A generation ago, there were rock/pop bands that mixed clever melodies, creative harmonies and rich voices to create sophisticated sounds for fans that wanted something between limpid pop and head banging metal. One of those groups was Supertramp, who in the 1970s had a string of classy albums, their high point being Crime of the Century and Breakfast in America. This two disc set captures the band in tour right on the throes of the latter hit album, featuring a hefty portion of the hits such as “The Logical Song”, “Take The Long Way Home’ and “Goodbye Stranger”.
The two leaders, Rick Davies/key-voc and Rodger Hodgson/g-key-voc, are in excellent form, singing lead and sharing in the vocal textures, with pieces like the dramatic “ School” and “Crime of the Century” bookending the more jovial moments like “Bloody Well Right” and “Dreamer”. Earnest tunes such as ‘Ain’t Nobody But Me” and “Give A Little Bit” have the band turn their big concert halls into cozy UK pubs, while “Another Man’s Woman” is just a hoot of a singalong. When did people stop composing like this? Available February 28