Damn the Torpedoes

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
To refer to Damn the Torpedoes as Tom Petty's breakthrough album is to seriously understate the case. His first two albums had already sold pretty decently and endeared him to America's rock press, but it took the success of Damn the Torpedoes to really establish Petty as one of the top names in mainstream rock. Though "Don't Do Me Like That" was the record's lone top 10 smash, nearly every song on it sounds like a hit; thanks to their timeless mix of Byrdsy jangle and Stonesy rock, "Refugee," "Here Comes My Girl," and "Even the Losers" still get plenty of classic-rock radio play, while "Shadow of a Doubt (Complex Kid)," "Century City," and "Louisiana Rain" are all minor classics in their own right. --Dan Epstein

Tracks:

Refugee
Here Comes My Girl
Even The Losers
Shadow Of A Doubt (A Complex Kid)
Century City
Don't Do Me Like That
You Tell Me
What Are You Doin' In My Life?
Louisiana Rain

Amazon.com

Though easily as consistent as their first two releases, it was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' third release, Damn the Torpedoes, that catapulted Petty and company into the first rank of American rock acts. It's not hard to understand why. With a slate of driving songs destined to become FM staples ("Refugee," "Here Comes My Girl," "Even the Losers," "Don't Do Me Like That"), it's an album that plays much like half a greatest-hits collection. Fusing a rootsy sensibility heavy with Dylan and Byrds affectations with his own pop instincts (honed by early stints with Mudcrutch and Dwight Twilley) and coupling them with one of rock's most consistently underrated powerhouses, the Heartbreakers, Petty's throwback traditionalism oddly found him riding the crest of the new wave in the late '70s. All tracks on this new edition have been sonically upgraded via state-of-the-art digital remastering. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Singular.......2007-05-19

A landmark album. Between its melodic brilliance, its tongue-in-cheek humor, and that "little certain something," it's certainly not "just the normal noises in here."

28 years later -- wow, I was seven at the time -- this album still sparkles and shines.

My heart doesn't break.......2007-01-10

My heart doesn't break, but I believe that is only a question of time!
It's a great album, with very special songs.

Iconic.......2006-11-05

Take a look at the album cover. That is one iconic shot of Tom Petty who, along with his band of Heartbreakers had started to take the music world by storm, not with something new but a good dose of the familiar melded with a good dose of their youthful exuberance, chiming guitars, and rocking attitude. Through an era known for disco, new wave, hard rock and punk, Petty's music sounded like a refreshing change and holds up, to this day alot better than any trend from 1979.

There is not a bad track on this album from perhaps their most enduring signature tune, "Refugee" to the great closing ballad "Lousiana Rain". In between you get the dreamy surrealism of "Even The Loosers", The catchy organ driven top 10 hit "Don't Do Me Like That", flat out rock and roll spirit of "Century City", "Complex Kid", "What are Your Doing In My Life", the melodic "Here Comes My Girl" and off course, "You Tell Me".

Simply some great rock and roll with southern tinge, spirited vocals chanelling punk and new wave but never straying far from the rock and roll and the bands roots, firmly planted in the 60's.

As the album reads almost like a Greatest Hits collection, it is by far the album to get if you enjoyed the Greatest Hits because you don't get better TPATHB as this, some albums come close, none are poor, yet none better this here one.

First blockbuster for TP&TH.......2006-08-15

PREAMBLE RAMBLE:
After years of hard work and struggle, and two pretty good early albums, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers experienced breakout on a massive scale with an album that still sounds fresh and energetic, more than 25 years later. Paired with Producer Jimmy Iovine, the band produced a sound that was a little bit punk, a touch of Dylan, a dash of Stones, a pinch of Byrds, and a whiff of Skynyrd...a sound that was all at once Florida swampy and California sunny.

THE SONGS:
Somewhere on a radio right at this moment, a discerning DJ is spinning a cut off of this album. Odds are, it could be the propulsive, urgent "Refugee," with it's brilliant couplet:

Somewhere, somehow, somebody musta kicked you around some
Who knows, maybe you were kidnapped, tied up, taken away, and held for ransom?

Followed by the plea: "Honey, you don't have to live like a refugee!"

Which, in Petty's drawly, nasal twang...in phrasing as distinctive and brillant as Sinatra's...sounded something like this: "Hawney, yah doan ... ha-yuff...ta-live-lika-refugeeheeee!" It's all at once compassionate and defiant, and marked Petty as one of those vocalists who is immediately recognizable in any setting, with the ability to take any song and make it his own.

But the hits keep on coming on this album: the beautiful, but unsentimental mid-tempo "Here Comes My Girl," the edgy "Don't Do Me Like That," the bracing "Even the Losers" (who "get lucky sometimes"), and the tear-jerker, "Louisiana Rain," which are all classics in the Petty canon. I also should mention the scorching "Century City" and the Stones-y "Shadow of a Doubt (A Complex Kid)," which are also stellar tracks.

CLOSING THOUGHTS:
This CD almost seems like a "Greatest Hits" complilation, rather than simply being one studio album. But, here is the sound of a great American band catching fire together...not only Petty, but the keyboard/organ brilliance of Benmont Tench and the guitar heroics of Mike Campbell and the rhythmic powerhouse of Ron Blair (bass) and Stan Lynch (drums). Super bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn even makes a valuable contribution here. It's a good reminder that Tom Petty, while truly an American rock icon, is even better when paired with his bandmates.

RECOMMENDATION:
Oh, yes, this is a must for any collection. It's the perfect blend of tough and tender rock and roll, and stands on a par with great works by other American icons like Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, John Mellencamp, The Eagles, The Doors, R.E.M., The Byrds, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, and The Allman Brothers. It is one of those works that defines an era, yet remains timeless in its appeal. Get it.

Love it!.......2006-07-03

Always meant to buy this "back in the day" but never did. I'm loving it now.

Average customer rating:

The quintessential Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers album
Prime Petty
Another Masterpiece For Tom Petty
DAMN! "Torpedoes" Is "THE BOMB!!!"
Tom Petty hits the big time

Damn the Torpedoes
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Manufacturer: Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Hard Promises
Full Moon Fever
Into the Great Wide Open
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Echo

ASIN: B000002PCP
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Refugee
Here Comes My Girl
Even The Losers
Shadow Of A Doubt (Complex Kid)
Century City
Don't Do Me Like That
You Tell Me
What Are You Doin' In My Life
Louisiana Rain

Amazon.com essential recording

To refer to Damn the Torpedoes as Tom Petty's breakthrough album is to seriously understate the case. His first two albums had already sold pretty decently and endeared him to America's rock press, but it took the success of Damn the Torpedoes to really establish Petty as one of the top names in mainstream rock. Though "Don't Do Me Like That" was the record's lone top 10 smash, nearly every song on it sounds like a hit; thanks to their timeless mix of Byrdsy jangle and Stonesy rock, "Refugee," "Here Comes My Girl," and "Even the Losers" still get plenty of classic-rock radio play, while "Shadow of a Doubt (Complex Kid)," "Century City," and "Louisiana Rain" are all minor classics in their own right. --Dan Epstein

Customer Reviews:

The quintessential Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers album.......2005-08-26

Those who thought that Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers were punk or new wave when they started releasing albums in the late 1970s were missing the point. At a time when heavy metal and guitar rock was dominating the airwaves, this was a group that harkened back to the sounds of the British Invasion and embodied the spirit of the great American garage band. Petty wrote the songs that remind you of Bob Dylan and Neil Young, and the Heartbreakers provided the backing. The group recorded a couple of early albums with Shelter records and started off as bigger hits in England than in the U.S. and then Shelter got gobbled up by MCA, which did not sit well with Petty. There were the first of many legal tangles between the two and "Damn the Torpedoes" was the result of a settlement. Released on an MCA subsidiary, Backstreet, the title was clearly a shot across the bow of MCA and their fight would be continued.

Despite the legal wrangler and creative disputes, this 1979 album would be the definitive release for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, combining some old songs from his early days in L.A. playing with Mudcrutch with some new songs. It was certainly the group's breakthrough effort, both a critical and commercial success. The album made it to #2 on the Billboard charts on the basis of a trio of strong songs. The opening track, the Top 20 "Refugee," written by Petty and Mike Campell," shows the deft touch of producer Jimmy Iovine, who put Benmont Tench's organ playing up front with the vocals. The song contrasts nicely with another Petty-Campbell hit, the melancholy but melodic "Here Comes My Girl." Add to this the album's one Top 10 hit, "Don't Do Me Like That," another song of love and deception, with another great organ solo from Tench.

The common denominator on these songs is their basic simplicity. A Tom Petty song is almost always based on just a few chords. Musically, these are very tight songs, which speaks to the heart of their appeal, and credit must be paid to Iovine's role as producer on this album. Lyrically the dominating theme is one of the pain of relationships and the tone is almost relentlessly melancholy, like on "Even the Losers." Even a ballad like "Louisiana Rain" wallows in the sadness of pain. The result is one of the best rock albums of the 1970s and although Tom Petty came close to this level again with "Hard Promises," "Full Moon Fever," and "Wildflowers," this remains the album you find on the top of the mountain.

Prime Petty.......2003-11-12

Once upon a time, long before middle age and Traveling Wilburys and Full Moon Fever, decades before the annoying David Spade caricature, a youthful Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers rocked with breathtaking passion and talent. They came fully into their prime with this recording, bursting into the public eye in November of 1979 with a performance of "Refugee" on Saturday Night Live. Blown away, I was at the record store the next day to buy this amazing album.

This is the finest recording made by the band, and the obvious choice for anyone who wants to buy their first Tom Petty CD. Some may prefer a greatest-hits package, but these songs were meant to be heard together, to flow as an album. Some may prefer the older mellower acoustic-guitar-strumming Petty, and that Petty has continued to make excellent music. But to buy Full Moon Fever first would be a bit like buying Springsteen doing The Rising instead of Born to Run, or Dylan doing Love and Theft instead of Blonde on Blonde. There are graceful comebacks, and then there is youthful creativity with passion and sometimes genius - Damn the Torpedoes is the latter.

This album contains everything you need to know about the band at its best. The stripped-down sound (more polished than garage rock, but just as vital), Petty's voice going from whines to raspy growls to scathing Dylanesque bitterness, evocative lyrics that take the listener through every possible emotion in 3 minutes, that 12-string Rickenbacker on the cover photo with the singer as skinny as I was back then, Mike Campbell's Chuck Berry-esque guitar solos, a driving rhythm section. Tom Petty would never come back to rock like this again. He's done music that's arguably as good, but rarely as consistent, and never with such blazing energy and gutsiness.

It would be easy to praise song after song in detail, but the bottom line is that this is indeed the quintessential Tom Petty album, every song a gem, the singer and his band at their youthful peak.

Another Masterpiece For Tom Petty.......2002-11-15

DAMN THE TORPEDOES is the third masterpiece in a row for Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. The songs were written in the wake of his attempts to renegotiate an unfair contract with MCA Records, and they are full of romantic issues looked at in a manner full of hope-against-hope compassion, but could just as easily be metaphors for attempting to succeed in any kind of struggle. I've listened to this record when I've been not feeling too well, and the lyrics gave me new hope for a quick recovery. The first four songs- "Refugee", "Here Comes My Girl", "Even The Losers", and "Don't Do Me Like That"- are obviously the best, but there are a
number of other very good ones on this album as well. This is one of the great albums to come out of the second half of the 70s.

DAMN! "Torpedoes" Is "THE BOMB!!!".......2001-12-21

After putting out their first two efforts, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers really deliver the goods with the 1979 release "Damn The Torpedoes". This is one of Petty & Co.'s most successful recordings to date, alongside such gems as "Hard Promises" and "Full Moon Fever" (among others), and it contains two major hits in "Refugee" and "Don't Do Me Like That", including two moderately minor hits with "Even The Losers" and "Here Comes My Girl". What gives "...Torpedoes" such a unique musical flavor, are the creative musical intros displayed in "Shadow Of A Doubt (Complex Kid)", "Century City" and in "Louisiana Rain", where Petty, Benmont Tench, Mike Campbell, Ron Blair and Stan Lynch have these particular musical stylings down to a science. Petty and the 'Breakers take full advantage of their Byrds and Dylan-esque influenced sounds on many of the tracks here, as found in "Even The Losers" and in some others on this CD. In evidence of Petty's unique musical/lyrical landscapes, there's the rockabilly-like "What Are You Doin' In My Life", which features a bit of that Dylan angst, mainly in the lyrics dept.. Petty and the Heartbreakers would continue to experiment with different musical styles in future efforts, thus forever leaving an indelible stamp on the rock era in fine form. "Damn The Torpedoes" is the album that cemented Petty's status as a world renowned, bona fide rock 'n roll star. Any fan of straightforward, hard-line rock 'n roll can justify space in their CD library by adding "DTP" to their must-have CD library today! As far as the sound quality of MCA's "Compact Disc-Compact Price" version of "DTP" is concerned, it is probably no worse than the recently remastered version. I happened to pick up one of the last copies of the pre-mastered 1987 CD version while shopping at Circuit City last week. The "CD-CP" discs are generically packaged and have the color/line grid on the back of these CD's. I've amassed several copies of these discs over the years, and they occupy a good portion of my CD collection. Even though MCA for the most part no longer produces this series, I'm sure most people will find the remaster versions equally to their liking ("Damn The Torpedoes" included). The only negative aspect concerning the "CD-CP" series discs, is that they do not contain any original artwork, lyrics or liner notes. These unique discs make wonderful collector's items, so make sure to add them to your collection today, before there are none left!

Tom Petty hits the big time.......2000-05-17

"Damn the Torpedoes" was the album that pushed Tom Petty solidly into the mainstream and gave him a large audience. Deservedly so, for this is a fine album. The two best songs, "Refugee" and "Here Comes My Girl," kick things off in fine form and things roll along from there. Petty and the band are just getting the feel of being major rock stars. Their signature sound was perfected on this record. The album closes with "Louisiana Rain," another excellent cut. Except for the albums "Full Moon Fever," and "Southern Accents," this is Petty's best.

Average customer rating:

The quintessential Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers album
Prime Petty
Another Masterpiece For Tom Petty
DAMN! "Torpedoes" Is "THE BOMB!!!"
Tom Petty hits the big time

Damn the Torpedoes
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Manufacturer: Mobile Fidelity
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Hard Promises
Full Moon Fever
Into the Great Wide Open
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Echo

ASIN: B000000IRW
Release Date: 1991-08-12

Tracks:

Refugee
Here Comes My Girl
Even the Losers
Shadow of a Doubt (A Complex Kid)
Century City
Don't Do Me Like That
You Tell Me
What Are You Doin' in My Life?
Louisiana Rain

Amazon.com essential recording

Customer Reviews:

The quintessential Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers album.......2005-08-26

Prime Petty.......2003-11-12

It would be easy to praise song after song in detail, but the bottom line is that this is indeed the quintessential Tom Petty album, every song a gem, the singer and his band at their youthful peak.

Another Masterpiece For Tom Petty.......2002-11-15

DAMN! "Torpedoes" Is "THE BOMB!!!".......2001-12-21

Tom Petty hits the big time.......2000-05-17

Damn the Torpedoes/Southern Accents/Hard Promises

Average customer rating:

Damn the Torpedoes/Southern Accents/Hard Promises
Tom Petty
Manufacturer: Umvd Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

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General | Rock | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000E5PEC
Release Date: 2005-10-03

Tracks:

Refugee
Here Comes My Girl
Even the Losers
Shadow of a Doubt (A Complex Kid)
Century City
Don't Do Me Like That
You Tell Me
What Are You Doin' in My Life?
Louisiana Rain

Tracks:

Rebels
It Ain't Nothin' to Me
Don't Come Around Here No More
Southern Accents
Make It Better (Forget About Me)
Spike
Dogs on the Run
Mary's New Car
Best of Everything

Tracks:

The Waiting
A Woman in Love
Nightwatchman
Something Big
Kings Road
Letting You Go
A Thing About You
Insider
The Criminal Kind
You Can Still Change Your Mind
Into the Great Wide Open
Two Gunslingers
Dark of the Sun
All or Nothin'
All the Wrong Reasons
Too Good to Be True
Out in the Cold
You and I Will Meet Again
Makin' Some Noise
Built to Last

Album Details

All Albums Packaged in Separate Jewel Cases with Original Artwork.

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Damn the Torpedoes

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000H5TYKU
Release Date: 2006-10-24

Damn the Torpedoes/Southern Accents/Into the Great Wide Open

Average customer rating:

Damn the Torpedoes/Southern Accents/Into the Great Wide Open
Tom Petty
Manufacturer: Universal International
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Proto Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Box Sets | Stores | Music

General | Pop | Box Sets | Stores | Music

General | Rock | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Classic Rock | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Alternative Rock | Imports | Stores | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000031WZ7
Release Date: 2005-11-29

Tracks:

Refugee
Here Comes My Girl
Even the Losers
Shadow of a Doubt (A Complex Kid)
Century City
Don't Do Me Like That
You Tell Me
What Are You Doin' in My Life?
Louisiana Rain

Tracks:

Rebels
It Ain't Nothin' to Me
Don't Come Around Here No More
Southern Accents
Make It Better (Forget About Me)
Spike
Dogs on the Run
Mary's New Car
Best of Everything

Tracks:

Learning to Fly
Kings Highway
Into the Great Wide Open
Two Gunslingers
Dark of the Sun
All or Nothin'
All the Wrong Reasons
Too Good to Be True
Out in the Cold
You and I Will Meet Again
Makin' Some Noise
Built to Last

Album Description

Limited edition release boxing up together Petty's albums 'Damn The Torpedos' (1979), 'Southern Accents' (1985) & 'Into The Great Wide Open' (1991). A grand total of 30 tracks, including 'Refugee', 'Here Comes My Girl', 'Even The Losers', 'Don't Do Me Like That', 'Rebels', 'Don't Come Around Here No More', 'Spike', 'Learning To Fly' and 'Out In The Cold'. Comes housed in a full color CD-sized slipcase box with each disc in a separate standard jewel case. 1999 release.

Average customer rating:

Damn the Torpedoes/Southern Accents/Into the Great Wide Open
Tom Petty
Manufacturer: Musicrama/Koch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Box Sets | Stores | Music

General | Rock | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000DENLL
Release Date: 2000-07-04

Tracks:

Refugee
Here Comes My Girl
Even the Losers
Shadow of a Doubt (A Complex Kid)
Century City
Don't Do Me Like That
You Tell Me
What Are You Doin' in My Life?
Louisiana Rain

Tracks:

Rebels
It Ain't Nothin' to Me
Don't Come Around Here No More
Southern Accents
Make It Better (Forget About Me)
Spike
Dogs on the Run
Mary's New Car
Best of Everything

Tracks:

Learning to Fly
Kings Highway
Into the Great Wide Open
Two Gunslingers
Dark of the Sun
All or Nothin'
All the Wrong Reasons
Too Good to Be True
Out in the Cold
You and I Will Meet Again
Makin' Some Noise
Built to Last

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