Breakfast In America

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Editorial reviews

From Amazon.com
After a shaky start followed by several critically acclaimed releases, the English group Supertramp hit the commercial jackpot in 1979 with iBreakfast in America/i. The album combined the band's FM radio, AOR-rock style with an almost carnival-like nature. iBreakfast/i gave the band major hits with "The Logical Song," "Goodbye Stranger," and "Take the Long Way Home." The plinking piano and dramatic clarinet runs of "The Logical Song" imparted a comic, yet bittersweet tone to the release as a whole. In another example of the band's devotion to alternative ways to carry their melody lines, "Goodbye Stranger" rings with some of the purest whistling ever recorded. There's also a healthy dose of cynicism running through the 10 tracks with "Just Another Nervous Wreck." I--Steve Gdula/I

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-09-20 rating:
Supertramp's last great album
This is the last album of Supertramp's "golden era", it's all downhill from here I'm afraid. Although still an Art Rock band, the group became very big after this album's release due to a number of smash hits taken from it (the Logical Song, Goodbye Stranger, take the long way home and the title track), and apart from the short development section in Gone Hollywood and the extended instrumental section in Child of Vision, there is very little to betray their Prog roots. br / br /The album has a very polished, "big budget" style of production, and the instrumentation is dominated by Supertramp's trademark Wurlitzer electric piano sound - fat and rich. They sometimes use these the way other bands would use synthesizers, as on Child of Vision for example (really fantastic bass and drum work on this track as well by the way). It's good to see that Roger Hodgson has found his electric guitar again too - Gone Hollywood, Goodbye Stranger and Just Another Nervous Wreck in particular having some great lead parts and power chords (Gone Hollywood also has an interesting volume-pedaled steel guitar part). Rick Davies' piano never went anywhere of course, and there is plenty of top class ivory tickling - I particularly like the manic fade-in to the album's opener, although the extended piano part in Child of Vision is a little brittle sounding and makes my hears hurt. I should mention that John Helliwell's sax is always first rate too. br / br /There are a couple of what I consider to be weak tracks however - Lord is it Mine and Casual Conversations both sound too rambling and bland to my ears. They also slow the pace up considerably, as the rest of the album moves along very nicely. These two tracks are the only reason I haven't plumped for the full five stars. I have to say as well that I always cringe at the "what's she got? not a lot!" line in the title track, although for the rest of the time the lyrics are pretty good. br /

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review by: date: 2008-04-18 rating:
Perfection.
If there is a better album in the world i have yet to hear it.An hour of total musical bliss,this is Supertramp at the height of there powers every record collection should own this.

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review by: Music lover date: 2008-02-17 rating:
A hugely inspired hour by a band I never really liked.
Firstly, I will have to mention that Supertramp is a band I don't really like. I found their early albums (and their post Breakfast..albums) very boring and tedious. Their tracks were extremely longwinded if not anoying to me. br / br /However, this album is superb in every way. Songwriting, performance, production. br / br /Tracks like: The Logical Song, Take the Long way Home, Breakfast in America.Goodbye Stranger and Oh Darling are "Perfect Pop". It's like the best of Paul McCartney meets the best of Abba , and performed by Great Session musicians who fuse Rock, Pop,Hard Rock,Soul and Jazz to perfection. But where they play their Masterstroke, is that the songs here they never sound sugary like many top Pop songs do. br / br /I believe the album lasts just under 50 minutes..but never a dull moment. br / br /I heard this album last week straight after some 60s classics, "Pet Sounds" "Abbey Road" and believe me I felt that all 3 are world beaters all the way. br / br /Finally, the Beatles have been and will always be my favourites, Pet Sounds was recorded in Heaven, I can't stand Supertramp, but "Breakfast in America" makes my top 20 best album list ever. br / br /Strange but true!! br / br /

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review by: date: 2007-12-28 rating:
Supertramp at their peak
An outsanding album from an outstanding band. Supertramp probably hit their peak here - certainly commercially anyway. br / br /The synergy between Hodgson and Davies is evident and it's just a great shame that they couldn't stay together for a lot of new albums (although 'Famous Last Words' for example did follow). br / br /Some tracks are very well known e.g. Breakfast in America, Take the Long Way Home and, of course, the Logical Song. However, the whole album still stands up to scrutiny almost 3 decades later. Definitely one for the collection. br / br /Scottish fans will note the Scottish newspaper on the back cover (Glasgow Herald).


review by: davethorn13 date: 2007-09-27 rating:
Diamonds for breakfast
Some bands manage one classic album by which they're forever known. Supertramp seemed to have made theirs with 'Crime Of The Century.' The next two were okay, but not on the same plane. So, this album came as a pleasant surprise. It's more overtly commercial than 'Crime,' but has the same depth and quality. Supertramp echo their earlier classic on the majestic 'Take The Long Way Home,' by opening it with plaintive harmonica, just as 'School' kicked off 'Crime.' On the whole, though, the songs are shorter and less episodic in structure. The title track is a one-off, an old song with a curious lyric that gave them a follow-up hit to the second track here, 'The Logical Song,' itself featuring Roger Hodgson's instantly-recognisable keyboard style. br / This, though, is an album of potential hits. 'Gone Hollywood' is a mesmerising opening track, 'Oh Darling' wonderfully bluesy and 'Goodbye Stranger' almost singalong in the chorus. 'Lord Is It Mine' sees Hodgson in contemplative mood and 'Casual Conversations' is beautifully understated. The latter song serves as a calm interlude before the draining 'Nervous Wreck' and the brilliant epic closer, 'Child Of Vision.' For me, 'Crime Of The Century' still holds the crown, but 'Breakfast In America' is within touching distance.

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