Customer Reviews

Slow Motion

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Let's stop comparing Supertramp Mark 2 to Mark 3. This edition of Supertramp has recorded a fine collection of music that has a bluesy edge that was only hinted at on previous recordings. The shift to a bluesier sound actually works. Sure, there's the trademark Supertramp sound but that's missing the point. Every Supertramp album sounded a little bit different from the one before. The template that Davies (and Roger Hodgson for that matter) always used for Supertramp was the Beatles. None of The Beatles albums sounded quite the same.

Is Slow Motion a success? Partially, yes particularly on the numbers that don't look to the past. The closing track Dead Man's Blues manages to recall the extended prog rock closers by the band in both its length and the solos. Beyond that, though, this track (which is stunning and the best piece on the album)along with most of the record really doesn't have much to do with the band that recorded Breakfast in America. Slow Motion is an elaboration on the style and sound of Crime of the Century.

I have to give Rick Davies and his band mates credit for trying something daring and new. Yes, there are times it does recall previous attempts to go down the same road (Some Things Never Change, Famous Last Words or parts of Free As A Bird), but Slow Motion is at its most successful when it abandons the very things that made Supertramp successful in the past.

I cannot understand some of the lousy reviews about this album! But I think it's typical for customer who espect Supertramp as it was in the seventies. For the last 20 years this band has changed its style. Nevertheless they do not lose the typical Supertramp-elements (wurlitzer; sax; distinctive voice). Sometimes I also miss the good old days of Supertramp but I accept that Rick Davies prefers R&B. Today the music of Supertramp therefore is R&B and jazzy. If you like this kind of music you will love this CD. If you don't like R&B/Jazz you will probably hate it. For me this album is simply perfect and one of the best Supertramp-albums at all. Favourite tracks are "Little By Little" (an earwig with a nice melody) and "Tenth Avenue Breakdown" (dramatic and varied). Try this CD and listen to it carefully at least three times. I predict you will love it the more you listen to it !

There's a time in your life when you can understand lyrics like "Because we need to draw the line, because we need to make the time, because we need to sip the wine...", for what they really mean. Supertramps' new (?) sound is basically an understanding of the human condition. Life goes on, they're getting older and the world is rushing around them, and still have the heart (and guts!) to put out an inteligent, musical record, inviting us to slow down and think/ feel a little.
And to listen to "Slow Motion", you have to pay attention because it's not as ear-friendly as "Breakfast..." or as powerful as "Crime.." Even when "Crime" was released,Supertramp were intelligent musically, and while we miss Roger Hodgson, this new material deserves being listened to because it has style and shows that Rick still has the Supertramp feel. Don't give up on Supertramp, this record really sounds good, but you have to listen a couple of times to let it grow on you.

Fave tracks:
"Slow Motion" - Old poppy Tramp, with that characteristic Fender Rhodes plinky-plonk sound. Haunting sax solo.
"Over You" - Melancholic 50's type sound. Great horns!
"Tenth Avenue Breakdown" - One of those 7 minute Supertramp anthems.

Overall, definitely worth having if you enjoy intelligent music and like the Supertramp sound. It's in there if you listen carefully...

This album continues in the direction begun with the 1997 "Some Things Never Change". This is the bluesy version of Supertramp, with echoes of the old (electric pianos, castanets, harmonica, sax) and groove of the new (horns and Mark Hart). Particulary good are "Slow Motion" and "Tenth Avenue Breakdown". Rick Davies' vocals are strong, the instrumental interplay superb, and the production excellent. Nevertheless, if you're looking for Roger Hodgson's pop, you might be disappointed. I'm not, because I like Supertramp, whether old or new.

It ain't the same without Roger and Dougie. Please don't tell me the coming tour is going to feature a stand-in singing Roger's songs again like in '97. Rick Davies is a massive talent. I can't say enough about some of the great music that he has written and performed. "I'm Beggin' You" was a piece of pop perfection that is often overlooked in spite of some more dated tracks on that album (Free As A Bird). The band should play that song live- it's the best song they've done, in my opinion, since Roger left.

That magic between Rick and Roger- even if they were mainly writing seperately- isn't there with this slick r&b LA ensemble. Supertramp should be an automatic for the Rock and Roll Hall of fame but it should be the Breakfast In America Tramp walking up to the podium. I always used to see a lot of reviews raving about how great this new version of Supertramp is- especially on the old "Supertramp" web site. But calling this new 8 piece outfit Supertramp is a little misleading- it's the equivalent of taking John or Paul out of the Beatles... plus either Ringo or George (for Dougie), and then adding 3 session musicians and Ringo's son Zack on percussion, and still calling it The Beatles. It's not the same. It would be more palatable to those of us stubbornly loyal to Roger if it was not brushed over by the band all the time in their press releases and if they didn't try to replace Roger like they have by adding Mark Hart. Mark is talented but his high voice sounds more like a girl than it does like the kind of voice that Roger or Jon Anderson has. It would be perhaps unfair to compair him with Roger but he has to expect it getting up on stage singing "Logical Song" and "Take The Long Way Home"- a sacrilige! One interesting note though is that it appears that Rick isn't writing with him anymore, or at least not on this album anyway. A couple of interesting things about this album; John Helliwell has clearly continued to improve his playing throughout his lifetime and I have to commend him for that. You can hear it on here even if the cd doesn't have the old Supertramp magic to it. Also there is one composition on the album written by Rick Davies and Richard Palmer. Palmer was in Supertramp in the really early days before Crime of The Century and appeared only on 1972's self-titled album Supertramp. I would be curious to know if this song was written as the result of the two collaborating recently or if it is a 30 year old song. If anyone knows send me an e-mail.

Roger is of course still writing music and Open The Door, his latest effort is phenominal. I can imagine that it must be frustrating for both Rick and Roger to have fans still begging for a reunion after all these years. But the interesting thing about that is that their music is so moving that it brings out an enormous amount of opinionated and passionate dialogue that you can read on the fan web sites coming from every corner of the earth and from people who range in age from 14 year old kids to 60 year olds. Q Magazine reviewed this album and suggested that Rick give Roger a call. Even though we keep hearing that a reunion won't happen. We'll keep dreaming about it. But either way Davies and Hodgson are in my opinion in the same league as Lennon and McCartney.

The seventies are gone, and so is Roger Hudgson. How demanding can we be with present-day Supertramp? This album is certainly no Fool's Oberture, nor it compares to anything on Crime Of The Century, but I think it stands on itself. The musicianship is solid, some compositions are a little weak, but the overall result is satisfying. Not a 5 star album, but not pure garbage either. All Supertramp fans would kill for a Davies-Hudgson reunion, but until that happens, let's enjoy their later output without comparing too hard to their glory days.

Slow Motion is a sophisticated jazzy, light-funk-infected pop album, released by the same group 20 years + after Crime of the Century and Breakfast in America.
All the songs on this album are Supertramp songs in the heart; and If you are a Supertramp fan, you will find this album a real Jewel.
Recommended; specially for all the old fans of this group.

This may be the best album since "Breakfast In America". It sounds very fresh. The interaction of the band is perfect. People who like the pop-style from the old days may be disappointed because today Supertramp prefer playing R&B and jazz. The voice and keyboard-playing of singer/songwriter Rick Davies is at its best. Top-tracks are "Little By Little" - nice melody - and "Tenth Avenue Breakdown" - very aggressive and with nice arrangements and "Dead Man's Blues" - on which John Helliwell's saxophone is unbelievable.

"Somethings Never Change" was great way back in 1997. Rick took off about five years of any studio work, and decided to take his time before this release in 2002. The long, and often hard wait, for this Supertramp fanatic was rewarded with nine solid songs on "Slow Motion". "Broken Hearted" is as good a song as Rick has written. "Over You" takes you back to almost the big band era sound. John and Lee on saxes and horns outdo themselves and make this album so distinct from other music of today. The two long songs ( Tenth Ave Breakdown and Dead Man's blues ) contain great instrumental breaks that in my mind is one of Rick's great trademarks, going back to three previous albums sans Roger
( Somethings Never Change, Free As A Bird, Brother Where You Bound ). The only better thing that can happen to me now, after listening to Slow Motion constantly since buying it, is seeing them live in the USA ASAP.

I FELT REALLY BAD WITH THESE WORK, I'M REALLY SUPERTRAMP FAN, AND THAT INCLUDS ROGER HODGSON. I DON'T CARE ABOUT THOSE THAT TRY TO JUSTIFFY THAT THEY CARRY ON WITHOUT HIM DOING GREAT THINGS TOO.

BOY, WHERE IS THE SOUND I LIKE, THOSE DEEP WORDS THAT MADE ME ADMIRE AND MOST OF THE TIME FELT THAT THESE MUCISIAN WHERE WRITING SOMETIMES YOUR BIOGRAFY. ROGER DID ONCE WITH HIDE IN YOU SHELL, AND RICK, WELL I NEVER LIKE MUCH HIS VOICE BUT I LOVE HIS MUSIC. WHERE IS ALL THAT, CAN'T RESIST THE IDEA OF BUY CD'S WITH THE HALF OF SUPERTRAMP. THEY MUST USE ANOTHER NAME FOR THE BAND. MAYBE THE NEW MUCISIAN ADD MORE TECHNICAL AND MORE "SOUND" TO THE BAND (THE ONE ROGER TOOK WITH HIM).

PLEASE, WHY ALL HAVE TO BE DONE THINKING COMERCIALLY. WE ALL KNOW THAT THE NAME SUPERTRAMP SELL. WHAT ARE THEY SELLING NOW IS JUST MUSIC YOU REALLY FEEL THAT YOU MAY GET IT ON A COPY NOT SPENDING MONEY HAVIN THE ORIGINAL, JUST TO KNOW HOW IT IS.

THE ALBUM IS REALLY BAD, BUT I REALLY MEAN IT, RUN AS FAR AS YOU CAN FROM IT...