''The Hard Way'' is the fourth
studio album by
Steve Earle, released in 1990. Earle is backed by the Dukes. The album is dedicated to Emilio Lorenzo Ensenat (1930–90).
The album peaked at No. 100 on the
''Billboard'' 200. It peaked at No. 22 on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
.
Production
The album was produced by Joe Hardy and Earle. It was recorded at Sound Emporium, in Nashville, and at Ardent Recording, in Memphis.
Critical reception
The ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'' 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." ''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." The ''
Dallas Observer
''Dallas Observer'' is a free digital and print publication based in Dallas, Texas. The ''Observer'' publishes daily online coverage of local news, restaurants, music, and arts, as well as longform narrative journalism. A weekly print issue circ ...
'' called "Billy Austin" "storytelling at its stark, bleakest best."
Track listing
All songs written by Steve Earle unless otherwise noted.
#"The Other Kind" - 5:09
#"Promise You Anything" - 2:43 (Earle,
Maria McKee
Maria Luisa McKee (born August 17, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her work with Lone Justice, her 1990 song " Show Me Heaven", and her song "If Love Is a Red Dress (Hang Me in Rags)" from the film ''Pulp Fiction'' ...
, Patrick Sugg)
#"Esmeralda's Hollywood" - 6:01 (Earle, Maria McKee)
#"Hopeless Romantics" - 2:45
#"This Highway's Mine (Roadmaster)" - 3:54
#"Billy Austin" - 6:16
#"Justice in Ontario" - 4:47
#"Have Mercy" - 4:41
#"When the People Find Out" - 4:10
#"Country Girl" - 4:11
#"Regular Guy" - 3:17
#"West Nashville Boogie" - 3:09
#"Close Your Eyes" - 4:44
Personnel
*Steve Earle -
lead vocal
The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...
,
acoustic guitar,
electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...
s,
mandolin, Mandoblaster,
6-string bass
An extended-range bass is an electric bass guitar with a wider frequency range than a standard-tuned four-string bass guitar.
Terminology
One way that a bass can be considered 'extended-range' is to use a tuning machine mechanism that allows fo ...
,
guitar synthesizer
A guitar synthesizer is any one of a number of musical instrument systems that allow a guitarist to access synthesizer capabilities.
Overview
Today's guitar synths are direct descendants of 1970s devices from manufacturers (often in partnersh ...
on "Billy Austin", percussion programme on "This Highway's Mine", harmonies on "Justice In Ontario" and "Hopeless Romantics"
;The Dukes
*
Bucky Baxter
William "Bucky" Baxter (1955May 25, 2020) was an American guitarist. He is best known as a member of Steve Earle and The Dukes and as a member of Bob Dylan's backing band in the mid-90s during the Never Ending Tour. He released his only solo ...
- 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
Justin Townes Earle (January 4, 1982August 20, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. After his debut, EP ''Yuma'' (2007), he released eight full-length albums. He was recognized with an Americana Music Award for Emerging Artist o ...
, 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
1990 albums
Steve Earle albums
MCA Records albums
{{1990s-rock-album-stub