Battle of the Bands – The Logical Song by Supertramp

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It’s time for another Battle of the Bands and for this installment, I’m featuring covers of the 1979 classic hit The Logical Song. Give a listen to the two contenders and vote which one you like best. I’ll post the results in 6 days!

“The Logical Song” is a song by the English rock band Supertramp. The song was released as the lead single from their sixth studio album, Breakfast in America, in March 1979 by A&M Records.

“The Logical Song” is Supertramp’s biggest chart hit in both the United States and their native United Kingdom and is among their most widely recognized radio hits. Roger Hodgson composed the song from an autobiographical point of view, from his experience of being sent away to boarding school for ten years. It won  the 1979 Ivor Novello Award for “Best Song Musically and Lyrically”. Source: Wikipedia.

Here’s the original for your enjoyment, but Supertramp is not a contender in this contest. I couldn’t embed an actual Supertramp video because of copyright issues but here’s one so you can at least hear the original song. (For more Supertramp music, visit my A-Z Musical Tour of My Life post featuring the band).

Today’s battle features the cover by Mindless Self Indulgence (often identified using the abbreviation MSI), an American electropunk band formed in New York City in 1997. Their music has a mixed style which includes punk rock, alternative rock, electronica, techno, industrial, hip hop, and breakbeat hardcore. Here is Mindless Self Indulgence’s cover of The Logical Song:

The other contender in today’s battle is At Vance, a German neoclassical/power metal band. They were formed by vocalist Oliver Hartmann (ex-Centers) and guitarist Olaf Lenk (ex-Velvet Viper) in 1998. Here is their cover of The Logical Song:

TIME TO VOTE! Which version do you like better and why?

And when you’re done voting, please visit these other BOTB participants and check out their cool battles:

36 thoughts on “Battle of the Bands – The Logical Song by Supertramp”

  1. Hi, Michele! Happy October to you and happy BOTB day! I never heard of the two bands in your battle. Complete with stuttering vocals, the MSI version remains more faithful to the Supertramp original. Me likey German neoclassical/power metal bands. It is therefore quite logical that I am voting for the version by At Vance.

    Thank you very much, dear friend Michele!

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  2. Interesting match up. I used to really like this song a lot–my first wife was less of a fan and didn’t like it when I’d crank it up on the radio. I still like the song though I don’t listen to Supertramp much anymore.

    The version by MSI is unique if not just a bit frantic and even annoying at times. Guess I’d have to be in the right mood for this one.

    I think AT Vance provides an easier on the ears musical experience. They are more true to the original but that works for me. For that reason I vote for At Vance.

    Arlee Bird
    A to Z Challenge Co-host
    Tossing It Out

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  4. Michele, I love the original for sure, no question about it. Your two contenders are an interesting match up. All it took was a few bars of each to know, which band got my happy on and that is…At Vance. Even though I’m not a metal rocker, I reckon I’m far less an electropunk gal. Have a bandtastic day!

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    • They are definitely different and I hear what you’re sayin’. I feel pretty much the same. Thanks for your vote Cathy!

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  5. Gotta give it to Deutschland! At Vance gets my vote. That may be because they remind me of the original somewhat. MSI was not completely forlorn, I just liked the other one better.

    Nice blast from the past, too. 🙂

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    • Glad you liked the blast from the past Cherdo! I live in the past, especially musically. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing… 🙂
      I’ve got you down for At Vance. Thanks for your vote!

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  6. Hi, MICHELE ~
    I loved your comment on my Battle. Will reply there when I can.

    Although I always thought of them as “kinda wimpy”, I nevertheless liked Supertramp quite a bit, with their Jazz touches and good musicianship. I played the hell out of the album ‘CRIME OF THE CENTURY’.

    In this Battle, my choice is clear: AT VANCE.
    Heavy Metal is almost never my kind of music, but that cover by At Vance was pretty darn (and surprisingly, to me) good!

    ~ D-FensDogG
    ‘Loyal American Underground’

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    • Oh, Crime of the Century: AMAZING album. Especially good to listen to full blast with headphones on! Some great music there.
      At Vance is really running away with this one. I’m leaning toward them too, but I still want to give a fair shot to Mindless Self-Indulgence, if nothing else because of their name! 🙂
      Thanks for your vote!

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  8. Hi Michele!
    I liked Supertramp. Thanks for posting a link to their version too. MSI has fun with the song and I like the playfulness. The was a big choice for me. I don’t usually go for the techno kinds of things. Maybe I could invest more listening time to this genre. However At Vance is tops for me. I loved the guitar and really cranked it up.

    Have fun with your battle.
    Dixie

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    • Thans Dixie. Techno isn’t faring so well in this battle. So far it’s a shut out. Yikes! Thanks for your vote. I like At Vance too…

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    • Oh I hate when that happens! Sorry ’bout that Debbie. Glad you were able to find other videos. Thanks for sharing the links…and for taking the time to do that!
      At Vance is running away with this one. May be my first shutout…
      Thanks for your vote

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  11. I think the lyrics get lost in the MSI version of this song. For the first couple minutes I liked the electronica in that song, but then I realized that the heart of the song was pretty well lost. And my head started to pound in time with the pulsing of the music… and my listening ceased to be so pleasurable. At Vance did a better job IMO. I didn’t care for that guitar solo, but all in all, I preferred At Vance.

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  12. I LOVE Supertramp. Great song selection today.
    Of the two bands, I think I like Mindless Self Indulgence. They did something different with the song and made it fun and enjoyable. I don’t know why, but for some reason I was bored with the other version.

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    • Yay! We have a vote for MSI!!! The first one. Thanks for your vote Jeffrey. I’m surprised there aren’t more votes for them because, like you said, what they did with the song is unique…

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  15. I always kind of liked this song by Supertramp. I’m surprised you found two covers. Interesting match-up. both had elements that I found a tiny bit irritating, but in the end I found I did like the At Vance version much better. Please give them my vote,.

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