Disco de Supertramp: “Breakfast in America”

Soldiers get the latest in music almost as fast as teenagers, and they are the first to get state-of-the art stereo systems through the PX that would make a discount wholesaler wince. That was my introduction to "Breakfast in America." Sitting in my platoon's storage room one afternoon in 1979, I heard the sound of "Breakfast..." coming from the arms room. Normally, any music would have made me go to the offender and ask him to turn it down. This was different. It wasn't the cacaphony of noise I was unfortunately accustomed to hearing. I listened more intently to each selection, liking one as much as the other. I closed the field manual. It was no use. The music had taken over. I asked the armorer what he was playing, and he showed me the cassette. He added, with more pride in his taste for music rather than as an attempt to convince me: "Great tunes, h'uh, sir?"

After almost thirty years, it still has as much appeal as when I purchased it. Now on DVD, there are some weekend afternoons that I program my favorites, recall a time and place long ago, and the roads I travelled where the language and customs were different, always playing "Breakfast in America" in my head, where I would "take the long way home." (My favorite.)

Ignore the inconsistent way the tracks are labeled on Amazon -- all on the first disc are remastered, and all on the second disc are live. The 2010 remaster is quite a bump up from the original CD issue; not so noticeable (to my aging ears) from the 2002 remaster.

The real treat here is of course the second disc, which offers live versions for the first time of a number of tracks. "Oh Darling" and "Child of Vision" (from 'Breakfast') and "Even in the Quietest Moments" have never appeared on a live album release; "Give a Little Bit" has only appeared live on a b-side. The disc also contains the only live version released of "Goodbye Stranger" before Roger Hodgson left the band. (Rick Davies sings lead, however Hodgson can be heard on backing vocals.)

The remaining tracks can't compete with definitive versions from Supertramp's height-of-career-capping live album 'Paris' but the banter before songs reveals a band proud of their latest offerings; and the performances show a different kind of exuberance than documented on the more polished and confident 'Paris'.

I have an original 1979 pressing of this album that is showing its age and I thought I'd give a new one a shot. Boy, was I disappointed! This version sounds dead and lifeless because the bristling high end that made this such an exciting album in its day has been totally EQ'd out. The vocals are down right muddy on most tracks. Plus, whoever actually cut this to the master disc obviously doesn't know how to read a set of level meters because the channels on side two are way out of balance. The left channel is at lest 5 dB louder than the right! To make matters worse, all of the treble is gone from the right channel as, well. Why didn't somebody hear this? People are going back to vinyl looking for quality, not a shoddy job of mastering like this.... I'd send it back but I got so frustrated trying to listen to it that I ripped it off the turntable and threw it across the room. At least one copy won't be able to torture anyone else's ears now. It's in the trash where it belongs!

If there is any kind of formula to Supertramp's music, it's that it combines rich and detailed musicianship with being friendly and accessable to the listener. "Breakfast In America" is the finest example of this formula because Supertramp executes it superbly on this album. It is, quite simply, Supertramp's masterpiece.

Every song on the album is a winner. The standouts are, of course "The Logical Song," which finds John Anthony Helliwell (woodwind instruments) giving one of the greatest saxophone solos in recorded history, as well as the near anthemic "Take the Long Way Home" and the fun rocker "Goodbye Stranger." Even the title track, with it's quirky "old world" charm and feel, never dulls or becomes tiresome after several listens. Drummer Bob C. Benberg is absolutely brilliant in the way he provides a solid foundation for each song, yet is smart enough to hold back and punctuate when it is needed.

However, it's "Breakfast In America's" bookend tracks, "Gone Hollywood" and "Child Of Vision" that provide the album with its epic tone from start to finish. Supertramp's great bassist Dougie Thomson shines brightly on "Child Of Vision," particularly during the song's second verse. Also notable are guitarist/keyboardist Roger Hodgson's clear-as-a-bell lead vocal throughout and keyboardist Rick Davies' impeccable piano solo at the song's end.

When listening to "Breakfast In America," it's no wonder it was a mega hit for the band. This album finds the band at it's most cohesive musically, and the lyrics are delivered with a wink and a smile. The yin and yang trade off of Roger Hodgson's high lead vocals and Rick Davies' lower lead vocals compliment each other beautifully when they're brought together to form their tightly layered harmonies.

"Breakfast In America" is my all time favorite album - period. I've gone through the original LP, two cassette versions and two CD versions and it still sounds as fresh as it did when it was played on my sisters' record player back in 1979. It is the album I point to when I introduce Supertramp to a future fan of the band.

What's also fun to know: "Breakfast In America" won a Grammy award for best album cover design in 1979.

Though it's hard to see on the CD cover, the waitress' name tag on the front cover says "Libby," which is appropriate because she is depicted as the Statue of Liberty as seen out of an airplane window.

The band has a sense of humor too. In the photo on the album's back cover, Rick Davies is shown pouring sugar in his coffee, but the newspaper he's reading is blocking it from going into his coffee cup.

I had heard of Supertramp before "Breakfast...". I had heard "Bloody Well Right" from "Crime Of The Century" and "Give A Little Bit" from "Even In The Quietest Moments" from the radio. What I hadn't done, was take Supertramp seriously enough to buy an album. That changed with "Breakfast In America". "The Logical Song", "Goodbye Stranger" and "Take The Long Way Home" made me a Supertramp fan. I now own several Supertramp CD(s), "Breakfast...", "Crime..." and "Paris" among them. "Breakfast..." may or may not be the all-time Supertramp recording, but it did get my attention. I love this CD. I think I love "Paris" even more, which was recorded from the "Breakfast" tour. Geddy Lee and Rush don't have anything over Supertramp. Rush was just more serious. Supertramp was just plain fun. Kind of like the comparison between Pearl Jam (Serious) and The Stone Temple Pilots (Silly). Who says music has to be serious anyway? At the time, 1979, I was a high school senior. Everybody from my parents to my school teachers, counselors, principals and maybe even the old farts who patroned the bar next door to our house wanted me to GET SERIOUS. Enter "Breakfast..." and "The Logical Song". Again, maybe, maybe not their best work - but it helped shape "who I am" today. As it turned out, "Breakfast..." made me get serious about buying Supertramp albums, and also made me understand it was OK to forget getting serious about life at 18 years old. For the record, I ended up being a Systems Engineer for a railroad and mass transit signal systems supplier, as well as being a devoted husband and father of three children. SUPERTRAMP ROCKS. Buy them all.