In the Eye of the Storm (Roger Hodgson album)

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In the Eye of the Storm
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 1984
Recorded1983-84,[1] Nevada City, California
GenrePop rock, progressive pop, soft rock
Length47:11
LabelA&M
ProducerRoger Hodgson
Roger Hodgson chronology
In the Eye of the Storm
(1984)
Hai Hai
(1987)
Singles from In the Eye of the Storm
  1. "Had a Dream (Sleeping With the Enemy)"
    Released: 1984
  2. "In Jeopardy"
    Released: 1984

In the Eye of the Storm is the first solo album by former Supertramp member Roger Hodgson. Some of its songs (e.g. "Hooked on a Problem" and "Only Because of You")[2] were initially written and recorded for Supertramp's previous album ...Famous Last Words..., but not released.

Overview[edit]

The album's first single was the four-minute edit of "Had a Dream (Sleeping with the Enemy)", which peaked at number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100.[3] The follow-up single, a four-minute edit of "In Jeopardy", was a minor hit, peaking at number 30 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart but failing to crack the Billboard Hot 100.[4] The album itself was only moderately successful, stalling at number 46 on the Billboard album chart[4] and only reaching number 70 on the UK Albums Chart.[5] It performed far better in Canada, going platinum within a month of its release.[1] It also enjoyed success in Australia, hitting number 23 on the album charts as "Had a Dream (Sleeping with the Enemy)" peaked at number 21.[6] "Lovers in the Wind" became a hit in Argentina and the Philippines.

A sticker affixed to the cover cellophane of the album name-dropped both the album's two singles and "Hooked on a Problem", indicating that "Hooked" may have been intended for a single release at some point.

Reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [7]

The album received a positive review from AllMusic, who stated that the album's key quality is that Hodgson plays the vast majority of the instruments himself. They also noted that though the music itself lacks any progressive rock elements, "The spirit of traditional progressive rock experimentation is alive on this album; five of the seven songs exceed six minutes."[7]

Track listing[edit]

All songs written and arranged by Roger Hodgson.

  1. "Had a Dream (Sleeping with the Enemy)" (8:27)
  2. "In Jeopardy" (5:59)
  3. "Lovers in the Wind" (4:11)
  4. "Hooked on a Problem" (5:10)
  5. "Give Me Love, Give Me Life" (7:33)
  6. "I'm Not Afraid" (7:03)
  7. "Only Because of You" (8:40)

Personnel[edit]

  • Roger Hodgson - electric guitar (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7), 12-string guitar (tracks 1, 3) piano (all tracks), synthesizers (all tracks), Hammond organ (tracks 1, 2, 5, 6), electric piano (track 4) bass guitar (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 6), drums (tracks 3, 4), lead and backing vocals (all tracks)
  • Michael Shrieve - drums (tracks 1, 2, 5–7)
  • Ken Allardyce - harmonica (track 6), additional vocals (tracks 2, 3, 5)
  • Jimmy Johnson - fretless bass (tracks 3, 7)
  • Claire Diament - vocals (track 7)
  • Scott Page - saxophone (track 4)

Production[edit]

  • Written, arranged and produced by Roger Hodgson
  • Recorded at Unicorn Studios, Nevada City, California.
  • Recording engineers: Scott Litt & James Farber
  • Assistant recording engineer: Ken Allardyce
  • Technical assistance: Chris Amson
  • Mixed at Power Station, New York
  • Mixing engineer: James Farber
  • Assistant mixing engineers: Ken Allardyce & Malcolm Pollack
  • Mastered at Masterdisk, New York
  • Mastering: Howie Weinberg
  • Digitally remastered by Andrew Garver at A&M Mastering Studios, Hollywood, CA.
  • Special thanks to Yamaha and Skip's Music, Sacramento
  • Roger Hodgson represented by Doug Pringle

The following inscription is printed inside the CD booklet:

I'd like to thank all those who weathered the storm with me, especially Doug Pringle and Ken Allardyce, for their musical and moral support.

Charts[edit]

AlbumBillboard (United States)

Year Chart Position
1984 Billboard 200 46
1984 Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] 23
1984 Norway 14
1984 Canada 15
1984 Switzerland 6
1984 Sweden 41
1984 Germany 20
1984 Netherlands 19
1984 UK 70

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Melhuish, Martin (1986). The Supertramp Book. Toronto, Canada: Omnibus Press. p. 189. ISBN 0-9691272-2-7.
  2. ^ "Breakfast In Spain - Roger Hodgson and Supertramp website - ROGER HODGSON, Conversation in DPRP, 3rd Dec 2005". breakfastinspain.com. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  3. ^ "Had a Dream" chart history, Billboard.com. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  4. ^ a b In the Eye of the Storm in the Billboard charts, Allmusic. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  5. ^ Roger Hodgson in the UK Charts, The Official Charts. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  6. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  7. ^ a b In the Eye of the Storm at AllMusic
  8. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 140. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.