Some Things Never Change

For other uses, see Some Things Never Change (disambiguation).

Some Things Never Change
Studio album by
Supertramp
Released24 March 1997
Recorded1996
Studio
GenreBlues rock, progressive rock
Length65:36 (11-track version)
70:03 (12-track version)
LabelEMI
Oxygen (US)
ProducerJack Douglas, Fred Mandel
Supertramp chronology
The Very Best of Supertramp 2
(1992) 		Some Things Never Change
(1997) 		It Was the Best of Times
(1999)
Singles from Some Things Never Change
  1. "You Win, I Lose"
    Released: 28 February 1997 [1]
  2. "Listen to Me Please"
    Released: April 1997 [2]
  3. "Sooner or Later"
    Released: 1997 (NL)

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

Overview

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.[3] 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."[4]

The album features the single "You Win, I Lose", which was a minor hit in Germany and also received considerable airplay in Canada.[5] Two more singles were released commercially: "Listen To Me Please"[6] and "Sooner or Later".[7]

The song "Live to Love You" (which was also released as a promo single[8]) 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".

Cover art

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."[3]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[10]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[11]

AllMusic commented that the album retains the same style and strong instrumental interplay from the band's glory years, but lacks the "ingratiatingly catchy melodies" of that era, making it of strong interest to the band's fans but much less to casual listeners.[9]

Track listing

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

No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
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" Rick Davies and Mark Hart4:46
7."Sooner or Later"Rick Davies and Mark HartMark Hart6:50
8."Help Me Down That Road"  4:36
9."And the Light"  4:40
10."Give Me a Chance"Rick Davies and Mark HartMark Hart4:24
11."C'est What?"  8:17
12."Where There's a Will"  5:36
Total length:70:03

"Give Me a Chance" was not included on all editions of the album.[12] [13] [14]

Personnel

Supertramp

Additional personnel

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

Charts

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)[31] 2× Gold 200,000*
Germany (BVMI)[32] Gold 250,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[33] Gold 50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[34] Platinum 50,000^
Summaries
Worldwide — 900,000[35]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Supertramp singles".
  2. ^ "Supertramp singles".
  3. ^ a b Bollenberg, John "Bobo" (26 June 2000). Interview with Rick Davies, John Helliwell, Jack Douglass, and Georges Ohayon, ProgressiveWorld.net.
  4. ^ Overall, Rick (22 July 1997). Summer Tramp[usurped], Jam! Music.
  5. ^ Stevenson, Jane (25 July 1997). Supertramp Reunion Was Logical Thing to Do[usurped], Jam! Music.
  6. ^ "Supertramp - Listen To Me Please". Discogs. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  7. ^ "Supertramp - Sooner Or Later". Discogs. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  8. ^ Supertramp – Live To Love You (1997, CD), retrieved 3 November 2021
  9. ^ a b Some Things Never Change at AllMusic
  10. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7 (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 857. ISBN 0195313739.
  11. ^ Sheffield, Rob; et al. (2004). Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 797. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  12. ^ Supertramp – Some Things Never Change (1997, CD), retrieved 3 November 2021
  13. ^ Supertramp – Some Things Never Change (CD), retrieved 3 November 2021
  14. ^ Supertramp – Some Things Never Change (1997, CD), retrieved 3 November 2021
  15. ^ "Fred Mandel en "The Logical Web" (Noviembre 2012)". www.thelogicalweb.com. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  16. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Supertramp – Some Things Never Change" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 20131.
  17. ^ "Ultratop.be – Supertramp – Some Things Never Change" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 20131.
  18. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 3257". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  19. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Supertramp – Some Things Never Change" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  20. ^ "Lescharts.com – Supertramp – Some Things Never Change". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  21. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Supertramp – Some Things Never Change" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  22. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 1997. 21. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  23. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Supertramp – Some Things Never Change". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  24. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  25. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Supertramp – Some Things Never Change". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  26. ^ "Supertramp | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  27. ^ "Rapports annuels 1997". Ultratop (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  28. ^ "Les Albums (CD) de 1997 par InfoDisc" (in French). infodisc.fr. Archived from the original (PHP) on 9 February 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  29. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  30. ^ "Hitparade.ch - Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1997" (ASP). Swiss Music Charts (in Swedish). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  31. ^ "French album certifications – Supertramp – Some Things Never Change" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 1 June 2012. Select SUPERTRAMP and click OK. 
  32. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Supertramp; 'Some Things Never Change')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  33. ^ "Solo Exitos 1959–2002 Ano A Ano: Certificados > 1995–1999". Iberautor Promociones Culturales. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  34. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Some Things Never Change')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  35. ^ Bouton, Remi (24 January 1998). "French exporters mind their language" (PDF). Music & Media. p. 3. Retrieved 17 March 2022.