There are two mistakes a recording artist can make when following up a successful album: releasing something too different from the last one, or releasing something too similar.
Tom Petty’s follow-up to Full Moon Fever, 1991’s Into the Great Wide Open, fell into the latter category. Though he officially re-teamed with The Heartbreakers to record the disc, he once again collaborated with Jeff Lynne for both songwriting and production and the result feels like an attempt to keep the Full Moon Fever magic going.
The truth is, they pretty much do exactly that. This is a great batch of songs that has aged remarkably well. But at the time I was quick to dismiss the record as the redheaded stepbrother of one of my favorites.
Singles ‘Out in the Cold’ and ‘Learning to Fly’ felt like rewrites of ‘Runnin’ Down a Dream’ and ‘Free Fallin’,’ and the Hollywood cautionary tale ‘Into the Great Wide Open’ didn’t quite live up to the novelty of its video starring Johnny Depp and Faye Dunaway.
Still, listening to the album again now, a good decade-plus since I last gave the record a spin, I regret my initial resistance. It goes down easy and doesn’t have a weak moment, even if it never reaches the heights of its predecessor.
Sometimes it comes close, though, as in today’s SOTD, ‘The Dark of the Sun,’ a lovely example of Petty continuing to reach back to his earliest influence, The Byrds.
Give me hope, give me comfort, get me to
A better place?
I saw you sail across a river
Underneath Orion’s sword
In your eyes there was a freedom
I had never known before
[Chorus:]
Hey, yeah, yeah, in the dark of the sun
We will stand together
Yeah we will stand as one in the dark of the sun
Past my days of great confusion
Past my days of wondering why
Will I sail into the heavens
Constellations in my eyes?
[Chorus]
Meet Me In Montauk 
I agree that this album doesn’t rise to the heights of Full Moon Fever, but it’s hard to imagine topping that achievement. When Great Wide Open was released, I had a similar impression as you did–this was a safe, rather watered down commercial effort by Petty. I suppose I should go back and listen again (as you did) to see how it fares all these years later, but even today’s song doesn’t feel as sharp or memorable as anything from Full Moon Fever.
I actually find this song a bit annoying this morning, which makes me wonder if that’s typical of any song you don’t know well…. well, maybe not any song… but some songs.
Did I fall in love with Running Down a Dream the first time I heard it? I can’t imagine that I didn’t, but that’s coming from the perspective of having heard it so many times that I know every note and intonation of Petty’s voice. Maybe it’s a bit like driving to a place you’ve never been before. There’s some anxiety in not knowing the way.
Regardless, I agree with you both that the album deserves another listen.
I never know a song or album well enough to have a real opinion until at least three listens.