Table of Content
Nevertheless, Hodgson said in a 2015 interview that Crisis? Despite Supertramp's own misgivings, the album was well received by critics, and when released in November 1975, it broke both the UK Top Twenty and the US Top Fifty in spite of its singles all being commercial flops. I interpret it as the personal struggle Roger was feeling with the pressure of being an elite rock musician versus the responsibility of being a husband and father. The vocals, and emotion of Roger's vocals combined with the clarinet, and keyboards really strike a chord-a great song! In an interview with a Danish tv network, Roger cited the need to be a regular father as the reason he decided to leave the band in 1983. Nowadays, we have the Supertramp camp saying Roger is stealing Supertramp songs for his use on tour.
Outside of that arena he has to deal with the realities of home life and his harshest critics. Too long being in one place doing the same thing for years makes one wonder if you could have been someone other than yourself - a much better you. The song was track one of side two of the group's 1979 album, 'Breakfast in America', it peaked at #1 on May 13th, 1979 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart.
Personal tools
Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics. "Reasons" by Earth, Wind & Fire is a popular wedding song, but it's actually about a one-night stand. This song appeared uncredited, along with "Child of Vision" (also from the "Breakfast in America" album) in the 1984 Richard Lester directed film, "Finders Keepers". The movie starred Michael O'Keefe ("Caddyshack") and Lou Gossett Jr. I don't know why this song has always struck me as being about suicide for some reason.
That's just one of the everyday things these guys find to sing about. Anything in their field of vision or general scope of knowledge is fair game. If you cross paths with them, so are you. To me, those lyrics could definately be interpreted as someone who has just given up hope and just decided to "take the long way home". On a personal note...this song is about every commute you have ever taken.
Charts
But disagreements over management prompted them to part ways once again soon after, with both songs eventually appearing, sans Hodgson, on Supertramp's next release in 1997. 1987's Free as a Bird experimented in heavily synthesised music, such as "I'm Beggin' You", which reached number 1 on the US dance charts. The stylistic change was generally not well-received, however, and the album itself reached only no. 93 in the UK and 101 in the US, breaking a streak of seven consecutive top 100 efforts on the American charts. Alternative rock band Lazlo Bane covered the song for their 2007 cover album Guilty Pleasures.
In 1973 auditions to replace the departed Curry and Winthrop started and introduced Bob Siebenberg (initially credited as Bob C. Benberg; drums and percussion) and John Helliwell , completing the lineup in the summer of 1973. Hodgson would also begin introducing compositions featuring keyboards in the band in addition to guitar. This lineup of Supertramp would remain in place for the next ten years.
Hodgson and Davies reunion
Davies took over as the band's sole leader until 1988, after which they disbanded and periodically reformed in various configurations. In 1996 Davies re-formed Supertramp with Helliwell, Siebenberg and guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist Mark Hart, who was new to the official lineup but had prominently contributed to Free as a Bird and to the group's tours from 1985 to 1988. The result of this reunion was Some Things Never Change, a new studio album released in March 1997 that echoed the earlier Supertramp sound and reached number 74 in the UK.
Earth and Fire were a Dutch progressive and symphonic rock band who over time evolved into a pop group. "Lovely Day" is a song by American soul and R&B singer Bill Withers. Written by Withers and Skip Scarborough, it was released on December 21, 1977, and appears on Withers's 1977 album, Menagerie. The song is notable for Withers's sustained note towards the end, which, at 18 seconds long, is one of the longest ever recorded on an American pop song. It was listed at No. 402 on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 Best Songs of All Time" in 2021. In late August 2018, Davies gave an interview in which he expressed that, for the most part, he has overcome his health problems and enjoys playing music again, something he couldn't do in 2016, when he was under medical treatment.
El Lute is a 1979 double A-side single by German group Boney M. It was the lead single from their fourth album Oceans of Fantasy and was the group's eighth and final number-one single in the German charts. "Another Brick in the Wall" is a three-part composition on Pink Floyd's 1979 rock opera The Wall, written by bassist Roger Waters. "Part 2", a protest song against rigid schooling, features a children's choir. After 1988's tour, the group fragmented. Davies later explained, "We'd been out there for about 20 years just recording and touring and it seemed time to have a break with no ideas as to if or when we would come back. We decided not to actually say anything, just sort of fade away like an old soldier."
Most of the band have said they feel they hit their artistic peak on this album, though their greatest commercial success would come later. To avoid an overly lengthy gap between albums during their hiatus, the band put out 1980's Paris, a two-LP live album recorded mostly at the Pavillon de Paris. It broke the top ten in both the US and UK.
Hit number 16 in the US, number 12 in the UK, and 1 in Canada. During this period, the band permanently relocated to Los Angeles. "London Calling" is a song by the British punk rock band the Clash. It was released as a single from the band's 1979 double album of the same name. This apocalyptic, politically charged rant features the band's post-punk sound, electric guitar and vocals. Hodgson has stated that his departure was motivated by a desire to spend more time with his family and make solo recordings and that there were never any real personal or professional problems between him and Davies, as some people thought.
So we don’t have to take the long way, struggle for attention, success, recognition, home. With this record alone, you become one of the elite. Both tracks from the single included in this video.
The band's 1988 touring lineup was almost the same as it had been in '85/'86, but with Brad Cole continuing in place of Scott Page and percussionist Steve Reid instead of guitarist Carl Verheyen. I also interpret it as being about middle-age, when guys are usually very good at their jobs, but see that there is a limit to how far they can advance given the relatively short amount of time they have left in their working lives. To grow, they have to realize there is more to life than just work. They have since divorced after she left him. I had always imagine this song as being two guys friends whom decided to get away from home to do some activity together.
Putting the song in a commercial would greatly cheapen the song and it's message, which is loved by millions of people around the world. It would be like hanging the Mona Lisa in a used car salesman's office. Roger Hodgson's debut solo DVD was titled Take the Long Way Home, Live in Montreal.
Take the Long Way Home Lyrics
I'm so very glad that the band didn't sell out and let Greyhound use this song for their commercials. This album is one of my all-time favorites. At the press meeting when Breakfast In America was presented, Roger Hodgson explained that this song is about a guy who thinks he's really cool ("So you think you're a romeo, playing a part in a picture show"), but it seems that he's the only one who thinks that. This implies that our hero avoids getting home because when he's on the road he has a few more moments of being alone with his dreams, and in his dreams he's a superstar. Genius is the ultimate source of music knowledge, created by scholars like you who share facts and insight about the songs and artists they love. On 21 April 2010 it was announced that Supertramp would perform 35 concerts in late 2010 in Europe.
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