Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Supertramp
Label: A&M Records / Interscope
Released: 1979
Running time: 46:12
Rating: 5/5
At the tail end of the seventies, hardly anyone believed Supertramp still had a masterpiece in them on the level of the worldwide smash »Crime Of The Century« (1974), let alone that they could top its commercial success. But with »Breakfast in America« they pulled off the ‘impossible’ and wrote themselves into the annals of the art rock pantheon in letters of gold, for all eternity. The main engines behind the huge, unexpected success were, no surprise, guitarist/vocalist/auxiliary keyboardist Roger Hodgson and keyboardist/vocalist Rick Davies. The two never had what you’d call a model relationship, and they wrote their new songs separately. Every year it got harder for them to work together on a shared musical vision, but in the stretch when they managed to rise above their differences, they created, as musicians and songwriters, some of the finest compositions in the story of rock music.
Their witty, socially barbed and often cynical lyrics reached a new level on »Breakfast in America«, which came out on March 29, 1979 (exactly three years before the birth of this review’s author). Hodgson’s songwriting efforts, namely »Take a Long Way Home«, »The Logical Song« and »Child of Vision«, together with Davies’ »Goodbye Stranger«, are the best moments on this absolutely flawless studio masterpiece. After the ‘split’ Hodgson admittedly claims most of the hits, but to this day it hasn’t been fully settled who actually owns the authorship of individual songs on this album. Even though some of the lyrics (along with the title and the cover) are clear satire of American culture, this was far from a concept album. It’s more a collection of witty songs about relationships and the (mostly artificially implanted) need for (instant) fame in a materialistic modern world. The original title was supposed to be »Hello Stranger«, but Hodgson managed to convince Davies that »Breakfast in America« was the better pick.
Both previous Supertramp albums, »Crisis? What Crisis?« (1975) and »Even In The Quietest Moments«, were very good efforts in their own ways, but they still didn’t have enough strong compositions to earn the kind of cult status that »Crime Of The Century« got, an album that set a whole bunch of new art rock standards on release. With »Breakfast in America«, which they tackled in a surprisingly light and playful way, Supertramp made one of those timeless albums that will forever be counted among humankind’s greatest musical achievements. It didn’t hurt, either, that on top of their distinctive approach to art rock they had a sharpened sense of (black) humor and irony.
On »Breakfast in America« the art rock champions built an unbelievably sturdy bridge between symphonic prog rock and pop rock, with occasional touches of jazz, blues and funk, each dropped into individual songs in just the right ‘doses’. The tracks confirm this cult band’s exceptional sense for polished melody and for building hypnotic arrangements, where Davies’ Wurlitzer electric piano and John Anthony Helliwell’s saxophone often played a key role. At the same time, their keen knack for putting together shorter yet still complex instrumental sections comes through loud and clear.
»Gone Hollywood« is a fantastic opener, with vocal harmonies between the two lead singers weaving together beautifully while subtle piano and sax arrangements flow underneath. Hodgson’s ‘rich, resonant’ voice and Davies’ ‘rough-edged’ one are so different from each other that a wonderful duality quickly takes shape between them. The best part of the song comes right after Helliwell’s sax solo, when an ethereal, multi-voiced chorus takes over, soaked in melancholic guitar passages. The lyrics are about a fame-hungry individual who, after plenty of ups and downs in the entertainment industry, finally manages to make their dreams come true.
The mega hit »The Logical Song«, Supertramp’s biggest success at home, in Britain and on American soil, is the peak of Hodgson’s cynicism and mockery of the modern world, where an individual, after stepping out of innocent childhood into adulthood and putting on the proper social mask, swaps imagination, intuition and curiosity for cold logic, calculation and rationality. Hodgson’s rich, resonant vocal skewers the education system and hypocritical human relationships without compromise, while a mighty Hammond organ arrangement rules the background. A passionate sax solo spices up the whole thing, and then a somewhat brighter atmosphere sets in. Comic yet melancholic moments are anything but scarce on »Breakfast in America«.
On the next hit, »Goodbye Stranger«, Davies really shines in the role of lead vocalist, laying down some deeply moving passages on his Wurlitzer electric piano. Before long he’s joined in falsetto vocal harmonies by the resonant ‘nightingale’ Hodgson, who in this way draws a very thin line between wit and brilliance. Bassist Dougie Thomson impresses too with thick, chunky bass lines, while drummer Bob Siebenberg masterfully ramps up the witty, richly branching rhythmic dynamics. It all wraps up with a whinnying guitar solo courtesy of the genius guitarist/vocalist.
The title track, »Breakfast in America«, is another monumental song. Roger supposedly wrote the original lyrics as a teenager, and in them he lets off steam at his (former) girlfriend. It’s both a jab at shallowness and a critique of typical American materialism. One of the best moments in the Supertramp story is the atmospheric revelation of an enchanting chorus, with goofy vocalizations and mischievous touches of (almost) Romani music. It’s a great musical tribute to all the silicone blondes strolling through shopping malls with full bags while they wait for their perversely rich ‘mentor’ to pick them up in a Cadillac, and it also became a hit single.
»Oh Darling« is a far more idyllic, poetic love song with Davies in the lead vocal role, and a moving piano arrangement gives it a perfect contrast in atmosphere. In time Hodgson cuts in with his falsetto, and the composition takes on much broader emotional and thematic dimensions. »Take The Long Way Home« was the next hit and one of their most recognizable achievements, with a country-flavored intro. For that you can thank Davies’ harmonica. Fronting it this time is, once again, an exceptionally playful Hodgson, while Davies wrestles very effectively with the Hammond organ and, together with the sax, creates a wonderful symphonic backdrop for this melancholic-yet-cheeky evergreen. In the closing stretch, in the middle of bluesy passages, an unexpected psychedelic pulse suddenly takes over.
»Lord Is It Mine«, one of the rare serious moments on this otherwise jokey, playful and above all mocking album, is a melancholic ballad with gorgeous piano and organ landscapes and Hodgson in phenomenal vocal form. You could call it the most overlooked piece on the album, since it deserved a bigger commercial echo. »Just Another Nervous Wreck« is a far more optimistic, mischievous number where Davies, as lead vocalist, treats himself to a bit of healthy self-irony, which never hurt his big ego. Superb vocal harmonies weave together fascinatingly with lavish organ and guitar passages, so between the main melody and the chorus the band also gets in some honest instrumental ‘stretching’. »Casual Conversations« is a shorter, piano-driven ballad with Rick on lead vocals, and another fairly introspective piece. Here saxophonist Helliwell does especially well in a somewhat jazzier role.
For the grand finale Supertramp serve up the monumental epic »Child of Vision«, one of the best songwriting achievements in their history, which also became a big hit on both sides of the Atlantic, even though the lyrics are yet another caustic jab at the so-called American dream and the American way of life. An iconoclastic riff on the Wurlitzer piano gradually shapes a melancholic melody, which is immediately joined by a sly, epic rhythm, while Roger finds himself at the peak of his theatrical and incredibly emotional vocal performance. In time Davies and Helliwell join him on backing vocal harmonies, forming an unforgettable, unbelievably ethereal and nostalgic chorus that carries the listener back to a time when most (popular and experimental) music was still made with heart and artists respected the listener’s intelligence. Gradually, amid symphonic and woodwind arrangements, an indescribably melancholic, nostalgic and romantic atmosphere spreads out, and with it the band whisks the listener for a moment out of the world of corporate cr(a)p and into a far more idyllic world untainted by materialism.
For Supertramp, breakfast in the heart of exploitative capitalism, a system they never went easy on in their lyrics, went down a treat as they stormed the top of the world’s charts with »Breakfast in America« hits and made an album for the ages. At the close of the seventies, alongside Pink Floyd, Supertramp were one of the few progressive rock bands for whom commercial success was not just some distant memory, and they were also at the creative peak of their career. »Breakfast in America« even won them a Grammy in 1980 for best album package, and that cover, by the way, many years later got tangled up in conspiracy theories about September 11, 2001. Sadly, Supertramp never again reached the artistic level of »Breakfast in America«, especially after Hodgson’s departure in 1983, so it was no surprise that their later studio efforts were less and less interesting and creatively uninspired. And to wrap up the review, here’s a fun fact for all you music stats fans: »Breakfast in America« is still the best-selling album by any English act in France, and it’s even number three in overall album sales there (in first place is the ‘unbeatable’ Celine Dion).
Lineup
Roger Hodgson – guitar, keyboards, vocals
Rick Davies – keyboards, vocals, harmonica
John Helliwell – saxophone, vocals, woodwinds
Dougie Thomson – bass guitar
Bob Siebenberg – drums
GUEST MUSICIAN:
Slyde Hyde – trombone, tuba
Production
Peter Henderson and Supertramp
Track list
1. Gone Hollywood
2. The Logical Song
3. Goodbye Stranger
4. Breakfast In America
5. Oh Darling
6. Take The Long Way Home
7. Lord Is It Mine
8. Just Another Nervous Wreck
9. Casual Conversations
10. Child Of Vision
