Showing posts with label Can't Cry Hard Enough. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Can't Cry Hard Enough. Show all posts

Thursday, October 3, 1991

The Williams Brothers charted with “Can’t Cry Hard Enough”

Can’t Cry Hard Enough

The Williams Brothers

Writer(s): David Williams, Marvin Etzioni (see lyrics here)


First Charted: October 3, 1991


Peak: 42 US, 29 CB, 24 RR, 11 AC, 43 CN, 1 DF (Click for codes to singles charts.)


Sales (in millions): --


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 0.68 video, 5.29 streaming

Awards:

Click on award for more details.

About the Song:

In the early ‘90s, I had a go-to, independently-run CD store which I hit on a weekly basis. They not only knew me by name, but had my tastes down. I’d walk in the store and they’d load up a recommended CD. They made a lot of money off me. Of the many purchases I made, however, the one that stood out was the The Williams Brothers. I knew nothing of these twin brothers who were nephews of singer Andy Williams. I found out they recorded a pair of albums as teen idols in the early ‘70s as Andy and David Williams and appeared on The Partridge Family. They re-emerged in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s recording more adult-alternative, folk-oriented fare.

This was one of those rare albums where every cut grew on me. Even so, one song towered above the rest – “Can’t Cry Hard Enough.” While the song is about “missing someone who has passed away and the helplessness that comes from never being able to see that person again,” SF I connected with it differently. I’ll always think of it in the context of driving home one night from my former college town. I’d visited the great unrequited love of my life and left with the dejected realization that it was never going to happen.

David Williams wrote the song with Marvin Etzioni of Lone Justice. He told Songfacts.com that “writing the song was like a magical moment.” SF He’d been writing with David and Andrew. David had an idea and played some piano chords and Marvin added lyrics inspired by the recent loss of his grandmother. As Marvin said, “it just kind of fell into the room.” SF

David and Andrew recorded the song for their self-titled 1991 release and Marvin recorded it in 1992 for his album The Mandolin Man. However, the first recording was by David and Andrew’s sister Victoria for her 1990 album Swing the Statue! It was also recorded later by Susan Ashton, Beelfire, Tom Freund, Rachelle Ann Go, Jed Madela, Sam Milby, Julie Miller, the Robertson Brothers, and Smokie. It has been featured in the TV shows One Tree Hill and Beverly Hills, 90210. WK


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First posted 7/13/2021; last updated 10/31/2022.

Tuesday, April 30, 1991

The Williams Brothers self-titled album released

The Williams Brothers

The Williams Brothers


Released: April 30, 1991


Peak: -- US, -- UK, -- CN, -- AU


Sales (in millions): -- US, -- UK, -- world (includes US and UK)


Genre: folk rock/adult alternative


Tracks:

Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts.

  1. People Are People [4:19]
  2. Strings [0:11]
  3. Can’t Cry Hard Enough(Etzioni/D. Williams) [3:12] (10/3/91, 42 US, 39 CB, 24 RR, 11 AC, 43 CN)
  4. Happy Man [4:03]
  5. It’s a Wonderful Life [3:42] (6/25/92, --)
  6. Miss This World (Etzioni) [2:53]
  7. Give It All Up for You (A. Williams/D. Williams/V. Williams) [3:38]
  8. The Family Room [4:47]
  9. Shimmering (Etzioni/A.Williams/D. Williams) [3:58]
  10. The Big Machine (Stewart/A. Williams) [4:23]
  11. Everybody Gets a Second Chance [4:48]

Songs written by Andrew and David Williams unless noted otherwise.


Total Running Time: 39:54

Rating:

4.190 out of 5.00 (average of 9 ratings)


Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album:

Unfortunately for the Williams brothers, they are more likely to be known, if remembered at all, as the nephews of famous singer Andy Williams. They might even be remembered for their guest appearance on an episode of The Partridge Family or their subsequent minor success as teen idols.

That’s a shame, because this album clearly separated the twins from the crooning style of their uncle as well as the teen idol pop they tried to create in the ‘70s. Their self-titled sophomore album is marked by “acoustic guitar, light rock-based tunes featuring smooth harmonies, uncluttered instrumentation, and thought-provoking lyricism.” AMG

The duo mined a similar territory as the likes of fellow underrated acts like Crowded House, but unlike that band, couldn’t even eke out a top 40 pop hit in their recording career despite having every bit as much pop sensibility. The closest the brothers came was the achingly beautiful Can't Cry Hard Enough, which stalled at #42.

It’s hard to understand why songs like the bouncy It’s a Wonderful Life or the lovely Miss This World couldn’t find an audience with adults seeking out songs with well-crafted pop hooks that weren’t being played to the point of exhaustion for the teen market. Chalk it up to marketing and being at the right place at the right time.

Resources and Related Links:


Other Related DMDB Pages:


First posted 3/24/2008; last updated 9/3/2021.