How Hard It Is

How Hard It Is
Studio album by
Big Brother and the Holding Company
ReleasedAugust 1971
StudiosCBS Studios, San Francisco, California
GenreRock
Length37:23
LabelColumbia
ProducersRoscoe Segel, Roy Segal
Big Brother and the Holding Company chronology
Be a Brother
(1970)		 How Hard It Is
(1971)		 Cheaper Thrills
(1984)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllmusicStarStarHalf star
Christgau's Record GuideC

How Hard It Is is the fourth and final studio album by Big Brother and the Holding Company, released in August 1971. The track "Buried Alive in the Blues" was originally written by guest singer Nick Gravenites for Janis Joplin, who died before she could record her vocal. It was included as an instrumental by the Full Tilt Boogie Band on her final album Pearl, released the previous year.

Chart performance

The album peaked at No. 157 on the Billboard Top LPs, during a three-week run on the chart.

Track listing

  1. "How Hard It Is" (David Getz, Sam Andrew) – 4:21
  2. "You've Been Talkin' 'Bout Me, Baby" (Ray Rivera, Gale Garnett, Walter Hirsch) – 3:27
  3. "House on Fire" (Getz, Louis Rappaport) – 3:56
  4. "Black Widow Spider" (Andrew) – 3:32
  5. "Last Band on Side One" (Roscoe Segel, Andrew) – 1:57
  6. "Nu Boogaloo Jam" (Dan Nudelman, Andrew) – 3:24
  7. "Maui" (Segel, Andrew) – 3:27
  8. "Shine On" (Getz, Peter Albin, Andrew) – 5:25
  9. "Buried Alive in the Blues" (Nick Gravenites) – 3:59
  10. "Promise Her Anything but Give Her Arpeggio" (David Schallock) – 3:55

Personnel

Big Brother and the Holding Company
Additional Personnel
Technical

Charts

Chart (1971) Peak
position
US Billboard Top LPs 157

References

  1. ↑ Viglione, Joe. How Hard It Is at AllMusic
  2. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: B". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  3. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top LPs, 1955–1972. Record Research. p. 19. Retrieved July 10, 2025.