Hard Labor is the eighth studio 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. Cash Box called Ienner'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". Billboard found the track listing a "fine mix of material" and wrote that the instrumental section was "tight and almost perfect".
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')." 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.
Track listing
- While the first track "Prelude" may have been in the Public Domain in 1974, it does have a title and writer: "Entrance of the Gladiators" is a military march composed in 1897 by the Czech composer Julius Fučík. Likewise, the introduction of their cover of Leo Sayer's The Show Must Go On also quotes the Fučík march.
Personnel
- Mike Allsup – banjo, guitars
- Jimmy Greenspoon – keyboards
- Danny Hutton – lead vocals (5, 8), background vocals
- Skip Konte – keyboards, ARP, chamberlin
- Chuck Negron – lead vocals (3, 6, 8, 9), background vocals
- Jack Ryland – bass
- Joe Schermie – bass
- Floyd Sneed – drums, percussion
- Cory Wells – lead vocals (2, 7, 8), background vocals
- Jimmy Ienner – production
Production
- Producer: Jimmy Ienner
- Engineers: Greg Calbi, Roy Cicala, Dennis Ferrante, Jimmy Ienner, Jay Messina, Tom Rabstenek, John Stronach
- Assistant engineers: Corky Stasiak
- Remixing: Roy Cicala, Jay Messina
- Arranger: Three Dog Night
- Art direction and photography: Ed Caraeff
- Design: David Larkham
Charts
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Album charts
!Chart (1974)
!Peak<br>position
|-
|Australia (Kent Music Report)
| style="text-align:center;"| 61
|-
|rowspan="1"|Japan Oricon
|align="center"|50
|-
|US Top 200
|align="center"|20
|-
|Canada
|align="center"|16
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Singles charts
!Year
!Single
!Chart
!Position
|-
|rowspan="17"|1974
|rowspan="9"|"The Show Must Go On"
|US Pop Singles
|align="center"|4
|-
|US Cash Box
|align="center"|1
|-
|US Record World
|align="center"|1
|-
|US Radio & Records
|align="center"|3
|-
|Canada Pop Singles
|align="center"|2
|-
|Germany Top 100
|align="center"|12
|-
|Netherlands Top 100
|align="center"|6
|-
|Belgium Ultratop
|align="center"|23
|-
|Japan Oricon Singles Chart
|align="center"|77
|-
|rowspan="4"|"Sure As I'm Sittin' Here"
|US Pop Singles
|align="center"|16
|-
|US Cash Box
|align="center"|18
|-
|US Record World
|align="center"|22
|-
|Canada Pop Singles
|align="center"|18
|-
|rowspan="4"|"Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)"
|US Pop Singles
|align="center"|33
|-
|US Cash Box
|align="center"|26
|-
|US Record World
|align="center"|24
|-
|Canada Pop Singles
|align="center"|25
|-
|}