Petty has hit without Heartbreakers
By J.D. Considine
Eugene Register-Guard - Friday, May 12, 1989

How much does a solo album say about the leader of a rock group? In the case of Tom Petty's "Full Moon Fever" (MCA 6253), it says quite a lot, because hearing Petty without the Heartbreakers does not prove to be all that different from hearing him with the band.

It does not hurt that three out of four 'Breakers turn up in cameo appearances (along with an equal number of Traveling Wilburys); even so, credit for the album's consistency lies not with Petty's players but with the singer-songwriter himself.

Not only do these songs, from the gritty "Runnin' Down a Dream" to the casually catchy "I Won't Back Down," boast Petty's usual blend of bluesy edge and melodic accessibility, but they are delivered with the off-hand authority of Petty's best group efforts. In all, a great slice of basic rock 'n' roll.