The Hard Way (Clint Black album)
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2018) |
| The Hard Way | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 14, 1992 | |||
| Recorded | 1991–1992 | |||
| Studio | Studio Sound (Burbank, California); Moonee Ponds (Los Angeles); Eleven Eleven, Mesa (Nashville) | |||
| Genre | Neotraditional country | |||
| Length | 34:09 | |||
| Label | RCA Nashville | |||
| Producer | James Stroud, Clint Black | |||
| Clint Black chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from The Hard Way | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Chicago Tribune | [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B− [3] |
| Los Angeles Times |  [4] |
| Q | [5] |
| Robert Christgau | C [6] |
The Hard Way is the third studio album by American country music singer Clint Black. It includes the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks top-ten hits "We Tell Ourselves"[#2], "Burn One Down"[#4], and the number-one hit "When My Ship Comes In". Released on July 14, 1992, it was co-produced by Black and James Stroud. While not as commercially successful as his first two albums, The Hard Way was certified platinum by the RIAA.
Musical style and composition
[edit]The Hard Way has been described as a neotraditional country album with elements of pop compared to 1970s singer-songwriters such as Jimmy Buffett, James Taylor, and Dan Fogelberg.[3]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Clint Black and Hayden Nicholas except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "We Tell Ourselves" | 4:39 | |
| 2. | "The Hard Way" | 3:22 | |
| 3. | "Something to Cry About" | 3:55 | |
| 4. | "Buying Time" | 3:36 | |
| 5. | "When My Ship Comes In" | 3:33 | |
| 6. | "A Woman Has Her Way" | Black, David Bellamy, Jerry Lynn Williams | 2:51 |
| 7. | "There Never Was a Train" (omitted from cassette version) | 2:42 | |
| 8. | "The Good Old Days" | 2:29 | |
| 9. | "Burn One Down" | Black, Nicholas, Frankie Miller | 3:51 |
| 10. | "Wake Up Yesterday" | 3:43 |
Personnel
[edit]Band
[edit]- Eddie Bayers — drums
- Clint Black — harmonica, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, lead vocals, background vocals
- Larry Byrom — acoustic guitar
- Lenny Castro — percussion
- Eric Darken — percussion
- Jerry Douglas — Dobro
- Sonny Garrish — steel guitar
- Dick Gay — drums
- Rob Hajacos — fiddle
- Dann Huff — electric guitar
- Jeff Huskins — fiddle
- Jana King — background vocals
- Liana Manis — background vocals
- Hayden Nicholas — electric guitar, electric sitar
- Mark O'Connor — fiddle
- Jeff Peterson — steel guitar
- Don Potter — acoustic guitar
- Matt Rollings — piano
- Leland Sklar — bass guitar
- Jake Willemain — bass guitar
- Dennis Wilson — background vocals
- Curtis Young — background vocals
- Martin Young — acoustic guitar
- Reggie Young — electric guitar
Production
[edit]- Clint Black — producer
- James Stroud — producer
- Lynn Peterzell — engineer
Chart performance
[edit]Album
[edit]| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 8 |
| Canadian RPM Country Albums | 3 |
| Canadian RPM Top Albums | 47 |
Singles
[edit]| Year | Single | Peak positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | CAN Country | ||
| 1992 | "We Tell Ourselves" | 2 | 1 |
| "Burn One Down" | 4 | 2 | |
| 1993 | "When My Ship Comes In" | 1 | 1 |
References
[edit]- ^ AllMusic review
- ^ "Clint BlackThe Hard Way (RCA/BMG) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)1/2Black says..." Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013.
- ^ a b Entertainment Weekly review
- ^ "POP MUSIC : A Country Study in Black and Blue : *** CLINT BLACK, "The Hard Way". RCA". Los Angeles Times. July 26, 1992. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016.
- ^ Album reviews at CD Universe
- ^ Robert Christgau Consumer Guide
- The Hard Way [CD liner notes]. 1992. RCA Records.
- Artist Chart History (Singles). Billboard. Retrieved on January 1, 2007.
- Artist Chart History (Albums). Billboard. Retrieved on January 1, 2007.
