EVEN IN THE QUIETEST MOMENTS ...

Flaunting a varied discography that never shows one album the same from the next, it's no surprise that Supertramp's ''Even in the Quietest Moments is a unique work of art. While the album had huge commercial success it still showed a progressive side that proved that any band could still be progressive while trying to come up with hits. In that same respect this is one of the Tramp's most progressive works, it's lush melodies entrancing to any listener that thought that Crime... or Crisis... was too poppy.

Indeed, this album still has it's pop moments. The opening track GIVE A LITTLE BIT is likely one of the most profitable non-Who, non-Beatles songs on the market due to all the companies it's right have been sold to by now (recently -- cleaning detergent). However this is forgivable thanks to Hodgeson's clean delivery and the soothing acoustic guitars that are what make the song so profitable in the first place. Again, it's probable that some people think that an album with a song title like LOVER BOY on it must surely not be very progressive. However, in that classic Supertramp fashion so recognizable in songs like ''Dreamer'' and ''Take the Long Way Home'' this song's upbeat tempo and mood hide the very human lyrics behind it. For me this was a song that I wasn't about to take seriously just based on the title, but after a few listens it sunk right in. Supertramp have always been at their best with that kind of deception.

Some of the songs on this album are just so beautiful that it's beyond belief. EVEN IN THE QUIETEST MOMENTS, the title track, is one of those songs. Hodgeson's vocals come in right after some sounds of nature and wilderness before the guitars and pianos take the audience to a whole other plane. Again, a darker song than the surface leads one to believe, but (again) what would Supertramp be without those songs. DOWNSTREAM is in the same vein, if perhaps a bit weaker. Davies takes the vocals for this one, following the trend of the album (and indeed many Supertramp albums) of Hodgeson and Davies leap-frogging between lead and backing vocals between tracks.

Of course Supertramp can't do an album without having a fast song. On this record BABAJI is that song. It starts out slowly just like most of the other songs on the album, but soon explodes into motion -- okay, so it's not that fast, but driven by the bass and drums it certainly seems like it is. A great piano and sax solo near the latter third of the song make a very welcome addition. Following that, Hodgeson's vocals light up the skies and make this song one of the standouts of the the album.

FROM NOW ON is an interesting track. Nicely opened by piano and welcomely Davies voiced this is a song that has a lot of promise. The first half of the song is very well performed with some great parts and pacing and even features a very nice sax solo right near the middle of the song. The problem is that halfway through it kind of runs itself out and the repetition of ''That's the way its got to be/from now on'' starts to become tiresome and redundant. The chorus of people singing in the background also doesn't really support it's argument too much. A good song that unfortunately falls under the nitpicking of this listener.

Ups and downs aside there's no doubt that the song that steals the show here is FOOL'S OVERTURE. One of the Tramp's few long songs along with the excellent ''Brother Where You Bound'' and the experimental ''Try Again'', this is a song that's very pleasing for the prog-heads of the world. This is the song that epitomizes the album and truly captures the band at this moment in life, bringing in all the elements that make the album great and pressing them into one wonderful track. Synth driven and even opening with a segment of Churchill's speech, this is a song that immediately catches the progger's ear. It's not long until Hodgeson reaches glass breaking proportions with his voice as he delivers a chilling prophet's tale that is led out by a couple minutes of wonderful instrumentation and vocals mixed at last into a spine chilling conclusion. The album's highlight and one of the band's greatest moments, FOOL'S OVERTURE is one track that can't be missed.

While not the band's best album it definitely is one that can't be missed. They would certainly take a different road after this album and would never be the same again. A turning point for the band that is very unique and very worth listening to. Interestingly, the Hodgeson voiced songs are what dominate the album. While not too surprising, Davies usually has similar or equal output to his peer, but here he's a bit weaker. Luckily, Davies would up his vocal performances in later albums to make the best of his voice (See my review for ''Brother Where You Bound''). All in all this one's 4 stars. This abum will make an excellent addition to your prog-rock collection.

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