Customer Reviews

Hard Times for Lovers

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I remember the buildup this album received back in '79; most people were slightly suprised at the risque (but not explicit) cover shots of a nude Judy. It seems that it was her idea to have Francesco Scavullo do the shoot, which celebrated her pride in turning 40 that year. It was hoped that "Hard Times..." would follow in the mold of her commercial breakthrough, "Judith," and the material here actually does hew pretty close to the various styles on that album.

But "Hard Times..." is a hard album to enjoy, for several reasons. Foremost is the fact that Judy's voice had seldom sounded this poor in her recorded work...and I suspect this had more to do with lack of vocal coaching and practice than it had to do with her age at the time. When she was still considered a folk singer or vocal interpreter, her singing reflected the precision of the sentiments she expressed. As she moved into her "art song" period, she seemed to place more emphasis on crooning, or just sounding pretty. That's not to say that she lost all sense of vocal dynamics, but the albums from this time period amply document how spotty her voice sounded.

"Hard Times..." includes several vocal performances that simply are not up to the standard she set for herself, and her quavery warbling greatly diminishes the power of her range as well as the listenability of the songs themselves. As a result, some wonderful tunes are reduced to mood music...something that even her biggest fans will not play at full volume. At worst, the shrillness of her delivery on songs like "Starmaker" will have listeners cringing.

Given the Easy Listening tunefulness of some of these songs, there are still pleasures to be found on this album. The Country-Pop of the title track is a winner, as is the lushly romantic "I Remember Sky," penned by Stephen Sondheim. Randy Newman's "Marie" is a beautiful bit of melancholia, later echoed in the ode to lost Oz that is "Dorothy." The Rodgers & Hart classic "Where or When" that closes this album is a mildly ironic inclusion: fans can't help but wonder if the days of her assured, spirited performances are gone forever.

-Mic

I am not that familiar with Judy Collins, I have "Colors of
the Day" because I love "Both Sides Now' It is a great CD.
I am familiar with the song "Hard Times For Lovers", and took
a chance on buying this CD and I am so glad I did. Her voice
sounds so strong and clear and each song is beautiful. She
does a wonderful job with "Desperado" and I love the song
"Where or When" I guess alot of people who are big Judy
Collins fans think this is not one of her best albums. I love
good music and I can tell you thia CD is no disappointment.
It is beautifully sung and arranged. I want to say again
her voice is so unique and it really sound strong and clear

This is one of my favorite Judy Collins albums, and I also saw her on the tour for this. Like the album, she'd put away her guitar (though not quite comfortable yet without it). With this album Judy really became a song interpreter and moved further into classical pop. One critic at the time said her version of Desperado was better than Linda Ronstandt. I Remember Sky is perfect. Dorothy is a true gem of a song and was sang in NY cabarets afterwards. Starmaker is the standout with Judy's voice soaring and is an honest and yearning song for her to sing. This album was also a celebration of her turning 40 (with the nude cover photo and the sparse makeup of Way Bandy)and she'd also quit drinking and retrained her voice. It is a gentle "listening" album that deserves its due.

"Where or When" is simply the best version of this song I have ever heard. Disclaimer - I am a tremendous Judy Collins fan, but this version beats allof my other favorite singer's versions, such as Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. "Desperado" is another one of my favorites songs well performed on this album. The rest of the CD is standard Judy Collins fare.

"Hard Times For Lovers" (1979) was a bit of a departure for Judy Collins, one that mixed commercial pop tunes (the title song, "Through The Eyes Of Love," and "Desperado") with Judy's unique interpretation of Stephen Sondheim's "I Remember Sky" and the beautiful cover of "Where Or When." This was the first Judy Collins album in over a decade to not feature any original songs.

This album was my first real introduction to Judy's work at the age of 14. I saw her sing "Hard Times For Lovers" on "Saturday Night Live" and I got hooked. I bought the album and that was my entree into a lifetime of exquisite music. From other reviews, I have gathered that this is not Judy's finest moments as a recording artist, and it's not, but "Hard Times For Lovers" is still a great album and worth listening to. I remember now how controversial the cover work was regarded. Hard to remember such an "innocent" time, isn't it?

Of special note are the covers of "Desperado" and "Marie." Somewhere I read that Judy's interpretation of "Desperado" really conveyed the longing of the lyrics' message and I heartily agree. Also, Randy Newman's "Marie" is quite moving. Judy sounds so haunting on these performances that I realize why I fell in love with her music from listening to this record, even though its quite unlike anything she did before or since.

I had this on a record years ago and can't find a cartridge replacement to play any records again, so I bought the CD. It's one of my favorite Judy Collins albums. "Starmaker" is a stunner, and her voice is fantastic on most of the other cuts. The album is varied, and is one of the few I like to listen to front to back.

While I wouldn't rate this among Ms. Collins very best recordings, it is far from as awful as some reviewers make it out to be. I listen to this CD frequently and never tire of the understated production which always puts me in a pensive, reflective, relaxing mood. Would have been a five star for me except for two of the songs which I didn't much care for.

This CD, along with many others, was blown away in a tornado and i had sort of forgotten about it. But for some reason the song Happy End got stuck in my mind. Sometimes i think i'm the only one who knows this sad little song.

I'm glad i replaced it, and love every cut. I have listened to the CD in my car since it arrived. There's nobody like Judy.

This is my least favorite Judy Collins album, and judging by the lack of reviewers here, one of her least popular or successful. The only high point is the closing standard, "Where or When". The rest is inferior to what Judy is capable of and usually delivers. Get "Judith" instead, and skip this one. You won't miss it.

Although some songs are kind of maudlin/wimpy/marshmallowy, most of the rest of this album is great, causing me to play it over and over, singing along. "I remember sky" is one of my favorite songs out of thousands (Sondheim), and "Hard Times for Lovers" can get you exercising! A very wide variety---and they just don't go together as an album, but it's still Judy!