Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 120 - Full Moon Fever

The first solo album from Tom Petty stirred up some misgivings among his backing band The Heartbreakers, although all but drummer Stan Lynch contributed to the album. Benmont Tench and Howie Epstein initially were not happy about playing the Full Moon Fever songs live during Heartbreakers concerts. Stan Lynch hated playing them right up until his departure from the band, saying it made him feel like he was in a cover band!

Recording the album Petty has declared was the most enjoyable album he had worked on. It was also recorded at a time when he was involved with The Traveling Wilburys and they were also about to record their debut album (recording of Full Moon Fever was delayed whilst that happened). This is probably the reason the Wilburys (George Harrison, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne) bar Bob Dylan are featured on the album in some way. The Big O sadly passed away prior to the release of the album (6th December 1988).

Many of the songs on the album are collaborations between Petty and Lynne (who was coming in on the back of success with George Harrison and the Cloud Nine album) and there's a nice nod to Petty's influences with a wonderful rendition of The Byrds' 'I Feel A Whole Lot Better' with that fantastic jangly guitar sound and all and to Del Shannon on what I think is the best song on the album, Runnin' Down A Dream.

I've always had a lot of time for Tom Petty. Ever since I first heard him and The Heartbreakers on the radio back in late 1976 and bought the singles in 1977, Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll and American Girl. I always thought that the Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers album Damn the Torpedoes from 1979 was almost the perfect album, and yet hearing Full Moon Fever for the first time I seriously thought that Tom Petty had indeed came a little closer than that. There's not a bad track on it I think.

Full Moon Fever - Tom Petty

MCA

Produced by Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty and Mike Campbell

Released 29th April 1989

US Chart #3

UK Chart #8

1-Free Fallin' 3:27
2-I Won't Back Down 2:58
3-Love Is a Long Road 4:08
4-A Face in the Crowd 3:59
5-Runnin' Down a Dream 4:52
6-Feel a Whole Lot Better 2:50
7-Yer So Bad 3:06
8-Depending on You 2:49
9-The Apartment Song 2:33
10-Alright for Now 2:01
11-A Mind With a Heart of Its Own 3:31
12-Zombie Zoo 2:59

   1. "I Won't Back Down"
    Released: April 1989

US Chart #12

UK Chart #28

   2.  "Runnin' Down a Dream"
    Released: July 29, 1989

US Chart #23

UK Chart #55

   3. "Free Fallin'"
    Released: October 27, 1989

US Chart #7

UK Chart #59

    4. "A Face in the Crowd"
    Released: March 3, 1990

 US Chart #46

UK Chart #93

   5. "Yer So Bad"
    Released: 1990

Did Not Chart

Personnel
    Tom Petty – lead and backing vocals, 6 and 12 string acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, tambourine
    Mike Campbell – lead guitar, bass, mandolin, slide guitar, dobro, keyboards
    Jeff Lynne – bass, guitar, guitar synthesizer, piano, keyboards, backing vocals
    Phil Jones – drums, percussion

Additional musicians
    George Harrison – acoustic guitar and backing vocals on "I Won't Back Down"
    Jim Keltner – drums, maracas and tambourine on "Love Is a Long Road"
    Benmont Tench – piano on "The Apartment Song"
    Howie Epstein – backing vocals on "I Won't Back Down" and "Love Is a Long Road"
    Roy Orbison – backing vocals on "Zombie Zoo"
    Kelsey Campbell – scream on "Zombie Zoo"
    Alan Weidel, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty – hand claps on "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better"
    Del Shannon – barnyard noises in the "Hello, CD listeners …" interlude

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!