You might think you know a little bit about Supertramp. Maybe you’re a big fan and know a little about their history, the names of the band members and what they play. Maybe you remember seeing them once or twice and count “Crime Of The Century” or “It’s Raining Again” among your favorite songs. You do love The Tramp though, I daresay your devotion pales in comparison to that of writer Abel Fuentes – as he makes clear in his extensive biography of the band, Tramp’s Footprints: The Story of Supertramp.
Originally titled released in Spain in 2020 Huellas de Vagabundo – Le historia de SupertrampThis 700+ page tome takes the reader from the band’s early days – their upbringing and origins – through their celebrated reign in the 1970s and even after keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist Roger Hodgson left the group in 1983.
So many behind-the-scenes stories from shows and recordings from what qualifies as the classic Supertramp line-up — Hodgson, keyboardist and vocalist Rick Davies, saxophone and woodwind player John Helliwell, drummer Bob Siebenberg, and bassist Dougie Thomson — we get plenty of those too Road crew members, tour managers and others not usually heard of in a band biography. In fact, Fuentes amassed nearly 100 exclusive interviews for this book from what’s often referred to here as the “supertramp family.” And it’s all great stuff!
And while Fuentes tells us chapter by chapter of the band’s history after Hodgson’s departure (and I was surprised by how many albums they released and how many concerts they played), he doesn’t shy away from the taunts between the band’s two founders, primary songwriters and Singers – Hodgson and Davies. At the end, the author asks whether a reunion of the “classic” line-up is possible. Both Davies and Hodgson comment with no truly definitive answer. One can hope I guess.
So, even if you think you know it all, it’s actually very logical to spend your time delving into Fuentes’ deep dive into Supertramp history. From where I’m sitting, I would say Tramp’s Footprints: The Story of Supertramp is an entertaining and in-depth read about a one-of-a-kind band that left an indelible mark on rock and roll.
~ Ralph Greco Jr.
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