Even In The Quietest Moments - SUPERTRAMP*****

Give A Little Bit/Lover Boy/Even In The Quietest Moments/Downstream/Babaji/From Now On/Fool's Overture

By the time of the release of Even In The Quietest Moments progressive bands such as Supertramp were becoming unfashionable with the music critics. Regrettably, the replacement genres then being promoted would result in the terminal decline of popular music. (US:16 UK:12)

“It’s not profoundly complex prog, side one could easily be considered closer to pop. Side two is stronger – song-based, but it could be considered progressive as each song evolves and builds, culminating in Fools Overture, of which all parts are superb, and even at eleven minutes it doesn't feel over-long.”

“Give A Little Bit is a lovely folky kind of tune. Nice chord progression, guitar strumming and sing along chorus. The closer; Fool's Overture has some great keyboard licks that hearken back to the days of the prog rock giants that once lumbered over the earth back in the 1970s.”

“The album starts deceivingly romantic, but quickly changes pace. It has a very acoustic sound, being very sparsely instrumented. The songs take a much heavier jazz direction, though I hesitate to say that because they still fall far from jazz, than anything else they've done.”

“No weak tracks on this one, lots of great melodies and vocals, a delicate piano-based style with a unflagging sense of tenderness and joy. The title track reminds me of early Genesis in the acoustic guitar and voice passages, perhaps my favourite piece on the album. Give A Little Bit is a fantastic song and Fool's Overture is a soft symphonic rock epic with an emphasis on synth, an enjoyable spacious piece that creates a convincing mood.”

“In Supertramp's heyday back in the 1970s, there was nobody else quite like them. Their music was, and still is, unique. On Even In The Quietest Moments, they do what they always do best, play intelligent music with complex musical compositions, variable textures, and thoughtful lyrics. This album is a masterpiece.”

“The title hints at the flavour of this album. Overall it has a thoughtful, mellow air to it. The exception is the first track Give A Little Bit, an upbeat hit pop number which introduces a snazzy sax in the middle. Fool’s Overture surprised me, for a moment I thought I was listening to a Yes or Genesis album of the early 70s.”