A great radio song, but not the typical "go to" off of Breakfast In America that we both know were more popular and in some cases, a bit overplayed. The lazy DJ approach to this album was to put on "Dreamer", and that's a crying shame, IMHO.Well, ten seconds in instantly I recogniz(s)e "School", and I know "Dreamer" and "Bloody Well Right" already -- I wonder if this is a record I'm going to realiz(s)e I've heard many times before.
Edit: it isn't. But I did recall "School" -- not the rest other than the hits after it -- so it must have been a radio song here at some point.
A great radio song, but not the typical "go to" off of Breakfast In America that we both know were more popular and in some cases, a bit overplayed. The lazy DJ approach to this album was to put on "Dreamer", and that's a crying shame, IMHO.
Is "School" one of their best songs of all time? I'd argue it is, and it is certainly on the homemade CD compilation I put together. A Crime that it wasn't on their usual GHs.
This is bringing back memories.
Never had any of their stuff myself but I’m sure I heard them all the time, maybe in friend’s houses. They were certainly part of the establishment growing up in the seventies.
They always had something chartable and crossed the divide between rock and pop audiences. Whether it be CotC, Breakfast in America or Even in the Quietest Moments, there was always something likeable that was radio friendly but just outside of pop enough to reach a wider audience.
Pop heavy? or Rock light? Whatever, I certainly wouldn’t class them in the same vein as Genesis or Yes or many others that I was well into.
For some strange reason perhaps, I can’t help but place them in the same vein as late seventies into eighties band, The Cars.
Pop but better than your norm. Serious pop?
Crossing normal audience boundaries.?
It’s not a bad skill to have, although at times they can be overblown with the epicness and that can irritate.
Anyway, I know all these songs and find them all pleasant enough. All quite brilliant if you’re in the mood and perhaps over familiar if you’re of a certain vintage.
A good pick.
Hmmm! Yeah, perhaps. I was seriously Prog at the time and would have considered this pop friendly prog at best.Their audience at the time of this album and its follow-up was a prog one.
....So it was "decent". Pretty summed up my first 2 listens on way in to work this morning.A decent throwback 70s album. Yippee.
In fairness, it is perfectly decent, and no point being critical of something this decent.
Decent passages of music, decent bit of everything thrown in. Perfectly lelistenable and appreciable.
It is not really my thing. The play-acting cabaret singing, the constant kitsch, the attempts at 'enriching' something in essence pretty banal. I try picture them huddled in their smoky basement, genuinely 'exploring' music and having fun with it. I try picture them on a stage of a sold out Broadway show. I try picture the truth somewhere in the middle, in their childhood bedroom, dreaming of being on Broadway. The end result is always the same. Cool, not bad, next.
They do it well, that much I can't deny. Not as well as others of the type (Elton John, Queen etc), but better than others of their time as well. If they are considered 'overlooked', I can see why. But I can also admit they deserve praise.
None of it really bothered me. Well apart from Dreamer, which is fucking unbearable. The last three songs on the album are actually the best for me. Particularly If Everyone Was Listening, with then a good (almost) instrumental final song.
While it doesn't do much for me, I do suppose I have to thank albums of this type for the reaction they prompted, and what came next. I.e The conscious stripping of gimmicks and tat led to that desert metal monikered rock movement and ultimately grunge (which then unfortunately itself became tacky, leading to emergence of emo, which then itself..).
While I do say it is not my thing, I did quite enjoy at least three songs on it. Which is more than 30% of the album, and more than on a significant number of albums I would proclaim to 'not be my thing' that I have listened to. And (apart from Dreamer, which is fucking unbearable), I didn't mind the rest, which was decent. So I guess a decent 7.
Will it take a week to get over the perceived embarrassment of nominating Embrace?Supertramp are great, I probably only know the Breakfast singles - revert back in a week.
A decent throwback 70s album. Yippee.
In fairness, it is perfectly decent, and no point being critical of something this decent.
Decent passages of music, decent bit of everything thrown in. Perfectly lelistenable and appreciable.
It is not really my thing. The play-acting cabaret singing, the constant kitsch, the attempts at 'enriching' something in essence pretty banal. I try picture them huddled in their smoky basement, genuinely 'exploring' music and having fun with it. I try picture them on a stage of a sold out Broadway show. I try picture the truth somewhere in the middle, in their childhood bedroom, dreaming of being on Broadway. The end result is always the same. Cool, not bad, next.
They do it well, that much I can't deny. Not as well as others of the type (Elton John, Queen etc), but better than others of their time as well. If they are considered 'overlooked', I can see why. But I can also admit they deserve praise.
None of it really bothered me. Well apart from Dreamer, which is fucking unbearable. The last three songs on the album are actually the best for me. Particularly If Everyone Was Listening, with then a good (almost) instrumental final song.
While it doesn't do much for me, I do suppose I have to thank albums of this type for the reaction they prompted, and what came next. I.e The conscious stripping of gimmicks and tat led to that desert metal monikered rock movement and ultimately grunge (which then unfortunately itself became tacky, leading to emergence of emo, which then itself..).
While I do say it is not my thing, I did quite enjoy at least three songs on it. Which is more than 30% of the album, and more than on a significant number of albums I would proclaim to 'not be my thing' that I have listened to. And (apart from Dreamer, which is fucking unbearable), I didn't mind the rest, which was decent. So I guess a decent 7.
Interestingly, the post immediately before mine highlighted it as one of their favourite songs. I pointed out the 3 songs I liked. The post afte mine identified their 2 favourites which were different from mine. And earlier on someone identified 2 more that were none of the above.I'm getting the sense that you're finding Dreamer less than bearable?
A classic album IMHO. Bookended by the excellent School and title track with personal favourites, Hide In Your Shell, Asylum and Rudy. Wonderful production by Ken Scott.
It has stood the test of time and does not sound dated to my ears as these are just great songs and arrangements