I have made my thoughts clear on rock-n-roll. At age 54, I find it tiresome and sometimes comical. It is an art form that has lost the 20-somethings and many of the 30-somethings. It is kaput. Don’t get me wrong, it had a good run. From Fats Domino to Radiohead? Extraordinary. But now, the image of a bunch of middle-aged folks—or seniors—rockin’ out? It’s become an occasion for sadness, if not hilarity. When classic-rock FM finally disappears, the world will be a better place.
That said, I occasionally post something from the world of the rock-n-roll. And I would like to do that again here. The American band Three Dog Night in 1974 released an album entitled Hard Labor. It’s a wonderful collection of songs.
The cover art both weirded me out and fascinated me when I was a kid. (Those feet! That creepy mask!) At the time (1982?) there was a huge Band-Aid graphic covering the “birth” of the warped record. At the time of release, the cover was actually deemed controversial, and the album came in a manila sleeve obscuring most of the cover art.
My favorite tracks are “I’d Be So Happy” and “Play Something Sweet.” But the rest of the album is also a joy.
Forget about what you usually listen to and give this a try. Good stuff. It might just put a smile on your face.
