SUPERTRAMP

Supertramps selftitled debut album was released in 1970. It´s clear from the start why Supertramp is in the crossover prog catagory as this is not really prog but it definitely has elements of prog which makes Supertramp´s music interesting for prog fans. I wouldn´t call this debut album a typical debut as the quality is actually very high.

The musical style is rock with lots of organ and some really pleasant vocals. The song structures are generally pretty basic but the songs are arranged in a clever way. You just know that one of the main attractions about this band is their strong compositions and one of the other is the even stronger vocals. In that respect they remind me of 10CC. Songs like Aubade and the 12 minute long Try Again with it´s clever jamming middle section are really good songs that I enjoy a lot but all the songs on the album are above average rock songs. They never reach excellence IMO but they are good.

The musicianship is great and in addition to the tight interplay the vocals are very enjoyable.

The production is well done. It´s warm and pleasant.

The cover art is beautiful IMO. It signals progressive music and given the content of this album it´s not a true signal but nevertheless it´s a beautiful cover.

With this album Supertramp started their career in a great way. I´ll be looking forward to reviewing their next albums. This one fully deserves 3 stars.