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Finished with breakfast? Then click on this link to go back to the main Supertramp page ... Lunch in Canada
Overall Album Score: 8.9 out of 10 Mmmmmmmmm! Breakfast! ... Doesn't that album cover make you happy? ... ... I mean, it's not necessarily because of the fact that there's this old fat woman holding a glass of orange juice over her head like that. It's, like, I'm eating breakfast in a diner, or something! (...Although, it does appear that I am sitting in an airplane window, and this strange woman is standing on the wing of the plane ... which might suggest that she is some sort of extra-terrestrial.) Okay, so this diner-person might be an alien being. But who cares? Those people have always struck me as kind of strange, anyway, and who cares? She's got orange juice, and I'm about to have breakfast! (...although, since I'm more of a pancake-eater, I'd much rather have a glass of milk, but... it's not that important. I didn't exist yet back in 1979, so I don't think Supertramp had me in mind when they designed the front cover, even though they should have.) Alright, so that album cover is a little bit strange, but I like it! And, I think apart from the Mammary Gland Album, it's cool that a band would have such bizarrely wonderful album art that it has me commenting on it for a few paragraphs. But, looking at it gave me a nice feeling! (I like to eat! So bloody sue me!) But if I were supposed to be critiquing cover-art, I'd weigh 110 pounds, grow a slightly pointier nose, develop a need for a pair of very small and thinly-framed spectacles, and wear a scarf. I'm fat, lazy, and I listen to music all day until my eardrums grow weary. (It's what I dewwwwww.) And I'm supposed to be critiquing the MUUUUUUUZIK! And, so I will! Now! "The Logical Song" is a very good song. Not only is this one particular song that I hear all over the place on radio, but it's one that I really do *enjoy* listening to all over the place on the radio! That's really the only major song standout on the album. The rest of the songs are all strong and were produced exceptionally well. Most of these songs simply sparkle! There are two or three songs in here (including "The Logical Song") also have simply stellar melodies! ... The rest of them aren't too impressive. Really, the only thing that's holding Supertramp back from creating a *real* pop-progressive masterpiece is their rather pedestrian skills in melody-art. But everything else they have packed down! This is another mildly amusing Supertramp album ... but this is an above average one. This was also a mammoth commercial success for the boys! It hit Number One on the Billboard Charts. And, what can I say? They deserved it! This was one time that a well-publicized album actually lived up to its hype, and the public was actually getting something rather nice. Breakfast in America isn't a *great* album (remember that it only got an 8.9), but it is a fun and entertaining one. (In spite of this being one of the most popular albums of 1979, during the height of disco, this did age rather well ... even though there are vague "hints" of disco!) Overall Album Score: 8.9 out of 10 (Of course, this is hardly one of my most fondly thought-of albums. But I did find it totally enjoyable! And it was done very well, too. Congratulations to the boys!) Average Song Score: 8.8 (What a solid and splendid set of tunes! It might not be up-to-the-same-quality as The Beatles or anything, but this is marvelously entertaining, usually.) Album Tilt: 9.0 (This is a fun and diverse album. It's enjoyable throughout.) Artist Rating: 9.0 (Maybe their last one was more "artistical," but I think Breakfast in America is just a continuation of the band's peak. Everything on here sounds so nice!) Track Reviews Gone Hollywood 9/10 This is the song in which Supertramp gave the devil a lot of money to kick them in the groins so that they would sound a lot like The Bee Gees. I, really, don't know why (white) people wanted to sound like dang feminines! This song starts out with those Bee Gee vocals (which was done very well, by the way) ... and then it gets really bleak and boring ... and then it gets all good and memorable. This is almost another "Hide in Your Shell," but it doesn't lift up my spirits nearly as well as that song did. Just the same, this song was given excellent polishing in the studio, and it's entertaining. How much cooler can it get than that, I ask ya? The Logical Song 10/10 This is a GREAT pop song! I hear it on the radio quite a bit for some time, and I've always thought that it was the greatest thing in the world! Not only is this an utterly catchy number, but these lyrics are so irresistible. I know I said a bunch of times that lyrics rarely have any bearing on songs, but this is one major exception. It's all of those rhyming words in here! "Logical, responsible, practical, dependable, clinical, intellectual, cynical." This must be one of the most enjoyable songs on the planet to karaoke! Easily, this is Supertramp's greatest pop song. Goodbye Stranger 8/10 This one is still pretty good. There's nothing about this one, in particular, that screams out "CLASSIC" to me. This one is really kind of lightweight! The melody seems to want to be catchy (and it is ... due to repetition), but this one leaves quite a lot to be desired. I still like this song, though. It does seem to have good intentions! And it was performed and polished well. (I'm not sure why this song was so popular above a lot of these other ones ... I like it, but I don't like it enough to want to hear it on the radio 2934 times a day.) Breakfast in America 9/10 This song sounds dang JEWISH ... ... oh, dear. I'll probably be labeled as a racist now (not to mention a religionist) Maybe I should quit now. Alright. I'm going to quit. All this work I've done on this site is now gone forever! ... Nah, not really. Hey! Look! This Jewish-type tune is a good one! The melody is wonderful, and the Jewish-type instrumentation is really great, too. (That clarinet ... or whatever the heck that thing is ... makes me want to sing "IF I WERE A RICH MAN, IDLEDITOMIDADIGGADUM, ALL DAY LONG I'D RIDIWODKGFDLEDUM IF I WERE A WEALTHY MAN! I WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORK HARD! (but I might get an insider-trading indictment or two) IGGLENIGGLEWIGGLEWAGOWIGOMIGODIGODUM! ... and et cetera, et cetera, ad astera per aspera. Oh Darling 8.5/10 OOOOOOOoooooooooooooohhhhhhh DARLING! PLEASE BELIEVE ME! AISLE NEVA DEW YEW KNOW HAAAAAAARMMMMM!!!!! ... Oh. This has nothing to do with that little Beatles ditty from That One Album. Forget I said that. "Oh Darling," the Supertramp song, is a good one! It's not great or spectacular and it's rather ordinary, but it's *good*. And good is good. Take the Long Way Home 9.5/10 Neat! I get a sort of "Hide in Your Shell" vibe from this one. It has a really great, uplifting sort of chorus to it. The melody was written well (but, yeah, Supertramp never was and never will be super-talented songwriters). This song works perfectly well, though. That's all that really matters in the end, donit? Lord is it Mine 8/10 Awwwwwwww! Isn't this such a heartbreakingly touching song that it just makes me want to cry, lonlifully, into my hanky???? NO!!!! Just Another Nervous Wreck 8/10 Supertramp is just cool. What else can I say? I mean ... this song really isn't so utterly great ... but it is fast, solid and entertaining. Such makes this a good album! Again, the only real shortcoming here is the general lack of melody. Everything else is dead-on wonderful. Casual Conversations 9/10 This song actually has is great when it comes to melody! ... It sounds almost like a light-type Paul McCartnian ditty, which is saying quite a lot. It is light, though, and not as impressive as it might have been if it were given the same treatment as "Just Another Wreck." But, really, why give this heavy treatment? It works wonderfully well as a light ditty! Aaaaaah lahke it! It's so pleasant! Child of Vision 8.5/10 Well, this one is tight, polished, and enjoyable. (Actually, this one sounds much more like a regular Alan Parsons Project song than a regular Supertramp song ... but that's perfectly great! I like Alan Parsons!) Again, the alluring quality of this song lies in the production and not in the melody. And, it was a great production! (The melody is still passable, mind you.) The length of this track is a minor burden ... it's enjoyable and listenable throughout. Although, for the music-listener of the extremely short-attention span, it's probably a good thing this comes last! (It's nearly seven and a half minutes long.) For me, this doesn't get boring at all. Does everything taste okay, honey? Would you like more coffee? Howabout sending me your thoughts about this album here? slb23@shaw.ca (Simon B.) received Sept. 6, 2004 BREAKFAST IN AMERICA was the other side of the tape that my
friend copied for me in 1998 (the other side was EVEN IN THE QUIETEST
MOMENTS). This is were Supertramp went from being a pop/prog band to a
pop/rock band. No more 10 minute epics, just nice, concise,
radio-friendly pop/rock songs. If that sounds slightly boring, it isn't; it has
hooks and great melodies, and wonderful playing.
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All reviews are copyrighted by the author, Michael Lawrence. He wants to wear a funny hat.
