Hard River to Cross is an album by the American musician Earl King, released on May 4, 1993. He supported it with a North American tour.
The album was produced by Hammond Scott. George Porter Jr. played bass and Snooks Eaglin contributed on guitar. King wrote the songs, some of which were decades old, on guitar and piano. The horn charts were arranged by Mark Kazanoff. "It Hurts to Love Someone" is a cover of the Guitar Slim song; Slim had been a mentor to King. "You Better Know" advises against getting married. "Big Foot" is a narrative about a party-seeking beast venturing from the bayou to New Orleans. "Handy Wrap" is about a man who is unhappy in his mundane romantic relationship.
Newsday stated, "King has a crisp, clean disciplined approach to solos: He stings while the rhythm section swings." The Washington Post noted "King's soulful voice and sometimes sinuous, sometimes stinging guitar work". The Orlando Sentinel said that "King's jumping blues have a distinctive spicy, New Orleans feel, but what really sets King apart is his humorous and inventive songwriting." The Chicago Tribune listed Hard River to Cross as the second best blues album of 1993.