There is some speculation that Supertramp squeezed the pop strains of progressive rock further than Genesis and Journey could have ever imagined. The fact that they did it with a fair amount of integrity made it all the more alluring. By the time Breakfast In America was released, Supertramp had made the total transformation. Soon after, keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist Roger Hodgson, one of the group’s principal songwriters and singers, headed for the hills, leaving the band to wilt under the pressure of competing in the MTV age. And while keyboardist/vocalist Rick Davies, horn man John Helliwell, and drummer Bob Siebenberg tried to carry on, they just compete with the group’s golden age. The Story So Far, a concert film sandwiched in between a mini documentary originally produced in 1990, chronicles the classic lineup’s final tour of 1983. The inferred story “so far” is pretty much the whole story when it comes to Supertramp.
The film opens with a wonderful little vignette that neatly outlines the history of the band, who struggled out of the gate before finally breaking with their third release, the incomparable Crime Of The Century. For the next eight years, Supertramp was a mainstay on the charts, peaking with 1979’s Breakfast In America, which went on to sell in excess of 18 million copies. After the film comes to grips with Hodgson’s departure, it vividly segues into the concert footage, culled mostly from performances in Toronto and Munich. Needless to say, the hit-fest that follows is impressive: “Breakfast In America,” “Bloody Well Right,” “Give a Little Bit,” “The Logical Song,” “Goodbye Stranger,” “Dreamer” and “School.” At that point in time, the band was undoubtedly in their element, sustained by a two-keyboard/lead vocal attack from Davies and Hodgson — with an occasional guitar riff from the latter — the firm and steady rhythm of Siebenberg and bassist Dougie Thomson, and the vocal, keyboard, and woodwind embellishments so eloquently inserted by Helliwell. It was simply too good to last.
The DVD also includes a bonus section with five music videos. While one can appreciate the extras for simply being there, these videos — all but “My Kind Of Lady” are post-Hodgson Supertramp — do little more than convince viewers that the band never had a chance after 1983. Little wonder that it’s been rumored that the video’s title was a ploy by Davies to lure Hodgson back into the fold. Once the concert portion of the film is over, the story picks up from 1984. Davies speaks candidly about the slump the group fell into and expresses — in not so many words — a desire for a reunion with Hodgson. Altogether, The Story So Far is a keen reminder that Supertramp was once a band perched on the edge of greatness — a band of their time, for their time, and with limited time to make their mark. In the end, the music is the only thing left.
~ Shawn Perry
