Supertramp - Some Things Never Change (1997)

Some Things Never Change is the tenth album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in March 1997.

Rick Davies, Bob Siebenberg, Mark Hart, and John Helliwell re-formed Supertramp with a number of anonymous studio musicians in 1997 to record and release Some Things Never Change, their first album in ten years.
And the title is correct -- nothing much has changed within Supertramp's world; they're simply churning out the same sophisticated jazzy, lite-funk-inflected pop as they did in the mid-'80s.
The only thing that is different is that the group can no longer write ingratiatingly catchy melodies as they did when they called it quits in the '80s, but hardcore fans will still find the instrumental interplay a joy to hear.

Some Things Never Change represented a deliberate return to the band's earlier sound (before Free as a Bird), using more organic recording techniques than on their previous studio album.
John Helliwell recounted that "we recorded the album in a way that Supertramp never had and that was by all going into the studio together and doing it as a much more live thing."
The album features the single "You Win, I Lose", which was a minor hit in Germany and also received considerable airplay in Canada.
The song "Live to Love You" features both the 'tackled' sound from the Coleco Electronic Quarterback handheld electronic game, as well as the Trouble "Pop-o-matic bubble" sounds from their 1979 hit "The Logical Song".

Rick Davies explained the concept behind the album cover: "It's something to tie in with the title. In England people have tea at four o'clock and it doesn't matter where they are or what sort of social plane they're on, they will have that tea."


Tracklist

1. "It's a Hard World" – 9:46
2. "You Win, I Lose" – 4:31
3. "Get Your Act Together" – 4:49
4. "Live to Love You" – 5:18
5. "Some Things Never Change" – 6:26
6. "Listen to Me Please" – 4:46
   • Lead vocals: Rick Davies and Mark Hart
7. "Sooner or Later" (Rick Davies/Mark Hart) – 6:50
   • Lead vocals: Mark Hart
8. "Help Me Down That Road" – 4:36
9. "And the Light" – 4:40
   • Drums: Tom Walsh
10. "Give Me a Chance" (Rick Davies/Mark Hart) – 4:24
    • Lead vocals: Mark Hart
11. "C'est What?" – 8:17
12. "Where There's a Will" – 5:36

All songs written and sung by Rick Davies except where noted.

Personnel

• Rick Davies – keyboards, vocals
• Mark Hart – guitars, keyboards, vocals
• John Helliwell – saxophones, woodwinds
• Cliff Hugo – bass
• Bob Siebenberg – drums
• Lee Thornburg – trombones, trumpets, background vocals
• Carl Verheyen – guitars
• Tom Walsh – percussion, drums on "And The Light"

Additional personnel

• Bob Danziger – Kalimbas
• Karen Lawrence – background vocals
• Kim Nail – background vocals
• Fred Mandel - guitars on "And The Light" (uncredited as a musician on the cover)

Production

• Producers: Jack Douglas, Fred Mandel
• Executive producer: Rick Davies
• Engineers: Ian Gardiner, Jay Messina
• Assistant engineers: Ian Gardiner, Mike Scotella
• Mixing assistant: Roy Clark, Brian Hargrove
• Mastering: Bob Ludwig
• Creative director: Richard Frankel
• Cover art: Dimo Safari
• Portraits: Dennis Keeley

Notes
Released: 24 March 1997
Recorded: 1988–90
Genre: Blues rock, progressive rock
Length: 65:36

Label - EMI/Oxygen (US)