It's hard to judge where this falls in the Carole King discography in terms of critical and fan reaction since both things seem to begin and end purely at Tapestry, but from my cursory experience, I'll just say that this at least feels like, the lone other time where Carole King consciously tried to make a major album statement to be held up against her one big album. Taking a cue from Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, Fantasy presents itself as an uninterrupted song cycle with each different song flowing into one another with no break. In between these “someone else” monologues, Carole King speaks in her Institutional role as humanitarian empathist: “Everyone comes from one father one mother/So why do we complicate our lives so much/By being at war with each other” (“Being at War with Each Other”). Highlights include "Being At War With Each Other", "A Quiet Place To Live", "Corazon" and "Believe In Humanity". At its worst, the Carole King sound can potentially verge on becoming elevator or dentist's office music.

Fantasy gets my vote as Carole King’s most underrated album, and deserves a lot more accolades than it generally receives. The Spanish language track "Corazón" (the Spanish word for "heart", also used as a term of endearment, as in this song's lyrics) was a moderate hit single from the album, as was "Believe in Humanity". You Light Up My Life” explored the simple pleasures of love, while “Believe In Humanity” had an upbeat philosophical message.As the years passed, it remained one of her most consistent sellers as more people discovered its uniqueness. But this is one of the earlier concepts of blending the two genres so one could'nt tell where it ended or began.

In “Fantasy End,” the album’s coda, Carole King announces: “Now that I’ve expressed my soul/I’ll step back into my real-life role. Married women were questioning their lives ("Weekdays"), and unwed mothers were wondering if they could make it ("That's How Things Go Down"). The B-side is captivating in the extreme, with three fine hit singles (“You Light Up My Life,” the Latin funk workout “Corazón” and “Believe in Humanity”) at its core.Record World said of the single "Believe in Humanity"/"You Light Up My Life" that "'Believe' is a fine rocking tune with great orchestrations, while 'Light Up My Life' is a gently wistful ballad.