It's Hard

[Brian.Cady@turner.com]

     John H Prellwitz writes:
     ^^IH just seemed like a random collection thrown down to meet a 
     deadline.
     
     I've read this before from other suscribers and it leaves me a little 
     perplexed.  I don't want to defend IH as a great album but it has 
     always seemed to me to hang on a very tight thematic link (with the 
     exception of "Athena" and "One At a Time," and cases could be made, 
     although I think it would be stretching it).
     
     It's Hard is an attack on macho attitudes.  At times it almost sounds 
     like a Phil Donahue/Alan Alda confab, although I think The Who have 
     more than earned the right to say this.  Even Entwistle's 1st two 
     songs are on this subject (and I would say some of the most complex 
     writing of his career).  Pete may have gotten the idea from a request 
     from Roger and John for "politically correct" material or he may have 
     been influenced by The Clash.  In any case, the material makes a 
     bookend to the 1st album's macho attitudes.  Mind you, I'm not saying 
     it was successful (not as successful as the 1st album was), but I 
     don't see it in any way being a random collection of songs.