The Who - It's Hard

Digitally remastered Japanese reissue of The Who's 1982 album in a miniaturized LP sleeve with the original packaging intact. Limited to the initial pressing only, it also features all four of the bonus tracks included on MCA's U.S. reissue in the '90s! The extra songs are live versions of 'It's Hard', 'Eminence Front', 'Dangerous' and 'Cry If You Want'. 16 tracks total. 1999 reissue of 1997 reissue. Album Description

Who's Left

Unfairly slighted by many, the album is the best album from The Who since Who By Numbers or Quadrophenia. It is consistent and it does rock. While Daltrey may not be a fan, it is still a great effort and the closest that The Who would get at recapturing their old glory. September 24, 2008

All the Best went into Empty Glass and Chinese Eyes

That about sums it up. Those 2 solo albums have 10-12 GREAT songs from over a 3 year period of Townshend inebriation. What were the odds that anything decent would end up on Face Dances and It's Hard? You have to love these 2 WHO albums for what they are. If you saw the tour as I did, these songs all have special meaning. Less than a few good songs here, but generally, I can listen to this album without barfing, mostly for the nostalgia element.

The years have been kind to this record I suppose. 26 Years, wow thats a lifetime. Seems not that long ago. September 16, 2008

Not as bad as Springsteen

This album is not wonderful. It does not rank with the great achievements of the world's greatest rock band. However, is it fair to measure anything against Live at Leeds, Who's Next, Quadrophenia, Tommy, etc.? The WHO proved their mettle a hundred times over. At this point, they were one man down, in their late thirties, struggling with a drugged songwriter/guitarist, and in need of a focus in a post-prog, post-punk rock world. They jump those hurdles with Eminence Front, Athena, and Cry if You Want. These are great songs. Sure, the rest of the album doesn't muster the same passion and urgency, but 3 out of 12 isn't too bad, considering their position in rock history.
On the lesser tracks on this album I hear something familiar. Their is style similar to Springsteen's 80s stuff here. So, imagine Springsteen, in all his crapulence, filtered through the world's greatest rock band...you get the best Springsteen album, right? I think so. The WHO may have copped his style, but at least Daltrey sings it with some genuine attentiveness and interest, instead of a gutteral growl that simulates passion.
For The WHO : a low-grade effort in the face of their prior (and future) achievements.
For Rock : a solid example of a great group infusing power into a (mostly) throwaway set of songs. August 13, 2008

it's not hard to listen to this great album

It's hard to believe this album is STILL getting criticized. I thought by now people would begin to realize there's some great songwriting and exciting vocal melodies on this album, but I guess many fans wanna stick with Tommy and Quadrophenia.

The title song is a pop rock classic with its powerful lyrics and catchy chorus. The sad feeling is strongly evident in the lyrics. "Eminence Front" is the biggest hit, and it's quite good. It sounds like it would have been a bigger hit during the disco era.

"Athena" is my personal favorite song, with a verse melody that instantly catches my attention with its positive vibes and upbeat verse melody. Funny story- I actually though the chorus went like this "She's just a girl... she's a boy", haha. I had those lyrics WAY wrong!

"One at a Time" is a faster track, and highly memorable. Again, the vocals are the main reason it's so great. "Cooks County" has some meaningful lyrics you should pay attention to, and the sadness creeps in near the end with the beautiful "A Man is a Man". Great vocals once AGAIN. "Cry If You Want" is another highlight because of... ahem, the drumming? Nope, because of the *vocals*!

You won't find any flashy drumming, any wild swirling guitar playing, or bass work that will knock your socks off. Instead you'll find surprisingly underrated vocals and melodies. July 17, 2008

The Who - Cry If You Want..........

The second album of the Kenny Jones era would prove to be the last album of new material that the band would release for almost 25 years. Like "Face Dances" before it, "It's Hard" is a mix of some really good stuff and some not so great material. On the positive side the album's two hits, the bouncy "Athena" and the synth dominated "Eminence Front" are both good with "Front" sticking around as a concert staple to this day. I also like "Cooks County", "I've Known No War" and Entiwstle's "Why Did I Fall For That". The best track on the album is the final one "Cry If You Want" which captures the same fire and fury that was found on earlier albums like "Who's Next". Townshend's stabbing guitar and Daltry's raw vocals are the perfect combination to my ears to make this one of the Who's great tracks. On the negative side, "Dangerous", "One At A Time", "A Man Is A Man", "It's Hard", and "One Life's Enough" are all just ok songs. Not bad, but nothing special either. A lot of people bash drummer Kenny Jones, but he has some really great moments on this disc especially during "Athena" and "Cry If You Want". His style is different from Keith Moon, but the guy plays his guts out on a couple of these tracks and has been sadly maligned by many a Who fan over the years. Overall I think this album is a bit better than "Face Dances" and there is enough good material to make it a worthwhile purchase. July 9, 2008

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