And if I ever do

The glimpse will be short

Fireball in the sky

No front line battle cries

Can be heard as the button is pushed

By a soul that's been bought

I'll know do war

Lyrical eloquence is only half the story on It's Hard. The music itself assaults, shakes and ultimately hooks the listener. The Who still prominently feature power chord guitar riffs, but Townshend has begun to rely more heavily on subtle synthesizer bits for counter point. Stylistically, he runs the gamut here from hard rock to devastating funk and '60s rock n' roll.

Most important though, The Who are together as a group once more. Daltrey has rarely been of better voice. His rough, expressive style blends to perfection with Townshend's angelic harmonies. Entwistle-- who contributed three first rate rockers to this album--remains one of the most original bass players around. His trebly, ultra quick patterns are unmistakable. And most pleasant of all is the effort put forth by Kenny Jones, Moon's replacement. Jones manages to combine an abandoned drumming style reminiscent of Moon's with military precision. His rolls fill holes admirably and give the music a heavy, knockout punch sound.

MANY YEARS AGO, Townshend wrote what became an anthem of sorts for alienated youth called "My Generation." In that song, he delivered one of rock's most famous lyrics: "I hope I die before I get old." Every so often, Townshend seems to take a frightened look behind himself to make sure time isn't catching up. Quite possibly his self-destructive drinking binge that preceded this album was the manifestation of Townshend's belief he had finally had it. Some-how though, he managed to reach deep inside and fight back with a vengeance.

The back cover of It's Hard sports a child toying with something akin to "Space Invaders." The kid is trying to destroy figures that look remarkably like The Who. But Townshend and the rest are dodging admirably, as if to show their generation can still play the game. The Who are older. But they're not dead yet.