The Hard-Ons 1985-1991: The full 7 inches

(If that title doesn’t get my blogspot more hits then I don’t know what will).

The Hard-Ons were one of my favourite groups in that late 80s-early 90s period, playing melodic pop-punk with a bit of a metal edge to some of their songs.

I saw them a few times (once with the Senseless Things) and eagerly awaited any new releases by them.

Then in 1992 they released the album Too Far Gone – it had a lot more of a grunge/metal sound to it than their earlier releases and the pop-punk element seemed to have gone.

Combined with a really lacklustre gig they played on that tour, when they just didn’t seem to care and finished early, I found myself losing interest.

After that the Hard-Ons just seemed to disappear and I assumed that it was just the inevitable end of a great group.

Imagine my surprise then a couple of years ago when I picked up my local paper to see the Hard-Ons were playing a gig that night in my home area.

A couple of hours internet surfing later and I realised that there were four albums (two just being released) out of some really great stuff that I’d had no idea about and they had been active again since about 2000.

In fact Boss Tuneage have just released a 25th Anniversary best of the Hard-Ons album and there has just being a Stupids/Hard-Ons mini-tour, (nowhere near where I live mind).

Anyway, here are their early singles from the first period.

Hard-Ons singles

01. Surfin’ On My Face
02. Bye Bye Girl
03. There Was A Time
04. Excuses
05. Girl In The Sweater
06. I Heard Her Call My Name
07. Ferdi’s Song
08. All Set To Go
09. Busted
10. Suck ‘n’ Swallow
11. Just Being With You
12. Growing Old
13. Where Did She Come From?
14. Get Out Of My House
15. Dull
16. Sri Lanka