A review by tobin_elliott
Heartbreaker: A Memoir by Mike Campbell

fast-paced

5.0

I enjoyed the heck out of this one. Campbell's always been—for me—the most fascinating member of Petty's band, though they're all interesting in their own way.

Campbell does a very good job of not slagging anyone, nor does he go heavily into the sex and drugs of the Heartbreakers' rock 'n' roll trip. So, if you're looking for dirt and nastiness, you'll have to look elsewhere.

But, without all that, this is still an incredible journey from living dirt poor to becoming one of the most beloved American bands. Campbell has memories to spare, and stories that will make you laugh out loud and others that will...well...break your heart.

I alternated between the audio and print version of this and I will say, when he talks about saying goodbye to Tom Petty, the raw emotion in his voice choked me up as much as he did as he narrated it.

Campbell has, for the most part, lived a charmed life and, I'm very sure that most of that is due to remaining loyal to Tom Petty through thick and thin. But I will say, there's times through the story where I wanted to take him aside and demand that he stand up for himself. 

Petty was a magnificent talent, to be sure, and an unstoppable force...but there's definitely times he took one of the greatest bands in the world for granted. He always talked them up in interviews, but behind the scenes, he didn't give them the respect, nor the rewards, that they were rightfully owed.

Yet, for all that, it's still refreshing to read about a guy who's able to constantly look around at where he is, who he's playing with, what he's got, and what he's achieved, and be grateful for it.

A really good book.