Hard (Gang of Four album)

Hard
Studio album by Gang of Four
Released	September 1983
Studio	Criteria (Miami)
Genre	Dance-rock
Length	36:33
Label	EMI
Producer	Howard Albert, Ron Albert, Jon King, Andrew Gill
Gang of Four chronology
Songs of the Free (1982) Hard (1983) A Brief History of the Twentieth Century (1990)

Hard is the fourth studio album by the

The album was reissued as part of a two-CD package along with the band's 1981 album Solid Gold.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Pitchfork Media	3.8/10[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[4]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	4/10[5]

The New York Times wrote that "Gang of Four have seriously compromised its hard-edged dance rock for a gauzy, overly arranged pop sound that's closer to traditional disco than to the aggressively stomping dance music that has won the group a serious following."^[6]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Andy Gill and Jon King; except where indicated

1. "Is It Love" (Gill) – 4:35
2. "I Fled" – 3:54
3. "Silver Lining" - 4:13
4. "Woman Town" (Gill) - 5:12
5. "A Man with a Good Car" - 3:45
6. "It Don't Matter" - 3:54
7. "Arabic" - 3:39
8. "A Piece of My Heart" - 3:14
9. "Independence" - 4:05

Personnel

Gang of Four

• Jon King - vocals, melodica
• Andrew Gill - guitar, vocals, additional drums
• Sara Lee - bass

with:

• Jon Astrop - bass on "Is It Love", "I Fled", "It Don't Matter" and "A Piece of My Heart"
• Alfa Anderson, Brenda White King, Chuck Kirkpatrick,
  John Sambataro
  - backing vocals
• Mike Lewis - conductor of strings and horns

Technical

• John Rollo - recording
• Scott Heiser - photography

References