Damn the Torpedoes wasn't simply a culmination of Tom Petty's art; it happened to be a huge success, enabling him to call the shots on its successor, Hard Promises. Infamously, he used his first album as a star to challenge the record industry's practice of charging more for A-list artists, demanding that Hard Promises should be listed for less than most records by an artist of his stature, but if that was the only thing notable about the album, it would have disappeared like Long After Dark. Instead, it offered a reaffirmation that Damn the Torpedoes wasn't a fluke. There's not much new on the surface, since it continues the sound of its predecessor, but it's filled with great songwriting, something that's as difficult to achieve as a distinctive sound. The opener, "The Waiting," became the best-known song on the record, but there's no discounting "A Woman in Love (It's Not Me)," "Nightwatchman," "Kings Road," "Insider," and "The Criminal Kind," album tracks that would become fan favorites. If Hard Promises doesn't have the sweep of Damn the Torpedoes, that's because its predecessor was blessed with good timing and an unusually strong set of songs. Hard Promises isn't quite so epochal, yet it has a tremendous set of songs and a unified sound that makes it one of Petty's finest records. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Stevie Nicks (Vocals), Stevie Nicks (Vocals (Background)), Stevie Nicks (Harmony Vocals), Stevie Nicks (Harmony), Tom Petty (Guitar (Acoustic)), Tom Petty (Bass), Tom Petty (Guitar), Tom Petty (Guitar (Electric)), Tom Petty (Piano (Electric)), Tom Petty (Vocals), Tom Petty (Guitar (12 String)), Tom Petty (Producer), Tom Petty (Main Performer), Tom Petty (Guitar (12 String Electric)), Tom Petty (Guitar (12 String Acoustic)), Mike Campbell (Guitar), Mike Campbell (Harmonica), Mike Campbell (Accordion), Mike Campbell (Autoharp), Mike Campbell (Guitar (Bass)), Mike Campbell (Guitar (Electric)), Mike Campbell (Harmonium), Mike Campbell (Keyboards), Mike Campbell (Guitar (12 String)), Mike Campbell (Guitar (12 String Electric)), Benmont Tench (Organ), Benmont Tench (Piano), Benmont Tench (Keyboards), Benmont Tench (Vocals), Benmont Tench (Photography), Benmont Tench (Collage), Joel Bernstein (Photography), Joel Bernstein (Collage), Joel Bernstein (Cover Photo), Joel Bernstein (Inlay Photography), Ron Blair (Bass), Ron Blair (Guitar), Ron Blair (Guitar (Bass)), Greg Calbi (Mastering), Sharon Celani (Vocals), Sharon Celani (Vocals (Background)), Henry Diltz (Photography), Henry Diltz (Collage), Donald "Duck" Dunn (Bass), Joe Gastwirt (Remastering), Brad Gilderman (Assistant Engineer), Lynn Goldsmith (Photography), Lynn Goldsmith (Collage), Jimmy Iovine (Producer), Phil Jones (Percussion), Stan Lynch (Drums), Stan Lynch (Keyboards), Stan Lynch (Vocals), Tori Swenson (Assistant Engineer), Alan Weidel (Piano), Shelly Yakus (Engineer), Tommy Steele (Art Direction), Tommy Steele (Design), Tommy Steele (Cover Design), Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (Performer), Christine Cano (Repackaging), Dennis Callahan (Photography), Dennis Callahan (Collage), Phil & Debi Jones (Percussion)
This was the second Tom Petty album on the Backstreet Records label. The album's release was delayed while Petty and his distributor MCA Records argued about the list price. The album was slated to be the next MCA release with the new list price of $9.98, following Steely Dan's Gaucho and the Olivia Newton-John/Electric Light OrchestraXanadu soundtrack. This so-called "superstar pricing" was $1.00 more than the usual list price of $8.98.[2] Petty voiced his objections to the price hike in the press and the issue became a popular cause among music fans. Non-delivery of the album or naming it Eight Ninety-Eight were considered, but eventually MCA decided against the price increase.[3]
The album's title comes from a line in the chorus of "Insider".
