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List Price: $13.98 | | Label: Hollywood Records
Salesrank: 40879
Released: September 19, 2000 |
| Our Price: $1.99 |
| Used Price: $0.01 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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The Harsh Light of Day Track Listing:
1. This Is Not My Life
2. You're An Ocean
3. Goodbye
4. Love Is Expensive And Free
5. Vampires
6. Wind Me Up
7. Morning Star
8. Time
9. Dark Street
10. Funny How It Fades Away
11. Don't Give Up On Me
12. Whatever Gets You On
Editorial Review:
Call it the gradual acceleration of Fastball. The Austin-based trio's debut, Make Your Mama Proud, was mostly forgettable, anonymous alternative pop. Their sophomore release, All the Pain Money Can Buy, upped the ante with more confident songwriting and a bona fide classic in "The Way." Album number three is The Harsh Light of Day, by no means a classic but another step forward. The first single, "You're an Ocean," benefits from a sky-high hook and the infectious piano pounding of Billy "Get Back" Preston. Speaking of the Beatles, the influence of the lads from Liverpool is pronounced on Harsh Light's production flourishes; the band opens up to heavier use of strings, vibes, and lighthearted steel guitar. Highlights include the slightly Southern-fried ballad "Don't Give Up on Me," "Wind Me Up" (which sounds like a haunted, forgotten Elvis Costello tune), and the jaunty opener of "This Is Not My Life." --Jason Josephes
The Harsh Light of Day Reviews:
Please Do Not Support Fastball 
2009-08-02 - This EXTREMELY talented band is unfortunately one of many that contributed to a CD called Stop Handgun Violence, a benefit album for a "charity" group of the same name. One of the avowed purposes of the organization is to infringe upon the rights and freedoms of the American people. Please do not support any band that works to make the American people less safe and less free.
Funny How It Sticks With You 
2006-05-23 - Once again I'm very late in saying what should be said. This is easily one of the hundred greatest rock albums ever. Fastball is THE greatest band you never heard of. Most people hear their songs on the radio and think they're hearing someone else. They think, Oh that's an Elvis Costello song or Tom Petty or Eagles but it Fastball. The way you tell is it's usually better.
This album shows there songwriting genius. Luckily someone already committed sacrlege so I will reiterate. Tony Scalzo and Miles Zuniga are the Lennon-McCartney of this era. There's not a single false note on this album. Ever song is brilliantly clever without being pretenious in anyway and where as almost every band, even the great ones, try to unsuccessfully break out of their one sound and represent as many different genres as possible, Fastball does succeed and seemingly effortlessly.
Often the best movies and songs take time to warm up to and many that are immediately accessible wear thin fast. All the cuts here have the amazing trait of being immediately accessible and never wearing thin. In fact their songwriting has the trait of sounding familiar but not like some other song. It's called great songwriting. Become familiar with the two greatest tunesmiths working today and if you get the chance to see them live make sure you don't miss it. Plus they're really personable, cool guys. Well, Tony anyway. Oh lighten up Smiley.
This album is a ten out of five. You can't go wrong buying any Fastball album though.
Great "catchy" tunes album!!!
2005-07-19 - I absolutely love this album. All the songs are great to listen to and I know almost all the lyrics by heart. This is a great band. I was hooked with their music when I bought "All the Pain Money can't buy." That album also had great songs, but this album has unforgettable songs. From start to finish, It's great. These songs are great pick you up after a hard days work, which is what "Funny how it fades away" says. They undeniably have a Beatlesque sound from songs like "Goodbye" and especially "Love is expensive and free." The way the lead guitarist, Tony Scalzo, and the bass guitarist, Miles Zuniga, alternates lead vocals is what makes both albums great. I also recommend getting the limited edition of this album which has a great live recording of "The Way."
Soft Side of Fastball 
2004-11-21 - Fastball's Harsh Light of Day is the second album I've listened to by the group from Austin, Texas. This was a much-anticipated album for me after listening to All The Pain Money Can Buy. This albumen didn't quite live up to all of that hype. Fastball seems to have reached a mellower state after All The Pain Money Can Buy, perhaps they bought too much pain? The song "You're An Ocean" was good, but definitely wasn't the Fastball I had expected. I was looking for much more like "This Is Not My Life", instead of the pop sounding album I got. I liked the album, it just wasn't the Fastball I wanted.
Overlooked and under appreciated
2004-08-14 - Not a perfect album. . . but a great one. At times the production is a little intrusive, but the songs rise above. Great songs from both Tony and Miles from start to finish. Do yourself a favor. Do yourself a favor and grab this one today.
