SUPERTRAMP - 'THE STORY SO FAR' [DVD]

SUPERTRAMP - 'THE STORY SO FAR' [DVD]

Supertramp reigned supreme in the late 1970s, and the 1990 documentary Supertramp: The Story So Far succinctly chronicles the band's meteoric ascendance. The title anticipates a reunion between co-composers Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson (the latter went solo in '84), but that reunion never occurred despite Davies's preservation of the band, including a European tour at the time of this DVD's release in 2002. Bookended by a summary of Supertramp's rise and decline over a 15-year history, the disc comprises songs (mostly from Crime of the Century and Breakfast in America) performed in Toronto and Munich in 1983. Choppy editing and a lackluster sound mix don't prevent these concert clips from capturing the group's excellence in large arenas, and completists will appreciate five videos from the post-Hodgson era, especially the still-impressive "I'm Begging You," directed by Polish video innovator Zbigniew Rybczynski. Definitely worth a look for Supertramp loyalists. --Jeff Shannon