"Supertramp-Paris"

Intelligent lyrics, fantastic energy with minor adlibs in the music, a full robust sound enhanced by the echoes through the stage microphones. This is like a greatest hits. All, or most, of their best songs performed live in Paris, France, November 29th, 1979. “Paris” is a follow-up release to their top selling album “Breakfast in America.” The big difference between the live performances and the studio: energy, boldness, and a full sound. Yes, the studio productions are fantastic and there are lots of “effects” that are not on the live versions. However, this album gets right-up in your face and demands that you listen, learn, and "feel." Who among you, my readers, can say they actaully "feel" when they listen music. Not just to get up and dance or be happy, but fully experience your emotions. All of you, I hope! At times, this music is depressing, creating vivid images of a lonely middle aged man or the difficulties of leaving in a stale British environment or being a social out-cast, questioning your sanity. Then, it blatantly tugs at your intelligences, demanding you to think about life, not through money or material gains, but through love and emotions and daily life. With the very first song, the stage is set, the plot revealed. “School” begins as a relatively slow ballad-type, expressing disapproval for the British school systems long know to be brutal, uniform, confirmative, and removing any personality and individuality from their children. Then, after a few verses, the song flows into a mesmerizing bridge, giving a person time to digest the lyrics, ponder their life’s, and then… bam! an extremely energetic, bold piano solo busts lose as if the militia has shown up to not just demand equal rights, but to take it by force. This solo gives me chills every time I hear it! It is made so much more bolder by the slower melodies and seriousness of the lyrics prior. The rest of the band picks up the tempo as well as the piano hammers into our hearts. This solo makes me feel, feel alive and full of... emotions. Many of the remaining songs are set-up this way. Slow build ups, leading to dramatic tempo increases. Just as any excellent art piece or classic cinema, it has drama, bold conflicts and stark contrasts. Before I heard this album, I had only owned “Breakfast in America” and had heard one or two other songs. After falling in love, I decide to purchase all of their albums. As with all "greatest hits" albums, there always seems to be at least one song that is to on the album that I feel should be on it. With “Paris” there is one of their songs that is very good that is not on this. It was popular and got some radio air time. “Give a Little Bit” was even used on a few TV commercials in the past 5 or so years. In 1981, I purchased a 1979 Dodge Warlock II pick-up. It had a factory 8-track player in it. In 1977, I converted to cassettes after some one broke into my car and stole my 8-track player, speakers and all of my tapes (36 in all). Within a few years, they stopped manufacturing 8-tracks. There was no extra money for me to put in a new stereo system at the time. I have not been much of fan of radio, so I barrowed this tape from my roommate. It remained in my truck’s 8-track player for more than 6 months.