In the City of Mercy was
Tom Chapin's first album since the death of his brother
Harry, and on it he seemed to be trying to assume
Harry's mantle as a singer/songwriter who crossed over to the pop market. The album was cut at
Criteria Studios in Miami and featured some of the same musicians
Harry had used on his last album,
Sequel, among them producers
Ron and
Howard Albert. It had a distinct pop/rock sound with
Chuck Kirkpatrick (another player on
Sequel) contributing electric lead guitar to catchy rock arrangements that seemed to grow out of
Howard Albert's keyboard parts. The sound didn't quite achieve the gloss of a full-scale pop production, however, in part because of
Chapin's vocals, which sometimes sounded strained. The songs themselves, nearly all of them written by
Chapin, were insubstantial efforts, most of them vaguely describing romantic discord, often with similar images. The most heartfelt number seemed to be
"Willie (The Ballad of Willie Sutton)," a celebration of the life of the bank robber. A cover of brother
Harry's
"Circle" was also included. Fans of
Chapin's children's records will find him practically unrecognizable in this slight, unsuccessful bid for pop acceptance. (
In the City of Mercy was reissued on CD by
Gadfly Records on September 12, 2000.) ~ William Ruhlmann
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