When vocalist-guitarist
Roger Hodgson
left
Supertramp
after 1982's
...famous last words...
, few could have guessed that the band would continue and solidify its pop-oriented songcraft, let alone re-embrace its progressive-rock roots on 1985's underrated
Brother Where You Bound
. With vocalist-keyboardist
Rick Davies
firmly in control -- he wrote all the music and lyrics -- the album examined tensions at the tail end of the Cold War. In a thematic sense,
is dated and hasn't aged very well --
Davies
' politically oriented lyrics are heavy-handed -- but the music is a pleasure. The crystalline sound of the album, particularly
' piano, is breathtaking; kudos to co-producers
David Kershenbaum
and
and engineer
Norman Hall
. The hit single
"Cannonball"
is a jazz-rock delight, especially in full-length album form. Lyrically, it can be interpreted as
' feelings of betrayal at
Hodgson
's departure, but the piano, percussion and horns are superb. Saxophonist
John A. Helliwell
, bass guitarist
Dougie Thomson
, and drummer
Bob Siebenberg
all contribute vital parts, as does guest trombonist
Doug Wintz
.
"No Inbetween"
begins with a lovely, bittersweet percussion (or synthesizer?) and piano melody.
"Better Days"
is a rather bleak look at the unfulfilled promises of the "good life" in Western society; the dramatic music is highlighted by guest
Scott Page
's flute solos. The fantastic title track examines Cold War paranoia and clocks in at more than 16 minutes; after the creepy opening narration taken from
George Orwell
's
1984
, the song becomes a composite of several complex prog-rock "movements."
Pink Floyd
David Gilmour
contributes the searing, distorted guitar solos. Unfortunately,
never received the attention it deserved; it isn't a perfect album, but it was a gutsy project for
to take on. ~ Bret Adams