Supertramp (Roger Hodgson review from 11/13/2018)

[KevShmev]

I see that the last Supertramp was four years ago, so I figured, screw it, I'll start a new one.

Anyway, doing Take the Long Way Home in the Classic Rock Song of the Day thread last week got me on a sudden Supertramp kick, which hasn't happen in a long time.  Granted, they are one of those bands that only have like 12-15 songs I really like, but all of those songs of theirs are pretty awesome. 

Listening to Hide in Your Shell the other day, the light bulb went on for me how awesome the keyboards are during the chorus.  I never really noticed them, but all of a sudden it was like, wow, that is really cool.  They almost sound like the wind is singing in the background, underneath the vocals and saxophone.  Very cool, and makes what I already thought was a great song even better.

And I guess I consider Supertramp as being somewhat of a summer band for me, since they always remind me of the summer of 1992 when my first serious gf Jennifer and I listened to them a ton during those "hot, sticky" months.

So yeah, feel free to discuss all things Supertramp.

[CharlesPL]

Love this band,one of my fav.

[Orbert]

Amazing.  There are two things I associate with Supertramp, and one of them also has to do with my first serious girlfriend, and by "serious" I mean the first with whom I enjoyed carnal relations.

She played the violin, I played saxophone, she told me she thought saxophone players were sexy, I asked her why, she said because her favorite band is Supertramp and they have a saxophone player.  Next thing I knew, she was taking advantage of me, although I have to admit, it was consensual.  Breakfast in America was their breakthrough album and was all over the airwaves, but she preferred Even in the Quietest Moments because of "Fool's Overture".  What an amazing song!  This was high school, of course, and she now runs a number of adult web sites and lives in California with her two husbands, but we're Facebook friends, and I still think of her every time I hear "Fool's Overture".  Every time.

[Zydar]

Great band but I haven't heard all of their stuff. My favourite songs are School, Take The Long Way Home, and Goodbye Stranger. I really should look into their other albums besides Breakfast and Crime.

[KevShmev]

Amazing.  There are two things I associate with Supertramp, and one of them also has to do with my first serious girlfriend, and by "serious" I mean the first with whom I enjoyed carnal relations.

She played the violin, I played saxophone, she told me she thought saxophone players were sexy, I asked her why, she said because her favorite band is Supertramp and they have a saxophone player.  Next thing I knew, she was taking advantage of me, although I have to admit, it was consensual.  Breakfast in America was their breakthrough album and was all over the airwaves, but she preferred Even in the Quietest Moments because of "Fool's Overture".  What an amazing song!  This was high school, of course, and she now runs a number of adult web sites and lives in California with her two husbands, but we're Facebook friends, and I still think of her every time I hear "Fool's Overture".  Every time.

Awesome. 

Great band but I haven't heard all of their stuff. My favourite songs are School, Take The Long Way Home, and Goodbye Stranger. I really should look into their other albums besides Breakfast and Crime.

Even in the Quietest Moments is worth it just for the title track, From Now On, and Fool's Overture.  I was never a big fan of Lover Boy, unlike many fans of the album, and Give a Little Bit, the hit, is fairly bland, but those three songs I mentioned are all killer.

[King Postwhore]

I see that most of Orbert's band that he loves has something to so with mac daddying with chicks.  I see a trend here.   Also, I own their 2 disk greatest hits and i always play the crap out of it.

[ronnibran]

Love supertramp. If you haven't already, check out the solo album from the singer Roger Hodgson. I think it's called Eye of the storm.  Really good stuff.

[Orbert]

I see that most of Orbert's band that he loves has something to so with mac daddying with chicks.  I see a trend here.

Hey, your favorite music is what resonates with you on an emotional level, which is why so many musical memories are centered around important times in our lives.  Also, damn, this girl was really something, and I will forever be in her debt for turning me on.  To Supertramp, that is.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

My mom loves this band and I've really been meaning to check them out. What's a good starting point?

[Orbert]

Breakfast in America could be a good starting point, because you've heard most songs already if you've been anywhere near a radio in the last 35 years, and the rest of the songs are just as good.  My favorite from that album is one of the few that doesn't get airplay, the album closer "Child of Vision".

If the overplay factor is an issue (which it easily could be with this album), I suggest Even in the Quietest Moments.  This was the previous album, and they were still stretching out and experimenting a bit.  They still had moments of prog and near-prog, before they hit it big and became a pop hits machine.

Going back one more album, Crime of the Century is also very good.  Another good combination of accessible songs and songs with a little weird side to the them.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Alright, thanks

[jingle.boy]

Amazing.  There are two things I associate with Supertramp, and one of them also has to do with my first serious girlfriend, and by "serious" I mean the first with whom I enjoyed carnal relations.

She played the violin, I played saxophone, she told me she thought saxophone players were sexy, I asked her why, she said because her favorite band is Supertramp and they have a saxophone player.  Next thing I knew, she was taking advantage of me, although I have to admit, it was consensual.  Breakfast in America was their breakthrough album and was all over the airwaves, but she preferred Even in the Quietest Moments because of "Fool's Overture".  What an amazing song!  This was high school, of course, and she now runs a number of adult web sites and lives in California with her two husbands, but we're Facebook friends, and I still think of her every time I hear "Fool's Overture".  Every time.

Story level: Jaq

Kev... that song coming up also inspired me to go and have a listen with them, and I realized for some unknown reason, I didn't have all of Breakfast in America.  5 minutes later, problem solved with the 2010 remaster and a whack load of live tracks.  Haven't listened to it yet, but I will sometime this week.

I really should look into their other albums besides Breakfast and Crime.

Ditto... I have a handful of their songs - Fool's Overture, Even in the Quietest Moments and some others, but no other full albums.  I did have Live in Paris on vinyl back when I was a kid.

[KevShmev]

Love supertramp. If you haven't already, check out the solo album from the singer Roger Hodgson. I think it's called Eye of the storm.  Really good stuff.

Had a Dream (Sleeping with the Enemy) is obviously a beast of a song.  I haven't listened to the rest of the album is a long, long time, but I remember a few of the other songs pretty good.  I still have that CD buried somewhere...

My mom loves this band and I've really been meaning to check them out. What's a good starting point?

Orbert's post was great, although I'd definitely go for Crime of the Century first. 

Kev... that song coming up also inspired me to go and have a listen with them, and I realized for some unknown reason, I didn't have all of Breakfast in America.  5 minutes later, problem solved with the 2010 remaster and a whack load of live tracks.  Haven't listened to it yet, but I will sometime this week.

I honestly do not remember anything from that record except the big four hits, all of which are great, and like the Hodgson solo record, that CD is buried in my place somewhere.  Perhaps I'll dig them both out someday.

[KevShmev]

Not many fans here based on little activity this thread got back in '14, but I figured this would be a good thread to post that I saw Roger Hodgson last night and he put on a great show.  His voice is a little weary now and he can't belt it out quite like he used to, but he still sounded good for a 68-year old, and his face was fully of joy all night; you could really tell how much he appreciated that fans still come out to hear his music.  He was interacting with the fans all evening.  Seems like an all-around good guy.

For me, the highlights were Hide in Your Shell and Had a Dream (Sleeping with the Enemy), and he played a newer solo song I had never heard, Death and a Zoo, that was really great.  He obviously doesn't play any Rick Davies songs (meaning no Bloody Well Right, Rudy, Crime of the Century, From Now On or Goodbye Stranger), but he still delivered a really good set list.  Sister Moonshine was a nice surprise as well!  And we had 7th row center!! Very good concert overall! 

Set list:

Take the Long Way Home
School
Breakfast in America
Lovers in the Wind
Hide in Your Shell
Easy Does It
Sister Moonshine
A Soapbox Opera
The Logical Song
Lord Is It Mine
Death and a Zoo
Even in the Quietest Moments
Had a Dream (Sleeping with the Enemy)
Child of Vision
Dreamer
Fool's Overture

Give a Little Bit

[King Postwhore]

Great setlist.  I just bought the remaster of Breakfast In America.

[Architeuthis]

Oh yeah great band!  Even in the quietest moments and BIA are my favorite two albums followed by Crime.  I love EITQM album cover, a piano up in the mountains covered in snow.
 I can hear a Led Zepplin influence in the title track, the softer side of LZ that is..

[Orbert]

How was "Fool's Overture"?  I love that tune.  Was there a sax player in the band?

[KevShmev]

How was "Fool's Overture"?  I love that tune.  Was there a sax player in the band?

Fool's Overture was really good.  Roger played most of his piano work throughout the night on his keyboard, but did go back to the grand piano for a few songs/parts, the beginning of Fool's Overture being one of those moments. 

He had four guys with him: a drummer, a bass player, a keyboard player (who might have played a bit of guitar, I think), and a guy who did keys, piccolo, sax, clarinet, flute, etc., so all of the woodwind parts were mostly covered.  Roger did almost all of the guitar parts; he's actually an underrated guitar player.  Not flashy, but always plays tasteful parts that really fit the song well. 

Great setlist.  I just bought the remaster of Breakfast In America.

 

Oh yeah great band!  Even in the quietest moments and BIA are my favorite two albums followed by Crime.  I love EITQM album cover, a piano up in the mountains covered in snow.
 I can hear a Led Zepplin influence in the title track, the softer side of LZ that is..

I can sorta hear that, almost like a vibe LZ would have captured on Houses of the Holy.

[Orbert]

Wow, that sounds like a great show!

[Stadler]

I remember having a Supertramp Greatest Hits - "Classics Vol. 9" - and loving it, and someone here suggested I dig in a little further, and I've been starting to.  WOW.  I'm partial to the Hodgson years myself but they have such a rich catalogue.   I would like to see that show.

[ich bin besser]

He obviously doesn't play any Rick Davies songs

What happened between them? I really don't know any Supertramp background stories...
Really like their stuff, even build myself a wall clock using a picture disc of Breakfast...

[KevShmev]

Wow, that sounds like a great show!

It really was!  I forgot to mention that the guy who did all of the woodwind instruments and some keys also played the harmonica on songs like School and Take the Long Way Home.

Oh, and if you have not heard his solo song Death and a Zoo, check it out!  Great song.  Link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrmR74Dz-wM

I remember having a Supertramp Greatest Hits - "Classics Vol. 9" - and loving it, and someone here suggested I dig in a little further, and I've been starting to.  WOW.  I'm partial to the Hodgson years myself but they have such a rich catalogue.   I would like to see that show.

Their peak was short, but still highly impressive.

He obviously doesn't play any Rick Davies songs

What happened between them? I really don't know any Supertramp background stories...
Really like their stuff, even build myself a wall clock using a picture disc of Breakfast...

I honestly have no idea.  I always thought it was cool when you'd heard Roger sing in a Rick song (Rudy) or Rick sing in a Roger song (School). 

[The Letter M]

Apologies for the thread necromancy, but this was the most recent Supertramp thread. I've been diving into their catalog for the last few days. I've had their albums on CD for a long time now (got Even In The Quietest Moments, Breakfast In America, Crisis? What Crisis?, and Crime Of The Century back in December 2007, then then a few more over the following few years). I knew some of their songs from the radio, the typical hits like "Goodbye Stranger", "Breakfast In America" and "The Logical Song", but the band as a whole just never really settled with me.

However, every now and then, I get the urge to listen to them for a short while, so I recently put their albums on my phone to listen to, and I've been really enjoying it! Everytime I get back into listening to them, I pick up a few more things about their songs, their sound and style, and all the things I like about them. I don't think they'll ever be like a Top 5 or Top 10 band for me, but they're definitely one of the greats from the 70s! What I don't own, however, is any of their live stuff. How do their live albums compare to their studio albums? Are the songs just as good live? Is there a definitive Supertramp live album out there, like Genesis' Seconds Out, Kansas' Two For The Show, or Rush's Exit... Stage Left?

-Marc.

[jammindude]

To be honest, I’ve never heard it. But Paris was the live album from the classic period (BIA tour) that everyone seems to be pretty high on.

I’ve been meaning to pick that one up myself.

[Orbert]

I have Paris and I like it a lot.  Some great live versions of early classics, including my favorite version of "Fool's Overture".  As The Dude said, it is the live album from the classic period, and after Breakfast in America, they took IMO a pretty sharp downturn in quality.

[geeeemo]

I'm old. But about 7-9 years ago, I started to figure out how to put music on my phone. Before the streaming apps. It was a pain. So I had 2 songs. Pull Me Under and School.

[Stadler]

Apologies for the thread necromancy, but this was the most recent Supertramp thread. I've been diving into their catalog for the last few days. I've had their albums on CD for a long time now (got Even In The Quietest Moments, Breakfast In America, Crisis? What Crisis?, and Crime Of The Century back in December 2007, then then a few more over the following few years). I knew some of their songs from the radio, the typical hits like "Goodbye Stranger", "Breakfast In America" and "The Logical Song", but the band as a whole just never really settled with me.

However, every now and then, I get the urge to listen to them for a short while, so I recently put their albums on my phone to listen to, and I've been really enjoying it! Everytime I get back into listening to them, I pick up a few more things about their songs, their sound and style, and all the things I like about them. I don't think they'll ever be like a Top 5 or Top 10 band for me, but they're definitely one of the greats from the 70s! What I don't own, however, is any of their live stuff. How do their live albums compare to their studio albums? Are the songs just as good live? Is there a definitive Supertramp live album out there, like Genesis' Seconds Out, Kansas' Two For The Show, or Rush's Exit... Stage Left?

-Marc.

Paris, easily.

By the way, since Kev's post, I HAVE seen Roger Hodgson, and it was an UNBELIEVABLE show.  So glad I went.  I didn't know every song, but I LOVED every song, if that makes sense.   Really good performer, laid back but not, and his voice was in fine form. He's got a voice that you know it's him!

[KevShmev]

A buddy got the Paris show (the one from the late 70s) on Blu-ray and it is really good.  Considering the era, the sound and video quality is quite good, I think.

Glad you see him as well, Bill!  I'd go see him again if he comes back to STL. 

[jammindude]

After I mentioned it in this thread I decided to go to Wikipedia and look it up. It looks like they’ve actually released the full show both audio and video. I need to hunt that down.

[The Letter M]

After I mentioned it in this thread I decided to go to Wikipedia and look it up. It looks like they’ve actually released the full show both audio and video. I need to hunt that down.

I ordered the 2CD/1DVD set from Amazon earlier today, only $22.46 after tax!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WL8TL36/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_ZERHJKTKDHDPB4NDD119?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Looking forward to getting it later this week!

-Marc.

[HOF]

Listening to Breakfast in America this morning. It’s such a wonderful album.

[KevShmev]

Listening to Breakfast in America this morning. It’s such a wonderful album.

I still need to revisit that album one of these days.  The four hits are all great of course, and Child of Time is good as well, but I have no memory of the rest of the songs.

[HOF]

Listening to Breakfast in America this morning. It’s such a wonderful album.

I still need to revisit that album one of these days.  The four hits are all great of course, and Child of Time is good as well, but I have no memory of the rest of the songs.

Gone Hollywood is great, as is Lord Is It Mine. Those are the two other standouts for me besides the ones you mentioned.

[Orbert]

Years ago, I had an experience that was straight out of a standup comedy routine.  Road trip to visit my friend's cousin.  We're in high school, he's a freshman in a college dorm two hours away.  We're going to party our brains out and stay overnight at the dorm.  Somehow we had clearance from our parents to do this.  Radio was a barren wasteland out there and we had one cassette with us: Breakfast in America by Supertramp.  Great album.  We also had a bag of weed.  So by the second or third time through, it didn't matter.  Still a great album.

In the standup routine (though I can't remember who did it) it was like an eight-hour trip and the punchline was "I can't remember what album it was."  I'll never forget listening to Breakfast in America over and over that trip, and still thinking what a great album it is.