Artist: THE WHO
Album: ITS HARD REMASTERED (CD)

Release date: 1982/ 1997
Media type: CD

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. 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. Their eleventh studio album, Endless Wire, wasn't released for another 24 years. The US rights to both this album and Face Dances would later revert to MCA Records.

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. The demo version was called "Theresa," named after actress Theresa Russell, but was then disguised. "Athena" peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Pop Singles charts.

In the years since its release, "Eminence Front" has become one of the most critically acclaimed songs from 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.

All songs written by Pete Townshend except where noted.

Singles:
"Athena" (UK 40, U.S. 28)
"Eminence Front" (U.S. 68)

TRACKLIST:

01 "Athena" – 3:46
02 "It's Your Turn" (John Entwistle) – 3:39
03 "Cooks County" – 3:35
04 "It's Hard" – 3:47
05 "Dangerous" (Entwistle) – 3:15
06 "Eminence Front" – 5:39
07 "I've Known No War" – 5:46
08 "One Life's Enough" – 2:22
09 "One at a Time" (Entwistle) – 2:55
10 "Why Did I Fall for That" – 3:18
11 "A Man Is a Man" – 3:49
12 "Cry If You Want" – 4:35


Bonus tracks on 1997 remastered edition.
The 1997 digitally remastered reissue of It's Hard added four live tracks:

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

All tracks were recorded on the last show of The Who's tour, 17 December 1982 in Toronto.

LINE-UP:

Roger Daltrey – vocals, guitar
Pete Townshend – guitars, keyboards, synthesizer, vocals
John Entwistle – bass guitar, French horn, synthesizer, vocals
Kenney Jones – drums
Andy Fairweather-Low – additional guitar and vocals
Tim Gorman – additional keyboards