{"product_id":"harry-chapin-verities-balderdash-mobile-fidelity-numbered-edition","title":"HARRY CHAPIN - Verities \u0026 Balderdash (Mobile Fidelity Numbered Edition)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff0000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLP - Limited Mobile Fidelity Numbered Edition 180g \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e33rpm Audiophile Vinyl. \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eSourced from the original master tapes, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, housed in a Stoughton jacket complete with a four-page insert, and strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 1974 folk-rock album that impacted generations: \u003cstrong\u003eHarry Chapin\u003c\/strong\u003e’s \u003cem\u003eVerities \u0026amp; Balderdash\u003c\/em\u003e features “\u003cem\u003eCat’s in the Cradle\u003c\/em\u003e,” personal narratives, and gorgeous arrangements. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHear the singer-songwriter’s most successful record in audiophile sound for the first time on vinyl: \u003cstrong\u003eMobile Fidelity\u003c\/strong\u003e’s 180g 33rpm LP is strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e¼” \/ 15 IPS Dolby A analog master to DSD 256 to analog console to lathe.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow enduring is the signature song from \u003cstrong\u003eHarry Chapin\u003c\/strong\u003e’s \u003cem\u003eVerities \u0026amp; Balderdash\u003c\/em\u003e? So timeless that it became the subject of a 2025 documentary in which artists from multiple generations weigh in on its impact on their lives and craft. “\u003cem\u003eCat’s in the Cradle\u003c\/em\u003e” doubtlessly remains the main event on the singer-songwriter’s 1974 album. The legendary opening track also serves as a guidepost for the bold personal and social material that follows — as well as the gorgeous folk-rock arrangements that underpin the New York native’s most commercially successful work. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSourced from the original master tapes, pressed at \u003cstrong\u003eFidelity Record Pressing\u003c\/strong\u003e, housed in a Stoughton jacket complete with a four-page insert, and strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 33RPM LP of \u003cem\u003eVerities \u0026amp; Balderdash\u003c\/em\u003e presents Chapin’s fourth full-length in audiophile quality for the first time on vinyl. Captured during a golden era for sonics and production, the Top 5 effort features remarkable tonal balance, instrumental separation, and organic naturalism. Those valued aspects come into supreme focus on this reissue, which plays with dead-quiet surfaces and a low noise floor.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe newfound clarity, openness, and imaging underscore the lasting appeal of Chapin’s tender deliveries, soulful timbre, and careful phrasing. Every word comes across with incredible realism, while his underrated guitar playing occupies its own distinctive space. Also notable: The extension of the tasteful string accents; airiness of the backing vocals; depth and shape of the spare bass lines; and width and depth of the soundstaging. When on “\u003cem\u003eSix String Orchestra\u003c\/em\u003e” Chapin calls out names of instruments, they appear like magic, the band performing feet from you. Chapin has never sounded so lifelike on record.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCertified double platinum, \u003cem\u003eVerities \u0026amp; Balderdash\u003c\/em\u003e resonated with the times and public. “Cat’s in the Cradle” reached No. 1 on the chart on its way to being inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The romantic ballad “\u003cem\u003eI Wanna Learn a Love Song\u003c\/em\u003e” flirted with the Top 40 and wrapped listeners in the equivalent of a cozy blanket. The record’s other single, the mini-epic “\u003cem\u003eWhat Made America Famous?\u003c\/em\u003e,” helped establish Chapin as one of the country’s most incisive and insightful commentators. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eVerities \u0026amp; Balderdash\u003c\/em\u003e teems with situational devices and topical matters. Chapin observes everything from the polarisation of the nation to changes in moral standards and life’s priorities. He investigates pressing themes without ever turning preachy or elevating himself above the matters at hand. On “\u003cem\u003eHalfway to Heaven\u003c\/em\u003e,” whose coda races to the finish and ranks as the most urgent moment on the record, Chapin inhabits the mind of his frustrated protagonist akin to an eagle-eyed novelist.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eConveying emotions that range from melancholic to carefree, Chapin is as much of a singer as a storyteller. He assumes the voice of multiple characters within a single narrative. During the quirky “\u003cem\u003e30,000 Pounds of Bananas\u003c\/em\u003e,” a tale based on a delivery-truck accident in 1965, Chapin alters his delivery, pronunciation, and diction to become an old man reflecting on the mishap and mess. The tempo, too, adjusts to match the speed of the vehicle Chapin describes. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAdorned with timely laugh tracks to reinforce the bittersweet humour, the stripped-down “\u003cem\u003eSix String Orchestra\u003c\/em\u003e” takes everything up another notch, with Chapin intentionally missing guitar notes or playing a broken passage to illustrate the failures of the hopeful protagonist who doesn’t have what’s required to make it as an artist. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eChapin, of course, did not have any such problem. The lynchpin of a career cut short by a tragic traffic incident, \u003cem\u003eVerities \u0026amp; Balderdash\u003c\/em\u003e is Exhibit A of the savvy craft, feeling, and perspective he lent to American music.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mobile Fidelity","offers":[{"title":"LP - Deluxe 180g Audiophile Vinyl","offer_id":57397781791065,"sku":"SDZ-15011","price":52.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0588\/3455\/0945\/files\/Harry_Chapin_-_Verities_and_Balderdash__Mobile_Fidelity_Numbered_Edition__-_LP_Deluxe_180g_AudiophileVinyl_-_2026_Reissue.jpg?v=1772188173","url":"https:\/\/spindizzyrecords.com\/products\/harry-chapin-verities-balderdash-mobile-fidelity-numbered-edition","provider":"Spindizzy Dublin","version":"1.0","type":"link"}