The Who: It's Hard (Original CD Edition) CD Track Listing
The Who
It's Hard (Original CD Edition) (1982)
It's Hard (Original CD Edition)\n\nOriginally Released 1982\nMCA CD Edition Released May 1989\nMCA Remastered + Expanded CD Edition Released June 3, 1997\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: Driven by Pete Townshend's arching musical ambitions, It's Hard was an undistinguished final effort from the Who. Featuring layers of synthesizers and long-winded, twisting song structures, the album featured few memorable melodies and little energy, with only the anthemic "Athena" and the terse "Eminence Front" making a lasting impression. The new compact disc reissue adds four bonus tracks to the original 12-song lineup, all of them live. These alternate versions of "Eminence Front," athe title song and "Cry If You Want," along with John Entwistle's "Dangerous," all come from performances at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Canada. Although no specific recording dates are given in the booklet, these bonus tracks give us far more lively versions of these songs than their original studio counterparts. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine and Cub Koda\n\nCMJ New Music Report\nRecovered, it would seem, from the dual tragedies of Keith Moon's death and the Cincinnati concert (a period which fueled Townshend's solo work but left the band appearing splintered), the Who have once again produced an album bristling with the kind of single-minded commitment that hasn't been heard since Who's Next. This renewed energy shows in both the songs and performances on It's Hard. As usual, Townshend takes a spokesman's stance, but has succeeded this time around in getting across his messages without undermining the group's musical power. To the casual listener, the record packs sufficient wallop to keep stadium crowds punching fists in the air, but careful attention to the lyrics offers insights and admonitions particularly relevant to the hard times ahead. "Why Did I Fall For That?" may not have the dazzling dynamics of "Won't Get Fooled Again," but the spirit remains, and "I've Known No War" is a bitterly potent indictment of the new militarism that could lead to ultimate destruction. In a similar vein, the lyrics of "Athena" scan poorly (Townshend mistakenly confuses obscurity with poetic imagery), but the melodic hooks, especially in John Entwistle's horn charts, keep the track alive and kicking. Credit goes to the bassman, too, for his own song contributions. While not as complex in structure as Townshend's, nor as thematically ambitious, they address a cheating mate ("One At A Time"), younger bands ("It's Your Turn") and realistic paranoia ("Dangerous") in straightforward rockers that sit well within the unified framework of the album. But for one ballad, Townshend's effective "One Life's Enough," the LP roars by to show a band in rare form. They play tight and hard (kudos to Kenney Jones' unobtrusive but rocksteady drumming) and show that they mean to go out (if this current tour is indeed the last) swinging. When a band has produced as much brilliant material as the Who has over the years, the real surprise may not lie in individual tracks themselves as much as in the fact that the band can carry the weight of our expectations without sounding burdened. Yes, It's Hard, but it's good, too. \n
Category
: Music
Tags
: music songs tracks rock Rock
- The Who - Athena (03:47)
- The Who - It's Your Turn (03:41)
- The Who - Cooks County (03:50)
- The Who - It's Hard (03:46)
- The Who - Dangerous (03:20)
- The Who - Eminence Front (05:39)
- The Who - I've Known No War (05:58)
- The Who - One Life's Enough (02:21)
- The Who - One At A Time (03:03)
- The Who - Why Did I Fall For That (03:25)
- The Who - A Man Is A Man (03:56)
- The Who - Cry If You Want (04:38)
