Hard Promises

this is where petty's dylan influence begins to rear its head. he made his name as an all-american, byrds-inspired rock& roller, but on hard promises petty began to explore a more reflective style, leaning on the softer side of his folk-rock roots. this is no nebraska-there are plenty of spirited rockers and classy pop tunes-but petty does sound like he's been spending some time with bringing it all back home. there are sharply observed character studies of hard-luck and no-luck guys ("something big", "nightwatchman"), urgent power-pop declarations of romantic desperation ("a thing about you") and even some light-hearted socio-cultural observations ("king's road"). hard promises is petty's first step towards the eclecticism that would mark his later work, and it's easily his most underrated album.