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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This album has been rubbished and castigated nearly as many times as Kenney Jones, the drummer who succeeded the late, great Keith Moon in The Who. However, it's not really fair. Like Jones, much of the album is not worse, just different, in comparison with what came before.
Sure, there are some below-par tracks, "Cook's County" being one I was not too enamoured with. Concentrate on the album's high points, though, and there are some crackers. "A Man is a Man" and "One Life's Enough for Me" are tear-jerkers with messages, and Roger Daltrey proves he is as adept at putting feeling into softer, slower songs, as he is on the all-out rockers.
John Entwistle's three contributions would all slot into the latter category. They all have their merits. "It's Your Turn" unsentimentally hands the baton to younger rock stars, "Dangerous" sounds like it was written about the group, and particularly the insecure but brilliant Pete Townshend. "One At a Time" sees Entwistle on vocals, on a song which sound a lot like a faster version of "My Wife", his song on "Who's Next", no bad thing. Like the 1971 song, this one focuses on marital infidelity.
Finally, there is the anthemic "Cry if you Want To", which, in spite of its melancholy title, sees Roger Daltrey belting out a bittersweet review of The Who's career. The song proves you can bow out in style.
The extra live tracks added to my enjoyment, in particular the recording of the jazz-funk-inspired "Eminence Front", which sounds punchier than the studio version, and is sung with gusto by Pete Townshend. Watch out for Roger Daltrey's monologues, too.
All in all, I have heard the Who on better form, but this should not distract from the fact that "It's Hard" is a very good rock album, with changes of pace and musical intelligence aplenty.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
this album in my view has more standout tracks then its predessor face dances,and is very often overlooked,kenny jones whilst oviously not the late great moon the loon,is more then competant,standout tracks include.its hard,dangerous by john entwhistle,and eminence front,the album also has bonus live tracks on it.whilst this album is nowhere near as great as the last one with keith moon,who are you from 1978,it should certainly not be overlooked when,looking back at the the bands more than fine career.truly the who are one of the finest bands britain has produced.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
When THE WHO released this cd in 1982, Pete Townshend and John Entwistle, were under heavy self impossed pressure because they also recorded and released their respective good solo albums "All the Best Cowboys have Chinese Eyes" and "Too Late the Hero".
So they wrote, recorded, rehearsed and released this collection of songs very fast(except for the Steve Lilywhite produced "Assention part I" recorded in 1982 and included on a Peter Gabriel produced collection).
The problem with this collection is the same one that the "Who are You" LP had, and its in my opinion, the wrong order of the continuity of the songs. The first one, the single, "Athena" followed by John Entwistle s`"It is your turn" and then "Cooks County" and "It s Hard" creates the problem, because those songs are the weaker ones. So to re-review this cd one should begin with "I ve Known No War", a great song comparable to the material and production of Who s` Next, THE WHO s'best album ever. Follow this song with John Entwistle s'"Dangerous" or Pete s` "Why did i fall for that" and then with "A man is a Man", and you have a better cd. There are very good songs on this cd such as the hilarious John Entwistle s' "One at a time" the sister song to "My Wife", and also "Dangerous", a song that seems written with Pete Townshend in mind (the same subject as "The Quiet One"). "I ve Known No War" is in my opinion, the best song here and also "Eminence Front" and "Cry if you want", a song the band tries with energy and abandon, as good rock should be.
The weakest songs on IT S HARD are in order: "Cooks County" and Entwistle s'"It s your turn". "Cooks County" is boring and goes nowhere except in the guitar break, and "It is your turn", sounded dated then in 1982 and still.
By the contrary, "A man is a Man" is as beautiful as "Behind Blue Eyes", and the same goes for the very quiet and piano driven "One life is enough".
This is by no means a bad collection of songs, and deserves a second chance, mainly on those days that THE WHO2 will be re-including on their live set two songs from it: "Eminence Front" and "Cry if you want".
So they wrote, recorded, rehearsed and released this collection of songs very fast(except for the Steve Lilywhite produced "Assention part I" recorded in 1982 and included on a Peter Gabriel produced collection).
The problem with this collection is the same one that the "Who are You" LP had, and its in my opinion, the wrong order of the continuity of the songs. The first one, the single, "Athena" followed by John Entwistle s`"It is your turn" and then "Cooks County" and "It s Hard" creates the problem, because those songs are the weaker ones. So to re-review this cd one should begin with "I ve Known No War", a great song comparable to the material and production of Who s` Next, THE WHO s'best album ever. Follow this song with John Entwistle s'"Dangerous" or Pete s` "Why did i fall for that" and then with "A man is a Man", and you have a better cd. There are very good songs on this cd such as the hilarious John Entwistle s' "One at a time" the sister song to "My Wife", and also "Dangerous", a song that seems written with Pete Townshend in mind (the same subject as "The Quiet One"). "I ve Known No War" is in my opinion, the best song here and also "Eminence Front" and "Cry if you want", a song the band tries with energy and abandon, as good rock should be.
The weakest songs on IT S HARD are in order: "Cooks County" and Entwistle s'"It s your turn". "Cooks County" is boring and goes nowhere except in the guitar break, and "It is your turn", sounded dated then in 1982 and still.
By the contrary, "A man is a Man" is as beautiful as "Behind Blue Eyes", and the same goes for the very quiet and piano driven "One life is enough".
This is by no means a bad collection of songs, and deserves a second chance, mainly on those days that THE WHO2 will be re-including on their live set two songs from it: "Eminence Front" and "Cry if you want".
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Oh dear...
I bought this on vinyl when it was released and was sorely disappointed then. Spurred on by watching the "Amazing Journey" DVD, I have just revisited this album. Read more
Published 24 months ago by I. Saunders
Don't ignore
I have always liked The Who since the sixties, and have been gradually building up a complete collection of their studio albums. Read more
Published on 14 May 2009 by Ivon of Windermere
Underrated another great album from the who
Some of the reviews I have read about this album have dissapointed me, how can an album with songs such as 'Cry if you want, 'Eminence Front', 'Dangerous' etc.. be rated so lowly. Read more
Published on 22 Aug 2006 by Michael
A sad goodbye
The Who knocked out a couple of the best rock albums in history, like Who's Next, Tommy and Quadrophenia. But It's Hard reeks of contractual obligations. Read more
Published on 24 Mar 2006
It's Hard Alright - But It Does Get Better...
Back in 1982, when this album was first issued as a vinyl LP, it seemed that The Who had gained a fresh lease of life. Read more
Published on 16 Feb 2006 by Simon Malia
IT'S HARD to comprehend the poor reviews
Perhaps the snooty british music press at the time decided The Who had been around for too long and were due a slating. I never agreed with one word written about this album. Read more
Published on 10 Sep 2000
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