So many issues with this...
1. How does Pack Up The Plantation- Live ! qualify as For Fans Only, when I just saw it reviewed somewhere as one of the best live albums of the 80s ? It also got good reviews when it was released.
2. I agree with Marion about Long After Dark, one of the ballsier albums. I'm upgrading it to Be Careful because a lot of people hate it, although I personally want to put it in Check It Out.
3. Because "The Waiting" was my first TP&HB song, I have to bump Hard Promises up to Essential and move Greatest Hits out of there- if they're so essential, why aren't the albums they're on up there as well ?
4. You can't tell me that "Breakdown" and "American Girl" don't rate Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers a spot in Essentials. I'm as sick of them being overplayed as the Blender guy probably is, but they are staples of classic rock playlists for a reason.
I did like the review itself. Nice writing, Jon !