Supertramp

Supertramp - Retrospectacle. The Supertramp Anthology (2005) [2CD] {A&M Records}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 1.03 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 357 Mb
Full Artwork @ 400dpi (jpg) -> 193 Mb
© 2005 A&M Records / UMG | 0602498869284
Rock / Art Rock / Prog Rock

Unlike the previous releases, "Retrospectacle" focuses on material from the band's entire career including their poor selling first two albums and the single they released prior to "Crime of the Century". The first disc takes 1 track each from the band's first two albums. We get a rare single the band released prior to "Crime of the Century". "Crime" deservedly gets five tracks while "Crisis? What Crisis?" has four from this fine album. "Even in the Quietest Moment" also features four strong tracks including the hit single "Give a Little Bit". For fans of the band the real highlight here is the release on CD of the band's virtually unheard single "Land Ho"/"Summer Romance". This was the first single recorded by the band's most successful line up and the same one that would record every album from "Crime of the Century" to "Famous Last Words".

The Autobiography of Supertramp is simply the international version of the title released in the United States by A&M as Vol. 9 in the rather confusing Classics series – obviously a forced attempt at label-branding gone awry (or at least nowhere). Over its 14 tracks, the collection glosses over a few fine moments from the falsetto-happy art rockers' early career misfires ("Dreamer," "Bloody Well Right," etc.) and sporadic latter-day hits ("Give a Little Bit," "It's Raining Again," etc.), then bites down on the meat, or rather the breakfast meat, of the group's greatest commercial triumph, 1979's multi-million-selling Breakfast in America ("Goodbye Stranger," "The Logical Song," "Take the Long Way Home," the title track). Released in 1990, The Very Best of Supertramp went a step further, arguably bettering this release by adding or supplanting a song or two, but casual fans are guaranteed to get their money's worth with either one.

The title of Even in the Quietest Moments… isn't much of an exaggeration – this 1977 album finds Supertramp indulging in some of their quietest moments, spending almost the album in a subdued mood. Actually, the cover photo picture of a snow-covered piano sitting on a mountain gives a good indication of what the album sounds like: it's elegant yet mildly absurd, witty but kind of obscure…

Supertramp came into their own on their third album, 1974's Crime of the Century, as their lineup gelled but, more importantly, so did their sound. The group still betrayed a heavy Pink Floyd influence, particularly in its expansive art rock arrangements graced by saxophones, but Supertramp isn't nearly as spooky as Floyd – they're snarky collegiate elitists, an art rock variation on Steely Dan or perhaps a less difficult 10cc, filled with cutting jokes and allusions, best heard on "Bloody Well Right."…