There were problems in the ghettos ("Haywood" and "Welfare Symphony"), and the world's environment and very existence were in jeopardy ("Being At War With Each Other"). Only the musical tide has changed and Laura employs members of the jazz funk band The Crusaders to beef up her sound that put her in the vanguard of this relatively new subgenre. What, in heaven’s name, should be the difference between Carole King’s “soul” and her “real-life role”?

The album did go gold, got excellent reviews, went to number 6 a bit of a let down and spawned the hit Believe In Humanity and the minor hit You Light Up My life, not to be mistaken for Debbie Boones massive hit a few years later. It really is a very enjoyable listen from beginning to end if you are into that lovely, soft and slightly comforting seventies sound. The songs transition seamlessly into one another, which created a cohesive whole despite the wide range of styles and sounds.All the songs are less sing along then previous Carole songs but that still doen't make this album bad it makes it better in fact because it shows how serious Carole is as an artist.

Fantasy, though very listenable as background music, affects the resurrection as “art” of the essentially innocent approach to songwriting that made her what she is today, and it doesn’t work.Presented as a sort of song cycle, the album opens and closes with two versions of the title song and the songs on each side segue directly into one another. If she can make ME feel better about the world situation, then she must know what she's talking about. She continued to use a variety of supporting musicians, including guitarists Danny Kortchmar and Dave Walker, who form the foundation for her piano work, which was some of the best of her career. Vote up content that is on-topic, within the rules/guidelines, and will likely stay relevant long-term. There's not a bad track here, and the strongest, particularly the funkier ones like You've Been Around Too Long and Haywood, are just majestic.