The Hard Way
Studio album by
Steve Earle
ReleasedJuly 1, 1990
StudioSound Emporium, Nashville, Tennessee; Ardent Studios, Memphis, Tennessee
Genre
Length55:47
LabelMCA[3]
ProducerSteve Earle, Joe Hardy
Steve Earle chronology
Copperhead Road
(1988)		 The Hard Way
(1990)		 Train a Comin'
(1995)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Austin American-Statesman[5]
Calgary HeraldB+[6]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[7]
Entertainment WeeklyA[2]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide[8]
Ottawa Citizen[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[9]
Select[10]

The Hard Way is the fourth studio album by Steve Earle, released in 1990.[11][12] Earle is backed by the Dukes.[13] The album is dedicated to Emilio Lorenzo Ensenat (1930–90).

The album peaked at No. 100 on the Billboard 200.[14] It peaked at No. 22 on the UK Albums Chart.[15]

Production

The album was produced by Joe Hardy and Earle. It was recorded at Sound Emporium, in Nashville, and at Ardent Recording, in Memphis.[16]

Critical reception

The Los Angeles Times noted the Springsteen influence, writing that the album contains "no fewer than two racing-in-the-streets songs and no fewer than two Death Row laments."[17] Lone Star Music Magazine wrote that "although it’s admittedly over-long at just under an hour and burdened with even more of a hair-metal production aesthetic than Copperhead Road, it’s loaded with genuinely great songs."[18] The Dallas Observer called "Billy Austin" "storytelling at its stark, bleakest best."[19]

Track listing

All songs written by Steve Earle unless otherwise noted.

  1. "The Other Kind" - 5:09
  2. "Promise You Anything" - 2:43 (Earle, Maria McKee, Patrick Sugg)
  3. "Esmeralda's Hollywood" - 6:01 (Earle, Maria McKee)
  4. "Hopeless Romantics" - 2:45
  5. "This Highway's Mine (Roadmaster)" - 3:54
  6. "Billy Austin" - 6:16
  7. "Justice in Ontario" - 4:47
  8. "Have Mercy" - 4:41
  9. "When the People Find Out" - 4:10
  10. "Country Girl" - 4:11
  11. "Regular Guy" - 3:17
  12. "West Nashville Boogie" - 3:09
  13. "Close Your Eyes" - 4:44

Personnel

The Dukes
  • Bucky Baxter - Mullins pedal steel guitar
  • Ken Moore - organ, synthesizer, string arrangements on "Esmeralda's Hollywood"
  • Dwayne "Zip" Gibson - electric guitars, vocals
  • Kelly Looney - bass, vocals
  • Craig Wright - drums

with:

  • John Jarvis - piano
  • Lester Snell - organ on "When the People Find Out" and director of chorus
  • Patrick Earle - percussion
  • Stacey Earle Mims - harmony on "Promise You Anything"
  • The Christ Missionary Baptist Church Choir - chorus on "When the People Find Out"
  • Amy Dotson, Billy Baker, Billy Steele, Chip Phillips, Chuck Allen, Craig Wright, Denis Colby, Doug Baker, Ian Earle, Justin Townes Earle, Katryna Haddrick, Kelly Looney, Ken Moore, Patrick Earle, Peter Keppler, Robyn Gibson, Scot Bonner, Stacey Earle Mims, Tommy McRae, Zip Gibson - backing vocals on "Regular Guy", directed by Skott Nelson
  • Patricia Snell, Susan Jerome, William C. Brown III - backing vocals on "Close Your Eyes"

References

  1. 1 2 Erskine, Evelyn (3 Aug 1990). "Falling from grace: Earle's country-rooted rock tells bad-guys' side". Ottawa Citizen: D6.
  2. 1 2 "Notable music for the week of July 6, 1990". EW.com.
  3. ↑ "Steve Earle's MCA Catalogue To Be Remastered, Released on Vinyl". American Songwriter. March 31, 2016.
  4. ↑ "The Hard Way - Steve Earle, Steve Earle & the Dukes | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  5. ↑ MacCambridge, Michael (28 June 1990). "Loose connection shorts Earle effort". Austin American-Statesman: 19.
  6. ↑ "RECENT RELEASES". Calgary Herald: E3. 28 June 1990.
  7. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. p. 195.
  8. ↑ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 373.
  9. ↑ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 218.
  10. ↑ Perry, Neil (July 1990). "The Harder They Come". Select. p. 91.
  11. ↑ "Steve Earle | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  12. ↑ The Rough Guide to Rock (2nd ed.). Rough Guides Ltd. 1999. p. 310.
  13. ↑ Kening, Dan. "STEVE EARLE RETURNS WITH A VENGEANCE". chicagotribune.com.
  14. ↑ "Steve Earle". Billboard.
  15. ↑ "STEVE EARLE | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
  16. ↑ McGee, David (April 8, 2005). "Steve Earle: Fearless Heart, Outlaw Poet". Hal Leonard Corporation – via Google Books.
  17. ↑ "POP MUSIC REVIEW : Steve Earle Burns Rubber at the Roxy". Los Angeles Times. October 30, 1990.
  18. ↑ "Mr. Record Man: Steve Earle". May 1, 2013.
  19. ↑ Dearmore, Kelly (October 18, 2013). "Steve Earle's Top Seven Songs About Texas". Dallas Observer.



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