It's Hard

Untitled

It's Hard is the tenth studio album by the English rock band The Who. It is the last Who album to feature bassist John Entwistle and drummer Kenney Jones, as well as the last Who album to be released on Warner Bros. Records in the United States. It was released in 1982 on Polydor in the UK, peaking at number 11, and released on Warner Bros. in the US where it peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Pop Albums charts. The US rights to both this album and Face Dances would later revert to MCA Records.

History

There are two schools of thought with consideration to It's Hard. Some view it as an album inspired by the tense political climate of the early 1980s, as Pete Townshend did. Others see it merely as The Who fulfilling the contract to their American record label, as Roger Daltrey thought. The split in opinion is evident in reviews of the time—praised by some critics and panned by many others. Most notably, the album received a five-star review in Rolling Stone.

The first track, "Athena," is one of the few songs that was well received on It's Hard. "Athena" peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Pop Singles charts. In the years since its release, "Eminence Front" has become a critically acclaimed song in the band's catalogue.

The album cover, designed by Graham Hughes, depicts a young boy playing Atari's Space Duel arcade game. It is a reference to Tommy, with the pinball table that the main character played updated to the times. It was not popular with Townshend, who criticized it shortly after the album's release because of the lack of the band's input.

In 1997, MCA re-released the album with new mixes for "Athena" and "Eminence Front" that corrected problems with the original 1982 mix. The lead vocals on both songs had been hard-panned to opposite channels, and Townshend and Daltrey shared a vocal flub on "Eminence Front."

Track listing

All songs written by Pete Townshend except where noted.

Side one

1. "Athena" – 3:46
2. "It's Your Turn" (John Entwistle) – 3:39
3. "Cooks County" – 3:51
4. "It's Hard" – 3:47
5. "Dangerous" (John Entwistle) – 3:36
6. "Eminence Front" – 5:39

Side two

7. "I've Known No War" – 5:56
8. "One Life's Enough" – 2:22
9. "One at a Time" (John Entwistle) – 3:20
10. "Why Did I Fall for That" – 3:56
11. "A Man Is a Man" – 3:56
12. "Cry If You Want" – 5:18

1997 reissue bonus tracks

The 1997 digitally remastered reissue of It's Hard added four live tracks recorded on the last show of The Who's tour, 17 December 1982, in Toronto.

13. "It's Hard" – 4:56
14. "Eminence Front" – 5:37
15. "Dangerous" – 3:48
16. "Cry If You Want" – 7:12

Personnel

The Who

• Roger Daltrey – vocals, guitar
• John Entwistle – bass guitar, French horn, synthesizer, vocals
• Pete Townshend – guitars, keyboards, synthesizer, vocals
• Kenney Jones – drums

Additional musicians

• Andy Fairweather-Low – guitar, vocals
• Tim Gorman – keyboards

Production

• Jon Astley – executive producer
• Chris Charlesworth – executive producer
• Bill Curbishley – executive producer
• Richard Evans – album art design, album art direction
• Greg Fulginiti – mastering
• Graham Hughes – photography
• Glyn Johns – production, engineering
• Bob Ludwig – remastering
• Robert Rosenberg – executive producer

Sales chart performance

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1982	The Billboard 200	8
1982	UK Albums Chart	11

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1982	"Athena"	Billboard Mainstream Rock	3
1982	"Athena"	The Billboard Hot 100	28
1982	"Athena"	UK Singles Chart	40
1982	"Cry If You Want"	Billboard Mainstream Rock	34
1982	"Dangerous"	Billboard Mainstream Rock	38
1982	"Eminence Front"	Billboard Mainstream Rock	5
1982	"It's Hard"	Billboard Mainstream Rock	39
1983	"Eminence Front"	The Billboard Hot 100	68

References

• www.thewho.net. It's Hard Liner Notes. Accessed on February 18, 2005.
• www.allmusic.com. It's Hard Album Credits. Accessed on February 18, 2005.