| 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 a 1992 (see 1992 in music) album by American country singer-songwriter Clint Black. It was his third album and the first one he co-produced with James Stroud.
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". While not as commercially successful as his first two albums, The Hard Way was certified platinum by the RIAA.
Track listing
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 Was Never 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
Band
- 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
- Clint Black — producer
- James Stroud — producer
- Lynn Peterzell — engineer
Chart performance
Album
| 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
| 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
- 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.