It’s been said that once someone hits the top of anything they strive to achieve, there’s only one way to go—and that’s down.
Coming off of the masterpiece that was Dance Band On The Titanic, Harry Chapin had a tough task ahead of him. Granted, the album hadn’t spawned any chart successes like “Cat’s In The Cradle,” but what was he going to be able to offer as a follow-up?
The answer: 1978’s Living Room Suite—an album that Chapin was allegedly dissatisfied with, wishing he had been given more time to polish things. And, one can’t say that he was wrong. It’s not a terrible effort, but it is a significant step down.
The album’s best-known track is one of the biggest heart-breaking songs I’ve ever heard, “Flowers Are Red.” A song that encapsulates how a young child’s imagination can be completely demolished so that they conform with contrived standards, it’s one that defies you to not get angry at the teacher admonishing the little boy in the song. It’s painful to listen to, in that it rings far too true with many people—but Chapin had the knack of capturing humanity, flaws and all, throughout his career.
If Living Room Suite had more songs like “Flowers Are Red,” “Dancin’ Boy” and “Why Do Little Girls,” there is a strong possibility that this disc could have challenged Dance Band On The Titanic for being—at least on my scorecard—the best album he ever recorded. Unfortunately, the remaining six tracks fail to live up to that potential—and while they’re not bad by any means, they don’t hold a candle to the stronger material.
Chapin’s voice had begun to take on a rougher timbre with the constant pattern of recording and touring, and this disc shows that wear and tear a little more. In terms of the songwriting, sometimes it feels like Chapin is beginning to run on fumes, with fewer moments of genius that made up a good portion of his career. Tracks like “Jenny,” “Poor Damned Fool” and “Somebody Said” might have been standout efforts on earlier albums, but this time around, it almost feels like Chapin is tired and needed some time to regroup his songwriting efforts to come up the strongest material he could have.
The thing is, Living Room Suite has moments of potential within it. Chapin had released weaker efforts in his career, and this still stood above a couple of those. But with each passing record, fans knew what Chapin was capable of—and this feels like an unfulfilled, incomplete effort. It’s still worth checking out, as long as one cushions their expectations.
