After listening to this CD a couple of times, I couldn’t get Sam Cooke’s “Just for You” to stop playing on my mental jukebox. I guess that’s an indication of the direction of The Hard Way. With strings and a heavy ska influence, this is a “prettier” CD than the previous People Gonna Talk, which at times drew comparison to James Brown and the Five Royales. The telling title track is a good example as it has a Chicago pop/R&B arrangement not far removed from the Impressions’ mid-’60s sound. It’s followed by “Tell Her That You Love,” which sounds like the B-side of a Johnny Nash single. “Don’t Do Me No Favors,” with its piercing Lowman Pauling (of the Five Royales)-influenced guitar attack, marks Hunter’s return to hard R&B as it gleefully shuffles along. “Got a Way with You” is in the same bag, accentuated by another slamming guitar solo and a truly emotional, quivering vocal. Hunter returns to pop/R&B on the string-laden, “A Real Class Act” and “Hand It Over,” and the results are attractive. Oddly, Hunter ends the album with a couple of recycled tunes from previous CDs. While they still sound pretty good, a couple of well chosen covers would have been a much better choice. The Hard Way doesn’t have the jaw dropping impact People Gonna Talk had, but it’s a sterling release and a must-have if R&B is your cup of tea.