Cher: Half Breed - 1973


This is a strange album, one that has no relation whatsoever to either the singer's sixties work with husband Sonny Bono or her big production, nineties pop material. 

Its best track, by a mile, is the heartfelt title track, which was a US hit and, hopefully opened up many peoples' eyes to the prejudice people such as Cher had suffered due to their mixed ethnicity. Up there with that one is Carousel Man, an atmospheric, suitably swirling fairground narrative that is similar to Cher's big hit from the previous year, Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves. 

The rest of the album is mainly typically seventies balladry, the highlights being David's Song, Melody, the cynical This God-Forsaken Day and Chastity's Sun, a Seals & Crofts song re-written by Cher to her daughter. Most of the album is pretty inconsequential, though, including a cover of Paul McCartney & Wings' My Love, one that is spoilt by Cher's strange enunciation of the word "love", something I can't replicate in type. You have to hear it. 

As for a cover of The Beatles' The Long And Winding Road, forget it, Cherilyn, so many have been there before you. I have to say I love the cover, though, so very seventies, it is like The Upsetters' The Return Of Django or The Marvelettes' Return Of The Marvelettes, using that Western cinematic photo imagery.

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