Supertramp
„Breakfast In America“
Original black Vinyl, Album, 1979. Pop, Rock, tiny bit of Prog.

When the band, which started out as a progressive rock band in 1969, experienced less success, they shifted their style towards pop/rock. "Breakfast In America" ​​then cemented the British band's peak in 1979 with 18 million albums sold. After the subsequent extensive tour, they took a break and were never able to replicate that success. In total, Supertramp sold 60 million albums. "That's not prog anymore," I hear people say, and that's almost true. The typical Supertramp sound was characterized by the Wurlitzer electric piano and instruments "foreign" to pop/rock, such as the clarinet, trombone, tuba, cello, and harmonics. Added to this was the successful fusion of the two singers' preferences. Roger Hodgson, with his high falsetto voice, favored pop, while the lower-voiced Rick Davies († 2025) was more inclined towards jazz and R&B. Both singers wrote their own lyrics and alternated singing them on their albums. The fusion of different genres and styles is an element of prog rock, as is the use of instruments from other genres. "Breakfast In America" ​​is very well-made pop/rock.

The cover art, and consequently the mixing, won a Grammy in 1980. The cover depicts Manhattan, rendered from salt and pepper shakers, egg cartons, cups, and glasses. Through an airplane window, we also see a waitress stylized as the Statue of Liberty, holding a glass of orange juice like a torch. Under her other arm, she carries a menu as a constitution, which ultimately reveals the album's title.

Musically, Roger Hodgson may have written most of the band's successful tracks, but I prefer Rick Davies' songs on this album. On LP A, these include "Gone Hollywood," the magnificent "Goodbye Stranger," and of course Hodgson's famous title track, "Breakfast in America."

Side B, which I think is slightly weaker, naturally features the most famous Hodgson song "Take The Long Way Home." However, my favorite track here is the slightly prog-influenced "Child of Vision," which also closes the album.

Sonically, this 1979 record doesn't hold up today; the treble is slightly overemphasized, and with so many songs, there's less room for the grooves. Nevertheless, the album still sounds good today.

Conclusion: A great rock/pop album on side A, side B is somewhat weaker, but it does include "Children of Vision".

What do I really think:

If it's pop/rock, then this is the way to do it. While side B is a bit weaker in my opinion (except for "Child of Vision"), that doesn't detract from the overall quality of the album. I like intelligently crafted pop-rock.

Rick Davies – Keyboards, Vocals
Roger Hodgson – Guitar Keyboards,Vocals
John Helliwell – Wind Instruments, Vocals
Bob Siebenberg (Bob C. Benberg) – Drums
Dougie Thomson – Bassguitar

The photos are all from my LP. The rights to all motifs, logos, texts and fonts that can be seen in the photos are of course owned by the copyright holder.

No AI was used in the making of this Review.
©01.06.2026