"Breakfast In America" is an album which is the subject of numerous rumours and misunderstandings. Roger Hodgson is settling these accounts on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the success record - and doing what he does best: He's going on tour.
Thursday morning in Northern California: Roger Hodgson is at home and preparing for his upcoming European tour. Between suitcase packing, breakfast and yoga he takes time to chat with eclipsed. Occasion: the 40th anniversary of the milestone "Breakfast In America" - with over 20 million copies sold the most successful album Supertramps and an evergreen of rock music. What the 69-year-old Englishman is mighty proud of.
eclipsed: As an election Californian: What is Roger Hodgson having for breakfast - a sumptuous American breakfast or something light, European?
Roger Hodgson: (laughs) I can't say I'm a big fan of American breakfast. Most of the time I only drink one smoothie, which is also typically American. The health movement began in California. And that does not lack a certain irony, because America also stands for the most unhealthy food culture in the world. It is a land of extremes and contrasts.
eclipsed: And that fascinated you - like the rest of Supertramp - so much that you settled there in the mid 70s?
Hodgson: My fascination began with images from television. For example, from early Beatles tours and the hysteria that accompanied them. So also "see the girls in California" - I dreamed of experiencing something similar. And when I first landed in California, I thought, "That's what I've always dreamed of. I never want to go back." After all, I had just become a vegetarian, had many spiritual questions and was a very confused young man. I needed a fresh start after ten years of British schooling. And in California, every second vegetarian was, there were health food stores, it was sunny, people were open and progressive in their thinking. Yoga was practiced everywhere, and an incredible amount happened. So I was overjoyed and stayed.
eclipsed: If the United States was so exciting and great: Then why is "Breakfast In America" such a cynical, biting album - or is that a misunderstanding?
Hodgson: Well, at least it wasn't meant to be. (laughs) We lived there and developed a kind of love-hate relationship. The country has its bright and dark sides, but it's still great. Especially in California there is a lot of hope and progressive thinking, until today. Nevertheless Rick took a rather satirical direction with songs like "Gone Hollywood". But that wasn't the stated goal. It wasn't a concept album either, it was just a collection of the strongest pieces we had.
eclipsed: The artwork underlines the satirical side: the New York City skyline of cereal packs, ashtrays and tableware. Also the Statue of Liberty as a waitress who serves something as exotic as orange juice..
Hodgson: (laughs) The original cover was supposed to show a provocative, busty young waitress. That's what the record company had been thinking about for us. But that wasn't our style. So we worked our way through a model catalogue and came across this somewhat old-fashioned lady who had a radiant laugh. That was Libby [portrayed by actress Kate Murtagh]. She was later seen in the video "It's Raining Again". She died two years ago, at 96. A gorgeous woman.
eclipsed: So there was too much artwork and too much interpretation of the songs?
Hodgson: It happens all the time. You just have to imagine what people want to see in the Beatles. And most of them were coincidences or hair-raising interpretations. Music is the result of a magical process in which everything comes together. I mean, what's the meaning of Fool's Overture? If anyone asked me that, I wouldn't know the answer to that. (laughs) It's a montage of different ideas, nothing more.
eclipsed: Shouldn't the album originally be called "Hello Stranger", alluding to musical differences between you and Rick? How did they express themselves?
Hodgson: Basically, people didn't notice the differences between Rick and me until after the album was released. It wasn't an issue before, even though it always existed. We were two different people with different interests, but the music built a bridge between us. And we have created something where our worlds have met. He had a jazz, soul and R&B background - he was five years older than me - while I grew up with the Beatles, Traffic, the Who and the Kinks.
eclipsed: There are several theories to "Child Of Vision": a) that it is a dialogue between Rick and you, b) that it is a reckoning with him ("Busy going nowhere/Just lying in the sun/The dollar got you dancing") and c) that you announce your exit ("Find yourself a new ambition"). What's true?
Hodgson: The play referred more to the values of the average American. There was already potential for conflict between Rick and me back then, but what we wrote at the time did not reflect that. It just wasn't a problem yet, each one of us played an important role in the life of the other.
eclipsed: Was there no competition between you?
Hodgson: I think if you have two songwriters in one band it's quite normal that there's a healthy competition. It inspires you to become better and to come up with the best possible. Whereby we always shared the material on the albums fifty/fifty. And that's why I'm still sitting on 65 unreleased songs, some of them from my 30s and 40s. Some of them are really good. It was completely different with Rick: He only wrote when he had to, and exactly as much as he needed. That also influenced the direction of the albums: I looked at what he had and then went through my box to see what might fit. I liked his pieces very much, which is why I also helped him with the arrangements.
eclipsed: You're supposed to have written the theme song when you were 19. Did you really dump him for ten years until he matched Rick's plays?
Hodgson: Yeah. It wouldn't have worked on Crime Of The Century. With the album I can only say afterwards: We took ourselves too seriously. (laughs) Afterwards we were always measured by it. Why "Crisis" was a great disappointment for many, it did not carry the torch further. At "Breakfast" was the only thing we set ourselves: Let's take the best songs we have and record a great album - we are here in sunny California, life is beautiful. This is also reflected in the music.
eclipsed: How do you deal with all these misunderstandings 40 years later? Can you laugh about that?
Hodgson: What else am I supposed to do? I find that as entertaining as the question of whether Supertramp were a progressive rock band. I don't even know what that means! (laughs) Creativity and in-depth analysis are two things that don't go together anyway. Creativity means giving free rein to one's ideas. But if you try to analyze them, it's not good for art.
eclipsed: Whereby your "Logical Song", Supertramp's biggest hit, evokes logic and rationality and has strong autobiographical traits. Have you found out who you are yet?
Hodgson: (laughs) At least I have more inner peace than in my early 20s. "The Logical Song" still stands today for the confusion that many people feel, including me. The educational system that we go through does not deal with the elementary questions of life like: Who are we? Why are we here? Or: Who is God? I mean, all the instructions on how to do this or that are great. But what's missing is a direction, some kind of spiritual compass. That sent me on a journey to find answers. And many questions have found their way into these songs, because I wanted to be happy. That was and is my main drive.
eclipsed: So you didn't want to be a vegetable?
Hodgson: No, just no vegetables. (laughs) What the school taught me was that I have to think for myself and not just swallow what is dished up as truth. Apart from that, it's great to have written these songs at such a young age. So without knowing how wise and farsighted many of them are. Many people who don't have the opportunity to express their questions in music have found comfort in the fact that there was someone like me. Someone who sang about these things.
eclipsed: If you were a teenager today, would you sing about the Internet, about social media and fake news - what occupies and confuses the current generation?
Hodgson: I think today's teenagers are even more confused than I ever was. Because let's be honest: we are bombarded from all sides, have no more retreat possibilities, are dependent on our mobile phones and forget the art of communication.
eclipsed: So is Roger Hodgson on a mission? Does his music keep something alive that would otherwise no longer exist?
Hodgson: It seems so. I mean, what I do is getting more and more popular. That tells me something interesting is happening. My music reminds people of what life once had to offer. That it was easier to take the time to record an album and listen to 40 minutes of music in peace. No one has time now. But in a concert, I can force her to. (laughs) You stand or sit there, and I've got you. I can send them on a two-hour trip and give them something, all the songs and the stories behind them. I can come to them with humor and remind them of another side of life that is slowly forgotten in the modern world.
eclipsed: Your "Breakfast In America 40th Anniversary Tour" lasts from mid-May to the end of November. Doesn't that ever get too much for you? And how big is your suitcase?
Hodgson: (laughs) I'm so used to living out of a suitcase now that I'm a real master at packing. And I do what I love. Few people can say that about themselves, so I never get tired of it. And being able to just give people a break from their normal lives and inspire them is great. Just as they laugh, dance and sometimes even see crying. It's the reward for my passion.
eclipsed: What awaits us at your upcoming concerts?
Hodgson: The show is the same one I've been doing for years. And of course I play the five songs [written by him] of "Breakfast In America" and everything people want to hear. I could also fill two hours with new material, but I believe in giving the audience the best possible experience.
eclipsed: With which you are especially successful in Germany. Do you have an explanation for that?
Hodgson: I can only say that the Germans listen like no other audience. They are normally rather reserved, they do not show all their emotions. They live more in the head than in the heart. And what I like most about them is that they hate doing things badly. (laughs) Why else do they get these incredible cars and other inventions?! But they lack a little cordiality. I think they'll find what they need and want in me. At the end of a show they are on their feet, open their hearts and sing "Give A Little Bit" with me. The transformation is wonderful: from how they were when they entered the hall to how they feel when they leave the building. Somewhere in it, I hope, lies the answer. (laughs)
eclipsed: And playing "Give A Little Bit" eighty times a year never gets boring? Wouldn't you like to bring something new?
Hodgson: (groans heavily) Yes and no. I mean, I'd like to introduce people to some new songs. But "Give A Little Bit" is more than a song - it's a feeling that I transfer to the audience. And that's why I never get tired of it.
eclipsed: Will you ever release a new solo album? The last one dates back to 1987..
Hodgson: I hear more and more people saying that it wouldn't make sense to record albums today. Quite unlike singles. That's what the masses want to hear and what's best to market - on YouTube, Spotify and all those platforms. It's less about albums than about songs. And that shows what the current mentality is like. Only that's OK with me. When I want to take people on a deeper journey, I do it with my concerts.
eclipsed: So you're waiting for the right moment or leaving things in the archives?
Hodgson: I have my little mobile studio in every hotel room. But our tour schedule is so tight that I hardly find a free evening to set everything up and get started. That's a shame, but at the same time I don't need an expensive studio anymore. I can also do a magical performance in a hotel room - provided it's reasonably quiet. But: I don't want to leave this planet without making these pieces accessible to the people.
eclipsed: Next year you'll turn 70. How do you plan to celebrate that - for once with a holiday or a break?
Hodgson: (laughs) I haven't thought about that yet. Just this much: I don't want a big celebration, even if it's a big occasion - a moment to think about where I've been so far and what I have in mind for the future. But the age is a funny thing: My body may be 70 years old, but everything that happens in it - in my head as well as in my heart - sometimes feels older, sometimes younger. Mostly younger.
eclipsed: The Stones are also children in old bodies..
Hodgson: And that's another reason why I'm doing this: it keeps me young, passionate and in shape.
eclipsed: Be honest: With 20 million copies sold, "Breakfast In America" is your most commercially successful album, but is it - creatively speaking - also your best?
Hodgson: Honestly? I'm very happy with Breakfast - still. Because for me, success is when I can still release and enjoy an album 40 years later instead of saying: "Oh God, what is that? I wish I'd done this or that." No, I think it's so successful because it's so good. I mean, in the last 6-8 weeks of recording, I've been really camping in the studio to make sure the mix is reasonable. And that was before there were computers. All the technology came after the release of the album. Instead everything was done manually and it was important to me that these songs sounded right. I think all the work, the sweat and the passion I put into it were worth it. So far: I think it's an album that's passed the test of time. People still love it. And it catapults them back into another, a simpler time. It has the quality of an evergreen, which is fantastic
eclipsed: Do you know the "Logical Song" in Scooter's version? And if so, what do you think?
Hodgson: (long pause) What can I say? (laughs) It just happened. I wouldn't dream of listening to this at home. And it's a part of the music industry I'm not related to. At the same time it seems to have given Scooter a long and successful career, because the band is still active. The same happened with "Breakfast In America" by the Gymn Class Heroes. They also started a successful career with it. That makes me extremely proud as an artist - because these cover versions were a springboard for more. But I won't judge them. Everyone has different tastes. And obviously there are many people who like these versions.
* * * Interview: Marcel Anders
