Harry Chapin Tribute

Harry Chapin | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 1, 1991)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Relativity
• Run Time: 61 minutes
• ASIN: B000008E52
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #134,941 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The friends of Harry Chapin perform his songs to honor him, August 7, 2004

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Harry Chapin Tribute (Audio CD)

Harry Chapin died on July 16, 1981 in an auto accident near his home on Long Island. In addition to being a talent singer-songwriter whose story songs from "Taxi" and "A Better Place to Be" to "Flowers Are Red" and "Cat's in the Cradle," Harry was a tireless worker in the cause of the fight to end hunger. Harry did 200 concerts a year on average, with half of those being benefits. A major force behind the President's Commission on World Hunger in 1977, the world did not really catch up with Harry Chapin until 1984 when the famine in East Africa prompted Bob Geldof to launch his Band Aid project. Then Harry Belafonte and Ken Kragen, Harry's manager, organized the USA For Africa project. Both Geldof and Belafonte (who served as Master of Ceremonies for the concert) acknowledged the Chapin was an inspiration to such efforts.

In 1987 Harry Chapin was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award. To celebrate the honor a benefit concert was held on December 7, 1987, what would have been Harry's 45th birthday, at Carnegie Hall. Of course, it was more than a concert because in addition to singing Harry's songs there were stories about Harry and a reminder of the work he had left unfinished. The concert began with Pete Seeger and Oscar Brand, the elder statesmen of the folk movement, singing "Circle" with Harry's brothers Tom and Steve and ended with Bruce Springsteen telling how Harry relentlessly lobbied him to become more involved in social issues before singing a poignant acoustic version of "Remember When the Music."

There are plenty of gems on "Harry Chapin Tribute," with the lovely version of Harry's #1 hit "Cat's in the Cradle" being the most memorable. But there is also Graham Nash dedicating "Sandy" to Harry's widow, Dolores Hall doing "When I Look Up" in full force gospel style, and Big John Wallace doing "Last Stand." The Smothers Brothers do their own take on "Six String Orchestra," Pat Benatar tells how Harry gave her sage advice on how to sing, and Richie Havens does a stirring version of "W-O-L-D." The finale is a reprise of "Circle" with Peter, Paul & Mary joining everybody else.

Some of the choices of songs will strike you as peculiar, but then what singer would be brave enough to try one of Harry's celebrated story songs on a night such as that? It is not included in this collection, but Tom Chapin tried to sing "Taxi" and became caught up in his emotions, with the audience helping him to finish the song. The night ended with Harry's son Josh accepting the Gold Medal from a Congressional delegation, walking across stage, and placing it on the empty stool upon which rested Harry's guitar.

The liner notes for this album finish with a choice quotation from Harry: "Think about it. If a man tried to take his time on earth, to prove before he died what one man's life could be worth, well I wonder what would happen to this world."

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In Awe, April 19, 2008

By 

freeline (TorCan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harry Chapin Tribute (Audio CD)

I saw this concert/tribute on PBS, way back ( 199? ). Originally, I was waiting for Richie Havens to sing, WOLD. Fantastic. Then, Pat Benetar rendered " Shooting Star " and Terry Klausner trilled thru " Tangled up Puppet ". I now own the DVD and would dearly love to have the DVD of the concert. Originally, PBS offered the VHS tape of the concert if you donated. Guess I should have paid at the 100 $ level ( ?) and got the VHS tape. Obviously, awe inspiring for the reach and depth of Chapin's anthology. The artists were exceptional. Plus Graham Nash, Bruce Springsteen etc. Buy this CD, its forever.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great tribute collection for one of America's greatest story tellers, October 28, 2011

By 

River Rat (Colorado) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Harry Chapin Tribute (Audio CD)

Some Tribute albums are great, others lack the depth that this one does. I would put it up there with Enjoy Every Sandwich which is my all time favorite Tribute Album.