Supertramp – Breakfast In America (Deluxe Edition)
4 min read
Back in the seventies UK rock/pop maestro’s, Supertramp, churned out hit after hit and went on to become one of the most profitable and iconic bands that the UK produced throughout the seventies and eighties. They were and still are considered to be a UK rock institution.
With incredible singles such as The Logical Song, It’s Raining Again, Dreamer and Give A Little Bit being delivered to the world at such a rapid pace, Supertramp were among a league of extraordinary acts that gained worldwide acclaim and a massive fan following. The bands most iconic release was their 1979 album, Breakfast In America, which spawned some of the groups most recognizable hits including The Logical Song, Goodbye Stranger, Take The Long Road Home and Breakfast In America.
The record went on to become a commercially successful and critically acclaimed release for Supertramp.
Breakfast in America was one of the last albums recorded by Supertramp to feature the distinctive vocals of Roger Hodgson and upon its release the record won a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package.
This particular iconic album has been given a glossy makeover which saw its release in Deluxe Edition format this week ahead of the bands UK performances over the following few months including a very special performance at London’s O2 Arena.
I remember listening to Supertramp when I was very young. In fact, It’s Raining Again was one of the first songs I can remember hearing in my life. That particular track isn’t featured on Breakfast In America but nonetheless I am very excited about the re-release of this album as it showcases the band perfectly as one of the true greats of modern music and early pioneers of the pop world.
The bands ability to pen some truly magnificent songs is portrayed to the point of perfection throughout Breakfast In America. The Logical Song is a classic masterpiece that has become the bands signature hit. The song stands out among all Supertramp numbers as an intricate pop wonder with Roger Hodgson’s vocals ringing throughout its four minute lifespan. The production of the song on this Deluxe Edition continues to sound undated and pristine.
Goodbye Stranger, another classic Supertramp smash, follows with its distinctive Wurlitzer piano tinkering and grinding bass holding a track of catchy hooks and falsetto driven chorus-lines tightly together. Goodbye Stranger was another Top 20 hit for the band across the pond.
The title track pulls the record together nicely with its bouncy rhythm and use of a beefy trombone and infectious, slurring chorus.
Harmonica heavy, pub classic Take The Long Way Home is a prominent staple in Breakfast In America that transforms this album from a great record to a legendary classic well worthy of the Grammy it received and the numerous accolades that followed. One of the catchiest numbers that Supertramp produced, its swaying, melodic chorus and vocal delivery helped put this band on the musical map the world over.
The use of the Wurlitzer piano, an instrument which became synonymous with the sound of Supertramp, along with Roger Hodgson’s distinctive vocals, was used extensively in the creation of Breakfast in America. Already a principle tool used to put The Logical Song together as well as earlier hits including Dreamer and Bloody Well Right, the instrument was also exposed heavily on Oh Darling, Just Another Nervous Wreck and Child Of Vision, the latter track adopting the controversial label as being a subtle attack from a bitter Hodgson to fellow band vocalist Rick Davies. Child of Vision is an epic closing to Breakfast In America with an atmospheric structure of instrumental brilliance.
Along with the original remastered album, the Deluxe Edition is also packaged together nicely with an accompanying live disc of the album. Recorded while the band was on tour in 1979, the live disc, appropriately titled Breakfast Around The World features performances in London and Paris and includes a superb and nostalgic version of Give A Little Bit.
Breakfast In America is one of those albums that is, quite frankly, iconic. It is up there with the best. Sitting amongst the greats of musical artistry, firmly positioned by its use of memorable and timeless hooks, wise and intellectual lyrical content and the use of almost every instrument available at the time to create a classic slice of distinctive, pop bliss. And with the addition of a live disc to help reminisce on days gone, the perfect addition to anyone’s music collection.
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