Listen to Your Heartbreaker (with Brad Johs)
You need to know. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers avoided a sophomore slump with their May 1978 album, You’re Gonna Get It!. Instead of overhauling their sound, they doubled down on their tight, roots-rock identity. In this episode of “Hangin’ Out with Bob,” podcast host Bob Edholm and his friend Brad Johs take a “deep dive” into the Heartbreakers’ second studio album, which climbed to number 23 on the charts and secured their first gold record. You’re Gonna Get It! is packed with great tracks, but “I Need to Know” and “Listen to Her Heart” are the absolute standouts. “I Need to Know” is an urgent, high-energy rock song about the panic of a relationship falling apart, while “Listen to Her Heart” is a total shut-down to some rich guy trying to buy his way into a girl's life. Brad doesn’t just know this album's radio hits, though. He’s a die-hard disciple of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, so he also shares his expertise on the deep tracks on this album. The rest of You’re Gonna Get It! is a fun mix of driving rock and ‘60s roots pop. It kicks off with high-energy tracks like “When the Time Comes” and the title song, before slowing down for the moody “Hurt,” the acoustic-driven “Magnolia,” and the heavy riffs of “Too Much Ain't Enough.” Side two wraps up perfectly with the gentle “No Second Thoughts,” the driving energy of “Restless,” and a swaggering boogie closer, “Baby's a Rock 'N' Roller.” You're Gonna Get It! bridges the gap between raw early-band urgency and refined, melodic 1960s-inspired roots-rock, making it a rewarding listen for both longtime fans and newcomers.