Rewind:1991 Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Go Into the Great Wide Open

Released 2nd July 1991

MCA

Produced by Jeff Lyne, Tom Petty and Mike Campbell.

US Chart #13

UK Chart #3

Personnel
    Tom Petty – vocals, 6- and 12-string acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, percussion, bass guitar, producer
    Mike Campbell – lead guitar, 12-string guitar, bass guitar, Dobro, keyboards, slide guitar
    Howie Epstein – bass guitar, backing vocals
    Benmont Tench – acoustic and electric pianos, accordion
    Stan Lynch – drums, percussion
    Jeff Lynne – guitars, bass, vocals, piano, synthesizer, percussion, sound effects
    Roger McGuinn – backing vocal on "All The Wrong Reasons"
    Richard Tandy – synthesizer on "Two Gunslingers" 

All songs were written by Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne, except where noted.

1. "Learning to Fly" – 4:02
2. "Kings Highway" (Petty) – 3:08
3. "Into the Great Wide Open" – 3:43
4. "Two Gunslingers" (Petty) – 3:09
5. "The Dark of the Sun" – 3:23
6. "All or Nothin'" (Petty, Mike Campbell, Lynne) – 4:07
7. "All the Wrong Reasons" – 3:46
8. "Too Good to Be True" (Petty) – 3:59
9. "Out in the Cold" – 3:40
10. "You and I Will Meet Again" (Petty) – 3:42
11. "Makin' Some Noise" (Petty, Campbell, Lynne) – 3:27
12. "Built to Last" – 4:00

****

This was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers last album for MCA Records and it was the second time that Jeff Lyne had been involved in the production (he was at the controls for the hugely successful Debut Solo Album of Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever).

The single 'Learning to Fly' hit the #1 spot and was there for a total of 6 weeks (equalling the time that their single 'The Waiting' had been #1). The Title Track 'Into the Great Wide Open' was also released as a single but didn't rise any higher than #92 on the Billboard Hot 100 (the video is fantastic and was directed by Julian Temple. Johnny Depp, Faye Dunaway, Matt LeBlanc, and Gabrielle Anwar all appear in it as do Terence Trent D'Arby and Chynna Phillips of Wilson Phillips).

Critical reception was a bit divided as some thought that it was one of the best things that they had done in years and sounded like a good mix of Full Moon Fever meets Damn the Torpedoes. Others were a bit harsher saying it sounded exactly like Full Moon Fever, a view I think is quite unwarrented.

I really like this album and in particular the songs Kings Highway and All the Wrong Reasons are my favourites (kind of got a bit fed up with 'Learning to Fly' and always leave time between listens of it otherwise I'll probably end up hating it!).