ROGER HODGSON'S DISCOGRAPHY

In 1983, after the album with the premonitory title Famous last Words, Roger leaves Supertramp, definitively. Difference of opinion about mussical creations of the group, a lack of freedom for its own creativity had sapped the friendship which bound him to Rick Davies. This one reproached him its frequent crises of depresses and a certain inconstancy. Besides it will never have direct contact with him . To date, three albums solo (infact two studio albums and a live) had been made, in which one can find the sentimental aspect of the songs composed by Roger within the group. Those songs can also be considered to be the largest success of Supertramp: Dreamer, Breakfast in America, long Take the way home, School...

 

IN THE EYES OF A STORM (1984)
Fury and sweetness of feelings.

The first personal creation of Roger Hodgson will probably cause a shock to those who are accustomed of Supertramp: Far of Supertramp's progressist and academic Rock, especially in Hodgson's songs, this album contains several songs tortured and aggressive which give the full measurement of the singer's creativity "restrained " and the amount of feelings he had to express. The first piece Had A dream, is undoubtedly the best illustration: a thundering departure of frenzied piano, followed by solos of electric guitar, the whole assisted by very strong and aggressive words. We are very far from the nice melodies of Dreamer.

Other songs, as In jeopardy (Whose intro, used by a advertissement for a french car will perhaps recall memories to those wwho heard it), or I' m not afraid and in a lesser way Give me love, give me life are in the same vein.

Then come sentimental songs, concerning with the topic of love, much quiter and melodious: Only because of you, Lovers in the wind. We get here the rhythms of soapbox Opera or Lord is it mine back, and that succeeds to Roger just as much.

Another song, Hooked on a problem does fit with any of these two categories. It is a kinf of fable on the amused tone of Supertramp, on loneliness' turpitudes, which visibly affected Roger.

Hey, don't you ever get lonely ?
Hey, don't you wish it was easy,
facing the world on your own...

As a conclusion, a very good album, which I advise to those who appreciate Supertramp and who have not discovered it yet.

Extract:

HAD A DREAM (Roger Hodgson: guitars, vocals and keyboards)
73 seconds, mp3 file, 287 KB.

HAI HAI (1987)
The sentimental interlude

 

Here again, Roger Hodgson plays the "orchestra-man", (thanks to the mixings in studio, he plays two to three instruments on each song !) writes, sings and produces. Aggressiveness has gone: the album is a succession of calm songs, (apart from three exceptions) dealing with nd the topics of the love, which is declared, which can't be found or that has been lost. Those interested in sad and sentimental melodies (to which the voice of Roger goes so well) will be fulfiled.

In this register, we can count You make me love you, Desert Love, Puppet Dance and Who' s afraid?

Other more vigorous songs, like Right Place, My magazine and Hai Hai trie to give again an energy to the album. But I must admit that the whole is a bit repetitive and misses strength and inspiration of the preceding album. Roger arrives at a point of his career where he doubts of the quality of his work and one can feel it.

Certain songs, like House one the corner or Land Ho give an impression of deja-vu which tends to weary. Roger hadn't been satisfied with this album, which he regards as one too many in his repertory. As for Supertramp, the Nineties which followed were those of the "crossing of the desert" and of soul-searching. 10 years wil be necessary to have a new album of Roger in the shops.

However , Hai Hai probably contains the most beautiful love songs of the solo career of the singer.

Extract:

WHO' S AFRAID? (Roger Hodgson: vocals and keyboards)
61 seconds, mp3 format , 237 Kbytes.

RITES OF PASSAGE (1997)
A disparate Live

After 10 years of absence in record dealers, Roger published a new album in 1997, at the same time as the album which signed the return on the scene of Supertramp Some things will never change.

This album is a live which gathers a very varied set of songs:

- Without doubts the more awaited, and those which to my opinion brings all its interest to the disc, brand new songs of Roger Hodgson, in the line of In the eye of the storm, but on a merrier and optimistic tone: Every trick in the book, Showdown, Don' t you want get high? or Red Lake. These titles are brilliant success.Le group work is successful to Roger, and these pieces combine gaity, energy and sweetness.
notice a very " mystical " piece Time waits for No one, sung in duet with Terry Riley and for which oriental sonorities give a very particular tone.

- resumption of old classics of Supertramp, formerly written and sung by Roger, like The Logical Song, Take the long way home or Give has little bit. We always listen with great pleasure to these old songs, updated to recent fashion. To mark the occasion, a " Special guest " add his contribution to the concert with his saxophone: John Helliwell, of Supertramp.

- Some "bonus tracks" which are perhaps a attempt to give the album a "group creation" aspect. They are sung by roger musicians : Mickael Graham and Andrew Hodgson, his own son, who make a pretty good performance with the piano in melancholic. pleasant, but thses songs don't reach the level of Roger.

Extract :

RED LAKE (Roger Hodgson : Guitar and vocals )
62 seconds, mp3 format , 241 kbytes.

Sorry for my rough english. If you don't mind to correct some of my mistakes, you can email me.

 

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