Album review: HARRY CHAPIN – Story Book, The Elektra Albums, 1972-78 (6 CDs)

Cherry Red/Strawberry [release date 25.03.22]

Heads and Tales (1972)
Sniper And Other Love Songs (1972)
Short Stories (1973)
Verities and Balderdash (1974)
Portrait Gallery (1975)
Greatest Stories Live (1976)
On The Road To Kingdom Come (1976)
Dance Band On The Titanic (1977)
Living Room Suite (1978)

Something of a Renaissance man, Harry Chapin’s first brush with fame came in 1968 as a documentary film director. His short, “Legendary Champions” was nominated for an Oscar, and it was perhaps missing out on that award that motivated him to turn to music. It’s all well documented online.

His quickly formed band was talent-spotted while playing the New York club circuit during the ensuing two year period.

It’s hard to overestimate the impact Chapin made on the music business. Two of the leading major labels, Columbia Records and Elektra, fought it out for his signature, leading to a seven figure contract deal and a debut album being released a year later.

That album, Heads And Tails, is the first of nine albums carefully squeezed into the 6 CDs of this boxset.

As his success as a documentary film maker suggests, Chapin had a sharply observational eye for the things that we can all relate to like love, joy, anger, sadness and hurt. It was his self critical insight on the first single, ‘Taxi’, that was credited for the song’s success as a top five hit in North America.

So began a series of socially aware songs and morality tales, with each album finding popularity with his huge fanbase, if not the music critics (like, what do they know?).

Album titles like Short Stories, Portrait Gallery, Living Room Suite and Dance Band On The Titanic told their own story. There could be no doubt that by wrapping his melodies around the dramatic events of everyday life, Chapin’s music-for-grown-ups would attract a huge audience.

His albums continued to sell well. The third, Short Stories, yielded the massive wordwide hit W.O.L.D., a bittersweet song that set youthful, radio DJ dreams against a failed marriage and regrets in later life.

The fourth, Verities and Balderdash (even the seventies had problems with disinformation), was recorded almost as an afterthought while he worked on a stage musical. Despite its accelerated gestation, it provided Chapin with a 2.5 million selling album and his biggest US hit single, ‘Cat’s In The Cradle’.

Chapin continued to write and record adult pop albums that combined an emotional weight with neatly orchestrated arrangements, always barbed with wry comments and the occasional stinging metaphor. ‘The Parade’s Still Passing By’, ‘Why Should People Stay The Same’ and ‘I Wonder What Would Happen To This World’ all mark out a skilled lyricist who could mix warm sentiments with street philosophy.

Those later albums didn’t sell so well, (if you could call quarter of a million not selling well), but he clearly remained popular with his core audience.

Two years after his ninth album, Living Room Suite, Chapin was killed in collision with a Trailer Truck while driving to a benefit gig.

He died aged 39. A major loss. Another music artist whose flame burned brightly but briefly. RIP. *****

Review by Brian McGowan

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)