SUPERTRAMP

What you might enjoy about Supertramp's really fine self-titled debut album is the naïve eccentrics of the music and the artsy songwriting sensibility displayed by the four band members - here Richard Davies, Roger Hodgson, Richard Palmer, and Robert Millar, with the former two clearly establishing themselves as the creative leaders of the act. An intriguing and promising album by a young English band, this 1970 record is rather different from the classic Supertramp sound of the second half of the decade, with the music here being rather somber, melodic and orchestral at times, virtually displaying all the qualities of a progressive pop recording from the early 70s. The poetic lyrics and the subtlety of the extended instrumental sections are indeed a delightful aspect of this record, whose length also indicates that the band had some progressive ambition from very early on.

As for the songs themselves, the general mood is uplifting and nostalgic, with the band focusing mostly on the song structures and the instrumental parts, which often benefit from the extended use of the organ, the electric piano as well as some woodwinds. Rumor has it that the album's lyrics were written by guitarist Richard Palmer and that nobody else would be willing to engage in this activity. Nevertheless, this is a good example of an early progressive pop effort with some delightful musical passages that could have been inspired by Yes, The Nice, or Traffic - and some fine tunes on here would be 'Aubade', 'Nothing to Show' and the big 12-minute piece 'Try Again'. This rather artsy debut album by a young Supertramp is as peculiar as it is dilettante in nature, and considering the general lack of a clear direction on the album, it is almost surprising that you can hear some really enjoyable and "flowery" prog tunes.

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