Supertramp - Even in the Quietest Moments… (1977)
Give a Little Bit - Who doesn't know this? It starts off with some acoustic strumming (a rarity for Supertramp), and the bass and drums come in on the second verse. It's fairly simple and repetitive, but catchy enough that that doesn't matter. And now there's a great instrumental bridge/saxophone solo. This song is a rarity in that there's almost no piano, only a bit playing some bass notes in the third verse. And now it's over in just over four minutes. Perfect opener.
Lover Boy - It opens with some jazzy, '30s music hall-sounding piano. And now the rest of the band comes in, giving the song a light prog feeling--Supertramp's unique sound. Now we're back to the music hall vibe. And just as quickly, that's over, with some electric guitar lines and feedback. Now it's fading out. Ooh, a trick ending. The tempo seems to have picked up, and the synth and guitar are front and centre. It feels mildly psychedelic. Now it's ending--for real this time.
Even in the Quietest Moments - This is, in my opinion, the most beautiful song Supertramp released. It begins with birds twittering, then an acoustic guitar riff--very Beatle-esque. And there are a synth and woodwind--probably a clarinet. Now the vocals come in. The lyrics are about spiritual longing. Now there's a bit of organ. The volume picks up a bit. Now the guitar sounds like the intro of Boston's "More Than a Feeling". Here are the drums. Now the vocals are getting distorted, repeating the same lines over and over. Now there's just a snippet--a tiny hint--of the opening track, "Give a Little Bit". Then it's just guitar and the vocalist for the final verse.
Downstream - Gorgeous ballad--just Rick Davies and his piano (recorded in the same take). The spiritual theme is back. Or is just talking about a lover? It's a bit unclear. This album is unique in that Supertramp almost never uses their signature Wurlitzer electric piano--it's all acoustic.
Babaji - This sounds like a precursor to Supertramp's 1979 hit, "The Logical Song" (which I'm not a fan of). However, this song is much better. It's heavier than the previous track, but the spiritual theme is definitely present again. Here comes the saxophone--maybe two of them. It fades out repeating the chorus.
From Now On Just hearing this intro gives me chills. It's my favourite Supertramp song, and one of my favourite songs in general. It's also very fun to play. Now the vocals come in, followed by drum and guitar. The lyrics express boredom with everyday routine and alleviating that boredom with fantasies of crime. Here comes a beautiful saxophone solo. And now Supertramp gets all proggy with a heavy guitar and synth. The piano intro returns, accompanied by drumming, and the sax plays over it. And the vocals are back. They fade out on the same lines as the background builds for two minutes.
"Guess I'll always have to be
Living in a fantasy
That's the way it's got to be
From now on"
Fool's Overture - It's been a long time since I've heard this song. It blew me away when I first heard it. Let's see if it has the same effect.
It begins with just a standard intro--piano chords and arpeggios. Now a synth comes in. At least I think it's synth--maybe a flute. No, it must be a synth. Now the string synthesizer joins in, and there's some muffled cherring. A couple trumpet lines. And now Big Ben. And now a snippet of Winston Churchill's "We shall fight on the beaches" speech. Here's the trumpet again. And now a synth comes in, picking up volume. It's joined by percussion. Now the synth is playing a riff of sorts. We're now over four minutes into the song--no vocals. A sax, bass and piano join in, providing an orchestral sound. Now it strips down to just piano. Here are the vocals--singing about a prophet who warns the people of imminent destruction, but who is ignored. Maybe that explains the Winston Churchill snippet. What a high note Roger Hodgson hits. Now the strings are back. Here's the rest of the band, with a powerful, proggy entry. And now it breaks down, with weird vocal whisperings, saxophone, and wind. Now there's a snippet of a choir singing William Blake's "Jerusalem". Now the synth builds up agin, playing the same quick riff as earlier. Now Hodgsond is singing that melody, backed up by the rest of the band. Now there are some woodwind arpeggios, and the strings hit a final chord and fade out, blended with the sound of an orchestra tuning up.
The verdict: This is one of my all time favourite albums, and in my opinion, it's perfect. Definitely a True Love.
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