Long Hard Climb - HELEN REDDY***

Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)/Lovin' You/A Bit OK/Don't Mess With A Woman/Delta Dawn/The West Wind Circus/If We Could Still Be Friends/Long Hard Climb/Until Its Time For You To Go/The Old Fashioned Way

With her distinctive voice Helen Reddy enjoyed considerable success in the USA during the early 1970s. Long Hard Climb features the US No.1 Delta Dawn and No.3 Leave Me Alone. (US:8)

Two big hits highlight this album, Delta Dawn and Leave Me Alone, but there are so many fine cuts that I recommend this collection highly. Helen's singing is both powerful and subtle. When you hear her voice you know instantly it's her - not many singers can be identified by their voice. Her West Wind Circus is especially haunting and tells a story which makes you imagine it in your head like a movie.”

“Her vocal styling made an impact on the pop sound for female vocalists in the early 70s. This LP is an educational experience in the sound of that period - pure pop that could be mellow.”

“Sans beating the drum of the Top Ten hits from this album the majority of the non single tracks are absolute gems by top notch songwriters of the time.”

“She was such a huge seller in the seventies. I have never understood why she is so underrated. I just love these old songs which take me back there. She has the voice of an angel.”

“So different and refreshing, that pure voice still gets me with its inflection of humour. Nothing beats Helen Reddy for picking me up at the end of hard day. I love A Bit OK played loud in the car and Long Hard Climb is a sumptuous ballad.”

“For those who like the record for its sound, its layered, early 70s soft rock, AM pop, MOR sound, this is quite enjoyable, particularly because the quality of the songs is quite consistent.”

“Ironically for a singer so associated with a tale of empowerment, Reddy isn't a particularly assertive vocalist; she tends to blend into the production of the record. This is not necessarily a bad thing, since it enhances the enjoyment as sheer sound and as a period piece, since they certainly stopped arranging and producing records like this a few years after it was released.”