EVEN IN THE QUIETEST MOMENTS....

Items ordered by ending time | Showing only 20
Show all SUPERTRAMP Even in Quietest Moments.... items on eBay

Visit eBay search:'prog rock' for items
Sell your SUPERTRAMP items on eBay !

Best selling order

Visit Amazon tag:'Progressive Rock' for more prog rock

Definitely worth owning for the title track and the finale but there is more than those two numbers. From the first exhilarating arpeggios of guitar of Quietest Moments until the very last Symphonic warm up tuning in of Fool's Overture so much has happened on here and so many different moods explored that this leaves the listener speechless. Downstream and From Now On are typical Davies tunes and Loverboy is so cynically Trampish , Babaji is also very worthy of this album. Only Give A Little ( with this wanker plaintive vocals ) irks me as this has no place in here. But then again this is the song that broke them internationally, so who am I to say that ?

There's Winston Churchill (not dressed in drag)

Originally released in 1977, this album gains a whole new lease of life with the remastered CD released in 2002. The CD brings to life many of the passages which on the LP tended to sound rather lifeless.

The familiar Supertramp sound is very much in evidence, with Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson sharing vocal duties as usual. The first track "Give a little bit" was the hit single from the album. It is commercial right enough, but its also a highly credible work, with fine instrumentation.

The next few tracks are pretty laid back, with Davies more jazz orientated vocals to the fore on tracks such as "Downstream" and "From now on". "Babaji" is a Hodgson special, which seems to be trying hard to hold back, before finally bursting loose in a sax driven ending.

The final track, "Fool's Overture" is wonderful. At almost 11 minutes, the band have room to expand into a full blow piece of classic prog. It starts softly, sounding very similar to Barclay James Harvest's "Summer Soldier". Winston Churchill (sic) then introduces the main keyboards theme leading to Hodgson's pained piano backed vocals. As the power of the vocals increases, the main keyboards theme returns to bring the track to a triumphant close.

"Even in the quietest moments" is not quite the complete album "Crime of the Century" was, but then that would be a challenging target for any band. A great album though, which saves its best for last.

This Supertramp album is among their most progressive ones. All the tracks are excellent. They produced here very well known songs, like "Give a little bit", "Lover boy" and "From now on". There are some excellent, melodic and expressive electric guitar solos, like on "Lover boy". "Give a little bit" contains a surprisingly straightforward rhythmic acoustic guitar, delightful & expressive sax parts and catchy lead vocals. "Lover boy" is an excellent catchy track, slowly starting with inoffensive piano, then having very addictive lead & backing vocals through very pleasant moods. It seems "Even in the quietest moments" has some beautiful clarinet parts; a rather delicate acoustic guitar supports well the lead singer; some ambient organ in the background gives some colour to this melancholic track, especially in the end. "Downstream" is a good & simple track, mainly having piano and lead vocals. The rhythmic "Babaji" has an excellent sax solo, but it could be more catchy and addictive. "From now on" is maybe the best track of this record: it starts with an almost saloon-like piano; the bass is louder than usual, the lead & backing vocals are VERY catchy; some keyboards, like the organ, give a little atmosphere to the whole; a couples of nice sax solos occur around the middle of the track, followed by an accordion bit I think; the end of this track has a real Gospel ambience, as reveal the excellent backing vocals. "Fool's overture" is one of their most progressive track; it contains excellent piano, powerful rhythmic and floating keyboards, strong wind effects, angry choir-like parts and memorable melodic sax parts: the debut sounds quite like the intro of Rush's "Witch hunt"; there are many passages from powerful textures to delicate ones and vice versa; this track is very mind troubling.

Rating: 4.5 stars

I would have to say Even In the Quietest Moments is Supertramp at their most creative peak. Not their most commercial peak, you understand.There is a fine balance between the Hodgson and Davies sound. Sure they are a group but I think to understand their seperate creative energies is to understand the direction and history of the group. So this energy for me merged perfectly to create this masterpice of 1977. The title track arguably their finest song but ' Downstream' and ' Fool's Overture' are both epic in their own unique ways. ' Downstream' is a four minute beauty which encapsulates the Supertramp sound in every way.Check out also ' From Now On' and ' Loverboy'. The Hodgson lead ' Babaji' and ' Give a Little Bit' are stunners as well.

For this album, Supertramp went to live to the U.S. This album is more "commercial" than previous albums, but "commercial" with good quality. "Give a liitle bit" is another acoustic guitar song by Roger Hodgson, and it was a hit in several countries. This song also has a piano played along with the guitar chords and a very good sax solo. "Lover Boy" is sung by Rick Davies, with not very interesting lyrics but with a very good "Progressive rock" arrangement. Roger Hodgson wrote (at least) two "spiritual songs" in this album: the song "Even in the Quietest Moments" has acoustic guitars, and very good wind instruments (two clarinets?) arrangements. "Downstream" is a song played alone in the piano and sung by Rick Davies, showing his brillant skills as piano player. "Babaji" is another "spiritual" or "religious" song by Roger Hodgson. "From Now On" is a song by Rick Davies, with an arrangement which includes two instruments which sound like a "melodica" (I don`t know how this instrument is called in English, but it is a little keyboard which is played with the fingers while the player blows air with his mouth into the instrument using a short tube) or accordions, sounding very "Italian" or maybe "French" too. "Fool`s Overture" is the most Progressive song in this album, but I can`t understand the meaning of the lyrics (is it another "Religious" song? I don`t know). This is a very good album, but it started the International commercial success of this band, being more accessible than the "Crisis?What Crisis"?" album.

Very atmospheric and wonderful album and their best after "Crime of The Century". Here we are surrounded by a good selection of many different, but still extremely well fitting to the album tracks. Some incredibly beautiful sections, especially in the title track, mixed with some playfulness, like in the catchy opener "Give a Little Bit". The dramatic album closer is perhaps Supertramp's most unusual, yet one of their best tracks ever. The fine build-up and construction of the song fits very well and the melodies are heart-breakingly beautiful. Technically speaking, this album is (like any other Supertramp album) very competent and solid. No difficult time-signatures here, this album is focused on the songs. A wonderful and incredible release from Supertramp. Among my top albums! 5/5

SUPERTRAMP Reissues Part I

I have many fond memories of SUPERTRAMP and their music. I remember it like it was yesterday when I first heard "Crime Of The Century". I was visiting my brother in Boston (at the time I was around 15 years old) and the guy next door invited me in to listen to this cool new band. He proceeded to roll up a big fat one and give the record a spin. I was amazed at how different the music sounded; I had not heard anything like it before. "Bloody Well Right" really stayed with me for a while after that virgin listen. Although I can recall fondly all the great music that would come after that, I never got into the band as I did others of that time. It is now 2002 and nearly their entire catalog is available in the remastered form. I feel more like the new audience rather than the old classic rock fan after hearing these amazing recordings with the crisp and pristine sound.

The listeners that were previously gained prior to the impact of "Crime Of The Century" became disappointed with the bands more mainstream rock direction. I personally feel it made them a better band and allowed for more diversification, thereby reaching a much larger audience. "Crisis? What Crisis?" was an earful of the prog-rock-pop combination, and a very strong statement that could have easily gained some hardliner prog heads back and bring onboard some new fans as well. "Sister Moonshine" served notice that they were not about to rebuild their foundation just to make it commercially ... well, not yet. "Even In The Quietest Moments" started to hint around that they were beginning to soften up a bit and change direction with more acoustic guitar flavorings, although it was a very strong release and good follow up to the previous release. "Fools Overture" was a masterstroke of musical genius clocking in at over 10 minutes. In fact, there were so many great songs on these four albums it is hard to keep track of them all. Some tracks would be become FM radio staples (and remain so today) and others huge hits on the AM radio side of the dial. There was enough mixture of genres in their sound for them to satisfy a large mix of admirers. The usage of piano, acoustic and electric guitars, soaring vocals, and all-around outstanding musicianship is brilliant on all four of these albums. The sound has become simply phenomenal with the remastering process.

The combination of progressive rock and pop would prevail over the course of the first three releases. When the multi-platinum (by the 90s 18 million units were sold) "Breakfast In America" was released they became a full-blown rock-pop sensation, leaving all of their progressive influences behind. The featured instrument was the keyboards, when previously the guitar and keys had an equal measure of influence on all of the other releases. Roger Hodgson and Rick Davies voices played off each other beautifully, and their harmonies were so sweet and melodic. I think that they reached their peak working together on this album.

After the huge triumph of their most successful album, the aftermath would result in creative burn out. I can see how it would be difficult to match the string of successful albums that they produced over the course of a five-year period. They were a literal musical juggernaut, but all good things must eventually come to end. These four albums stand as the most prolific and significant of the group's catalog. Each album stands on its own as classic renderings of rock, progressive rock, and pop.

SUPERTRAMP - The Supertramp Remasters - "Crime Of The Century", "Crisis? What Crisis?", "Even In The Quietest Moments", "Breakfast In America"

Rating: 5/5 (all four)

Even in the quietest moments is the first Supertramp album I got into. Not the first one I bought(that would be Crime of the Century), but the one I found easier to appreciate as a whole. No bad songs, even if some are not that excellent, and some great progressive moments get extremely well along the nice little poppish moments such as the album opener, ''Give a little Boy''.

This is pure Supertramp, melancholy in the piano parts, a big fat sound to the bass and a rythmic-only drum., especially on the second song on the album: ''Lover Boy''. Really if I had to describe Supertramp in one song, wich is about impossible, I would probably go for ''Loverboy''. Everything is what you would expect from the Tramps!

Following this song is the excellent title track. The acoustic guitar is absolutely beautiful, and the addition of the flute makes this moments , a really quiet one! The song is all in all great and pleasing, and at some point you will find yourself sing the first couple of lines, if not the whole song!

Downstream is absolutely a Richard Davies song, him along his piano, singing about his life. Not necessarily the strongest song on the album, especialy prog wise, but really pleasant anyways. A good way to close a side too.

And the side two starts wit hthe same instrument: the piano. Once again, pure Supertramp from start to finish! From now on is for me the weakest track on the album, as it is some weak lyrics, some weak feel to it and it can even be described as a bit on the cheesy side. But it does not prepare weel enough for the last song of the album: the great Fool's Overture.

Now, what a song it is! AIg you have listened once to a classic rock radio station, chances are you heard this song! Without a doubt the most beautiful song on the album, maybe even in Supertramp's career, this is a song with so many emotions, so much feeling. You need to listen to it, if it is not already done of course!

All in all, this is a brilliant album, maybe not as consistent as constant as Crime of Century and not as praised as Breakfast in America, but definitely a must for any fan of classic rock and art rock. 4/5

This album doesn't captivate me the way Crime of the Century or even Breakfast in America do, but it sure comes close. It's still hard to grasp these nearly thirty years later just how good these guys were at making artistic, yet at the same time highly accessible music. Supertramp's 70s output is like a secret indulgence - sometimes dripping with sugar but always worth it.

"Give a Little Bit" was the band's second big single, but while this one reached higher in the charts, it managed to largely avoid becoming temporarily annoying like "Bloody Well Right" off Crime of the Century. The simple opening acoustic guitar riff is progressively layered through a number of iterations with drums, piano, and saxophone, all wrapped inside Roger Hodgson's John Lennon-like humanitarian lyrics like "see the man with the lonely eyes, oh take his hand - he'll be surprised". This was one of the finest feel-good songs of what was a supremely satisfying and memorable year (for me at least). A top- notch backdrop to the spring of 1977.

Rick Davies' piano and vocal lead-in to "Lover Boy", like many of his tunes, smacks heavily of a Randy Newman tune. This one perhaps more so considering the sarcastic character sketch of a rather shallow guy who is apparently looking for validation in pop culture and self-help books. The backing vocals and whistling keep the mood light and make this an engaging but somewhat inconsequential ditty. Hodgson's guitar and melodic accompanying vocals make for another pleasant, artsy pop tune that would not be out of place on a 10cc album circa around the same timeframe.

The title track is one of Supertramp's least appreciated art rock numbers in which everyone in the band gets in the act in the buildup to a signature 70s-sounding finale. Here again the acoustic guitar and piano combine for that clean, crisp, melodic sound for which the band was so well known in the latter 70s. The clarinets give an added dimension that is both idyllic and rather nostalgic at the same time. With the possible exception of "Fool's Overture" this may be the best track on the album.

By the time "Downstream" rolls around the tone of the album is pretty much set as a rather laid-back work, much less angst-ridden than their previous offering Crime of the Century. Davies' vocals are not unlike some of the contemporary works from Dan Fogelberg in the same period.

"Babaji" perhaps hints at the more jazzy direction the band would take as they rode into the 80s post Breakfast in America. The composition is highly repetitive with apparently spiritualistic lyrics that apparently pay tribute to the Himalayan yoga master of the same name. I'm not familiar with the percepts of that faith, but apparently Hodgson was. Not one of the stronger songs on the album, but an interesting diversion nonetheless.

"From Now On" is another track with Davies leading the vocals, and not unlike "Downstream" in tempo and construction, although a bit longer and with a slightly more erratic tempo. This one feels awkward at times, but once again the piano and mild guitar work make it work for the most part.

The closing "Fool's Overture" would become a concert staple for a while, with the band taking the closing lyric "let's go crazy" literally by dragging costumed characters and ancillary musicians on stage for a decadent display of gleeful madness. The quiet opening piano chords give way to a myriad of musical forays over the ten minutes or so the song runs, combining with what appear to be nonsensical lyrics and vaguely discernable sound effects. At one point guest musician Gary Mielke kicks in some goofy variety with an oberheim keyboard riff behind Hodgson and Davies' competing vocals before Hodgson heads off on an acoustic guitar and vocal rant about 'Sister Moonshine', whoever the heck that is. Kind of a strange tune, especially for the highly pop-conscious Hodgson, but again an appealing diversion and overall one of the band's more unusual works.

This is not a masterpiece on par with Breakfast in America or Crime of the Century, but it is certainly a highly accomplished bit of musical history that would be welcome in just about anyone's collection. Four stars does not seem out of line.

peace

"Even in the Quietest Moments" follows two very successful and enjoyable albums by Supertramp in "Crime of the Century" and "Crisis? What Crisis? Once again the band had managed to create something very melodic and perhaps more progressive than their previous albums. The song lengths are generally around the six minute mark so there is a lot of content to each song, as there always is with Supertramp. Indeed there are some very interesting moments contained here, as well as some very impressive instrumentalism. The album features one particularly great song in "Fool's Overture" which is most notable for the extended instrumental sections.

The album opens with the all-famous song "Give a Little Bit" which carried on the legacy of the earlier "Bloody Well Right" in the avenue of hit singles. The song is a great listen and it "flows" wells through the chord progressions. It is made even more impressive by the Saxes from John Helliwell which gives the song that little bit extra push. "Give a Little Bit" was, as mentioned earlier a hit single in the UK and to a lesser extent the US. It did well to promote the album!

"Lover Boy" is next. It begins with a piano melody before the vocals begin, at which time the whole band comes in. The song changes slightly around the second minute to be slightly reminiscent of the beginning of the song. Throughout this section there can be heard the squawking of the trumpet. The next four or so minutes is predominantly instrumental with some sax spotted here and there.

Next up is the title track "Even in the Quietest Moments" which is the most progressive song on the album save "Fool's Overture. The song starts off with birds singing quietly in the background, before an acoustic guitar and saxophone comes in. Vocals follow, with the acoustic guitar maintaining the underlying melody. I'm very fond of the lyrics, especially the line "don't you let the sun fade away." The middle section of the song is superb and it is a major highlight of the album. Great song all up, my favourite from the album.

"Downstream" is quite a mellow song and the only instrumentation is that of a piano, backing the vocalist. The song is basically just you standard boiler-plate love song I guess, nothing too intriguing or special about it. That said there's nothing wrong with the song either.

"Babagji" begins with vocals accompanied by a piano, before the main melody comes in around the 1:20 mark. It may just be me but the melody reminds me somewhat of Russian folk music. Some of the short instrumental passages are quite interesting and the saxophone and other woodwinds light up the song somewhat.

"From Now on" is next, and it begins with, yes that's right a piano! It is kind of similar to "Downstream", although it is more interesting. Again, it's quite a mellow song but there are a few interesting sections here and there.

Last of all is "Fool's Overture." The first two minutes is a piano solo backed by what seem to be a synthesizer. Around the second minute the growing sound of a crowd of people can be heard shouting with a brass band and bells in the background. Then there are spoken words from who sounds to be Winston Churchill although I may be wrong about that. These words make me believe that the song is based around World War 2. The song then moves into a very intense an interesting song featuring many progressive elements. A brilliant song!

1.Give a Little Bit (4/5) 2.Lover Boy (4/5) 3.Even in the Quietest Moments (5/5) 4.Downstream (3/5) 5.Babaji (4/5) 6.From Now On (3/5) 7.Fool's Overture (5/5) Total = 28 divided by 7 = 4 4 stars

Excellent addition to any prog music collection

All up a very worthy album and save a couple of songs the album is very progressive and should satisfy any prog fan. Seriously some of these songs are very addictive, especially "Even in the Quietest Moments" and "Give a Little Bit." I'd recommend this album to everyone looking for some hooky stuff. 4 stars from me. s

While not equalling the najesty of the "Crime" album nor bearing a similar dynamics as that of the "Crisis" album, Supertramp showed with the release of "Even in the Quietest Moments." that they were still able to create an excellent musical opus. Their signature sound is now redefined with a more obviously stylish vibe, and it is also obvious that their material tends to be more accesible regarding both writing and arrangements, but you can tell that their standards for performances and expansions of the musical ideas by Hodgson or Davies remain high and interesting for the average art rock melomaniac. The album kicks off with the easy going number 'Give a Little Bit', a simplistic yet candorosly captivating hymn to friendship and solidarity that reminds us how influential were McCartney's and Harrison's songwriting for the development of Hodgson's musical vision. One of those Hodgson-penned hits that allowed Supertramp to perpetuate their place in the business. 'Lover Boy' sounds like the continuation to 'Poor Boy' from the previous album, although with a cleaner spirit and a rockier coda. Interesting, but not as great as other legendary Davies compositions. His piano ballad 'Downstream' is more emotionally charged in comparison, but it is when we get to the amazing mini-suite 'From Now On' that we can enjoy the best of his dark vision about life and mankind in an inspired musical frame. Almost matching his top track 'Rudy' (from "Crime of the Century") in terms of existentialist obscurity, 'From Now On' depicts in a very majestic way the weird fantasies of richness and solace of an average simple- minded boureaucrat. Alternating with these pieces are some of the best Hodgson compositions ever. The namesake track is based on acoustic guitar arpeggios, augmented with exotically driven clarinet lines by an ever amazing Helliwell and complemented by subtle ornaments on synthesizer and organ. Hodgson's lead singing keeps itself very faithful to the gradual emotional climax tha tthe song intends to create: this song is a perfect example of how a simplistic composition can be efficiently enriched by a constraint use of clever complexity along the way. 'Babaji' is more decidedly symphonic, bringing powerful piano chords in a perfect marriage with the rhythm section, while the extra keyboards, the sax solo and the string arrangements effectively help Hodgson to provide his message to the divine powers that rule the Universe and our lives. But the icing of the cake is the splendid closer 'Fool's Overture', the most genuinely progressive song in the album, and a definite gem in Supertramp's career. Based on the starring role of the grand piano, this 10-plus minute suite delivers a series of varied sections fluidly coordinated all the way through until the final reprise arrives in an ultimate explosion of rocking fireworks and controlled orchestral chaos. Lirically speaking, 'Fool's Overture' is the bitter counterpart to the optimistic vibe of 'Give a Little Bit', also inspired by the pacifist subject but this time focusing on the terrors and horros of war and destruction - the sounds of politica speeches, mysterious chorales, whirlwinds, etc., are really creepy, in a very coherent way. Hodgson gets really emotional as he sings his first lines during the middle section, and no other sax solos as the ones delivered by Helliwell could match that passion so well, even enhancing the drama of the lyrics. An excellent ending for another Supertramp jewel: "Even in the Quietets mOments.", not being a genius album, contains enough musical quality as to deserve the label 'excellent'.

WE WILL NEVER SURRENDER

Supertramp continues to produce high quality albums... They needed a bit of time for this one (two years) but who can blame them since this one is another great piece of music !

The piano from the cover was hauled up a mountain side and left out over night to become covered in snow. It's not a trick shot.

In this album, Tramp will investigate more into pop directions ("Give A Little Bit"). Still, the harmonies (vocals and piano) are superb. Only one weak track here : "Downstream" which sounds as a hotel lobby song. Just average.

A few highlights like the wonderful "Lover Boy" : great melody (Jeff Lynne could have wrote it), probably too long to make a hit single, but what a great song. Emotion at its peak. The band performs really well.

I like quite a lot "Babaji" for its harmonized vocals and great background keyboards. Sax solo is also very pleasant. Hodgson is, as always, very convincing and emotional. Another poppy highlight. Babaji is an Indian "Saint" who will influence a lot of Indian philosophers throughout the ages. Maybe Rodger was under his influence while he wrote : "I can see it's not too good to me, To be afloat in the sea of glory, Babaji, Oh how you comfort me, By showing me it's a different story"

"From Now On" is a nice and mellow ballad : full of keys and sax. A great Davies song and a good way to reach the last number.

"Fool's Overture". This is a true epic (forget about "Try Again" from their first album). Long keyboard intro (raise the level of your audio system to capture all the elements) !). This is a pure British (prog) song : Big Ben and Churchill on the same track ("we will never surrender") ! The song really kicks after this three minutes quiet intro. The beat goes on you are transported into another dimension from then on : glorious bass and keys work. Vocals start after 5' minutes 20" : probably the most beautiful 'Tramp vocal session. So delicate, intimate : one has the impression Hodgson sings just for you. I was lucky to see him live (in solo) and the emotional feeling one gets in his concert is HUGE. It is perfectly rendered here in this song.

After those wonderful three minutes, the song goes quietly to its end and the only remark I would make is that the finale should have been of an extra level : more generous, more pompous, more ... ?

Four stars.

Davies and Hodgson may have shared in the song writing credits,but they each wrote their own songs seperately from each other.They also sang the songs they wrote,and on this album as on "Crime Of the Century",they take turns with their songs.So on "Crime of the Century" Hodgson sings his songs 1,3,5,7,while Davies has 2,4,6,8.And on this album,Hodgson's songs are 1,3,5,7 and Davies are 2,4,6.Pretty cool eh! "Give A Lttle Bit" features strumming guitar and Hodgson's wonderful vocals.The sax as usual sounds great in this song that is like a warm,sunny,summers day.This is the song that caused me to buy this Lp back in 1977."Lover Boy" opens with a piano melody,as vocals come in.I love the sound 3 minutes in,and after with the guitar that comes and goes.The song speeds up after 5 minutes with more guitar."Even In the Quietest Moments" opens with birds singing,as the acoustic guitar plays.Sax comes in, then the vocals,as drums slowly pound.Great tune!"Downstream" is a ballad,with piano and vocals."Babaji" starts off slowly,but becomes very passionate.A very catchy song."From Now On" has some amazing piano melodies from Davies.The ending is quite uplifting as sax,piano and drums are joined by everyone on vocals."Fool's Overture" opens with piano and samples of children playing,church bells and Sir William Churchill.The song starts to accelerate.This is what we in Canada call the W5 section,this was the theme music for this investigative news program called W5,that was on tv up here that i used to watch sometimes.I love the vocals after 5 minutes,especially when Hodgson cries "I know,i know,i know" as his vocals trail off into the soundscape.Then we hear a sax solo followed by the wind blowing.Nice. Although not as good as their masterpiece "Crime Of the Century",this one is still a very good record,and well worth checking out.

It's very easy to forget just how great these guys were as an ensemble but when you really pay attention to their songs you realize how truly intricate and detail-oriented their music was. Without question they produced some of the cleanest-sounding albums of the 70s that continue to hold up incredibly well even by 21st century standards. The top-notch vocals, flawless musicianship and immaculate production all added up to concoct some of the most impressive prog rock to endure from that boundary-expanding decade.

But all of those enviable characteristics wouldn't mean much if they weren't coupled with the necessary skill for writing good tunes and this album opens with a great example of their penchant for that art. "Give A Little Bit" is an exemplary composition in every aspect. Starting with the full strumming of an acoustic 12-string guitar beneath Roger Hodgson's charismatic singing, this innocuous song hit the airwaves at the perfect time with the perfect message of hope and sent this LP soaring into the top 20. Its subtle, infectious energy and superbly-crafted structure ensures that it will still be heard regularly 50 years from now. "Lover Boy" is like many of the tracks on this album in that it begins with piano and lone vocal and builds upward from there. Here the rich orchestral score and the fat electric guitar tone make this cut stand out. It's about a cad whose sole ambition in life is to be some kind of macho chick magnet and I'm wondering if Rick Davies isn't describing the same scoundrel he was to write his memorable "Goodbye Stranger" for on their next release. After a sneaky false ending the band roars back and lays down a driving beat to the fade out.

The hypnotic "Even in the Quietest Moments" is one of the group's most mesmerizing tunes ever. It starts with birds chirping, and then a 12-string guitar plays softly over a droning note and soothing clarinet runs before Roger opens up his troubled heart with lyrics like "even though the sun is shining/well, I feel the rain/here it comes again, dear." Hodgson has a knack for expressing his perceived estrangement from God, but always in a way that the listener can relate to. He seems to be saying "Lord, if I'm so enlightened then why do I still feel empty and sad?" There's not a lot of chord changes involved here, just a steadily increasing intensity of sound that peaks with Bob Benberg's crisp drums falling into step. It's a great track. "Downstream" follows and it's a real surprise because of its sublime simplicity. Rick delivers a basic piano and vocal performance of a tender love song without enlisting any assistance from other members of the group. The shock comes when you realize that you don't miss them at all. The stripped-down production works like a charm and Davies' honest delivery is endearing.

"Babaji" features the trademark Supertramp atmosphere where the dominant bass/guitar riff boldly prowls unimpeded below the chording piano. Here Roger once again expresses his personal longing for spiritual fulfillment as he pleads "is it mine, is it mine, is it mine to know?" and voices his growing disillusionment with life as a rock star with "I can see it's not too good for me/to be afloat in the sea of glory." However well-intentioned, though, the tune never reaches its potential and I think it's mainly due to the fact that John Anthony Helliwell's admirable talents are underused. The track begs for the spark that his wind instruments consistently provide but his allotted solo is far too brief and calculated. The next song, "From Now On," remedies that situation immediately. Written about a fellow who utilizes his vivid daydreams to escape the drudgery of his uneventful life, this cut showcases Supertramp's uncanny gift for creating musical landscapes. After a scintillating sax solo from John they detour into a segment that mimics a soundtrack for some kind of stereotypical 1960's Italian secret agent movie complete with tremolo guitar and accordion. Helliwell's sax returns to dance around Davies' cool voice on the memorable chorus of "Guess I'll always have to be/living in a fantasy/that's the way it's got to be/from now on" as he is joined by a full, glorious chorale that sounds like they came to the studio straight from church service. Quirky, to be sure, but excellent fun nonetheless.

The almost 11-minute "Fool's Overture" is terrific. Once again they start with piano but this time it's accompanied by a synthesizer playing a beautiful melody. What follows is a Pink Floyd-ish collage of noises and voices before a new, bouncy theme emerges. John's saxophone then broadens the sound parameters as Hodgson's expressive voice enters, singing mysterious lines like "called the man a fool, stripped him of his pride/everyone was laughing up until the day he died/and though the wound went deep/still he's calling us out of our sleep/my friends we're not alone/he waits in silence to lead us all home." I'm not at all sure what that means but Roger's vocal range is astounding. Helliwell's sax returns with a sizeable orchestra rearing up behind him as they descend into what seems to be a distant choir singing "Jerusalem" on a windy hilltop. The bouncing melody returns with Hodgson singing in front of a strangely affected chorale before the epic dissolves into the cacophony of a symphony tuning up. It's an interesting journey, no doubt.

While I believe they were still trying to match the excitement and enthusiasm they captured on the phenomenal "Crime of the Century" album from three years earlier, this band continued to put out high quality material with regularity throughout the 70s. They were consummate musical craftsmen possessing an inquisitive sense of adventure. "Even in the Quietest Moments" isn't as consistent as their next release would be, the wildly popular "Breakfast in America," but it still entertains and delights the aural neurons and makes you wish every prog album could sound this good. A very solid 4 stars.

Even if it won't be like this from now on.

Flaunting a varied discography that never shows one album the same from the next, it's no surprise that Supertramp's ''Even in the Quietest Moments is a unique work of art. While the album had huge commercial success it still showed a progressive side that proved that any band could still be progressive while trying to come up with hits. In that same respect this is one of the Tramp's most progressive works, it's lush melodies entrancing to any listener that thought that Crime... or Crisis... was too poppy.

Indeed, this album still has it's pop moments. The opening track GIVE A LITTLE BIT is likely one of the most profitable non-Who, non-Beatles songs on the market due to all the companies it's right have been sold to by now (recently -- cleaning detergent). However this is forgivable thanks to Hodgeson's clean delivery and the soothing acoustic guitars that are what make the song so profitable in the first place. Again, it's probable that some people think that an album with a song title like LOVER BOY on it must surely not be very progressive. However, in that classic Supertramp fashion so recognizable in songs like ''Dreamer'' and ''Take the Long Way Home'' this song's upbeat tempo and mood hide the very human lyrics behind it. For me this was a song that I wasn't about to take seriously just based on the title, but after a few listens it sunk right in. Supertramp have always been at their best with that kind of deception.

Some of the songs on this album are just so beautiful that it's beyond belief. EVEN IN THE QUIETEST MOMENTS, the title track, is one of those songs. Hodgeson's vocals come in right after some sounds of nature and wilderness before the guitars and pianos take the audience to a whole other plane. Again, a darker song than the surface leads one to believe, but (again) what would Supertramp be without those songs. DOWNSTREAM is in the same vein, if perhaps a bit weaker. Davies takes the vocals for this one, following the trend of the album (and indeed many Supertramp albums) of Hodgeson and Davies leap-frogging between lead and backing vocals between tracks.

Of course Supertramp can't do an album without having a fast song. On this record BABAJI is that song. It starts out slowly just like most of the other songs on the album, but soon explodes into motion -- okay, so it's not that fast, but driven by the bass and drums it certainly seems like it is. A great piano and sax solo near the latter third of the song make a very welcome addition. Following that, Hodgeson's vocals light up the skies and make this song one of the standouts of the the album.

FROM NOW ON is an interesting track. Nicely opened by piano and welcomely Davies voiced this is a song that has a lot of promise. The first half of the song is very well performed with some great parts and pacing and even features a very nice sax solo right near the middle of the song. The problem is that halfway through it kind of runs itself out and the repetition of ''That's the way its got to be/from now on'' starts to become tiresome and redundant. The chorus of people singing in the background also doesn't really support it's argument too much. A good song that unfortunately falls under the nitpicking of this listener.

Ups and downs aside there's no doubt that the song that steals the show here is FOOL'S OVERTURE. One of the Tramp's few long songs along with the excellent ''Brother Where You Bound'' and the experimental ''Try Again'', this is a song that's very pleasing for the prog-heads of the world. This is the song that epitomizes the album and truly captures the band at this moment in life, bringing in all the elements that make the album great and pressing them into one wonderful track. Synth driven and even opening with a segment of Churchill's speech, this is a song that immediately catches the progger's ear. It's not long until Hodgeson reaches glass breaking proportions with his voice as he delivers a chilling prophet's tale that is led out by a couple minutes of wonderful instrumentation and vocals mixed at last into a spine chilling conclusion. The album's highlight and one of the band's greatest moments, FOOL'S OVERTURE is one track that can't be missed.

While not the band's best album it definitely is one that can't be missed. They would certainly take a different road after this album and would never be the same again. A turning point for the band that is very unique and very worth listening to. Interestingly, the Hodgeson voiced songs are what dominate the album. While not too surprising, Davies usually has similar or equal output to his peer, but here he's a bit weaker. Luckily, Davies would up his vocal performances in later albums to make the best of his voice (See my review for ''Brother Where You Bound''). All in all this one's 4 stars. This abum will make an excellent addition to your prog-rock collection.

When good Prog-Lite goes bad.

SUPERTRAMP are an interesting and occasionally brilliant blend of art-rock and pop-rock and, as they progressed through the 1970s, leaned more and more heavily on the latter. 'Give A Little Bit', this album's opener and their breakthrough single, is pure pop, which in my book is not automatically a bad thing. However, unlike 10CC, David Bowie and other prog-related purveyors of intellectual pop, this song has no redeeming features. Banal lyrics, a oh-so-repetitive hook and a structure that loses momentum halfway through the song suggest this is nothing more than a shallow number, and so it proved. 'Babaji' is a far more impressive single, though of course it did far less well as a consequence.

'Lover Boy' is equally as inconsequential as the song preceding it. The title track has more substance, and features a solid, though understated, build to a satisfying finish. 'Downstream' is filler, a piano ballad without dynamics. 'From Now On' is one of the album's better tracks, almost worthy of a place on an ELTON JOHN album (some will see this as damning by faint praise, but to my mind 70s JOHN is the standard to which piano-based art rock should be compared). All of which leaves 'Fool's Overture', a ten-minute epic - of sorts. Actually, it's far more a pastiche of material than a strong epic prog number: those looking for a standard prog epic will be disappointed by this. Yet it has charm and meaning on its own terms, as it sets out to encompass the follies and triumphs of WWII Britain. To my mind it doesn't quite work, failing to fill the canvas devoted to it by a band eager to achieve commercial success without shedding all their prog-loving supporters. Nevertheless, it's by far the best track on this album, and the sole reason to purchase a copy.

SUPERTRAMP made their fortune on the album after this one, and in my opinion the public were right on the mark. This falls between the proverbial two stools, the pop not strong enough, the art not clever enough. Well-performed as ever, but empty as a hollow drum. To my mind the nadir of 70s SUPERTRAMP.

After the disappointing Crisis... they took two years to deliver a follow up, and it was well worth the time. Of course we are not talking about a new album in the same vein as a Crime Of The Century, but it is a great work anyway. It did sent them to international stardom with songs like Give A Little Bit and Babaji, but there is more to it than jist those two cuts.

In fact, contrary to the previous release, this one is full of inspiration and good ideas. And they are superbly done. Some of the stuff is very simple and effective (Downstream is a good exemple, one fo my favorites), some are quite elaborated (the title track and Fool´s Overture) and some are somewhere in between (From Now on). The overall quality of the album surprised me a lot at the time. The songs were quite accessible most of the time and some tunes are more to the funny side (Lover Boy), but there also some more progressive leanings. All leads us to the longest and best track of the whole CD, Fool´s Overture. This is their magnum opus and has a fine lyric, excellent arrangements and one of Roger Hodgson´s best vocal perfomances ever. The instrumental parts are just amazingly bold and bombastic for a band that seemed so out of ideas and inspiration just two years before. It´s a pity they never really would do something in that vein again.

Even At The Quitest Moments was the right CD in the right time. It is no masterpiece, ok, but it proved they were far from dead (as I thought) and even if they were somewhat more commercial, they were still good and interesting, in a way few classic rock bands at the time were able to be. 3,5 stars.

The similarities to magnum opus Crime of The Century are of course noteworthy on this fifth album from Supertramp, given the strong identity and characteristic sound of the band and the Hodgson-Davies duo.

But with that in mind, the '77 edition of Supertramp have taken a few sidesteps from that acclaimed effort. While I still recognise the lean, at first glance innocent and carefree panache superimposed on every song, I miss the defining edge and hunger of Crime Of The Century. All that anger and frustration resonated so well with the lighter musical themes, quirky tweaks and perfect mastery of accentuating orchestral arrangements. On most of the songs here on Even In The Quietest Moments, only the basal ingredients remain, making the experience hollow and lacking in profundity.

So it's a step back. Songs like the hit-single Give A Little bit, with lush guitars in a sweet melody and a lyrical hook that is repeated ad nauseam never really affects you as a listener, being just slightly too sugary and eager to please. Where COTC in general is a bleak cry for help, EITQM is a sunshine-story; inconsequential and flimsy. Loverboy stands a little taller, in having some instrumental muscle, but the composition and progression is once again disappointing with its linearity. Downstream and from now on is much in the same vein, benefiting from the same strengths and suffering from the same weaknesses, sax solos and nice piano aside; they are fleetingly pleasing - especially as relaxing background music - but fail to engage.

They all have two important redeeming features though - they're never done without heart, and you can feel that this is an active choice of direction towards poppier music that will 'culminate' on the popular Breakfast In America.

The three songs that are left are all what I'd call classic Supertramp, and as such highly enjoyable. Crisp and mellow guitar beauty with soaring background organ and some great bass work in a discreet but effective build-up create a rich and warm track that surprises as being so powerful in spite of what it should be.

Babaji is just extremely catchy, revolving around and about a couple of motifs that are impossible to dislike, even with the reflective nature of the song. Great group effort that gives the arrangement quite a punch, clinging to that restlessly wandering bass. First track that gives me the same feelings of restrained panic as some on COTC, even though it doesn't deal with the same sorts of lyrics.

And then we have Fool's Overture. A welcome return to the orchestral grandeur and arguably Hodgson's crowning achievement as a composer, this mini epic moves through many a notion after the great melancholic piano part that serves as its humble beginnings. Interesting blend of some sturdy electronic sounds from the synthesisers and more classically oriented sounds make for a defining song of the late part of the '70s. Traces of Rudy (oh.and Dreamer) can be found for the attentive, and Hodgson's vocals are nothing short of spectacular.

So it's a mixed album, not guaranteed to really please those who expect Crime Of The Century, but neither those who expect Breakfast In America funnily enough. But I don't expect it to truly disappoint a fan of aforementioned albums either.

3 stars.

//LinusW

This is a good representation of Supertramp's blend of proggy art rock, pop rock, and piano compositions. It is not their masterpiece (that belongs to COTC), but it is a very solid offering from the group that is well worth your money.

1. Give a Little Bit- I'm sure you've heard this one, especially as it's been covered by other artists an infinite amount of times. I much prefer this original version; it's a decent acoustic song with catchy hooks and a good structure. This is one of Supertramp's best upbeat poppier songs. 8/10

2. Lover Boy- This is a Davies jazzy piano composition which I could imagine is really fun to play. This is another classic Supertramp composition that is extremely enjoyable and always interesting, despite being centered mainly on the piano. It flows very well and it's hard to find too many faults with this. The best part is the best of the album has yet to come! 8/10

3. Even in the Quietest Moments- Starting with a serene sound of birds chirping, this song progresses with a gentle acoustic part, steadily building further and further to then unfold into being another very good song. This is definitely one of my favorites on here and it is quite proggy. 9/10

4. Downstream- A very touching piano ballad that is one of the first Supertramp songs I had ever heard as a child. I have a lot of memories tied to this song so it's difficult to be objective. This is extremely well-written and continues the chain of fabulously crafted songs that go way beyond an average rock song. 9/10

5. Babaji- This track also strikes me as being more progressive in structure like the title track. This has some jazzy influence in the piano once again and it works very well. The feel is a bit dark though, and that makes sense coupled with the lyrics. Once again, Supertramp manages to compose a very good song with unique qualities. 8/10

6. From Now On- Opening with a more upbeat piano progression, this appears to be in immediate contrast from its more reclusive predecessor. I simply love the piano work again on this one; it is genius. The ending is seemingly blissful, but the lyrics allude to something similar to Asylum off of Crime of the Century, elucidating complete irrational seclusion. The saxophone and the choir adding to the building climax of this song is SO effective. 9/10

7. Fool's Overture- This is the most perfect track on this album and shows why Supertramp was a progressive band. At one time, this was actually one of my favorite songs of all time. It is truly a progressive masterpiece, combining artistic genius structure, wonderful instrumental playing, and very intriguing themes. From the haunting intro all the way to the samples of an impowering quote from Churchill to the windy climax towards the end of the song, this is absolute magic. Flawless. 10+/10

Because of the role this album played in my developing love for music, I feel a bit odd not giving this full masterpiece status because it is so close and holds so many memories for me.

A magical album from Supertramp that showcases all of their aspects effectively and easily their second best offering. easily an excellent addition to any prog collection.