INSIDE SUPERTRAMP 1974-1978

This is one of the most interesting DVD's in the "Inside"-serie, the 'critical team' succeeds to review the three albums Crime Of The Century (1974), Crisis? What Crisis? (1975) and Even In The Quietest Moments ... (1977) in strong descriptive words with a warm and enthousiastic touch!

Half of the running hour is dedicated to their 'magnum opus' Crime Of The Century and this DVD starts with their first and biggest hit Dreamer, "It represented all the elements of the Supertramp sound", "a jazz vibe in a pop setting" and "it has the unique combination of a falsetto voice and a quite unusal electric piano". About the song School: "Never a dull moment" and "Because of the time changes they really let you know to have progrock roots!". About Bloody Well Right "A heavy Supertramp with cleverness" and we can enjoy funny live footage with John Halliwell using a huge megaphone to communicate with the crowd. About the song Rudy: "Technical complicance but subtle with agression and grandeur". The awarded reviewer Bob Carruthers explains in a perfect way how the key changes work, good to see his both his great knowledge as his warm enthousisasm! And about the titletrack: "One of the most haunting fade ends". The band had only a few months to make the successor Crisis? What Crisis? but they did well and "discovered a formula for themselves". There is special attention for the distinctive Supertramp vocals: "a heavy, grungy bluesy sound by Rick Davies and mellow and passionated by Roger Hodgson". The album Even In The Quietest Moments ... showcases "a very subtle and stylish Supertramp" in the huge hit Give A Little Bit ("a plea for mutal respect and affection") and the final 'epic composition' Fool's Overture is called "a classic progressive rock piece". This DVD (with exciting live footage) ends with the words that "the success of Supertramp was based upon a team effort".They had two excellent tune-smiths but the other three kept the whole thing running.

I started to check out my Supertramp albums directly after watching this DVD, especially Crime Of The Century, in fact wonderful symphonic progressive rock!