any other inserts, such as posters, lyric sleeves, etc.