The Logical Song

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

I truly enjoy a very wide range of music, but Supertramp will always be a very special band to me because of the way they fit in my life. As I mentioned earlier, I first heard their 1979 album Breakfast in America in the mid-’80s and have loved the band ever since.  

     Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson were the main songwriters and singers, and you could usually tell by the lead vocals and the musical style whose song it was. I loved and admired their songwriting and singing abilities and their sheer musical talent. I loved “Hide in Your Shell,” which Roger sang, just as much as “Bonnie,” which Rick sang. Songs such as “Rudy,” “School,” “Asylum,” “Lover Boy,” “Downstream,” “Easy Does It,” “From Now On,” “Fool’s Overture,” “Rosie Had Everything Planned,” “Travelled,” “A Soapbox Opera,” and “Just a Normal Day” had been lightening my weight for many years.

     I say that to tell you this: One of my favorite things to do was to enjoy a cold beer and chat with friends while listening to amazing music at Coyote Creek. On one of these evenings, I met a guy named Dave at the bar, who along with his friend Mike was in town for a painting job at an apartment complex. Dave was also a guitarist in a band in Nevada City; Mike was the lead singer. We hit it off right away, especially once I found out he was a huge Supertramp fan just like me.

     Dave knew Roger Hodgson of Supertramp personally and had even jammed with him a few times. I was amazed. I believe I still have the demo tape of one of their albums that Dave gave me; Roger could be heard singing in the background in one of their songs. We hung out on several more occasions, and one night, Dave, Mike, and I were drinking at my apartment on Greenley Road when he called Roger, and I remember saying hello to him over the phone.

     I couldn't believe that the guy whose songs I had fallen in love with back in Turkey, like “The Logical Song” and “Take the Long Way Home,” was on the other end of the telephone. I kept our conversation brief out of respect, not wanting to take up too much of his time, but I told him I was originally from Turkey, where he had a large fan base. What a gentle soul and a gentleman he was on the phone. 

     One year, I think it was 1995, Dave had me over at his parents’ house for Christmas, in the Northern California town of Grass Valley. He took me to downtown Nevada City one night and one of the bars that stuck with me was called Crazy Horse. I recall hearing that Roger would play at some local bars there from time to time. 

     I would finally get the chance to see Roger play live at a local casino near Fresno a few years ago. After the concert, I had the privilege of getting some photos taken with him. I hung that photo in my garage, and I stare at it with a smile on my face every day.

     I also found out a few years ago that Bob Siebenberg, the drummer of Supertramp, was living near Fresno. I hoped to meet him but didn’t really know how to go about it. Not too long ago, one of my patients, who was very involved with music and had spent decades in the music industry, told me that Bob no longer resided in the area and had moved. I wish I had gathered my courage and put the effort to meet him while he was still nearby.