Supertramp "The Very Best of Supertramp" (1990)

The Very Best of Supertramp (compilation)
release date: Jun. 3, 1990
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5]
producer: various
label: A&M Records - nationality: England, UK

Compilation album by Supertramp comprising mostly the band's most commercially successful albums with just one track originating from Crisis? What Crisis?, one from "'Famous Last Words', and one from their '85 album without Hodgson Brother Where You Bound, two from Even in the Quietest Moments..., but then four tracks have found it's way to this from Breakfast in America and six (!) from Crime of the Century, which makes it a best of album consisting of 2 /3 of the songs originating from only two albums, which I think is near ridiculous. Yes, it's a compilation, and although Supertramp isn't one of my favourite acts, I really miss more songs - also from my personal favourite.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

Supertramp " "...Famous Last Words..." " (1982)

"...Famous Last Words..."
release date: Oct. 1982
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,56]
producer: Peter Henderson, Russel Pope, Supertramp
label: A&M Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 3. "It's Raining Again" - 9. "Don't Leave Me Now" (2,5 / 5)

7th studio album by Supertramp. The title is in brackets suggesting something more than just a final album, which has to do with founder Rodger Hodgson's decision to leave the band and pursue a solo career. Roger Hodgson and Rick Davies are credited as exclusive composers of almost every song in the band's back catalog, which also is the case on this one. The two have also shared the role as lead vocalist, sometimes both singing lead on the same song, and often, like here, they have arranged the songs on the album so Hodgson has lead on tracks #1, #3, #5, #7, and #9, and Davies on the others. So it's an obvious end to the backbone of the band, but the title also suggests that the band will continue. I have never paid the album much attention, and frankly find it very much like the predecessor: boring except for one or two songs, but the hit song have also been played on every radio station worldwide to a degree that makes it "boring". Best peaking single from the album is unquestionably "It's Raining Again" making it to number #5 in the US but only number #26 in the UK. The album was a commercial success and secured many #1 positions on various album charts around the world but it only went number #5 and #6 in the US and UK, respectively.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Supertramp "Breakfast in America" (1979)

Breakfast in America
release date: Mar. 29, 1979
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,68]
producer: Peter Henderson, Supertramp
label: A&M Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "The Logical Song" (4 / 5) - 4. "Breakfast in America" - 10. "Child of Vision"

6th studio album by Supertramp. The album may be seen as the band's first full mainstream pop / rock album. Many consider it the band's best, which I think has to do with the 'new' audience the band primarily attracted by the late 1970s. Critics are much divided when ranking the album. Yes, they sold millions of albums, gained their largest group of supporters, and experienced a lot of radio airplay, but except from the two hit singles, "The Logical Song" and the title track, I just find it of little interest, and only think of it as downright boring, and I think of it as closely related to the mainstream pop / rock by Genesis who also attracted a huge crowd of fans by making (safe) soft pop / rock. It is, however, the band's best selling album putting it as number #3 in the UK, but reaching number #1 in the US and many other countries including Canada, Germany, France, and Australia.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Mojo 4 / 5, Rolling Stone Album Guide, Uncut 3 / 5 stars ]

Supertramp "Even in the Quietest Moments..." (1977)

Even tn the Quietest Moments...
release date: Apr. 1977
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,12]
producer: Supertramp
label: A&M Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Give a Little Bit" (4 / 5) - 3. "Even in the Quietest Moments" - 4. "Downstream" - 6. "From Now On" - 7. "Fool's Overture"

5th studio album by Supertramp. Two years under its way the album shows the band's move into more mainstream territory. The album is, like its front cover suggests, also piano-founded music. It's soft rock more than anything and it's also fine songwriting, although, I also find it a bit on the dull side.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 stars ]

Supertramp "Crisis? What Crisis?" (1975)

Crisis? What Crisis?
release date: Sep.14, 1975
format: vinyl (1977 reissue) / digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,65]
producer: Ken Scott, Supertramp
label: A&M Records - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: A) 1. "Easy Does It" - 2. "Sister Moonshine" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "Ain't Nobody But Me" (3 / 5) - 4. "A Soapbox Opera" (4 / 5) - 5. "Another Man's Woman" (3 / 5) - - B) 1. "Lady" (4 / 5) - 2. "Poor Boy" - 3. "Just a Normal Day" - 4. "The Meaning" (4 / 5) - 5. "Two of Us"

4th studio album by Supertramp. Like the successful Crime of the Century (Nov. 1974) the album is co-produced by Ken Scott. It's the first album I ever heard with the band. I used to borrow the album from my older brother, and really liked it a lot. Eventually, he gave me the album when he moved out of our family house back in '78. I still consider the album the band's best. It's right there on the verge of progressive rock art pop and the more cheesy and standardised pop they made later on, and I like it more than its more famous predecessor because it's a move away from bluesy American r&b soft rock to a more simplified European art pop.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

~ ~ ~

This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

Supertramp "Crime of the Century" (1974)

Crime of the Century
release date: Nov. 1974
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,29]
producer: Ken Scott, Supertramp
label: A&M Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "Bloody Well Right" - 4. "Asylum" - 5. "Dreamer" (4 / 5) (live) - 8. "Crime of the Century"

3rd studio album by Supertramp. The album is the first to be co-produced by Ken Scott. It's also known as the band's breakthrough album. Musically, it's no longer a fusion of various styles with single tracks having various inspirational sources, so one track may be inspired by this and another by something completely different. The band obviously still has taken inspiration from many sources, which gave them an undefinable sound on the two previous albums, but here, Scott and the band keeps things together and pins out a style of their own with equal parts of r&b, jazz rock and progressive rock, resulting in art rock and soft rock. The album is enlisted in many best-of-lists compiling the best pop / rock albums of all time. It's the only Supertramp album to figure in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
[ allmusic.com, Sputnikmusic 4 / 5 stars ]

Supertramp "Indelibly Stamped" (1971)

Indelibly Stamped
release date: Jun. 1971
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5]
producer: Supertramp
label: A&M Records - nationality: England, UK

2nd studio album by Supertramp. The album is less fusion-oriented and more r&b-founded, but the result is really not much better than the debut. I think, many would find it more rockin'. I just don't like the soft rock tone. It's probably more american than the debut, but they play well, and it's more straight forward than the poor debut.
[ allmusic.com 2 / 5 stars ]

Supertramp "Supertramp" (1970)

Supertramp [debut]
release date: Jul. 14, 1970
format: digital
[album rate: 2 / 5]
producer: Supertramp
label: A&M Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 4. "Words Unspoken" (3 / 5)

Studio debut album by Supertramp. I have only come across the album in recent years, and really cannot see anything of interest in the album. The style is piano-founded pop / rock or soft rock with too much fusion. I have really never enjoyed a fusion of jazz and pop / rock much and this is for its time a typical blend with Hammond organ and various vocal harmonies blended with bold use of percussion, horns and elements from classical compositions, but in my ears, without much success or clear direction. It's a jam session of harmonic arrangements. At best, it's supermarket muzak.
[ allmusic.com 2 / 5 stars ]