Cher's 1973 album
Half-Breed was her third for
MCA and features the title track which shot to the top of the American charts. It is perhaps the only song here which would turn up on a greatest-hits collection, but there are plenty of other melodic, hippie-era tunes which are tailor-made for nights around the campfire. Melancholy and bittersweet from start to finish, there are enough charms to keep it lighthearted: the jingling rhythm of "Half-Breed" and "Carousel Man" hit the right marks at the right time. Rock singers have often dedicated a song to one of their children;
Cher turns "Ruby Jean et Billie Lee" into "Chastity's Sun," and thankfully it is heartfelt enough that listeners don't care where it was borrowed from. She also covers
Paul and
Linda McCartney's "My Love," which had been a hit for him that same year, and
the Beatles' "Long and Winding Road." ~ Peter Fawthrop