My Top 10 Favorite Supertramp Songs.
1974 - 1979
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If you were lucky enough to grow up in the 1970's, you probably know quite a few Supertramp songs. Arguably, one of the "poppiest" rock bands from that era, Supertramp had more hits than you probably remember. Here is my list of my Top 10 Favorite Supertramp Songs from 1974 to 1979.
Crime of the Century (1974)
1) School - This song starts out with a lone, distant harmonica echoing a handful of notes in the A minor pentatonic scale. A rather dark, brooding beginning to a song, you can hear children on the playground - then the band kicks in. The middle section of this song is almost all instrumental including guitar and keyboard solos. The bridge comes in, and the song changes briefly to a more awakening feel as it goes back as it drifts into the darker outro verse. I think this song was way ahead of its time. I've always appreciated storybook music, sons that actually make you think and feel something.
2) Bloody well right - Ah, everyone's favorite air-keyboard intro to a rock song! At least, it is for me. The left hand floats between two chords: Ab and Bb, in each of the next 16 measures until it does a slight ritardando in 6/8 time during the last four measures just before the rest of the band comes in. Imagine that - a rock band with horns. Oh wait, that was a thing back then, and it worked great! This song is loaded with catchy guitar licks that made it easy for any air-guitar player to emulate in the passengers seat of their buddies' Chevelle.
3) Dreamer - Oh look, another keyboard intro. The lyrics have a sort of "tattle-tail" melody in the verses. I mean, it sounds like something your little sister would do to get you in trouble. "I'm gonna tell..." or "You're in trouble..." Yeah, now that you're thinking about it, you hear it too. Such great harmony vocals in this song. You just don't hear great music like this anymore.
4) Crime of the Century - To me, this song represents the story of acknowledging the secretive, hidden ultra-wealthy and powerful deep state, as they take turns running the world as if playing a game of chess. I've thought for the longest time that if any unbiased, open-minded movie writer/director had the courage to film a documentary about the real truth and lies of the events of September 11, 2001, this song should play throughout the entire score.
Even in the quietest moments (1977)
5) Give a little bit - I was 14 years old when this song was all over the radio. I think that this is one of the first songs I figured out all by myself, on the guitar, without any help from sheet music. Back then, I had to learn songs by listening to them over and over. It is also one of those songs that (I think) every guitar player should learn. The chords are all in the key of D major and fairly easy to play. Supertramp was notorious for effortless crescendos in so many of their songs. Just a nice, easy pop song. What a great ending for a guitar song!
6) Even in the quietest moments - I hear birds. There's that 12-string acoustic guitar again. Such an awesome sound. The music just paints the episodic landscape with so many colors, and that's just the intro. Such fantastic harmonies too. The song never really takes off into any sort of chorus or bridge, but it's not really that kind of song. This one is more of a "close your eyes and listen" song.
Breakfast in America (1979)
7) The Logical song - I have always been a big fan of polychords. This song has a few of them. I remember hearing this as a teenager, why so many big words were being used in the lyrics: "Sensible, logical, responsible, practical, dependable, clinical, intellectual, cynical, radical, liberal, fanatical, criminal, acceptable, respectable, presentable, vegetable." This song will always remind me of my then best friend, Curt. He got the Mattel Electronic Football pocket game for Christmas the year before. Listen closely and you can hear the "Touchdown" sound from the game, towards the end of the song, right after he says, "D-d-d-d-d-d-d digital." as he count's 1, 2, 3, "5". I'll bet you didn't know that one. You're welcome.
8) Goodbye stranger - This song has an almost reflective incarnation of the earlier melody to "Dreamer". Again, such great vocals and harmonies in this song. Another great build-up that explodes into a completely different feel for the ending for the song. Great guitar solo to finish the song.
9) Breakfast in America - Have you ever noticed how many of Supertramp's hit songs have a dark, brooding nature about them? This one is no exception. At a mere 2 minutes, 37 seconds, I think this is also the shortest song they ever did. "What's she got? Not a lot."
10) Take the long way home - This is my all time favorite Supertramp song. Let me tell you the story. In 1982, I was 19 years old. My family went on vacation to northern Wisconsin to a place called Big Round Lake. I'm guessing all the other names to describe this lake had already been taken - anyway, I owned a motorcycle, and I was going to drive it all the way up to the resort, while everyone else drove in cars. I was a very independent kid. I loved having my freedom to come and go as I pleased. While we were up there, I did a lot of touring around the area. I loved riding my motorcycle and clearing my mind of the cobwebs. About three days before we were all supposed to leave to go home, I decided that I'd had enough of "Up Nort", and it was time for me to do the trip back to Racine, all by myself. I remember getting up before dawn, loading up my motorcycle and hitting the road. In my head, the lyrics from the song played over and over. And so, I took the long way home.
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