As I continue my ‘Decades’ look back at the year 1975, this week I’ll focus on five albums I’ve heard but don’t know well. The two weeks after that will be reserved for albums I’ve never heard in their entirety.

Olivia Newton-John’s Have You Never Been Mellow was the fifth studio album by the British-Australian chanteuse and her first non-compilation album to reach #1 (If You Love Me, Let Me Know, featuring hits from her first three releases, had reached the top spot a year before).

This country-pop album produced two #1 hits of its only singles, the title track and today’s SOTD. I’m a huge fan of ‘Have You Never Been Mellow’ (another banger by John Farrar, who wrote so many great songs for Newton-John). ‘Please Mr. Please’ is a sweetly sad country bop with an undeniably catchy chorus.

The rest of the album goes down just as easy. Newton-John is an excellent vocalist, wrapping her delightful soprano around a solid collection of songs. Among my favorites are ‘The Air That I Breathe’ (a supple cover of The Hollies’ classic), the soulful ‘Water Under the Bridge,’ and the hopeful love song ‘Follow Me.’

I have such warm feelings about Newton-John, especially in light of her recent passing, that an album this lovely and generous can’t help but make a major impression.