The Autobiography of Supertramp

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The Autobiography of Supertramp
Supertramp - The Autobiography of Supertramp.jpg
Greatest hits album by
Supertramp
ReleasedJuly 1986
Recorded1974–1985
Genre Progressive rock, pop rock, art rock
Length47:10
Label A&M
Producer Ken Scott, Peter Henderson, David Kershenbaum, Supertramp
Supertramp chronology
Brother Where You Bound
(1985)		The Autobiography of Supertramp
(1986)		 Free as a Bird
(1987)
Classics, Volume 9
Supertramp - Classics, Volume 9.jpg
US cover

The Autobiography of Supertramp is the first compilation album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in 1986.

Contents

The collection features the most popular songs from the albums Crime of the Century , Even in the Quietest Moments , Breakfast in America , ...Famous Last Words... , and Brother Where You Bound . The CD version adds three tracks, including a song from Crisis? What Crisis? .

The cover art shows a suit-wearing, faceless man seated in a train carriage reading a book with his own face on the cover. The view from the train window shows the platform with stylised versions of the cover art from three of Supertramp's albums.

The album was also released in the US as Classics, Volume 9, part of A&M's 25th Anniversary series (1987).

The album was re-released as The Very Best of Supertramp in 1990 with "School" from Crime of the Century (album)|Crime of the Century added as the first track.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]

AllMusic's retrospective review commented that The Very Best of Supertramp is a superior compilation with its choice of tracks. [1]

Track listing

All songs written by Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson, except where noted.

Original release

LP album

  1. "Goodbye Stranger" (Single edit, from Breakfast in America , 1979) – 4:25
  2. "The Logical Song" (Single edit, from Breakfast in America) – 3:45
  3. "Bloody Well Right" (Single edit, from Crime of the Century , 1974) – 4:16
  4. "Breakfast in America" (from Breakfast in America) – 2:37
  5. "Take the Long Way Home" (Single edit, from Breakfast in America) – 4:03
  6. "Crime of the Century" (Early fade-out, from Crime of the Century)– 5:20
  7. "Dreamer" (from Crime of the Century) – 3:19
  8. "From Now On" (from Even in the Quietest Moments... , 1977) – 6:10
  9. "Give a Little Bit" (from Even in the Quietest Moments...) – 4:03
  10. "It's Raining Again" (from ...Famous Last Words... , 1982) – 4:25
  11. "Cannonball" (Single edit, from Brother Where You Bound , 1985) (Davies) – 4:47

Compact disc (Issued as A&M Classics, Volume 9 in the U.S. and Canada)

  1. "Goodbye Stranger" (Single edit) – 4:29
  2. "The Logical Song" (Single edit) – 3:47
  3. "Bloody Well Right" (Single edit) – 4:17
  4. "Breakfast in America" – 2:38
  5. "Rudy" (from Crime of the Century) – 7:17
  6. "Take the Long Way Home" (Single edit) – 4:06
  7. "Crime of the Century" – 5:32
  8. "Dreamer" – 3:31
  9. "Ain't Nobody But Me" (from Crisis? What Crisis? , 1975) – 5:07
  10. "Hide in Your Shell" (from Crime of the Century) – 6:47
  11. "From Now On" – 6:10
  12. "Give a Little Bit" – 4:08
  13. "It's Raining Again" – 4:23
  14. "Cannonball" (Single edit) (Davies) – 4:51

Personnel

Supertramp
Additional musicians

Production

Charts

Certifications and sales

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Brazil—250,000 [9]
New Zealand (RMNZ) [10] Platinum15,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [11] Gold25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [12] Platinum300,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supertramp</span> British rock band

Supertramp were a British rock band that formed in London in 1970. They experienced their greatest global success in 1979 with their sixth album Breakfast in America. Marked by the individual songwriting of founders Roger Hodgson and Rick Davies, the group were distinguished for blending progressive rock and pop styles as well as for a sound that relied heavily on Wurlitzer electric piano. The group's lineup changed numerous times throughout their career, with Davies being the only constant member throughout its history. The classic lineup, which lasted ten years from 1973 to 1983, comprised Davies, Hodgson, Dougie Thomson (bass), Bob Siebenberg (drums) and John Helliwell (saxophone).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Davies</span> English singer and songwriter (born 1944)

Richard Davies is an English musician, singer and songwriter best known as founder, vocalist and keyboardist of the rock band Supertramp. Davies was its only constant member, and composed some of the band's best known songs, including "Rudy", "Bloody Well Right", "Crime of the Century", "From Now On", "Ain't Nobody But Me", "Gone Hollywood", "Goodbye Stranger", "Just Another Nervous Wreck", "Cannonball", and "I'm Beggin' You". He is generally noted for his rhythmic blues piano solos and jazz-tinged progressive rock compositions and cynical lyrics.

<i>Breakfast in America</i> 1979 studio album by Supertramp

Breakfast in America is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Supertramp, released by A&M Records on 16 March 1979. It was recorded in 1978 at The Village Recorder in Los Angeles. It spawned three US Billboard hit singles: "The Logical Song", "Goodbye Stranger", and "Take the Long Way Home". In the UK, "The Logical Song" and the title track were both top 10 hits, the only two the group had in their native country.

<i>Crime of the Century</i> (album) 1974 studio album by Supertramp

Crime of the Century is the third studio album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in October 1974 on A&M Records. Crime of the Century was Supertramp's commercial breakthrough in many countries, most notably in the UK, Canada and Germany where it peaked in the Top 5 while also making the Top 20 in Australia and France. It was an improvement over their previous sales in the US, but still only peaked at No. 38, with the US hit being "Bloody Well Right". "School" was another popular track, particularly at album rock-oriented radio stations. The album was eventually certified Gold in the US in 1977 after the release of Even in the Quietest Moments.... In Canada, it was eventually certified Diamond. The album was Supertramp's first to feature drummer Bob Siebenberg, saxophone and clarinet player and vocalist John Helliwell, bassist Dougie Thomson, and co-producer Ken Scott. The album has received critical acclaim, including its inclusion in Rolling Stone's "50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time".

<i>Crisis? What Crisis?</i> 1975 studio album by Supertramp

Crisis? What Crisis? is the fourth album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in 1975. It was recorded in Los Angeles and London – Supertramp's first album to have recording done in the US.

<i>Even in the Quietest Moments...</i> 1977 studio album by Supertramp

Even in the Quietest Moments... is the fifth album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in April 1977. It was recorded mainly at Caribou Ranch Studios in Colorado with overdubs, vocals, and mixing completed at the Record Plant in Los Angeles. This was Supertramp's first album to use engineer Peter Henderson, who would work with the band for their next three albums as well.

<i>Paris</i> (Supertramp album) 1980 live album by Supertramp

Paris is a live album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in 1980. It was recorded on Supertramp's Breakfast in America tour in Paris, France, with most of the tracks taken from a 29 November 1979 show at the Pavillon de Paris, a venue which was once a slaughterhouse. The album was originally going to be called Roadworks. Paris reached number 8 on the Billboard 200 in late 1980 and went Gold immediately, while the live version of "Dreamer" hit the US Top 20.

<i>...Famous Last Words...</i> 1982 studio album by Supertramp

...Famous Last Words... is the seventh studio album by English rock band Supertramp, released in October 1982. It was the studio follow-up to 1979's Breakfast in America and the last album with vocalist/keyboardist/guitarist Roger Hodgson, who left the group to pursue a solo career. Thus, it was the final album to be released by the classic lineup of the band.

<i>Brother Where You Bound</i> 1985 studio album by Supertramp

Brother Where You Bound is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in 1985. It was their first album after original member Roger Hodgson left the band, leaving Rick Davies to handle the songwriting and singing on his own. The album features the group's Top 30 hit "Cannonball".

<i>Some Things Never Change</i> 1997 studio album by Supertramp

Some Things Never Change is the tenth album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in March 1997.

<i>Slow Motion</i> (Supertramp album) 2002 studio album by Supertramp

Slow Motion is the eleventh and final studio album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in April 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Hodgson</span> English singer and songwriter (born 1950)

Charles Roger Pomfret Hodgson is an English singer, musician and songwriter, best known as the former co-frontman and founding member of the progressive rock band Supertramp. Hodgson composed and sang the majority of the band’s hits, including "Dreamer", "Give a Little Bit", "Take the Long Way Home", "The Logical Song", "It's Raining Again", and "Breakfast in America".

<i>Retrospectacle – The Supertramp Anthology</i> 2005 compilation album by Supertramp

Retrospectacle – The Supertramp Anthology is the first comprehensive compilation album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in October 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goodbye Stranger</span> 1979 single by Supertramp

"Goodbye Stranger" is a song by the English rock band Supertramp; it was written by Rick Davies. The song first appeared on their sixth studio album, Breakfast in America (1979). The lyrics present an "optimistic view from a drifter."

<i>It Was the Best of Times</i> 1999 live album by Supertramp

It Was the Best of Times is the third live album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in April 1999. The album title makes use of the opening line from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

<i>The Very Best of Supertramp 2</i> 1992 greatest hits album by Supertramp

The Very Best of Supertramp 2 is a best of album by the English rock band Supertramp originally released by A&M Records in November 1992.

<i>The Very Best of Supertramp</i> 1990 greatest hits album by Supertramp

The Very Best of Supertramp is a greatest hits album by the English rock band Supertramp, originally released by A&M Records in June 1990.

The following is intended to be the complete discography of the progressive rock British band Supertramp. Over the years they have released 11 studio albums, four live albums, five compilation albums and 28 singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Babaji (song)</span> 1977 single by Supertramp

"Babaji" is a song by English rock band Supertramp, written by Roger Hodgson and also credited to other band member Rick Davies. First released on their 1977 album Even in the Quietest Moments..., it was subsequently released in Europe and in Australia as the follow-up single to "Give a Little Bit".

References

  1. 1 2 The Autobiography of Supertramp at AllMusic
  2. ↑ Sheffield, Rob; et al. (2004). Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p.  797. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  3. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 1703". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  4. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Supertramp – The Autobiography of Supertramp" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  5. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Supertramp – The Autobiography of Supertramp" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  6. ↑ "Charts.nz – Supertramp – The Autobiography of Supertramp". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  7. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  8. ↑ "Top Selling Albums of 1987 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand . Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  9. ↑ Souza, Tarik de (6 January 1988). "Um bom ano para o disco". Jornal do Brasil . p. 36. Retrieved 20 November 2020– via National Library of Brazil.
  10. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – Supertramp – The Autobiography of Supertramp". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  11. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Autobiography of')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  12. ↑ "British album certifications – Supertramp – The Autobiography of". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 28 November 2019.
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