BREAKFAST IN AMERICA

In my review of Crime of the Century, I mentioned that Supertramp were responsible for at least two wonderful songs. One was Dreamer on the Century album, the other, The Logical Song, is here in all its glory. For me, this is one of the great songs of the rock/pop era. Soaring, daring, vocals ride over a skipping track with words that hit dead centre and a tune to match. It has such poetry in its soul. But why oh why did some idiot put a whistle in the track? Are they mad? It ranks alongside the sparky harmonica in Mr Blue Skies by ELO and the J Arthur Rank gong at the end of Bohemian Rhapsody as one of the great naff moments that defiles an otherwise great record (though in the case of Queen, going over the top is almost par for the course, on that record as well as in their career).

I particularly hate the title song Breakfast in America though. Yet it shouldn't be a terrible song, musically it has a lot of the Supertramp elements that made other things they did a musical success.I guess it's because it's too obviously an attempt to write a hackneyed version of what they think the public perceives is a Supertramp song. It's so self-conscious it's embarrassing to listen to, such naff and clumsy words and wooden musical phrases, it's hard to believe these are the same people who wrote those great songs.

But I still love The Logical Song, it's wonderful. What a shame (it seems to me) that this and Dreamer were the true high points of the band, with some other songs like Crime of the Century at least providing some sparkle and interest. For me, there were too many low points, or perhaps more accurately, mundane/average points for this band to rate highly on my personal richter scale. I think they were incredibly lucky to do as well as they did, and bloody good luck to them too.

I'd love to give 5 stars for The Logical Song, it deserves it, but common prog sense prevails, and I'll go for a 3.