Search - Gary Allan :: Living Hard

Donna P. from RISING SUN, MD
Reviewed on 10/28/2010...

Great Gary Allan CD.

A Departure in Style

A* | New York, N.Y. United States | 10/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love Gary Allan's voice. It's what country music is to me at it's best, full of emotion, gravel, weight and a sweetness just behind those bent notes. He doesn't let you down and always pushes what he has and that is a glorious voice and a great interpertation of songs.



This disc is VERY different from his last, where the last one was dark and dealt with personal troubles that went beyond the disc and pulled you further in as a listener, here Allan seems to be in a more contemplative state and more optimistic. Does it hurt the album? No, But its a different tone from everything he has ever done. The contemplative first single, "Watching Airplanes," with its pretty hook and high notes shows that his voice has gotten stronger and that's something I wasn't expecting -- but love. "Half of My Mistakes," shows off his new tricks to great ability. The lyrics are still Jim Beam deep, but these songs build up more towards their endings, like runaway trains.



Gary Allan is one of those singers who doesn't deserve to be under the radar. He should be mainstream, he should be getting awards, but he's quiet and gets it all done through concerts and the interaction he has with his fans, I have gone to see this man in concert more than a few times, and he never puts on a cruddy show. In a perfect world, a song like "Learning How to Bend," with lyrics like: "I'm just trying to understand/it's all in someone else's hands," and the killer howl he drops down at the center of the harmony would be a staple on radio.



The album is worth the price, Allan is in top form, and he's still putting out material that is leagues above what most country artists put out during their entire career these days."

A fun-loving, free-living record

DanD | 10/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Gary Allan's last all-new studio effort, TOUGH ALL OVER, was a mournful record, written and recorded shortly after his wife's suicide. A GREATEST HITS followed, providing a good transitional buffer (most of Allan's hits have been mournful songs, after all). LIVING HARD is a return to the Gary Allan that we were introduced to, with a more rockin' edge that suits his voice and style perfectly.



LIVING HARD gives Allan a chance to cut loose. Sure, there are some more thoughtful numbers, such as the first single "Watching Airplanes," or the inflectional "Half of My Mistakes." But the true heart of the album lies in forgetting the sorrows, or at least whistling by them; Allan rocks it out on the title track, "Like It's a Bad Thing," and "Wrecking Ball," the latter one of the hardest-hitting rhythms in Allan's catalog. "She's So California" gets so caught up in describing a woman, it ignores the fact that "She's so cool, breakin' all the rules/Risin' star, she'll break your heart". "We Touched the Sun" details the relationship of a couple meant to be together, "Even if it's not forever...even if it's only for a little while."



Over all, the album is an anticipated departure from Allan's melancholy. Don't get me wrong--TOUGH ALL OVER is easily Allan's best record. But it's nice to have him rockin' out again, no cares or worries. He also co-wrote six tracks; thank God he's started writing more. Gary Allan is one of the best country musicians in the business--a singer, a songwriter, a guitarist (go to one of his shows...oh, man!). LIVING HARD isn't as good as its predecessor, but them I'm not sure any record could be. In a musical realm where radio embraces mediocrity, Allan stands out among his peers. As he himself sings: "I don't know about you, but I was put here to live and love/So what if i don't it like everybody else does.""