Gary Allan Living Hard [MCA Nashville] October, 2007
Produced by Mark Wright and Gary Allan
Review by Cheryl Breo
Gary Allan's latest album "Living Hard", is certainly appropriately titled. Country music fans know what a difficult, transitional time Gary has been going through, but this new CD clearly proves that he is coming out on the other side, still rockin, still full of passion, still "Living Hard". From the opening track, which is also the CD's first single release, "Watching Airplanes", written by Jim Beavers and Jonathan Singleton, the album takes on a personal theme of strength and moving forward.
Gary shows some real hard rockin' in tracks like "She's So California", written by Gary Allan, Jon Randall and James Hanna, about a beautiful, sweet "love em and leave em" type girl, "Wreckin Ball" penned by Keith Gattis and Audrey Freed, about a beautiful, but "spare no hearts, love em and leave em type girl", and "Like It's A Bad Thing", written by Neil Thrasher, Tony Martin and Wendell Mobely, about living life on your own terms and not worrying about other's opinions, "I don't know about you, but I was put here to live and love, so what if I don't do it like everybody else does", a real anthem to where Gary is at now in his life.
"Learning How to Bend" by Gary Allan, Matt Warren and James Le Blanc and "Trying To Matter", written by Gary Allan, Odie Blackman and Casey Beathard, are lyrically powerful tracks filled with raw emotion in Gary's gravelly voice as he delivers such personal lyrics of a man beginning to dip his toes into the waters of a new relationship, "still learning how to pray, how to trust, how to let you in, how to fly, how to bend". But, then in "Trying To Matter", realizing it's never too late to start over, we are all just trying to matter to someone.
"Living Hard", penned by Gary Allan, Odie Blackman and Bob DiPiero, is a down and out, hard rockin, guitar pulsating, drum pounding, hip shaking, stadium pleasing blow out track. Absolutely brilliant lyrics about that "glamorous life on the road" of a musician, just love the line, "run like a Stone, startin to look like Dylan". Gary sure bursts the bubble of any fantasies we might have of a music man's touring life, the "living hard is hardly living". Pay attention all you country music wannabe's!!
By far my favorite track is "Yesterday's Rain", penned by Gary Allan, Matt Warren and James LeBlanc, with it's soft fiddle background and gentle swaying rhythm is an absolute standout song. Gary's voice loses it's "rock" edge in this deeply personal, romantic song where he remembers a loved one lost. He opens his heart up and let's us briefly inside, as we listen to the aching lyrics, "I've been told I shouldn't stand in your rain, but that's the only place I can see your face". "Let your memory soak me to the bone, reminds me that I'm not alone in yesterday's rain." Truly a beautiful tribute to Angela and the love he still holds for her.
"Living Hard" is pure Gary Allan, personal, raw, honest, emotional. It's hard rockin' and sweetly country, sung with that distinctive voice only Gary has. I completely enjoyed this album and am looking forward to more single releases from it. It is great to see and hear Gary Allan back at his best, successfully pushing that "envelope" of Nashville. Great job, Gary!
