Randy C Moore – Cat’s In the Cradle (Single Review)

The renowned global singer takes on a classic Harry Chapin track in his signature, warmly introspective style.

For those who aren’t familiar with the country music genre, Humble, Texas’ Randy C Moore has been a widely recognised name in the genre for over twenty years, and has undoubtedly earned a place in the Nashville hall of fame for his touring and songwriting there from a very early age.

From the age of just fifteen, Moore was writing music, and it wasn’t long before his work was being broadcast on local radio stations in Texas and performing on stages across the country. Since then, he’s received international acclaim, performed alongside country music legends and other big names such as Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi, and even hosts the radio show Neon Music Country Legacy.

It makes sense then that such a seasoned artist should be tackling a true staple song such as ‘Cat’s In the Cradle’, originally sung by singer-songwriter Harry Chapin and released in December 1974. Moore’s cover is also special due to it being used in the upcoming movie Harry and Sandy Chapin’s “Cat’s In the Cradle”, soon to feature on streaming services.

Moore’s cover begins with the gently soothing sounds of an acoustic guitar, soon followed by Moore’s unmistakably hearty voice greeting listeners. The story told with great effect through the lyrics, as many people will know, is bittersweet. Told from the perspective of an absent father as he watches his son grow up to mirror his neglectful father’s behaviours, the lyrics speak to people from far and wide. Moore’s soulful voice perfectly kicks off this story, almost as if settling down to tell listeners a personal anecdote. His vocals immediately hold an emotional weight to them; a sombre echo that suitably encapsulates the emotions of a father seeing his child grow up and emulate his past mistakes.

The low-key guitar arrangement at the very start of the track allows for Moore’s wistful vocals to take centre stage, captivating listeners with the song’s pensive lyrics in his mournful vocal delivery. A soft percussive touch is added to the pleasant mix of acoustic guitar and Moore’s vocals as the song meanders further into the verse. The lyrics here reflect that the neglect of the parent starts right from the child’s birth (“The child arrived just the other day…But there were planes to catch and bills to pay”), immediately creating a tone of tragedy and regret which is felt heavily by listeners throughout the song.

The chorus itself is well crafted with Moore’s down to earth vocals, rhythmical guitar and steady percussion. Even without the elaborate string accompaniment and large-scale chorus that are recognisable features of Chapin’s original song, Moore’s version may be even more sobering in its delicate simplicity, allowing the storytelling to come front and centre in his cover. This is also prevalent in the more traditional ‘Americana’ country style that Moore adopts in this track, in contrast to Chapin’s classic folk ballad style. Having been in songwriting and music production throughout his illustrious career, Moore’s experienced touch as producer on this track alongside Barry Sanders and Rick Korn is definitely felt through the track’s high quality sound, mixing and instrumental arrangement, ensuring that the Country singer does absolute justice to this much-loved song.

The heartbreaking shift in storytelling to focus on the son’s growing emotional distance to his father is made clear musically through the fading out of percussion and the slowing guitars’ strums, as Moore’s rich vocals break with the emotion of a broken-hearted father (“He’d grown up just like me, my boy was just like me”). It’s an amazingly delivered line, and is sure to have at least some listeners tearing up. It’s special moments like this throughout the track that showcase the singer’s impressive ability to deeply resonate with audiences and drive home the feeling of relatability that many people may have when listening to this song.

The track ends with Moore’s humble ensemble back in full force; guitars, percussion and vocals all coming together in a crescendo, with the last wistful notes echoing all of the complex emotions that this track so expertly expresses throughout.

Score/Excellent: Randy C Moore puts his heart and soul into delivering a worthy tribute to a beloved song and a much missed artist, while allowing his own style to sensitively permeate the track; breathing new life into a classic that many fans of the original are sure to appreciate.

[We rank singles, EPs and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, Outstanding]

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