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Living Room Suite

 
Album Review: Living Room Suite
 

  • Artist: Harry Chapin
  • Rating: StarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: 1978
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Listening to Living Room Suite today, you'd never know that it marked the commercial nadir of Harry Chapin's career -- the songs have such touching and startling intimacy, and are so beautifully produced that it's just a damn imposing record, just in the listening. Coming at the tail-end of the second disco boom, the cresting of punk, and the full flourishing of power pop, however, it got buried. When he opened up his heart on "Jenny," it was a phenomenally personal moment, but that wasn't the kind of love song that was selling in 1978; "Poor Damn Fool" was a wonderful song as well, with a glorious sound, but in tone and sound it was a million miles from "My Sharona"; "Flowers Are Red" was a startling ode to non-conformity, a subject much too serious for a pop record at the end of the 1970s; and "Dancin' Boy" and "I Wonder What Would Happen to This World," with their bluesy and gospel sounds, respectively, were even farther from what radio stations were playing. Of course, the very attributes that made Living Room Suite seem so dated in 1978 that neither of its singles charted make it seem completely timeless and enduring today, as a body of music and a personal statement. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Dancing Boy Harry Chapin Harry Chapin (3:55)
If You Want to Feel Harry Chapin Harry Chapin (4:56)
Poor Damned Fool Harry Chapin Harry Chapin (4:36)
I Wonder What Would Happen to This World Harry Chapin Harry Chapin (3:33)
Jenny Harry Chapin Harry Chapin (4:54)
It Seems You Only Love Me When It Rains Harry Chapin Harry Chapin (4:47)
Why Do Little Girls Harry Chapin Harry Chapin (5:12)
Flowers Are Red Harry Chapin Harry Chapin (4:30)
Somebody Said Harry Chapin Harry Chapin (5:18)

Credits

The Dixie Hummingbirds (Vocals), Harry Chapin (Guitar), Harry Chapin (Vocals), Harry Chapin (Main Performer), The Cowsills (Vocals), The Cowsills (Vocals (Background)), Chris Darrow (Banjo), Jim Keltner (Drums), Tom Chapin (Banjo), Tom Chapin (Guitar), Michael Barry (Engineer), George Bohannon (Trombone), David Burgen (Harmonica), Stephen Chapin (Arranger), Stephen Chapin (Keyboards), Stephen Chapin (Horn Arrangements), Stephen Chapin (String Arrangements), Stephen Chapin (Woodwind Arrangement), Bob Cowsill (Guitar), Bob Cowsill (Guitar (Electric)), Howie Fields (Percussion), Howie Fields (Drums), Chuck Findley (Trumpet), Steve Forman (Percussion), Dennis Frick (Bassoon), Dennis Frick (Wind), Richard Hyde (Trombone), Neil Jason (Bass), Jackie Kelso (Sax (Baritone)), Jackie Kelso (Wind), Steve Madaio (Trumpet), Jack Malken (Engineer), Bill Payne (Organ), Bill Payne (Keyboards), Chuck Plotkin (Mixing), Mike Reese (Mastering), Herbert Rhoad (Vocals), Joe Russell (Vocals), Kim Scholes (Cello), Kim Scholes (Horn Arrangements), Kim Scholes (String Arrangements), Kim Scholes (Woodwind Arrangement), Toby Scott (Engineer), Corky Stasiak (Engineer), Bobby Thomas (Mixing), Lou Volpe (Guitar), Doug Walker (Guitar), John Wallace (Bass), John Wallace (Vocals), Ernie Watts (Clarinet), Ernie Watts (Flute), Ernie Watts (Oboe), Ernie Watts (Saxophone), Dick Hyde (Trombone), Reid Miles (Photography), Jay Krugman (Engineer), Ron Coro (Art Direction), Fae Horowitz (Production Coordination), Jim Niper (Engineer), Jim Niper (Mixing), Trucy Portch (Production Coordination), Andy Newark (Drums), Ruth Bernal (Photography)
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Wikipedia: Living Room Suite
Top
Living Room Suite
Living Room Suite cover
Studio album by Harry Chapin
Released September 10, 1978
Recorded ?
Genre Singer-songwriter
Length 41:41
Label Elektra
Producer Chuck Plotkin
Professional reviews
Harry Chapin chronology
Dance Band on the Titanic
(1977)
Living Room Suite
(1978)
Legends of the Lost and Found
(1979)

Living Room Suite is the eighth studio album by the American singer/songwriter Harry Chapin, released in 1978. (see 1978 in music).

Track listing

All songs by Harry Chapin

  1. "Dancing Boy" – 3:55
  2. "If You Want to Feel" – 4:56
  3. "Poor Damned Fool" – 4:36
  4. "I Wonder What Would Happen to This World" – 3:33
  5. "Jenny" – 4:54
  6. "It Seems You Only Love Me When It Rains" – 4:47
  7. "Why Do Little Girls" – 5:12
  8. "Flowers Are Red" – 4:30
  9. "Somebody Said" – 5:18

Personnel


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Living Room Suite" Read more