SUPERTRAMP
BREAKFAST IN AMERICA
1979
Breakfast in America, Supertramp’s
sixth album was released in 1979. It features songs like, ‘Goodbye Stranger’,
‘Breakfast in America’ and ‘The Logical Song’
This album differs from their
previous progressive rock-styled albums and composes a much more melodic and ‘pop-orientated’ sound which
reflects the band’s saturation in American pop since their move to Los Angeles
in 1977.
The album cover illustrates a waitress named
"Libby" modelled by American actress Kate Murtagh, in front of a
depiction of New York City, striking a pose similar to that of the Statue of Liberty, but holding
a tall glass of orange juice and a menu (on which ‘Breakfast In America’ is
written), rather than a torch and tabula ansata.
This is a parody of
the American
Graffiti soundtrack album cover.
The proposed image is the photographer’s view
from a plane window which is flying over the city. This is evident as you can
see the little gas bubbles created in the bottom left of the window.
The New York skyline is made from cereal boxes, bowls and various other
things you would expect to see in an American diner; the twin World Trade Center towers appear as two stacks of boxes and the
plate of food represents Battery Park.
The concept of the album cover is to convey the progression of the
bands success, starting off as a small band in London, England, and then moving
to the USA to become world famous musicians. However this concept can be expanded
to portray a more significant meaning; ‘The American Dream’. Humans are constantly
craving for bigger and better opportunities and experiences in life and it is
considered that the USA is the place
to find all this. In the song ‘Gone Hollywood’ featured on the album, the
lyrics “You take a trip to the city lights” can be heard and in ‘Breakfast in
America’, the title track of the album, the lyrics “Take a jumbo across the
water, like to see America” and “See the girls in California, I’m hoping it’s
going to come true” can be hard which all comply with this theory.
However the album cover could be a snide mockery of American society
suggesting that everything in the US is based around food. Even the intended ‘Statue
of Liberty’ is holding a food menu instead of a holy Latin tablet which
insinuates that Americans treat food like a religion and see it as sacred.
Like most album covers, Breakfast In America influenced a conspiracy
theory; this one became the basis for a 9/11 conspiracy theory due to the "UP" in
"SUPERTRAMP" reading "9 11" behind the twin towers if the
cover is viewed in a mirror.
No comments:
Post a Comment