Roger Hodgson Gives a Little Bit More
Roger Hodgson of Supertramp strummed a 12-string acoustic guitar earlier this week like he was leading a campfire sing-a-long, and 63,000 fans of Diana at Wembley Stadium sang along, enthralled.
Many in the audience were no doubt mere glints in their parents’ eyes in 1979, when Supertramp released their seminal album Breakfast in America. Even fewer were around in 1977 when “Give a Little Bit” was the first track on Supertramp’s Even in the Quietest Moments. Still, the intro chords and opening lyrics are as familiar to Baby Boomers as they are to Gen X, Y and Z.
If you need a reminder as to why insane speed shredding is not the sine qua non of arena adoration (and we all need that reminder from time to time), just read the reviews and watch the footage (labeled “GALB”) on Hodgson’s site regarding what an aging icon can do with a 12-string and a decent PA system.
Sphere: Related Contentguitarblog @ July 5, 2007
I still have a cope of “Breakfast in America”…on 8 track. I don’t play it any more…it’s far too valuable, or at least that’s what I tell myself.
Roger Hogdson actually wrote some great songs with Trevor Rabin (80’s era Yes fame). If memory serves me, I think that some of those co-written songs appear on the Talk and Union albums by Yes.
Eric, a good old 8-track, huh. That gives me an idea for a blog post, about the cyclical nature of medium. Thanks!
Good tip, Jonsnow. I’ll look up those albums. Big Yes fan of yore.