Customer Reviews

Free As a Bird

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

It's back in print! Hooray! After being MIA from record shops for several years, Supertramp's 1987 album, "Free As A Bird," has been re-issued & re-mastered, for which Tramp fans, especially those who missed the album the first time around, can be grateful. "Free As A Bird" barely made a dent on the album charts 15 years ago, and the band couldn't even tour for it in North America, but it's a great album all the same. After the serious tone of 1985's "Brother Where You Bound," Rick Davies & company decided for the follow-up album to lighten things up and have fun. "Free As A Bird" is a very catchy, upbeat, sometimes dance-oriented Tramp album that's perfect to play at a party, or cruise down the highway to. Songs like "It's Alright" & "I'm Beggin' You" will get you on the dancefloor in no time. The title song, a minor hit, is a Supertramp concert staple, with a great sing-along chorus. And there's more great jazz/pop from the band in tracks like "Not The Moment," "Thing For You," and the calypso-influenced finale, "An Awful Thing To Waste."After "Free As A Bird," Supertramp took a whole decade off before resuming work with 1997's "Some Things Never Change," and the "Free As A Bird" album itself went out of print for several years. But now that it's back, DON'T miss out. "Free As A Bird" is Supertramp at their most fun, and a great buried treasure from this great band. :-)

This is a very good album, with some strong songs, mostly sung by Rick Davies who was a big part of the old Supertramp magic. I can`t understand why it has received so much criticism, like Slow Motion, it is a classic. Some fans miss Roger and fair enough, he was fifty per-cent of the old vocal sound but this is well worth buying and I hope Rick turns out some more like it.

The 2nd post-Roger Hodgson Supertramp album positively glistens, especially in its new remastered version. The synth-soaked production was quite off-putting in 1987 becuase it was such a radical departure for the band, but in hindsight this album was if nothing else the complete antithesis of 'Brother Where You Bound', their previous, very cynical and political album. Although still for hardcore fans only, 'Free as a Bird' is an enjoyable, fun, and sparkling album from these now-ancient prog rockers.

I actually liked Brother Where You Bound better than Famous Last Words because Brother Where You Bound sounded like a great politically charged album with a lot of sentiment and a jazzy feel with some great musical compliments between the vocals. Famous Last Words was so pop oriented, except the final two lavish songs which I liked. Then came Free As A Bird and it became apparant that Davies had lost all song writing inspiration. The album falls flat in every catagory, not only the songs are poorly written but the arrangements and the music affects are terrible. This is one of the worst albums I have ever bought by one of my favorite groups. Davies would not improve with subsequent releases and after Brother Where You Bound, he should have never made more albums with the name Supertramp. As Roger Hodgson proved on albums like "The Open Door", he still had the ability to write some great songs and carry them out on a fine CD. Had Supertramp carried on with both Davies and Hodgson, the result of their material would have been FAR better than this. Too bad it has never happened!

I just picked this up a week ago and have been listening to it non-stop ever since! Being such a huge fan of all the Tramp's original musicianship and post work of Rodger's and Rick's i really didnt know what to expect considering the reviews on Amazon. I must say i absolutely LOVE this album! So glad i picked it up, from the very start it just literally ropes you in, and you dont wanna leave! Greatness comes sometimes in somewhat un-noticed and barely mentioned packages!!! As much as i know of the probs between the two main members i still have to say on their own they are both exceptional artist, and i hope someday they will finally break the chains that bind them. I know Rodger wanted to be considered a part of the band again, and i hope someday this will happen for everyone sakes. In the meantime its just so great that this band and these stars continue to shine!!!

This much maligned Supertramp realease was the follow up to 1985's BROTHER WHERE YOU BOUND. It was the late 80s and there was either electronica or hair metal to choose from in the top 40. Supertramp is a progressive rock group from the 70s, and that kind of music was definitely not in vogue. This album is like nothing they put out before, and therefore fans hate it. On BROTHER they had a hit with Cannonball, which also enjoyed some success on the dance circuit. On this album it seems like they decided to incorporate some dance and electronica into their style. BROTHER's subject matter was dark and heavy. On FREE AS A BIRD we hear a much lighter sound and there is a return to lighter material in the lyrics. It seems like they were trying to reinvent themselves to keep up with the times and/or to go in a direction that may have been suggested by their record company after the success of BROTHER. In any case, this is an enjoyable album that grows on you with time. They revisit the sound of their seminal album BREAKFAST IN AMERICA on track 3 It Doesn't Matter, but it is not as immediate as anything on that album. There are several tracks that incorporate danceable rhythms and latin percussion, but it only works as a novelty variation of the Supertramp sound rather than a reinvention that could be marketed to the dance circuit that Cannonball enjoyed success on. Regardless or what the motivation was for their radical change in direction for this album, it is a good listen; albeit after a few listens more than their older albums took to take hold. This is more of a transition album for them. It sounds more like adult contemporary than pop/rock, a sure way to alienate a fan base. The later sound that they adopted for SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE and SLOW MOTION is audible here. Mark Hart from Crowded House replaced Roger Hodgson, but Rick Davies doesn't let him in on the fun. His presence is barely distinguishable and instead he becomes a bit player. The rest of the band is stellar as usual, but Hodgson is missed on the songwriting. If you are new to Supertramp, I recommend in order from best to least:

BREAKFAST IN AMERICA
CRIME OF THE CENTURY
CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?
BROTHER WHERE YOU BOUND
EVEN IN THE QUIETEST MOMENTS
FAMOUS LAST WORDS

FREE AS A BIRD is not Supertramp in their most famous and effective incarnation but it is worth buying as a blend of adult contemporary, jazz and world music. Rick Davies is a master of the blues and of blending the mentioned styles. I did not expect to like this album as much as I did, but it made me wish (as with all Supertramp fans) that Roger Hodgson had never left.

If Brother Where You Bound was any indication Supertramp were headed in the opposit direction from where they began and,as mildly unpopular as it was commercially this album represented that shift most of all. Recorded in 1987 this album found Rick Davies taking the band in a more full on jazz/R&B direction,in this case somewhat more similar to the slickly modern sheen of Paul Weller's Style Council. Full band production and mild hints of 80's synthesized production are blended here in a wonderful way and despite what some may think or say all the songs here are full of strong melodies,hooks and all sorts of wonderful musical surprises. The only thing that may come as a shock is the abrupt veer in direction.

I say veer because if you'd been listening to Supertramps music earlier in the 80's this shift was an enevitabilty. The only song on this album that has an obviously sharp 80's dance flavor is the opener "It's Alright" but for the most part this album consists of funky and snappy late 80's style "Brit-soul" along in the place of "Not The Moment","It Doesn't Matter",the title song and "Thing For You". There are also two very inventive musical moments which both embrace a strong latin/salsa flavor in the place of "I'm Beggin' You",a standout featuring some extremely catchy and uniquely chorded piano work and the album finale "An Awful Thing To Waste" which spins out into a pretty full out dance-funk/salsa instrumental by the middle of the song. "You Can Never Tell With Friends" brings out a meatier R&B flavor,as featured somewhat deeper in the mix elsewhere here with some heavy horns and harmony vocals.

Now for fans of Supertramps classic progressive pop sound of the 70's this album is bound to receive mixed reactions and from all the negative reviews here that might steer a lot of people away from this album. In the end it's more a question of your individual musical taste. If your interested in relatively organic late 80's British soul/funk and R&B with enough exotic touches to make it interesting and some superb songwriting this may be just the Supertramp album for you. However if your taste goes for more extended symphonic runs and more aggresively socio political lyrics you might want to look to earlier albums because this represents an entirely different side of the bands talents.

I had this album on vinyl when it first came out, and was quite disappointed by it. In fact I have only just replaced it, having not heard it for many years, and mostly just to complete the collection.
I am, however, very glad I've re-visited it, because it's an awful lot better than I remember. I am a huge Supertramp fan, and have loved just about everything they've done. I would have, until recently, qualified that statement with this album being the exception.
I don't whether the re-mastering has made the difference, or something else, but I am now very impressed with it. It has a really 'groovy' sound throughout, and that's not a oft used description of Supertramp albums. This one has such a buzz. The musicanship of course is exemplary, but that's what you'd expect.
I think the problem originally for me was the almost over-produced type of sound of the album, which was perhaps fitting for the time, but didn't seem particularly fitting to Supertramp. It may be that the re-mastering has addressed that to some extent.
It isn't Supertramp as we know it, but is is Supertramp doing what they do. Making great music, and making each album different from anything else.
I urge any Supertramp fan to give it a go, or at least, another go.

Give this a careful listen and you'll realize this is one of Supertramp's Best. I wish Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson would just put their differences behind then and get back into the studio again! Anyway, this CD was essentially ignored and deserves to be re-discovered again. 5 stars.

Yes,I am a Supertramp fan, but I am far from hardcore. I think I am more in a place to judge fairly.

Bottom line: This is a solid album for expanding one's Supertramp catalog beyond their more known albums (specifically: Crime, Breakfast, and Brother -- if you do not have these, definitely get these first)

This album is really quite good. The songwriting, performance, and orchestrations are very good. After listening to this album quite a few times, many of the scathing reviews are unfair. Really. I almost passed on this album entirely. I am REALLY glad I didn't.

I know this album will not solve world peace, but -- at the end of the day -- it is a very good listen if you like Supertramp.

PS
And don't miss the sweet guitar solo in 'An Awful Thing To Waste'