Hard is a well-chosen title for this release. It signifies the hard life lessons, hard work, hard knocks, hard liquor and hard-shell religion of the southern Appalachians. More than just a theme, hard also describes the daunting task of classifying this music. From a quick glance at the cover and titles, one might expect something more rooted in tradition, something more grassy. If there must be a label on Bob Runyon’s music, you’d best make it a big one. You may find it difficult to pinpoint what to call it, and harder still to explain your decision. An eclectic mix of humor, history, misfortune, and darkness, Hard is certainly respectful of bluegrass, traditional mountain music, gospel, and even old school honky-tonk. But conformity to the norm has never been Bob Runyon’s forte. Quite the music historian, he draws on many sensibilities, ignoring boundaries of genre and time, not to copy, but to create. Bob's fourth solo CD, Hard, bears the tell-tale fingerprints of longtime co-writer, Gerald “Gee” Lucas. Gee grew up in the hills of Kentucky and it shows through the emotional honesty in his lyrics. Bob is originally from the Missouri Ozarks, and the music created by the collaboration of these two is like a long, cool drink of mountain spring water. Enjoy! BOB RUNYON-vocals, guitars, banjo, bass, harmonica, percussion, mandolin JOHN HAMLIN-accordion, fiddle, autoharp MARK ALLRED-piano GREG SPILLMAN-cello MIKE ROBERTSON-bass tracks 8, 13 JODY GOODMAN-drums DREW HOLT-harp SID BROWN-lead and harmony vocals, guitar track 13 Thanks to Jeff Mueller for Engineering, Mastering, and Musical Consulting. All songs written by Gerald “Gee” Lucas and Robert “Bob” Runyon except: Orange Congregation (Brown/Lucas) One I Know (Runyon) Lately She Don’t Drink Enough & Nobody Really Knows Grandma (Lucas/Newsome/Runyon)