Hard Labor Explained

Hard Labor
Type:Album
Artist:Three Dog Night
Cover:Three Dog Night - Hard Labor.jpg
Released:March 6, 1974
Recorded:1973
Studio:Record Plant, Sausalito, California
Genre:Pop, rock
Length:35:51
Label:Dunhill DSD-50168
Producer:Jimmy Ienner
Prev Title:Cyan
Prev Year:1973
Next Year:1974

Hard Labor is the eleventh album by American rock band Three Dog Night, released in 1974. For this album, the band replaced long-time producer Richard Podolor with Jimmy Ienner, who was known for his production work with the Raspberries.

Cover artwork

The original album cover, depicting the birth of a record album, was deemed too controversial and was first included with a manila file folder covering most of the cover. This was soon reworked with a huge Band-Aid covering the "birth". Subsequent printings had the Band-Aid printed directly on the cover. The packaging also includes an attached "birth record sheet" for the album. The CD reissue by MCA Records in the 1990s restored the cover to its original look showing the record.

Reception

Tom Von Malder of the Daily Herald called Hard Labor the band's finest record up to that point, applauding the production and finding the choice of songs representing the band at "its most competent, most mature level". Malder singled out "The Show Must Go On" and "I'd Be So Happy" as its two best, and "almost perfect", songs.[1] Cash Box called Inner's production "immaculate as always" and wrote that the album was marked by "mood changes both subtle and obvious", making it a "fantastic study in theatrical and musical contrast".[2] Billboard found the track listing a "fine mix of material" and wrote that the instrumental section was "tight and almost perfect".[3]

Circus Raves writer Jon Tiven gave the record "two ears"—indicating an album to "listen to ... 'til the grooves grow old" and wrote that the band "are the best when they're transforming half-arsed songs into good ones, but they run into trouble when the original rendition of the tune was fine in the first place (e.g. 'The Show Must Go On')."[4] Writing retrospectively, Joseph McCombs of AllMusic felt that the album's preference for songs with solo vocals rather than the group's previous use of harmonies led to the band "los[ing] much of their soul and spirit" and saw the album as "show[ing] the growing cracks in the band's armor". Like Malder, McCombs found "I'd Be So Happy" and "The Show Must Go On" the highlights of the album.[5]

Track listing

Personnel

Production

Charts

Album charts!Chart (1974)!Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] 61
Japan Oricon50
US Top 20020[7]
Canada16
Singles charts!Year!Single!Chart!Position
1974"The Show Must Go On"US Pop Singles4[8]
US Cash Box1
US Record World1
US Radio & Records3
Canada Pop Singles2
Germany Top 10012
Netherlands Top 1006
Belgium Ultratop23
Japan Oricon Singles Chart77
"Sure As I'm Sittin' Here"US Pop Singles16[9]
US Cash Box18
US Record World22
Canada Pop Singles18
"Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)"US Pop Singles33[10]
US Cash Box26
US Record World24
Canada Pop Singles25

Notes and References

  1. Malder . Tom Von . April 5, 1974 . Three Dog Night maturing . Daily Herald . Arlington Heights, Illinois . Paddock Publications . 25 . 117 . S2-3 . the Internet Archive.
  2. Staff writer . April 6, 1974 . Hard Labor—Three Dog Night—ABC DSD 50168 . Cash Box . The Cash Box Publishing Company . XXXV . 47 . 30 . the Internet Archive.
  3. Staff writer . April 6, 1974 . Spotlight . Billboard . Billboard Publications . 86 . 14 . 72 . the Internet Archive.
  4. Tiven . Jon . August 1974 . Shortcuts . Circus Raves . Canadian APAG House Publications . 1 . 6 . 60 . the Internet Archive.
  5. Web site: McCombs . Joseph . n.d. . Three Dog Night: Hard Labor . AllMusic . Netaktion . https://web.archive.org/web/20120604064927/https://www.allmusic.com/album/hard-labor-mw0000202894 . June 4, 2012.
  6. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 309.
  7. http://www.allmusic.com/album/hard-labor-mw0000202894/awards Three Dog Night, Hard Labor Chart Position
  8. http://musicvf.com/song.php?title=The+Show+Must+Go+On+by+Three+Dog+Night&id=46008 Three Dog Night, "The Show Must Go On" Chart Position
  9. http://musicvf.com/song.php?title=Sure+As+I%27m+Sittin%27+Here+by+Three+Dog+Night&id=46009 Three Dog Night, "Sure As I'm Sittin' Here" Chart Position
  10. http://musicvf.com/song.php?title=Play+Something+Sweet+%28Brickyard+Blues%29+by+Three+Dog+Night&id=46010 Three Dog Night, "Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)" Chart Position