“I’m in this dumb motel, near the Taco Bell, without a hope in hell, I can’t believe that I’m still around”. Those lyrics, as a 17 year old kid, hooked me and landed me as a SUPERTRAMP fan since! EVERY. SINGLE.SONG! This is one of the most perfect albums ever made!
I'm a Roger Hodgson guy, but this Davies song is one of his best. Packs a lyrical punch and, as you mentioned, the vocal delivery by both is top notch. While I love this album, it concludes a four-album run of brilliance. While this is their most commercial album, I prefer the previous three... and I can hardly wait until you react to "EVEN IN THE QUIETEST MOMENTS" which precedes this one. The title track is absolutely magical.
Prime Supertramp is when both Hodgson and Davies work together. Theirs was probably the most caustically productive pairing in rock music since Gilmour/Waters. Their whole was certainly greater than the sum of their parts. Great album, and songs like "Take The Long Way Home", "Breakfast in America", 'The Logical Song" and "Goodbye Stranger", which greatly overshadowed "Gone Hollywood" in a commercial sense, saw those two at the top of their game.
@@jamesdignanmusic2765 Oasis was a one man project. Noel Gallagher's. The acrimony between him and his brother didn't make the band better, it led to their demise. I know very little about the Kinks and less about the Everlys, so I'll take your word on them. Simon & Garfunkel have always had a deep personal friendship and love for each other. They drifted apart professionally more than once, but their work was the product of harmony in more ways than one.
Not my favorite Supertramp album (that honor - if it can be considered such - goes to Crisis? What Crisis?), Still, one of their greats. And just go ahead and try to tell me that the guitar solo at the end did not have a Steve Hackett vibe! For a few seconds, I legitimately thought, "Did they get Hackett to play on this?!" ...and, not even close to a Queen song... Carry on, sir!
Yup, their Crisis LP is my fave, too. It has a lot of their early British Rock roots, in it (especially the awesome Rick Davies songs). Another Man’s Woman and Ain’t Nobody But Me are right up there.
My second favorite Supertramp album behind Crime of the Century. 1st Supertramp album I bought when it came out when I was a junior in college. Love this album. Fantastic! Thank You Justin.
The 'back and forth' in the verses is not Davies and Hodgson. The higher voice is just Davies doing his characteristic falsetto (as he does in Goodbye Stranger and several other songs). Hodgson's voice shows up clearly in the "if we only had time" part though. For a long time I too thought the high voice in Supertramp was always Hodgson until I saw the video for My Kind of Lady and then I learned to recognize Davies' falsetto.
I, for one, welcome the return of Supertramp to the channel 😃 I haven't checked the stats, but this must surely have been their most commercially successful album, spawning multiple hits and massive radio-play. As always when something is very successful, there was, I seem to remember, a bit of a backlash from the critics but in my view this is a stellar album.
Supertramp have such a distinctive blend of cheerfulness and menace, a kind of sweet and sour that has both immediate appeal and satisfying staying power.
Forgot about this one. Nice. Classic Supertramp! Like Genesis, great cross-fades and suspense into a great groove. And then the CHANGE. This band is so unique and so substantial.
I am a prog fan, but I didn't appreciate Supertramp until years later. But someone not even knowing about them? That's like saying you've never heard of Sing, Sing, Sing, or Take Five or In the Mood. Or Well All Right, or It's So Easy to Fall in Love, or Peggy Sue. Not to mention Not Fade Away.
yesss!!! I've been waiting for this! there's not any reactions to this (except one that i could find). i love your reactions man thanks for covering this ❤
One of my favorite song from the album with Child of vision. Perfect communion between Rick and Roger and the musicians play all perfectly this perfect opener.
This is one of my Desert Island Discs, and this is a terrific way to open it. The Queen parallel probably only stems from the high vocal harmony work. Great song of a giant of a record.
Great start to a really wonderful album. I love the dynamics of the song. Definitely one of my favorite Supertramp albums. Speaking of which, one of the less 'popular' Supertramp albums that I think you would enjoy is 'Brother, Where You Bound'. It's minus Roger, but there are some excellent tracks on it, including one with David Gilmour.
Not even the most popular song off this album, but out of their ENTIRE catalog this is the song I would choose to introduce anybody to this great band. It just feels so representative of the kind of music they do.
These guys were a unique sound in prog - as unique as Gentle Giant and Tull - all one-offs, with their own completely unique sound, but unmistakably prog. This is just a great track from another great Supertramp album, one of their finest classic disks.
Breakfast in America or Crime of the Century my favourite Supertramp album? I think Crime overall, but BIA certainly has some great tunes including this one. But anything better than School or Rudy? Not quite!
Still remember coming home with this album, putting on my dad’s record player, and hearing this opener! You can only hear it for the first time once. But now, Justin, you’ve brought back those precious memories in allowing us to share your first listen. Thanks 😊
For me, Supertramp will never not be in my list of Top 10 greatest groups of all time, nearly making it into my Top 5 GOATs after the Beatles, Genesia, Yes, Rush, and Pink Floyd. #6 GOAT isn't too shabby!
You're right, a great perfect album opener! - p.s. The ending lyrics are not more positive imo, but even in success he's a loser, swallowed up in the Hollywood make-believe machine.
A brilliant album, and commercially Supertramp's biggest... though there's also a lot of sauce in their albums "Crime of the Century" and "Crisis, what Crisis?" Three brilliant albums that need full-album reviews. (And "Even in the Quietest Moments" isn't that far behind them...) BTW, another song with a brilliant fade from voice to saxophone is Pink Floyd's "The Gunner's Dream".
When I was twelve, this album came out, and, already being a big Supertramp fan, I loved most of it (except for the hit singles, still too boring/simple for my taste). Yeah, what an opener! Everytime I hear that piano crawling up, I go almost crazy, knowing what will happen in the next 315 seconds (or so, in the beginning it takes some seconds to identify this masterpiece because of the slow fade in)! Is this one of the best songs ever written? I have no idea, but in my universe John Anthony Helliwell is the best saxophone player of all times. Alter Schwede!
I prefer their previous three albums because this one always seemed like a big push to transition from progrock to pop. Judging by it's popularity they succeeded, but may have lost a lot of their earlier fans in the process.
Best Title from this album , for me that remembers me the wonderful concert in the Palais Des Grottes in Cambrai ( N of France ) oct 5 , 1977 ( so , before that album )
This song has the only reference to a restaurant on the entire album. I am not sure what would be on the menu in 1979. Great album, looking forward to the rest of your reactions. The Supertramp live album "Paris", would be a good one to listen to.
A great, great opener! I still remember the first time I heard this song and the goosebumps exactly at the part where it grows. The drum fills with guitar and bass, driving up the emotion, until reaching the plateau with Hodgson's wonderful solo. In fact, the vocals in this song are done solely by Davies himself, who does the falsettos. Unfortunately, on this album, the songs were very individualized, denoting who wrote it... Still, a wonderful album.
Tasty musically, but, that is what Supertramp does. One of Rick Davies' best. Lyrically, perhaps Davies' most cynical lyrics...hiding the cynicism behind a relatively happy melody... genius
Great song as the whole album is, including the hits and the most beautiful and emotional Supertramp ballad "Lord it's Mine", add to your request list "Only Because of You" from 1984 first Hodgson solo album, amazing underated song.
fragmented bitty but ultimately a deep cut which, because it's the first cut, is the deepest! Singles Paradise of an album which made me cry. Your physical reaction was Top Class. Diolch.
This album is for me on the top 10 best album of all time. I always thought that it came to them down from a higher power, considering that the rest of their carrier is on a lower level. Out of this world!
@@cristianovia I strongly disagree that Supertramp's other work is at a lower level. In my opinion, Crime of the Century is an absolute monster album. Bloody Well Right may be my favorite song PERIOD. Give a Little Bit is also phenomenal. I would also recommend Rodger Hodgson's solo song Had a Dream (Sleeping with the Enemy).
@@ericwagner1824 it’s ok, we both expressed our opinion on something very subjective as music taste. My fav of all time is Björk and I afore most of her work 😀
Justin,this song is a masterpiece imho...the melody lines,,that guitar ...wow. And that amazing saxophone that blows me away every time Justin. Gone Hollywood is an opener and some imho. The album is mind blowing. Loved your review as usual Justin. ♥️♥️♥️🎹🎹 Ps more plz 😊
I still remember the first time I heard this song in an old stereo. Up until then the only song I've heard of Supertramp was The Logical song which I loved. But everything was about to change when I inserted a dusty burned cd that was inside a paper wrinkled red envelope with the word Supertramp written on it. I found it hidden on my father's stuff on time I was alone at home. Just by hearing the fade in of this song my mind was blown away and sinced then I forever became a Supertramp fan.
A little anecdote from my childhood: When the album was released, I was 10 years old and obsessed with the album. I also read a lot of Mickey Mouse comics back then. So I draw a Mickey Mouse version of Supertramp, a stage set with Donald on drums, Scrooge on keys, Mickey on guitar and Hodgson's voice (fits perfectly), Goofy on bass and Davies' voice. I can't remember who was on the saxophone (maybe Daisy). I don't read Mickey Mouse comics anymore, but I still listen to this outstanding album. By the way: Is that a "Kiki" shirt you´re wearing? Cool...great movie!
My top 5 songs on Breakfast in America 1. Child of Vision 2. Child of Vision 3. Child of Vision 4. Child of Vision 5. Tie between Child of Vision and Child of Vision Honorable mention Child of Vision
Cult album, after 44 years it is still my favourite album of all times. bought it when i was 12. their biggest strength was the big difference between rogers and hodgson.
Iconic music, with an iconic album cover. There were conspiracy theories about the cover art predicting the 9/11 attack, because the WTC Towers have the reversed characters over the top of them. It's a coincidence for sure, but a very interesting one.
Hi Justin. Dave from Far Away. You're absolutely right - this is a terrific start to a classic album. Catchy as hell, but I particularly like that quieter interlude, with John Halliwell's woodwind (oboe, clarinet?) P.S. my song ref Far Away is by Eivor.
