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42 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Album; Excellent Band, December 28, 2003
The header of this review may seem a bit trite, but I can't help but express my sheer love of Supertramp's music. Roger Hodgson's sensual, reflective upper-register vocals happen to be seductive in a spellbindingly indescribable way, not to mention that his talents as a songwriter were quite nifty as well. And, on the whole, each contribution from the other members blended harmoniously to create highly enjoyable, poignant and memorable music.
1977's _Even In The Quietest Moments..._ hasn't a single dud on the album - each track is memorable, well-executed, melodic and poignant, not to mention in simple terms, the music is just excellent ear-candy from start to finish. Main songwriters Roger Hodgson (vocals/guitar) and Rick Davies (keyboards/vocals) are in fine form, as to be expected, delivering convincing ear-candy for anyone willing to listen. In typical Supertramp fashion, each trade lead vocals on respective tracks.
"Give A Little Bit" opens up with those wispy strums from an acoustic guitar, with Roger giving the listener a charming introduction with a vocal improvisation, before letting his own wispy singing float atop the atmospheric acoustic strums. Such a charming beauty that's really hard not to fall in love with. An amazing track that has aged well, and will continue to do so for many years to come.
"Lover Boy" switches things up, as Roger takes a backseat on the lead vocals, and lets Rick Davies take on that responsibility. Roger himself offers a brief vocal appearance in the middle section of the track. Features elegant, quirky piano tapping, along with slight whimsical characteristics in the vocal delivery which lend most of this song an atmosphere of a theater musical selection. The track on the whole switches from Gilbert & Sullivanesque whimsy to rocker quite effortlessly, which gives the whole thing a sense of drama and utter excitement.
The title track is a wispy, subdued, atmospheric and ethereal number, exhibiting a predominance in acoustic instruments. It bears a heavy resemblance to Led Zeppelin, particularly such Zeppelin tracks as "Battle of Evermore" and "Going To California." Roger's vocal mannerisms recall to mind those of Robert Plant, and the rhythmic mannerisms of the acoustic strumming alongside the ethereal backdrops brought on by the combination of keyboards and certain wind instruments contribute to this Zeppelinesque atmosphere as well. A very beautiful, pleasant track.
"Downstream" features a lovely major 7th piano lick, while Rick Davies' unique vocals float atop the whole thing. Speaking of Davies' voice, it's not the best voice in the world, especially in comparison to Hodgson's voice, but it seems like an unique instrument within itself, which compliments the music very well. This track on the whole, seems like just a duet between Rick's voice and his piano.
"Babaji" features Roger Hogdson performing at his usual best, with those romantic, sensual vocals of his. He has always reminded me of a Jon Anderson (Yes) with a slight hint of Freddie Mercury (Queen) in his voice. I possibly adore the man's vocals so much because the two vocalists that he remind me of most are, in fact, two of my favorite vocalists - one of them being my absolute favorite. Not surprisingly, Supertramp's music seems to have quite a bit in common with the two said bands in which the aforementioned vocalists originate. As for the track, the rhythm is bouncy, the piano tapping is quirky and playful, and added touches of flavor are added from saxaphonist John Helliwel in spots necessary for the extra ornamentation.
"From Now On" has a bluesy, New Orleansesque tint in it's atmosphere. Rick Davies' vocals work especially well with this track: a mid-tempo, poignant number with John Helliwel adding larger touches of saxaphone to enhance the flavor of the track. The climactic point of the song, which ends in a gospel-like choral fashion is quite moving, and was an excellent addition to conclude the track.
"Fool's Overture" is the grand 11-minute closer of the album. The elaborate arrangements and literary themes featured here harken back to the glory days of the progressive rock epic: in the vein of Yes or Emerson, Lake & Palmer, but not necessarily sounding derivative of either. Starts off quietly and smoothly before a brief voice sample appears, which eventually gives way to the bombastic, anthemic main keyboard sweep of the song. From there, Roger's sensual upper register issues out these dramatic vocal lines for a brief period, which are followed by windy sound effects. Then, the bombastic, anthemic main keyboard sweep reappears, and Roger comes in with these Jon Andersonesque vocal mannerisms, which swap with these sci-fi-meets-reggae vocal overdubs twice. After that, part of the main bombastic lick returns, and the track ends quite unexpectedly. It seemed as if the track had one more movement to go before it had ended - a recapitulation, so to speak, but, as mentioned above, it ended unexpectedly.
The 70s produced such wonderful, artistic, imaginative, and original music, which for the most part, is sorely lacking in most of today's artistic output. I probably lean toward a schmaltzy disposition in general, which is almost indefinitely reflected in my tastes. If there's any truth to that, I bear no shame about it. Supertramp were such a glorious band, and their music is recommended to fans of 70s music, particularly for fans of such artists as Queen, Roxy Music, Electric Light Orchestra, Yes, Todd Rundgren, Elton John and the like, or for music fans who are romantics in general.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Before Supertramp went pop..., March 5, 2003
...they kicked out this very cool album featuring a strong crossover orchestral rock/accoustical piano flavored gem. This album spent most of freshman year on my turntable, and on that of the guy across the hall, and the guy down the hall....It's terrific to hear it again, and even if the CD seems a bit more "juiced" than the old LP...well it isn't too scratchy either! Yep, Who, Floyd, Zep, Yes fans will appreciate Hodgson and Davies. And any album with Winston Churchill on it can't be all bad. "Never surrender!" Love the piano on the mountaintop!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of their very best, June 19, 2002
Although slightly overlooked in the face of "Crime Of The Century" or "Breakfast In America", this album is my favorite
Supertramp effort. Although they were only one album away from
the streamlined pop of "Breakfast In America", "Even In The Quietest Moments" contains some of their most progressive work,
along with the pop stuff. The listener will most likely recognize the opening "Give A Little Bit", a lightweight, catchy
number dominated (unusually for Supertramp) by guitars, which remains one of their finest singles. The closing "Fool's Overture", on the other hand, is a quasi-symphonic epic with
a grand, majesterial sound; divided into several sections, it is sure to prick the ears of prog-rock fans. The masterpiece, however, is the title track, which starts out somewhat unassumingly before it evolves into one of the most drone-like, hypnotic efforts in their canon. Very unusual for a mainstream rock band in the late 70s. The rest of the tracks, like "Lover Boy" and "Babaji", are all very competent keyboard-dominated studio rock from the period, well-composed and sung, although Supertramp were always a tad too slick in these moments for my tastes (a problem that would worsen considerably with "Breakfast In America"). Still, all seven tracks are worthwhile, and in the case of "Give A Little Bit", the title track and "Fool's Overture", must-hear classics. There is enough diversity here in terms of style and instrumentation to mark the band as one of the more creative of the mid-to-late 70s.
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by Supertramp 
