Disco de Supertramp: “Some Things Never Change [Bonus Track]”

Ironically, the mass-market popularity of Supertramp rests on a the hummable hooks of its middle-period albums. Thus, I can only guess that the many criticisms of this particular album come from fans to whom "Logical Song" seems the pinnacle of musical achievement. Too bad for them... they're missing out on some of the best work of this band's career. This is most certainly a Supertramp album to rival (and in some ways, exceed) the best output of their halcyon days.

Yes, gone are the trite little singles of Breakfast in America. Instead, the band expands its reach, weaving a lavish musical tapestry of many scintillating instrumental threads. There's an echo here of the beautiful studio jamming of Supertramp's vastly under-rated first album. Some reviewers (All-Music Guide, shame on you) have taken this as a sign that Supertramp 'can no longer create catchy little songs.' Hey, maybe they've simply evolved beyond that sort of silliness. The tracks on Some Things Never Change sound at once familiar, yet fresh and new. But where earlier works tended to stop short, these go on, achieving their jazzy, mesmerizing potential in a full five, six, or nine minutes.

Bands move on; if you trust their vision, then you have no choice but to follow where they lead. The reward is discovering unexpected gems like this one.

Unlike many people have suggested, alot has changed with Supertramp.

"It's A Hard World" opens the album, and it is anything but your typical Supertramp fare. The dark, smokey jazz track is something like Steely Dan on a cloudy day with more soul. Clocking at nearly ten minutes, the tune showcases chilled-out electric piano, atmospheric effects and plenty of little guitar and horn interjections. A much hipper, darker sound is displayed in this song that Supertramp has never touched upon before.

The next track, the light-heard "You Win, I Lose" is cute, but it wears off pretty fast, with its jumpy little guitar rolls and cheery electric piano. This track appears to be an attempt at reproducing the classic sound, but it doesn't work too well. The chorus is pretty decent, but overall, this song, instead of resurrecting the positive sound of "classic" Tramp, it only proves to be a bit embarrasing.

"Get You Act Together" has sort of a bluesy feel, but is far too clean to reallby be classified as that. The chorus, though, is pure Supertramp, which effortlessly shows us the feel that the previous track failed at. This song might be considered "easy-listening" by some people for its easy-going groove, but Davies' soulful voice knocks down all such accusations.

"Live to Love You," however, is easy-listening to the fullest, but who could help but indulge in the tuneful pleasures of Rick Davies' sincere voice? Not very good, but tolerable for a ballad.

The title track is a punchy jazz-rock number that features a mind-blowing, groove-a-licious chorus with a hip, jazz-funk feel that is one of the best things the band has ever done. Some cool but not-too-original guitar soloing is thrown in for good measure, but the real attraction is Rick's electric piano solo. The jamming is confident, sophisticated, and infectious, and the glassy timbre of the electric piano makes this nothing short of aural bliss, and the subsequent trippy sax/trumpet jamming is perhaps the Tramps spaciest moment in their history.

"Listen to Me Please" features some entertaining vocal interaction between Davies and Mark Hart, and while the vocals are a tad trite, the song has an icy, jazz-ish vibe to it that makes a real pleasure to listen to.

"Sooner of Later" has this bassline that is one of those riffs that _should_ have gone into the pantheon of greatest basslines ever, but hey, you can't win 'em all. Hart's breezy vocals carry this funky jazz groove for the first couple minutes, and then it reaches new hieghts of grooviness when the horn section embarks on a first-rate journey through jazz improvisation, not to mention the funky organ jamming, which is also quite delicious.

"Help Me Down that Road" is in the same vein as "Get Your Act Together," but scores significantly higher on the soul factor, due to its more sincere feel and spicy groove. Quite different from anything we've heard from this group before.

"And the Light" is a soft-sounding ballad, of a type which a generally shun, and yet I find myself enjoying this tune at last. I guess I am just a sucker for Davies' voice, since the composition and the lyrics are rather unoriginal and corny.

The next track is a secret track of sorts. If its on your CD, than lucky you. But otherwise, the next track should be "C'est What?" which is another jazz-rock tour-de-force, which gets quite ferociously groovy from time to time, in between mellower sections. This song is all about dynamics. Quiet, loud, quiet, loud, etc. Definetly the most rocking song on here, which borrows from jazz, rock as well as soul and classic R'n'B.

"Where There's A Will" starts of sounding lame enough, and the intentionally clicheic lyrics, but once it gets picked up, it actually has a pretty cool soulful sound, and you can tell that Davies is really playing and singing his heart on this one, despite the dumb lyrics. But dig the almost Gospel-ish sound on this track. It's pretty unlike anything that the band has ever done, like most stuff on this album.

After a close examination of this album, it appears that more has changed than the title suggests. In fact, this album is a prime example of the drastic evolution a band can undergo in a lengthy 30 year career. Sure, the style has changed quite a bit, but the unique spirit of Supertramp remains intact. It's just a matter of finding it in this interesting and unusual album.

As a fan of Supertramp since I was 14, I waited nearly ten years for this new album. After Free As A Bird and the awful Live 88 I didn't expect anything. But after the opening bass solo I was blown away by that new, groovy style. It seems that they practiced a bit during those years. The new bass player, Cliff Hugo and Lee Thornburg, former Tower Of Power-Trumpet player are fitting perfectly in this new style. It is no more Supertramp as in the 70's and 80's but a great beginning for the next part of Supertramp's history in the 90's.

After reading some of the reviews here, I was kinda bracing me when I put the cd on. I listened to it in a single run..., and again..., and again...

It is an awesome album. This must surely be one of their quality wise most consistent albums!

Indeed, this is a (re)new(ed) Supertramp... and what an improvement at that! If someone would have said this is a new group I'd have said it is a crossover between Steely Dan and Supertramp.

A recipe for high quality, terrific sounding music, if you ask me.

It does take you a while to get used to the jazzier Supertramp. But I like the result the more I play it. And there's enough of the old Supertramp sound to enjoy. Since Hodgson left, Supertramp's lyrics don't evoke the same soulful spiritual themes as they used to. I guess that was one thing great about the old Supertramp; the contrasts available within the same band. Nevertheless, I enjoy Live to Love You (I heard it on muzak at the mall one day!) and Get Your Act Together (listen for the Sesame Street harmonica at the beginning!). My favorite here is And the Light, which I heard was written in the spirit of reaching out to Roger to come to some understanding. Classic Rick Davies' vocals.