Hard Labor

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.

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|2|5}}

| rev2 = Circus Raves

| rev2Score = File:Ear noun 42647 cc.svg File:Ear noun 42647 cc.svg

}}

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.{{cite journal | last=Malder | first=Tom Von | date=April 5, 1974 | url=https://archive.org/details/arlington-heights-daily-herald-suburban-chicago-1974-04-05/page/n18/ | title=Three Dog Night maturing | journal=Daily Herald | location=Arlington Heights, Illinois | publisher=Paddock Publications | volume=25 | issue=117 | page=S2-3 | via=the Internet Archive}} 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".{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=April 6, 1974 | url=https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_40/page/30/ | title=Hard Labor—Three Dog Night—ABC DSD 50168 | journal=Cash Box | publisher=The Cash Box Publishing Company | volume=XXXV | issue=47 | page=30 | via=the Internet Archive}} Billboard found the track listing a "fine mix of material" and wrote that the instrumental section was "tight and almost perfect".{{cite magazine | last=Staff writer | date=April 6, 1974 | url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1974/Billboard%201974-04-06.pdf | title=Spotlight | magazine=Billboard | publisher=Billboard Publications | volume=86 | issue=14 | page=72 | via=the Internet Archive}}

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')."{{cite journal | last=Tiven | first=Jon | date=August 1974 | url=https://archive.org/details/sim_circus-raves_1974-08_1_6/page/60/ | title=Shortcuts | journal=Circus Raves | publisher=Canadian APAG House Publications | volume=1 | issue=6 | page=60 | via=the Internet Archive}} 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.{{cite web | last=McCombs | first=Joseph | date=n.d. | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/hard-labor-mw0000202894 | title=Three Dog Night: Hard Labor | work=AllMusic | publisher=Netaktion | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120604064927/https://www.allmusic.com/album/hard-labor-mw0000202894 | archivedate=June 4, 2012}}

{{Track listing

| headline=Side A

| extra_column=Lead vocal(s)

| title1=Prelude

| writer1=Public domain*

| length1=1:00

| extra1=Instrumental

| title2=Sure As I'm Sittin' Here

| writer2=John Hiatt

| length2=4:45

| extra2=Cory Wells

| title3=Anytime Babe

| writer3=Larry Weiss

| length3=3:07

| extra3=Chuck Negron

| title4=Put Out the Light

| writer4=Daniel Moore

| length4=3:06

| extra4=Wells

| title5=Sitting in Limbo

| writer5=Gully Bright, Jimmy Cliff

| length5=5:03

| extra5=Danny Hutton

}}

{{Track listing

| headline=Side B

| extra_column=Lead vocal

| title1=I'd Be So Happy

| writer1=Skip Prokop

| length1=4:48

| extra1=Negron

| title2=Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)

| writer2=Allen Toussaint

| length2=4:48

| extra2=Wells

| title3=On the Way Back Home

| writer3=Moore

| length3=4:16

| extra3=Hutton, Negron, Wells

| title4=The Show Must Go On

| writer4=David Courtney, Leo Sayer

| length4=4:24

| extra4=Negron

}}

• 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.

• Mike Allsup – banjo, guitars
• Jimmy Greenspoon – keyboard
• Danny Hutton – lead vocals, background vocals
• Skip Konte – keyboard, ARP, chamberlin
• Chuck Negron – lead vocals, background vocals
• Jack Ryland – bass
• Joe Schermie – bass
• Floyd Sneed – percussion, drums
• Cory Wells – lead vocals, background vocals
• Jimmy Ienner – 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

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{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Three Dog Night|title=Hard Labor|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1974|certyear=1974|access-date=February 14, 2019 }}

{{Certification Table Bottom| nosales=true}}

{{reflist}}

{{Three Dog Night}}

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Category:1974 albums

Category:Three Dog Night albums

Category:Albums produced by Jimmy Ienner

Category:Dunhill Records albums