Helen Reddy - Live In London (1978/2018)

Smooth are the performances and orchestration on this 1978 double-vinyl set. There is no date of this performance by Helen Reddy, recorded at the London Palladium. This expands her greatest-hits album and allows the entertainer to display her personality as well as some of her deeper album tracks. Of the 26 songs here, only Leon Russell and Harriet Schock share the distinction of having two compositions each covered by the songstress. Russell's "This Masquerade" and "Bluebird" follow Ralph Shuckett's "Rhythm Rhapsody" to start the concert off. Reddy sprinkles a hit or two per side until the medley, adding nuggets like Gale Garnett's timeless "We'll Sing in the Sunshine," which is a perfect selection for Reddy to sing and her audience to hear. Harriet Schock's "Mama" from the Music, Music album is one of the longest tracks at four minutes-plus, and gets a lengthy audience response. Cilla Black's 1964 hit "You're My World," like the aforementioned Gale Garnett hit from the same year, suits Reddy well. Live in London is a title used by scores of artists, from the Beach Boys to Petula Clark, Deep Purple, April Wine, Judy Garland, Glen Campbell, and so many others. This recording has lead guitarist Lenny Coltun conducting the Gordon Rose Orchestra with guitarist Ritchie Zito, keyboard player Tom Hensley, and others supplying the sound. Reddy gives renditions of Billy Joel's "The Entertainer," "Poor Little Fool" by Jeff Lynne, who shows up on the All This and World War II soundtrack with Reddy and who wrote this dramatic number for her, as well as Adam Miller's "The West End Circus." There's Alan O'Day's unconventional "Angie Baby" to open side two, and the song works better live, oozing with a thick and smooth sound. Producers John Palladino and Helen Reddy do a commendable job of capturing so many instruments and vocals and putting them into a wonderful mix. The album gets high marks for sound quality and performance, a classy snapshot of Helen Reddy's complete repertoire of hits from 1971-1977 with the exception of "Somewhere in the Night" and the flip of "I Can't Hear You No More," "Music Is My Life." For the fans of Helen Reddy this is a treat and a very necessary part of her collection.