Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers Hard Promises on 180g LP

It's been 40 years since Tom Petty and his extraordinary band, The Heartbreakers, unleashed their eponymous debut in 1976. In the subsequent decades, Petty - both as a solo artist and as leader of the band - has sold over 80 million records worldwide, earned 18 Grammy nods and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Petty's musical integrity and craft, not to mention his seemingly effortless flair for rapturous hooks, have remained constant despite ever-shifting musical trends, and his multi-generational fan base continues to swell. In the words of Rolling Stone's Alan Light, "The man's consistency is pretty astounding."

1981's Hard Promises served as Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers' fourth full-length effort overall and second on Backstreet/MCA. Once again produced by Petty and Jimmy Iovine, the 10-track set picks right up where it's acclaimed predecessor Damn the Torpedos left off with more finely crafted, hook-laden Byrds and Dylan influenced pop-rock and more hits like "The Waiting" and "A Woman In Love (It's Not Me). Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks famously duets with Petty on the outstanding "Insider" while further songwriting excellence comes in the form of additional gems like "Nightwatchman," "Kings Road," and "The Criminal Kind."