Harry Chapin: Story Of A Life
The 1970s produced a peculiar school of singer-songwriters whose narrative-driven lyrics set them apart from their self-reflective peers. Think ofDavid AcklesandRandy Newmanon the fringes, and far nearer the mainstream, the "Captain Jack"-eraBilly Joeland earnest-to-the-core Harry Chapin. Chapin first made a splash in 1972 with "Taxi," a claustrophobic little melodrama set in a cab. He made the top 20 two years later with the familial "Cat's in the Cradle." Though he'd never climb so high again, songs such as "W*O*L*D" and "Dance Band on the Titanic," and albums likeVerities & Balderdashkept the folk crooner in the spotlight. From there, he championed a variety of social causes until he was killed in a 1981 auto accident.Story of a Lifepackages three discs of Chapin recordings in one attractive box. Given the singer's excesses (he wasn't the subtlest of artists, either as a writer or singer), that's a lot of Chapin. But fans will appreciate the loving liner essays from family members and, of course, the cinematic songs from a performer whose heart was always in the right place.--Steven Stolder