Breakfast In America  – Supertramp – 1979

Claimed Sales: 20m

First listen?: Yes

Format Listened?: Apple Music

Breakfast In America probably could never be classed as a ‘bad’ album, but it’s the sort of record I can’t imagine anyone selecting as the ‘favourite’. I just didn’t find any of it that memorable, which is key for someone who has absolutely no prior experience of Supertramp to go off. The Logical Song and the title track are songs I obviously recognised, but I couldn’t have told you who they were by before now. Breakfast In America is turn of the decade pop by numbers, where lengthy songs started to make way for quick hooks and extended guitar solos in rock music made way for jazzy saxophone. It’s a solid record, even if the slower ballads don’t hold up as well as the more upbeat radio friendly singles. After the relatively strong start of Side A I found myself massively losing interest on the second half, I just wasn’t drawn into the vocal performances at all. It all felt very faceless to me, like an album that could have been from anyone, perhaps partly my own fault for not having any context to fall back on. It stands out as the first album of this year’s bunch that isn’t an obvious multi million seller, it’s simply an easy listen with accessible songs that radio have been able play ever since.

Rating: 5/10

Will I listen again?: No

Best Track: I’d have to say Goodbye Stranger even if takes far too long to properly get going, the final section is the most exciting moment on Breakfast In America.