Da Série do Pop Rock, Rock Progressivo ou simplesmente Rock que me alimenta a alma! - I

This is one of my oldest and dearest memories...



I remember a small child...(... I know what you're thinkin'...), I remember how he used to climb that cabinet (... See what you're seein'...) so he could reach for the vinyl records and then (...) pick up the one with the bars floating in the stars... I remember him listening to it on the "Dual" turntable (standing beside me as I write these words) over and over again, endlessly... Although the words were put a side, I remember him singing along. The world seemed full of music... (If everyone was listening, you know...). That mysterious brand new record that his father had just recently bought still exists and is also standing beside me. Although the tracks aren't in the same condition as they once were, I still sometimes rather prefer to listen to it than the new age CD. I enjoy waiting for those same old jumps between the words as they were made two decades ago. Precision on handling the turntable arm was never achieved by that time...(... Don't do this and don't do that!!!). It all happened in 1974... The small child was 3 years old, and always lived inside of me.



As time went by, other records surged... Elton John's "Don't shoot me I'm only the piano player"; "Crisis? What Crisis?"; Dire Straits' "Dire Straits" and a few more that I can hardly remember... By the time "Breakfast in America" and the "Wall" were released I was about to begin high school. And when Supertramp finally came to Portugal (one week before the Paris concerts) I had no one to tell me that the band which had made the music of my childhood would be playing in two live concerts in Lisbon, so I missed both concerts. And that was... my "Crime of the Century"!



Between 1979 and 1985 I took a break from Supertramp... I would mostly listen to Dire Straits and Queen than anything else. I do remember, at this time, watching the Cannonball video clip and finding it surprisingly familiar, but I couldn't make any connection to my childhood's only favourite band.

This empty period in my Supertramp life story ended in 1986 when I was in a summer camp lying in my bed, falling asleep (...dream dream dream dream dream along...), after an exhausting day. The guys from the room next to mine were listening to some old tapes, which I could listen through the wooden walls. And then... Magic happened!...



...The most familiar and intriguing, sweetest and enchanting notes were being played on one harmonica; then came the guitar; then the voice (I can see you in the morning...); finally the band joined in apotheoses, awaking long lost dreams and memories of the past... (... You're comin' along!). I jumped out of my bed, went into their room and started shouting:-"I know that! I know that song!... What is that ?!?! Who are they ?!?!?!?!?!?" I sat along and sang every song from the beginning to the end, without being able to pronounce a single word. I didn't know the lyrics! (They were staring at me, speechless...) I asked someone to describe me the cover of the record, and one said: -"It's got stars all over and..." "Two hands gripping floating jail bars"- I interrupted. I borrowed his tape, which I listened to over and over again, endlessly...

From that day, I knew that Supertramp would always be with me, as it had always been, since 1974.

Thank you SAM!

Luís