KS also produced a few songs (from far the best) on EJ's Madman Across The Water nand clearly they're stunning (in some ways, they prefigure what he would do on COTC.Originally Posted by Firth
KS also produced a few songs (from far the best) on EJ's Madman Across The Water nand clearly they're stunning (in some ways, they prefigure what he would do on COTC.
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
I found the debut pretty forgetable. Am I missing something? Crisis is full of great tracks, Sister Moonshine is one of the band's strongest tracks. There are others. Queitest and Brother are the most proggy.
I was tripping on some black windowpane.when I saw the Breakfast tour and can still remember the lot show (miraculously). The back up was Jean Luc Ponty.
Amazing band...full of great hooks and melodies. I'm a bigger fan of Rick Davies and Roger is also a great performer/vocalist.
Last edited by mozo-pg; 01-27-2021 at 04:42 PM.
What can this strange device be? When I touch it, it brings forth a sound (2112)
Maybe pieces, but I’m definitely going for it now. Thanks
I was just listening to COTC and marvelling at how excellent Richard Hewson’s orchestral arrangements are on the album. You’re right, they’re very comparable to the late Paul Buckmaster’s (rightfully) heavily touted string arrangements on Elton John’s early works.
Crisis... gets my vote for most underrated Supertramp album. It feels to me like a poppier version of 70s Genesis with real orchestral arrangements in lieu of Mellotron.
Confirmed Bachelors: the dramedy hit of 1883...
^Crisis is easily my favorite Supertramp album.
Crisis is definitely underrated, IMO. It has some great tunes on it.
The great aspect of the EITQM tour was that the song list included many of the greatest songs from Crime and Crisis. I believe it was Showco that did the PA, and it sounded great. They had a projection screen behind the stage which played films with content synced to the music and on the side, silent films were projected. One of my finest concert memories of the late 70s at Greensboro Coliseum in NC. Up there with Yes in the round, Jethro Tull Songs from the Wood, and ELP works without orchestra.
Nowhere near as catchy as later albums but an interesting strange debut. Would probably be cherished by prog collectors if they hadn't made other, higher selling records.
I'm inclined to agree. It's not my fave by Supertramp, but it has an interesting vibe. Kinda reminds me of Traffic a bit.
I think you are, because it's really filled with charms of its own.
You might want to relisten to the album, while forgetting that they would become Supertramp
But despite being being the band's originator, Davies was not in the forefront, which can be unsettling, on top of having Plamer-James singing on a few tracks.
Yup, I can imagine that if they had stopped after Stamped, their debut would be considered in the 90's as an unearthed UK Proto-prog gem along with Cressida, Indian Summer, Still Life, Czar, Room, Tonton Macoute, Raw Material, etc...
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
You hit a spot there.
No way this is true
So glad to see a discussion about the sound quality on this excellent album from Supertramp. I fully agree its one of the best ever. You can hear every little tap of the cymbal, every little bell, every note clear as day.
And this was very much a landmark album for me for a few reasons.
Back in early 70's as a pre-teen I used to listen to pop, bubblegum type stuff. Also used to watch Top Of The Pops in the UK every week. I did enjoy glam bands such as Sweet, Roxy, Wizzard etc. But I didn't particularly follow anyone. I do remember that I was not into anything I considered 'weird' or proggy, and I associated bands with men with beards as that type of music, so I tended to zone out when they were on.
But then I heard Dreamer off COTC on the radio and really liked it. It was different, and unusual sound like nothing else I had heard. But then when I saw the band on TOTP...they all had beards. So I had to re assess my whole attitude to that kind of band and music.
And to follow on from that, a friend had an older sister who had the COTC album. At that point I had only ever bought the odd single, never an album. So without her knowledge, I borrowed it. I had a crappy little record player, but I must have played that album to death. (Scratched it so badly that when I returned it, I was made to buy her a new copy).
And that was it...I had opened the door to the possibility of a different type of music, and from there I quickly got into Floyd, Yes, Genesis etc. So I consider COTC a seminal album for me personally. I never tire of it, and there is not a bad song on it. At first I considered If Everyone Was Listening a bit boring, but I eventually grew to like it.
Furthermore, Supertramp were the first band I saw live. Liverpool Empire in the UK on the Crisis, What Crisis? tour. A very memorable gig, they played all of Crime and most of Crisis, which though slightly different in tone and style I also loved. I vividly remember the famous piece of film of the COTC cover, with the hands on the bars floating through space. I also remember the support act...one Joan Armatrading. She went down so well she was called back for an encore, very unusual for a support band.
I liked Quietest moments, but could see the rot setting in with songs like Babaji and Downstream. Not terrible songs, but lacking the uniqueness and complexity of tracks on COTC and Crisis. And though Breakfast in America was a huge album for them, I just didn't dig it at all. They had gone mainstream and were concentrating on the poppier elements. That said...I will take Supertramp's pop songs over most of the rubbish that was around at the time, they at least know how to craft them and make them listenable.
I saw them live one more time at Earls Court on the Famous Last Words tour, but I never really listened to the album that much. After that I only dipped into the albums occasionally, and after they split I kind of gave up on them. I have seen Roger Hodgson live a few times and he does play the original songs very well for a solo artist, though with occasional backing musicians.
My last experience was watching Roger Hodgson play on the ARW tour about 3 years back (Called the Stone Free festival in the UK, with Anathema also on the bill). This time he had a full band, and it was as close to the original Supertramp as you could get. Enjoyed it immensely.
So, thats my personal history lesson with Supertramp.
I only clicked on it because I thought it was going to be something more interesting...
Great comments
Ah, the first two Supertramp LP's...they are my favorites.
Technically not as strong as Crime or Crisis but there's a super cool vibe going on that is missing on later releases.
Someone cited Cressida. Yeah. I second that.
The Prog Corner
Hmmm...this thread has got me intrigued to go back and listen to those first two albums.
I have them somewhere, but I remember only listening to them a couple of times a few years ago.
Another thing that I remember about the band was that theirs was the first bootleg vinyl I ever bought.
I bought it at the Reading Festival in UK in 1977. There was an old bus/coach parked outside the festival, with the windows painted out. And it was packed with bootleg albums.
On a side note, '77 was probably the last primarily rock orientated line up before punk and new wave started to dominate the Festival.
That said, there were a few NW/punk bands on the bill. Notably a very early version of Uktravox, and Wayne County (as was) and the Electric Chairs.
I personally loved Wayne County, but the majority of the crowd didn't. He had bottles thrown at him, and consequently ended up 'remonstrating' with the crowd. And after only 3 songs he walked off.
Another tangent here...one of the songs he played was called F**k Off. I loved it. When I got back home, I went to record shops in my town trying to buy it. Not an easy task as most of them were either department stores like Woolworths, or small mom and pop stores.
Me "Hi, I am looking for a record"
Shop owner " What's it called?"
You see the problem.
I eventually found a back street record store that sold it. And I delighted in playing it loud with the windows open, just to annoy the neighbours.
Ah...the heady rebelliousness of youth...
Cool. Thanks.
That was awesome...Thanks, that will probably will be pulled quickly.
very identical experience with COTC being a determing point in my music direction.
However, I don't think the rot got in via Babaji or Downstream (that was is Davies alone on piano). I really don't like Give a Little though.
all the more reason to embed it
But on the Russian site I gave the link in the previous page, it's been there for years. But the site and videoplaying can be erratic
may as well post this here while it's still available
interesting to know that in 72, the second line-up was still playing live mostly their debut album's stuff
Last edited by Trane; 01-29-2021 at 02:44 AM.
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
I like Give A Little Bit, I think that's a good example of a good pop song that appeals across the board.very identical experience with COTC being a determing point in my music direction.
However, I don't think the rot got in via Babaji or Downstream (that was is Davies alone on piano). I really don't like Give a Little though.
all the more reason to embed it
But on the Russian site I gave the link in the previous page, it's been there for years. But the site and videoplaying can be erratic
For me I could not stand Logical Song, or Breakfast In America.
I think "Give A Little Bit" is a great song. Catchy, but with some interesting stuff going on musically too -- like the bridge and outro.
I just listened to this for the first time. The first side's a bit wifty -- "It's a Long Road" is an unconvincing blues, and "And I Am Not Like Other Birds of Prey" and "Words Unspoken" sound to me like those awkward attempts Pink Floyd made at writing songs after Syd Barrett left. But "Nothing to Show" and "Shadow Song" are okay. I'm actually a bit surprised "Nothing to Show" didn't stick around in their live sets - it seems like a perfect audience-pleasing fixture which could allow for some of that jamming they didn't do that often.
That said, the album's not terrible, it's just clearly the work of a novice band trying to find a direction.
Last edited by ThomasKDye; 01-30-2021 at 12:50 PM. Reason: It's not "Nothing to Lose," you moron, that's UK
"Arf." -- Frank Zappa, "Beauty Knows No Pain" (live version)
You're such an ass.
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
Really digging my old copy of Even in The Quietest Moments...I think this album is better than I previously thought. Roger sounds so damn good too.
I have some inexpensive Sony earphones and listened to School from Morow. That harmonica is haunting, and the the bass comes in and is very mighty. Great Song.
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