Brother Where You Bound

Supertramp | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: A&M
• ASIN: B000002GGW
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #315,511 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Japanese only SHM-CD (Super High Material CD - playable on all CD players) pressing packaged in a paper sleeve. Universal. 2008. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Darker Side of Supertramp, January 12, 2002

By 

"progrock86" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brother Where You Bound (Audio CD)

This album, the first to be recorded without guitarist/vocalist Roger Hodgson stands out for a couple reasons:

1. It was a massive improvement on their previous album, "Famous Last Words"

2. It has a darker, jazzier sound than any of their other work.

Granted that most of their previous material had been largely upbeat, majoy key compositions, many die hard Supertramp fans simply don't know what to think of this, hence the bad reviews. But this is a brilliant album. Possibly one of the best released in the horrendous decade for music, the 80's.

4 of the six songs are dark, minor key and somewhat slow in tempo, except for the danceable, infectious "Cannonball." The remaining two songs have a happier feel. The title track is very different for Supertramp, and the most progressive work they've done to date, alongside "Fool's Overture." In terms of structure is it somewhat incohesive, but overall it has brilliant music moments in it that make it a true masterpiece, a standout in the bands repertoire.

The melancholy "No Inbetween," is quite slow moving, but still holds your interest. "Better Days" is somewaht dramatic and emotional and has a cool jam thing in the end. "Still in Love" is more traditional Supertramp fare, with it's catchy sax lines and jumpy piano. "Ever Open Door" is sort of a slow, tender kind of song, and a nice warm way to close an album.

For people who aren't fans of change, skip this. For those who are, buy it for sure. The darker, piano-dominated sound is certainly a change, and definetly a welcome one. True, the loss of Hodgson is lamentable, but don't worry about it too much, because without him, Supertramp is alive and well.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rick sustains on first album after Roger's departure, April 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Brother Where You Bound (Audio CD)

The 1985 album "Brother Where You Bound" was an excellent attempt to keep the Supertramp spirit alive after Roger left. True, it sounds more like a Rick Davies solo album than a group effort, but the direction the group went with this turned out to be better then some people would have thought. "Cannonball", the album's opener and first single, is a song about a relationship gone bad. It's hard to tell if Rick's biting lyrics are about Roger, or someone else in general. From there, Rick sings about various wrongdoings, from slavery to poverty to the decline of society to war and climaxes with the 16+ minute title track. The album ends with "Ever Open Door", which is the most touching song about life Rick has ever written. Although the progressive rock sound has dated, the album is worth getting for that song.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fairly good CD, November 30, 2003

By 

kireviewer (Sunnyvale, Ca United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Brother Where You Bound (Audio CD)

Some people hate this CD for its dark mood and some people think it is fantastic. I think if it fairly good, close to 4 stars. It isn't their best album but it has some good parts. And I don't think it is all that dark. Note that there is a "remastered" version of the CD. I have the original, and I don't think there is anything wrong with the sound.

The 3, 4 and 5 track of this album is like an extended, 30 minute version of Fool's Overture. It has the changing themes and the dialog by famous people (Ronald Reagan, George Bush and others). It is another one of those Supertramp tracks that take you into a different world and when it is over your head is spinning and you try to come back to reality.

The album starts out with the 8 minute, bouncy Cannonball. I can take or leave it. Tracks 2 and 6 are completely forgettable.

This is the first album after Roger Hodgson left the group. He put out a fairly good album at the same time called Eye of the Storm. It is hard to say which is better. In 1987, both Hodgson and Supertramp released horrible CD's of short tracks trying to capture the disco pop sound of the day. Both disappeared for over 10 years after that.