Supertramp

Ah, Supertramp. I love them, and now i have their first album. I mentioned they had an actual Dutch patron in their early years, and i've just spent a fascinating hour reading the actual verdict of an appeal to the House of Lords regarding the decision to levy taxes on his English Securities during his school years in the 50s. If you like semantic arguments about the term "ordinarily" then you'll be enthralled. 

It sounds a lot more complicated than it really is. This was about capital gains taxes, and the court found that the commissioners had ruled correctly in this particular case. You might get all "taxation is theft" on me, but what are they actually taxing? They taxed the tangible profits from the sale of specific securities issued at the end of WWII. 

None of that really matters, we're here to listen to Supertramp's first Prog album. Critics have that standard "instrumental music is self-indulgent" reaction, but you know my own tendency to say if you're going to write crummy lyrics, maybe try not doing that instead. These lyrics were all written by Richard Palmer because no one else wanted to do it. Richard didn't seem to want to do it either, he said it felt like a chore. I don't know, i haven't heard them yet. Let's change that. 

Actually, first it just dawned on me that i read an opinion piece about how the disagreement between Republican and Democratic ideologies was a major component of the effective success in American politics, but that it's grown toxic and we're verging on having a real nasty custody battle in the divorce. That's the story of Rick and Roger, thanks Coincidence. I'm not stalling, i just have the rambly rambles today. It's normal after a good brain cleaning. I'll contextually shut up now. 

Mother bastards of other mid-tier swear words! Their second album, Indelibly Stamped, is inside. Who does that? Who puts the wrong record in the wrong jacket? Skip wouldn't know to check, and even if he did he'd probably see Supertramp on the actual label and not look any further. It's infuriating. I guess it is still technically a Supertramp album funded by a Dutch millionaire. We'll just assume that somebody couldn't handle actual boobs on an album cover and at least they saved the record before it got thrown out. Doesn't explain where the real Supertramp platter went, but it all just reeks of prudish pseudo-moral censorship. I can't stay too mad, though, it's Supertramp playing real Blues infused Rock and Roll with Saxophone solos. The total experience is somewhat lessened without the proper cover, but i'd be totally lying if i said my head's not bobbing, my toes aren't tapping, and these songs don't kick ass. 

Now, i love Supertramp, but i can see how some people might not. With the exception of the first album (which i still don't have because of said switcheroo), they play the 70s version of 50s Rock and Roll. Some people don't want to have a cactus of their own, you know? 

Side A is great, straight Rock, but Side B is funny. Like ha, ha funny. They're really hamming it up. 

No way! Times Have Changed is literally this Adventure Time. And we wind our way to the final jam track Aries (hooray for Flute solos!), which could honestly be a description of myself. 

Indelibly Stamped is a definite thumbs up. It certainly has imprinted itself on my brain in a way that cannot be forgotten or removed, so they more than succeeded. We'll all just have to accept that the chances of finding a copy of their first album inside the jacket of their second are slim to none, and just enjoy this beautiful Saturday with some bopping tunes from Supertramp. Look on the bright side, being reclassified as a resident of England didn't stop Miesegaes from already being a millionaire and financially supporting Supertramp while they tried to get people to like and buy the music they created. It's super easy to pay taxes when you already have a lot of money that you'll never use, especially when you're only being taxed on the profits from selling securities that the government has promised to buy back in the future. Which is worse, taxes in general or the super-wealthy arguing that only the lower and middle classes should have to pay them? Are you really going to be mad at me personally if the Federal Government handed me $200,000 and i handed it right back to the Federal Government to pay off my unpayable student loan debt? Some of you certainly would, that's what you're all screaming about. You want people to buy your stuff, but you don't want them to have enough money to do it because it wouldn't be fair to the people who already have enough money to buy your stuff but choose not to? That's even more nonsensical that putting records in the wrong jacket.

Starcastle