Story of a Life: The Harry Chapin Box

Disc 1
1	Taxi Live 6:42
2	Someone Keeps Calling My Name The Chapin Brothers 2:53
3	Could You Put Your Light on, Please 4:30
4	Empty 2:58
5	Greyhound 5:39
6	Any Old Kind of Day 4:45
7	Sunday Morning Sunshine 3:50
8	Sniper 9:57
9	Better Place to Be 8:35
10	They Call Her Easy 4:03
11	Mr. Tanner 5:12
12	Mail Order Annie 4:54
13	W.O.L.D. 5:12
14	Old College Avenue 4:27
15	Circle 3:22
Disc 2
1	Short Stories 4:35
2	Cat's in the Cradle 3:48
3	I Wanna Learn a Love Song 4:24
4	30,000 Pounds of Bananas Live 10:58
5	Shooting Star 4:06
6	What Made America Famous? 6:52
7	Vacancy 4:01
8	Dreams Go By 4:43
9	Tangled up Puppet 3:42
10	The Rock 4:12
11	She Is Always Seventeen 4:18
12	The Mayor of Candor Lied 8:21
13	Caroline 3:40
14	Laugh Man 3:35
15	Taxi Live 6:52
Disc 3
1	Corey's Coming 5:38
2	If My Mary Were Here 3:26
3	Dance Band on the Titanic 5:11
4	Mismatch 4:55
5	I Wonder What Happened to Him 4:09
6	Dancing Boy 3:52
7	Flowers Are Red Live 5:07
8	Poor Damned Fool 4:34
9	Jenny 4:47
10	I Wonder What Would Happen to This World 3:29
11	Old Folkie Live 5:02
12	Remember When the Music (Reprise) 3:56
13	God Babe, You've Been Good for Me 3:23
14	Story of a Life 5:21
15	November Rains 3:50
16	Sequel 6:40
17	Last Stand 5:06

Barnes & Noble

More than most songwriters, Harry Chapin lived his songs. A filmmaker, a taxi driver, a father, an antihunger activist, Chapin brought keen observation to his gift for vivid, touching story songs. This three-disc collection is the first to span Chapin's entire career, from his days with the Chapin Brothers through his '70s chart successes and tragic end in 1981, when a car accident took his life. Rarities like the 1966 Chapin Brothers track "Someone Keeps Calling My Name" stand beside his famous 1974 hit "Cat's in the Cradle" and live tracks, completing a musical portrait of a quintessentially American storyteller. Bound as a 76-page hardcover book, the set includes essays by Chapin's wife and a track-by-track commentary, written by Chapin's son Josh, on the 47 songs therein. Mark Schwartz

All Music Guide

Harry Chapin was always a bit of a polarizing figure, attracting many dedicated fans but never earning much critical respect. Rhino's comprehensive three-disc box set Story of a Life doesn't really offer an opportunity for re-evaluation, nor does it even try to win over doubters. Instead, it tells a thorough history of Chapin's career, not missing a single hit or major song along the way. There are some rarities scattered throughout the set, mostly live tracks, but also the Chapin Brothers' 1966 single "Someone Keeps Calling My Name." However, the box shouldn't be seen as a treasure trove of unreleased material; instead, it's a journey through Chapin's career, providing an exhaustively detailed travelogue. Really, it contains too much material for anyone but the die-hard fan. But that's where Story of a Life is a success -- it's a loving tribute to Chapin, made with the cooperation of his estate and designed for his loving fans. It works quite well on that level, even if it's far too much for the average fan who just likes "Taxi" and "Cat's in the Cradle." Stephen Thomas Erlewine