Supertramp Proves the ‘70s Aren’t Dead

Of the first seven songs that Supertramp played at its sold-out concert Thursday at the Greek Theatre, six were from the veteran British band’s new album, “Some Things Never Change.”

From the lack of applause, it was clear that the audience wasn’t impressed.

Who could disagree?

Hardly in step with the musical times, the new songs lack the snappy melodies and witty themes that made Supertramp one of the best of the ‘70s prog-pop groups.

With the first chords of “Ain’t Nobody But Me,” a track from 1975’s “Crisis? What Crisis?,” perhaps the band’s most underrated album, the crowd went wild.

In the old days, Roger Hodgson sang lead and wrote half the band’s material. After Hodgson left the group in 1983, pianist Rick Davis assumed all the writing and singing.

Interestingly, Hodgson’s presence wasn’t missed in the group’s first local performance in almost a decade. Davis always represented the heavier, jazzier and more cynical aspect of Supertramp, and that’s the part of the group’s style that has aged best.

The band, reunited for its first tour since 1988, presented incredibly tight versions of the old songs. Not surprisingly, the visual backdrop to the music was a stunning series of computer-generated images. As always, saxophonist John Helliwell acted as emcee, delighting the audience with wry British humor. But the night belonged to Davis, who filled the songs with such passion that they didn’t seem a touch dated.