How did Supertramp's "Casual Conversations" get into BIA?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Strat-Mangler, Jul 4, 2017.

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  1. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker Thread Starter

    Location:
    Toronto
    The lyrics are thinly veiled attacks on Roger by Rick. What I don't understand is how the band agreed to let that be published.

    It'd be like having The Beatles OK with having something like How Do You Sleep? On an album with John blatantly attacking Paul.

    For reference's sake, here are the lyrics.




    It doesn't matter what I say
    You never listen anyway
    Just don't know what you're looking for

    Imagination's all I have
    But ever then you say it's bad
    Just can't see why we disagree

    Casual conversations how they bore me
    They go on and on endlessly
    But no matter what I say
    You ignore me anyway
    I might as well talk in my sleep (I could weep)

    You try to make me feel so small
    Until there's nothing left at all
    Why go on? Just hoping that we'll get along

    There's no communication left between us
    But is it me or you who's to blame?
    There's nothing I can do, yes you're fading out of view
    Don't know if I feel joy or pain

    And now it's all been said
    If you must leave then go ahead
    Should feel sad
    But I really believe that I'm glad
    Yes I really believe that I'm glad
     
  2. Neonbeam

    Neonbeam All Art Was Once Contemporary

    Location:
    Planet Earth
    Well... how did "Rumours" ever get published? Or at least 70% of all Husker Du songs?


    It's art, Darling :pineapple:
     
  3. jimmydean

    jimmydean Senior Member

    Location:
    Vienna, Austria
    always thought it was about marital problems (like fleetwood mac's rumours)...
     
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  4. jimmydean

    jimmydean Senior Member

    Location:
    Vienna, Austria
    is there a hidden meaning in "don't want to know if you are lonely" ? i think i'm getting paranoid... i will never listen to the du catalog like before...
     
  5. Thievius

    Thievius Blue Oyster Cult-ist

    Location:
    Syracuse, NY
    I'm not convinced its about Roger at all. And its not like BiA was their last album together.
     
  6. Neonbeam

    Neonbeam All Art Was Once Contemporary

    Location:
    Planet Earth
    Well... knowing the tension between Bob and Grant makes it tempting to read something even into stuff like "The Baby Song":whistle:
     
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  7. graystoke

    graystoke Forum Resident

    Agreed. Paul is dead man, miss him, miss him!
     
  8. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    equal writing credits on an album? just guessing.
     
  9. wino14

    wino14 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Edenton, NC
    Good tune. One of my favorites on the album
     
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  10. Peace N. Love

    Peace N. Love Forum Resident

    For what it's worth, I did an article on them many years ago and this is what Roger said at the time:

    “Over the years, the main place of communication Rick and I had was musical and, as we developed as people in our private lives, we kind of went in different directions. And that estranged us even more. I don’t believe I wrote ‘Child of Vision’ to Rick, but I do think that ‘Casual Conversations’ may have been Rick’s song to me.”
     
    Strat-Mangler likes this.
  11. How did Child of Vision (which has some lines about Rick) and some of Roger's other material get on the album and Famous Last Words where they were writing to and about each other get on their albums? They were good songs, lyrically strong and Roger got equal time. Roger suspected that Rick was writing to him but Rick, as I recall, never indicted that was the case.

    When you're working as a musician, even if there is a personal element, as long as it isn't insulting (I don't think Thr How Do You Sleep comparison is apt--Lennon sneeringly insults Paul where it couldn't be about anyone BUT Paul). I do think that writing to each other benefit the band because it made the songs a bit more "real" in my opinion.

    Rick and Roger also worked very differently. Roger would work on most of his material alone while Rick would write the music, come in and present it to the band and ask their opinion then take it back and write lyrics. There were exceptions s of course for example "The Logical Song" Rick contributed the counter Melody for the chorus (that Rick sings).

    Edit: RMP1967. Shared that Roger stated he didn't "think" Child of Vision was written directly to Rick but parts of it sure sounds like it.
     
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2017
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  12. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker Thread Starter

    Location:
    Toronto
    I wholeheartedly disagree. I think it's easily the weak link of the album and should have been left off.
     
  13. wino14

    wino14 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Edenton, NC
    Doesnt make your opinion right and mine wrong
     
  14. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker Thread Starter

    Location:
    Toronto
    Duh. Just stated my opinion, hence the words "I think." :rolleyes:
     
  15. wino14

    wino14 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Edenton, NC
    SMMFH
     
  16. Peace N. Love

    Peace N. Love Forum Resident

    Come on, folks, let's take a page out of Rick and Roger's book, and resolve our differences, just like they did... Oh, wait... :)
     
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  17. hypockets

    hypockets Forum Resident

    Location:
    Texas
    I hold "Nervous Wreck" as the weak link in the album. Everytime I play the album I'm strongly tempted to skip it like I did when listening to the album when it first came out.
     
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  18. fpas

    fpas Just...take it easy, man.

    I love both Casual Conversations and Nervous Wreck.
    That sax solo in CC is just classic Helliwell, melodic combined with his subtle less-is-more approach. I also really like the sound of the electric piano here.
    Nervous Wreck is a welcome up-tempo song for this album, with an excellent drum part from Bob.
    If I would have to pick one weaker track it would be Lord Is It Mine. I find that it really drags along, after Take The Long Way Home.
     
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  19. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Bob and Grant weren't writing about each other, at least not as a broken-up couple (They never were one). And I believe they were still friendly with each other until the last year or so.
     
    Last edited: Dec 8, 2018
  20. I love Nervous Wreck. It’s a terrific song.
     
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  21. Terry

    Terry Senior Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee
    WhaT is BIA?
     
  22. Neonbeam

    Neonbeam All Art Was Once Contemporary

    Location:
    Planet Earth
    Breakfast
    In
    America
    :goodie:
     
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  23. Pennywise

    Pennywise Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Sewers
    I've wondered the same thing about Deep Purple's Smooth Dancer, Ian Gillan's attack on Ritchie Blackmore.
     
  24. PJayBe

    PJayBe Forum Resident

    Doesn't Child of Vision feature some fine arguing too??? It makes the album all the more real.
     
    hypockets likes this.
  25. INSW

    INSW Senior Member

    Location:
    Georgia
    Friendly?

    No.
     
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