Rate-A-Record
Review by Tom Wrobleski
The Observer - May 13, 1987
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | Let Me Up (I've Had Enough)
After 1985's disjointed Southern Accents, Tom Petty and the band offer up another schizophrenic effort. Side one moves with all the drive and lyrical insight of TP's best work. "Jammin' Me" is one of the sharpest hooks he's ever hung a song on, and the moody "Runaway Trains" proves that Petty hasn't lost his gift for heartbreak songs. Side two, however, is an aimless ride through filler-land on a road of uninspired vocals and lazy country-and-western arrangements. Though country is an intriguing direction for the Heartbreakers to be taking in the wake of their tour with Bob Dylan last summer, the further Petty moves from his hard-rock roots, the less interesting he becomes. "Think About Me" doesn't do much with the melody it steals from the classic "Not Fade Away," while "All Mixed Up" plods along without ever really getting anywhere. "Self Made Man" and "Ain't Love Strange" are just hollow throw-aways. Things pick up at album's end with the title track, but by then, too muc damage has been done. What a disappointment.
Petty's house destroyed
Gainesville Sun - May 19, 1987
ARSON RULED CAUSE OF BLAZE. The Los Angeles Fire Department has ruled that arson caused a fire that destroyed the Encino home of rocker singer and Gainesville native Tom Petty Sunday morning.
Petty, his wife Jane, their 5-year-old daughter Kim, and housekeeper Helen Bianchi escaped safely shortly after the blaze was discovered about 9 a.m.
Both Jane Petty and Bianchi are former Gainesville residents.
Fire Department officials said a flammable liquid was discovered at the rear of the two-story wood-frame house, suggesting that the fire was deliberately set.
The estimated damage to the house and contents was $1 million.
Firefighters removed some contents undamaged, including many of the guitars and other musical equipment kept in Petty's basement recording studio.
Petty and several friends rescued the master tapes for all eight of the Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers albums, three of which have sold more than a million copies.
Hollywood: Counting Their Losses
By Marilyn Beck
Saskatoon Star-Phoenix - May 20, 1987
Tom Petty's wife, Jane, speaking of the $800,000 fire that ravished the family's Encino home early this week, says, "I've lost everything -- tapes, pictures -- everything's gone. I can't believe it."
The Pettys and their two young daughters were unharmed in what is suspected to be an arson-instigated fire. Tom's basement recording studio, which contained his guitars and master recordings, was spared.
According to firefighters on the scene, Tom discovered the fire in the rear porch of the million-dollar house, but by the time he returned with a hose it was out of control. No decision has yet been made about whether the house will be restored.
Inspectors say fire at Petty's home was arson
By Traci Romine
The Lewiston Journal - May 20, 1987
ENCINO, Calif. -- Los Angeles fire inspectors said Monday that an arsonist set the fire that caused $1 million damage to rock singer Tom Petty's ranch-style home in Encino.
Someone poured a flammable liquid on a rear wooden staircase outside the home and lit the fire early Sunday, said Capt. William Zaring of the Los Angeles City Fire Department Arson Investigation unit.
Arson investigators have no suspects nor witnesses to the fire, Zaring said. Investigators interviewed Petty and his wife, Jane, Sunday, and neither had any clues leading to a motive, he said. Lab tests are scheduled this week to determine what liquid was used to ignite the blaze, he said.
Petty, guitar player and lead singer of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, had received no threatening letters or phone calls, said Petty's publicist Mitchell Schneider, of Michael Levine Public Relations in Los Angeles.
Review: Petty puts out best effort
By Christopher Leonardi
The Jambar - May 22, 1987
The most accurate way of evaluating a new release by any artist is to wait two or three years and then see how the material holds up against that ultimate critic -- time. But if initial reactions indicate anything, the new album from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is guaranteed to be considered among his best efforts and among the better rock albums of the year. Let Me Up (I've Had Enough) proves that Petty is versatile enough to keep up with the ever-changing music scene and more importantly, he is able to retain the sound that first brought him his acclaim eleven years ago. The energy level from the band on this new release is none other than astounding.
Once again, the Heartbreakers keep their reputation intact. After last years' extremely successful tour with Bob Dylan, the band remains one of the most talented and tightened units in the business. On this album the band shows that they have grown as artists and explored new areas without commercializing their sound. This is an extremely difficult task to accomplish. In recent years it has become commonplace to see the likes of artists such as Mick Jagger or The Moody Blues releasing products aimed at a contemporary market, only to lose fans because of the inferior quality of the music produced. The Heartbreakers will lose no fans over this one -- in fact, they should gain some.
Records
By Marty Racine
Houston Chronicle - Sunday, May 24, 1987
Let Me Up (I've Had Enough) | Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers | MCA
After hearing of the fire that wiped out Tom Petty's California mansion last weekend (arson is expected) the man gets a sympathy vote for the lyrics that open the album's first cut, "Jammin' Me:" "You got me in a corner/You got me against the wall/I got no-where to go/I got No-where to fall/Take back your insurance..."
Odd, how life imitates rock 'n' roll.
Tom Petty and Heartbreakers highlight triple-header concert
By Marty Racine
Houston Chronicle - Thursday, May 28, 1987
Following a hectic three weeks capped by Memorial Day Weekend, the action cools before another big buildup in June.
Top o' the pops this weekend is Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Saturday at The Summit (see Friday's Houston section). And what a bill! Boston's Del Fuegos will open the triple-header with a short half-hour set. Atlanta's Georgia Satellites, launched into permanent orbit by the the recent Bob Seger tour, will do about 45 minutes. The Heartbreakers will play for close to two hours.
For Petty, troubles don't stop the music
By Marty Racine
Houston Chronicle - Friday, May 29, 1987
You don't have to live like a refugee, but Tom Petty can hardly avoid it.
Trouble has been the Florida native's middle name since the dawn of his 11-year career with the Heartbreakers, one of rock's longest-running bands.
In 1978, two years after release of the band's self-titled debut album on the Shelter label, Shelter and parent company RCA Records were sold to MCA, which assumed it owned the rights to subsequent Petty products. Petty wanted more control of his own destiny. A lengthy court battle ensued before a compromise was reached. (He's still with MCA.)
Time Out: Petty lights a fire - finally
By Doug McDaniel
The Courier - May 29, 1987
PHOENIX -- Tom Petty appeared to be a little depressed in front of a typically small Wednesday night crowd of 5,000 at the Arizona State University Activity Center.
After all, his house burned down last week.
The show, billed as the "Rock & Roll Caravan," featured Petty & the Heartbreakers, the Georgia Satellites, the Del Fuegos and an unprecedented number of cigarettes smoked by the various members of each band.
It took awhile for Petty and his hard pop consortium to set a fire under the crowd, but they eventually did burn the house down.