Supertramp - Supertramps

[aith01]

My favorite Supertramp is Crisis, Crime, and Quietest Moments. But I do like that first album. It’s got a very different vibe from what came later, and it kinda gives me a feeling like the early Traffic music, which is awesome.

[Conti]

My favorite Supertramp is Crisis, Crime, and Quietest Moments. But I do like that first album. It’s got a very different vibe from what came later, and it kinda gives me a feeling like the early Traffic music, which is awesome.

I think Roger Hodgson himself admits a strong Traffic influence in early Supertramp, especially on his songs. I love that vibe too.

Crisis What Crisis has always been my favorite Supertramp album.

[ronmac]

Great band. These threads always depress me, though. I had one chance to see them and the fuckers broke up the day of the show.

[Progbear]

That cannot be said about the follow up, Indelibly stamped. If there is one album that completely sticks out, thats the one. I remember finding it incredibly boring.

I think they were hurting for the loss of an original member (Palmer) and were trying to fill the gap, yet were unsure on how to go about it. Having kind of an in-between lineup doesn’t help, though I guess both of the above explain the general mediocrity of the material. I have to say that Rick Davies songwriting style comes in fully-formed on “Forever.” That song could easily have been on Breakfast in America and fit right in.

I rated an 11. It's a fine album. I think Crime will always be their masterpiece however. In terms of the band being "American", maybe you conflated "Breakfast in America" with them being a US band?

Breakfast in America celebrates the band’s move to the USA. It’s what the title song is about.

[Trane]

I think they were hurting for the loss of an original member (Palmer) and were trying to fill the gap, yet were unsure on how to go about it. Having kind of an in-between lineup doesn’t help, though I guess both of the above explain the general mediocrity of the material. I have to say that Rick Davies songwriting style comes in fully-formed on “Forever.” That song could easily have been on Breakfast in America and fit right in.



Breakfast in America celebrates the band’s move to the USA. It’s what the title song is about.

Mmmhhh!!!... Supertramp established themselves in LA during Quitest Moment, so BIA is two years later.... Of course there is that message, the same way Rod Stewart did with Atlantic Crossing.

As for Stamped, I can't say I ever dug deeply into it, but for me, the only salvageable track is Aries, but even then it overstays its welcome by a good two minutes with the closing jam.

As for typical "songwriting style to be", if you say Forever for Davies, I counter with Travelled for Hodgson.

But I do like that first album. It’s got a very different vibe from what came later, and it kinda gives me a feeling like the early Traffic music, which is awesome.

I think Roger Hodgson himself admits a strong Traffic influence in early Supertramp, especially on his songs. I love that vibe too.

Not sure I hear much Traffic in the debut... At least not in the Hole In My Shoe sense. But yeah, I can imagine that Hodgson did listen to the band because of his high-tone singing and how to accomodate it in a "rock" setting, vocal timbre which in some ways can be likened to Winwood's.

[Progtastic]

I saw them in 1971 and have almost no recollection of the gig! Only thing that I can recall was the drummer starting a drum solo, then getting up and hitting anything he could on stage, then jumping off stage and ran around the audience using the floor as a drum.

[Firth]

Breakfast was the only album that deserved the pop label. Crime, Crisis and Quiet are Prog in my opinion, but I understand the Art Rock label.

BTW Ken Scott engineered and produced their albums, and Happy the Man’s. Ken was George Harrison’s choice over George Martin on Abbey Road and hence why George Harrison’s songs sound clearer IMO on that record.

Live Supertramp shows in the 70s in the US were awesome in visuals and audio.

Don’t know why anybody would think they were American.

[Firth]

Crime of the Century Mobile Fidelity vinyl was album of choice for demoing audio.

[Firth]

Another term which describes their sound is “cinematic”. Excellent production is needed to produce cinematic sound. Another cinematic master is Pink Floyd. Dark Side of the Moon and Crime were Mobile Fidelity recordings often used for audio demos.

[TCC]

"Crime Of The Century" is a favorite here and "Supertramp" plus "Indelibly Stamped" have a special place in my collection: I've been listening to them again and they're still right there on the top.!.

np:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE_J...WLoocm&index=5

[Rael]

I've never heard the first two. I'm a huge fan of CotC and the albums through Breakfast in America. I really wish Roger Hodgson sang everything; there is something about Richard Davies' vocals that grate on me. Even so, those classic albums delivered lots of great pop ear candy with dashes of prog here and there.

[Trane]

Breakfast was the only album that deserved the pop label. Crime, Crisis and Quiet are Prog in my opinion, but I understand the Art Rock label.

BTW Ken Scott engineered and produced their albums, and Happy the Man’s. Ken was George Harrison’s choice over George Martin on Abbey Road and hence why George Harrison’s songs sound clearer IMO on that record.

I'd put FLW in the pop category as well.

Yes, for me and the schoolfriends I had strong ties with, Art Rock was designating Supertramp, Genesis and Yes.
I understand the "genre" slid a little towards Glam/Glitter Rock, partly because of the Bowie/Roxy/Eno looks

Thanks for the anecdote of Harrison and Scott

And yes, COTC was with DSOTM my hi-fi testing albums

[Dan Roth]

Bob Siebenberg is the brother in law of Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy fame.

And Supertramp bassist Dougie Thomson’s younger brother Ali scored a top 15 hit of his own in the early 80s:

[jlneudorf]

The debut and Indelibly Stamped are both fine albums. Quaint English psych/prog flavoured rock. I enjoy them very much, especially when I am looking for something other than their more polished sound, which I adore as well.

[Udi Koomran]

I need to listen
I am curious...

[Trane]

I need to listen
I am curious...

Forget the Naked Boobs album (the Orthodox coud've been right about something ) and opt for the Flowerman...

[no.nine]

I'm going to join the fray and say that I also think Indelibly Stamped is a good album. However, just as the debut is unique in their discography, so is Indelibly Stamped. But it's unique for a different reason. It shows a band unsure of what direction to go in. So you have differing rock styles here, culminating in a jam which would have fit in well on the debut but admittedly sounds out of place here after all the songs which precede it.

This all could have been a disaster - and many would say it IS one - but I like all the material here and so it works for me. But with the obvious exception of the vocals, I don't think much here sounds like any Supertramp that came afterwards. So I suppose you could say this is really the band's formative album, while the debut comes off as more of a one-off by a practically different band. Well, these are my thoughts anyway.

[luvyesmusic]

And Supertramp bassist Dougie Thomson’s younger brother Ali scored a top 15 hit of his own in the early 80s:

I remember this song. Pretty good back in the day. Thanks! It's been decades since I've heard this one.

[TheH]

I really love their debut, which reminds me of (very) early Genesis sometimes.

I not to much in their other stuff although Crime is great..

[pb2015]

I've heard bits of both online. The debut would be one of those collectible prog albums if they hadn't become famous later. What I heard of the second album is more generic rock but at times has the beginnings of their later hit style. Both are intriguing and I may get them one of these days.

[Progbear]

I remember my first listen to Indelibly Stamped. I kind of felt like Bart Simpson at Kamp Krusty. Every time I heard a substandard song, I thought, “it’s OK, they’re just building to the 7-minute prog epic at the end!”

Then I finally get to the 7-minute track in question. Which turns out not to be a “prog epic” but a repetitious folk jam! ARRGH! I was going to say, “which might just be the worst thing on the album,” then I remembered Davies’ ultra-crass “Coming Home to See You” and Dave Winthrop’s...even more crass “Potter.”

It had its moments, but I maintain that it was their worst album until Free as a Bird. Even Famous Last Words, while noticeably off-pace of the four albums that preceded it, was a better album.

[GeneTull]

Zaragon just posted a listening party/real-time review of two rubies from the album:

[pmrviana]

Speaking of early Supertramp, prmviana mentioned to me that the Indelibly Stamped band was already playing Dreamer, which seems to fit the timeline perfectly. It seems an old YT video has even surfaced with this. Has anyone seen this?

Yes, that was a BBC session with the Indelibly Stamped band, but with Dougie Thomson on bass. They were already playing Rudy and Dreamer back then. This showed up on YouTube a few years ago, but I only got to listen once as it was taken down rather quickly...

EDIT: Just found this on Google, it seems like there's a bootleg CD with this material...

https://www.discogs.com/pt_BR/Supert...elease/9645708

EDIT 2: At least part of that 1974 session is still available on YouTube:



But as usual with Supertramp, those are pretty much the same as the studio versions...

[Trane]

^^^

thx for sharing.

[Conti]

Yes, that was a BBC session with the Indelibly Stamped band, but with Dougie Thomson on bass. They were already playing Rudy and Dreamer back then. This showed up on YouTube a few years ago, but I only got to listen once as it was taken down rather quickly...

EDIT: Just found this on Google, it seems like there's a bootleg CD with this material...

https://www.discogs.com/pt_BR/Supert...elease/9645708

EDIT 2: At least part of that 1974 session is still available on YouTube:



But as usual with Supertramp, those are pretty much the same as the studio versions...

Thanks for sharing the clip and the information. It's always nice to listen to Supertramp in their prime.

Color me very interested in those early versions of their well-known songs. I have also never heard of the song Pony Expresss, which is listed in the bootleg whose discogs link you shared with us. By doing some research, I found the following links to John Peel's sessions with their pre-Crime of the Century line-up :

https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpee...ug22supertramp

https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpee...ov20supertramp

https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpee...un25supertramp

Many of the listed tracks are completely unknown to me.