Album title:Even in the Quietest Moments ...
Artiste: Supertramp
Genre: Progressive Rock
Year: 1977
Label: A&M
Producer: Supertramp
Chronological position: Fifth album
Notes:
Album chart position: 12 (UK) 16 (US)
Singles: “Give a little bit”
Lineup: As before
The third in the quadrology that would see Supertramp at both their most creative and their most commercially successful,
Even in the Quietest Moments... showed the boys both delving deep into the well of progressive rock more than they ever had before, with the closer their longest song since “Try again” off the debut, and also continuing their move into standard pop territory with whimsical songs like “Babaji” and the hit single “Give a little bit”. All of this would finally culminate in their masterpiece, for which they are most remembered (and sometimes reviled), to be released two years later.
Review begins
Chances are that even if you're not a Supertramp fan you may know the opener, that single “Give a little bit”, as it has featured in advertisements and incidental music through the years. It's taken in on a simple acoustic guitar with Roger Hodgson singing the first verse before the rhythm section comes in and the song gets going properly. It's an upbeat, happy start to the album which, from its cover, looks rather melancholy and lonely, and some of the songs are, but not this one. Fine sax from Hellilwell drips off the tune, and it is of course replete with that standard Supertramp vocal harmony and hook in the chorus. “Lover boy” is another slightly whimsical tune, essentially chronicling the exploits of a lothario as he makes his way through life without a care. It's Davies taking a turn on the mike this time and the song is driven on his sprightly piano, sort of shades of “Bloody well right” from
Crime of the Century in a way. It's very light and breezy for the opening sections, then the drums power in and it gets a little heavier with what sounds like cello coming in to the mix and giving the song a very orchestral and grand feel.
Playful backing vocals from Hodgson keep things light, accompanied by whistling, and then the song picks up speed with swirling organ and wild guitar for the closing section, with an interesting little false ending before we're into the title track, and the first, if you will, serious song. With birdsong and a very gentle acoustic guitar, “Even in the quietest moments” reunites us with the vocal of Hodgson, which is perfectly suited for this song. Rising clarinet sighs into the mix, before thick synth crashes in momentarily, but falls back out almost immediately, leaving Hodgson and his guitar alone for the first verse, bouncing percussion coming in too as the track begins to build, Hodgson's voice rising achingly. Strong organ slides over the tune as it gains in intensity, moving towards its climax, before fading out as it began on the pastoral guitar of Hodgson.
Another simple little song, “Downstream” is a recollection of a nice day out, attended by basic piano and Davies's voice, certainly a vehicle for his solo talents and I believe a sort of hidden highlight of the album, a track that often seems to get passed over in favour of the more elaborate songs, but I love this one. Not so crazy about “Babaji”, which seems to me something of a rewrite of “Lady” off the previous album, with its deceptively slow intro that then metamorphoses into an upbeat rocker, with a lot of elements from “Rudy” and “Crime of the century” in there too. Just a little too derivative, and one of the few Hodgson songs that just doesn't grab me. Maybe I'm being unfair to it, as it often passes me by, but it's never made much of an impression on me. If there is a low point (and there really isn't) in the album I would mark it here, but after this things get right back on track and there's a real upswing as the album ends, more or less as it began, strongly.
“From now on” is a pretty yearning song, Davies's piano rippling through it like a heartbeat, and in fact almost presaging the melody of the next, and final, song, but in a good way. There's some very good guitar here too from Hodgson, and powerful drumming from Bob Siebenberg. Organ breathing over the melody adds to the atmosphere, with a sweet sax solo from John Helliwell too and even some melodica. The last two minutes of the song are mostly just Davies singing the repeated line
”Guess I'll always have to be/ Living in a fantasy/ That's the way it has to be/ From now on” and yes, the song is probably overlong at more than six minutes, but somehow it doesn't feel like it.
Fading out on a group vocal it brings in the epic closer, “Fool's overture”, which opens on a simple piano line, rather like “Downstream”, but with definitely more of a sense of an introduction rather than an actual melody line this time. Sound effects fade in, including church bells, traffic, crowds and Churchill's famous “We shall never surrender!” speech. Thick synth beefs up the melody with a thumping bassline, picking up the pace and indeed creating a rather long overture. Given that the song runs for over ten minutes I guess it's all right that the instrumental introduction covers nearly half that time, and it certainly sets the mood, to the point where, listening to this for the first time, I assumed the whole thing was instrumental. But of course it isn't, as Hodgson takes the final vocal and sings what he has himself admitted to be a lyric that mean nothing, but I always took him to be referring to Christ when he sings
”Called the man a fool/ And stripped him of his pride/ Everyone was laughing/ Up until the day he died.” Who knows? I like to think that's what he meant, and maybe he did, and maybe he didn't. It's a great lyric nonetheless.
Hodgson puts in, I believe, his best performance on this track, and you can hear the passion dripping from his voice when he croons
”My friends we're not alone/ He waits in silence to lead us all home.” Suddenly the piano and clarinet are joined by a huge booming percussion and sax, then there's another instrumental break with effects – wind, choir singing - before everything builds up again for the big finale, that pulsing bass pulling everything along with it and the song ends on a single chord held for over thirty seconds, fading down and away with sax swirling around it.
Track listing and ratings
Give a little bit
Lover boy
Even in the quietest moments
Downstream
Babaji
From now on
Fool's overture
Afterword:
A real improvement over the last album, though nowhere near a concept album
Even in the Quietest Moments feels like there's more of a theme running through it, seems more cohesive and well thought out. Chartwise it was a major improvement too, giving Supertramp their first Gold US album and showing far more respectfully, just nudging the top ten in the UK while nestling well within the top twenty in the US, making it their best performing album ever there, even moreso than
Crime of the Century, and paving the way for the big one to come.
Rating: 