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Name: Album: Recorded in: Period active: Nationality: Members (1985): |
Supertramp Brother Where You Bound (1985) California, US 1969 - 2002 UK Rick Davies (vocals, keyboards) John A. Helliwel (sax) Bob Siebenberg (drums) Dougie Thompson (bass) |
In 1985 a LP had been released which controlled my life for at least two years. Mainly before that year I bought albums of Madness, Jimmy Cliff and ZZ Top. I was fourteen years of age, ignorant and heavily in search for the so-called good taste in things. Desperate I became of the current top40 and my own small music collection. But I knew for sure there simply had to be better music outthere somewhere. But the radio and television gave me no hope. Horrific music (with matching heads) like Rick Astley, Modern Talking, Wham!, Spandau Ballet and the Dolly Dots (Dutch girlgroup) were being displayed shamelessly.
At the moment the situation was the most urgent, my fear and annoyance were taken away. I heard a man sing about false promises, totalitarianism, resignation and self-consideration. The music was cinematic, furious, cheerful sometimes, danceable even, but mostly full of inspiration. ‘Progressive rock’ people called it officially.
Concerning album: Brother Where You Bound recorded by Supertramp.
This difficult to define record made be aware how beautiful music can be. And easily I dare to say that this record influenced me the most in my current musical taste.
I hear you’re wondering. Supertramp? Yes indeed ,the band of the most successful songwritersduo ever (after Lennon/McCartney and Jagger/Richards that is) namely Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson. Do not misguide yourself by those slicky hitsingles in the 70s or by those old boring men of the 90s. I’m talking about 1985. The year in which Supertramp donated his only true masterpiece to the world.
What defines a masterpiece?
It’s the combination. The year of creation, the current social standards, the personal situation of the artist, the degree of expectation of the audience and of course the quality of the created work itself contributes to mastery. Brother Where You Bound answers to everything. Just look over it. In 1985 Supertramp was headless due to the departure of it’s face and hit supplier Hodgson. Supertramp was unsure about it’s own existence as a band. And the general public treated the band like a common stadium filling hitmachine. Big was the risk of an album production consisting with a complete new non-Supertramp progressive rock sound. And daring. But, so it turned out, with an extremely satisfactory result. BWYB is unequalled.
Personally I never moaned about Hodgson’s leaving, because I am convinced that with Hodgson BWYB would never be this exceptional. Twenty years later I come to the conclusion that the album has been forgotten. When you say Supertramp people think Crime Of The Century, Breakfast In America and Roger Hodgson. Unfair because BWYB was more innovative than for example their biggest success Breakfast In America. Also Roger Hodgson never managed to make one good solo album. Rick Davies did. Although it was merely one.
Yet buy this album. Even if you do not like Supertramp.
Listen to the political manifesto:
