''Martin Zellar and the Hardways'' is an album by
Martin Zellar, released in 1996.
He is credited with his band, the Hardways. Zellar supported the album with a North American tour. The first single was "I Can't Believe".
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Production
The album was produced by Tom Herbers. Zellar included several faster songs, with a mind toward his live show. "Big Sandals" is about the cohort who followed the Baby boomers but who don't identify as Generation X.[ "Guilty Just the Same" is about a death row inmate.][ Inspired by a friend of Zellar's, "Ten-Year Coin" depicts an alcoholic who falls off the wagon.][ "Haunt My Dreams" describes an infatuation with a younger woman. "Lullaby" is about a father and his newborn. "Frog Fightin' Drunk" is an unlisted bonus track.][
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Critical reception
The '' Lincoln Journal Star'' wrote that the Hardways "are along for the ride and their stage chemistry transfers effectively into the studio, providing a more cohesive sound and near-perfect backing for Zellar's explorations on the street of broken dreams."[ '' No Depression'' concluded that, "for the second album in a row, Zellar seems incapable of writing a memorable melody, relying on a simple, easygoing roots-rock sound to cover up any real musical inspiration." The '']Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper. It is also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely distributed. It is currently o ...
'' noted that "the underappreciated Minnesotan has focused on the gap between the heady promise of youth and the harsh realities of adulthood."
The '' Chicago Tribune'' deemed the album "a striking collection of musical vignettes graced with vivid storytelling and an unvarnished yet indelible lyricism."[ The '' Arkansas Democrat-Gazette'' dismissed Zellar as "a Springsteen clone."]
Track listing
References
{{authority control
1996 albums
Martin Zellar albums
Rykodisc albums