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1979's Styx Cornerstone and Supertramp's "Breakfast In America"
I had the Styx album but lost it so i never had a chance to hear it except for the well known hit, and I know the BIA album better
Since they're both from the same year and from the same genre, can anyone compare the two?
If i had to guess I might say that the BIA album is more "friendly" in it's tone than the Styx album (the hit always sounded smug and smarmy to me as this style of pop often can be)
and a comment about Ambrosia would be nice too. I've read that many lost interest after 1976 or so because they thought the band turned too AM radio-ish
I've never liked Styx from an album standpoint. None of their albums work for me as a cohesive whole. I've always thought Cornerstone to be the weakest album they released in the 70's. They have some great individual songs. But their downfall was the need to make hokey ill conceived concept albums.
Supertramp's Breakfast in America is an outstanding recording. It's only weakness is the terrible opening song. I've liked everything they've ever done. Even the later stuff from them is outstanding. Checkout Roger Hodgson's solo stuff, it's very good.
Ambrosia I've always viewed as a low rent Steely Dan. But their last album Island Road is one of my favorites from the 80's. It has more of an edge to it.
Download Spotify and you can listen to almost everything these three bands have ever released on your PC.
I gotta go with Supertramp. I played the hell outta that album, and this is my favorite cut off of it. In fact, to this day it remains one of my oh, maybe Top 10 songs of that decade.
I rank Supertramp Breakfast In America as one of the top 10 albums of the 70's alongside more trendier cutting edge choices like Television and Patti Smith.
Breakfast In America" is one of the greatest melodic pop/rock albums of the seventies. This music is the kind of thing that you will put on while you and your mate lounging around after dinner. Mellow and very good. Supertramp's earlier records weren't as pop-oriented as Breakfast. Breakfast in America had very few weak moments. It was clearly their high-water mark.
Styx always played in the border that divides Prog from plain POP. Outside of "Babe" Cornerstone tends to sound a tad weaker than one would expect. The songs aren't as tight or assertive as their last few albums.
I like um both.
I remember Ambrosia from the film All This and World War II. I believe they had a hit in 1977 with a cover of the Beatles Magical Mystery Tour. Also individual members are still active as session musicians and vocalists, as well as producers.
I like Styx a lot, but hate the Cornerstone album. I think many Styx fans hate that album too. Tommy Shaw is know to hate the song "Babe." (I hate that song too.)
I have no comment about Supertramp (not a fan) nor Ambrosia (the only songs of thiers I'm familiar with are thier AC hits.)
Supertramp hands down. The syrupy, commercial sounding "Cornerstone" was the equivalent of Guns and Roses "Chinese Democracy." And I enjoy Styx's other albums. Interestingly enough I was listening to their "Equinox" album last night along with Blue Oyster cult, Rush's 2112, And Camel.
Good Post OP!
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Long time Prog fan....
