At one point near the beginning of this concert, Supertramp co-founder Roger Hodgson smiles at the crowd.

"I read somewhere that one in 20 people own Crime of the Century," he says, referring to his group's 1973 album. When the crowd cheers wildly, he adds "Maybe that's one in two in this group."

Indeed, Canada has been very kind to Supertramp and Hodgson over the years, so Montreal seemed like a great place to film a concert. Taken from a 2006 show, Take The Long Way Home showcases a smiling Hodgson, a crowd that eats up every note and a must-have for Supertramp fans.

Obviously, Hodgson has aged quite a bit, but Supertramp's music is not the type that one needs to be young to play. Even casual fans of the band will recognize many of the hits that Hodgson wrote or co-wrote, and here he plays most of them, either on his electric piano (the signature Supertramp sound), a grand piano or a 12-string guitar. A handful of solo songs are mixed in, which are good but not as essential as the classics.

Shot in high-definition, the two-hour show focuses on different angles of Hodgson's playing, the crowd and saxophonist Aaron McDonald, the only other musician on stage. This professional, crisp image brings the show to life, though that is mostly helped by Hodgson's obvious enthusiasm for playing and his reaction to the audience response.

Now, it's not likely this DVD will turn anyone on to Supertramp; that's what the CDs are for. This is, however, a gift to fans of all stripes who love these songs. Even more interesting is that many of them work with just Roger and the piano or guitar, especially "Take The Long Way Home," crowd favorite "Give A Little Bit" (performed twice) and "The Logical Song."

Hodgson performs a handful of lesser-known Supertramp songs such as "Easy Does It" and "Don't Leave Me Now" that may spark some interest in the original albums, while his version of "School" is classy and enhanced by audience participation. "Dreamer" and "Breakfast In America," two of the most pop-friendly songs, also are given great treatments.

Since Hodgson is more of a composer than a pop star, the tunes are almost note-perfect to the studio versions, with no extended jamming or soloing added on (except for a hard stop to "The Logical Song" instead of the studio fadeout). This is not a complaint, as Hodgson sings and plays his heart out with ease, and his consistent between-song comments and smiles drive home the DVD's title -- that he has taken the long way home, and he's glad to be back.

Bonus tracks on the DVD include five songs from another, older concert shot in rather blurry footage in comparison to the HD concert. These include "Dreamer" with an orchestra and choir, which is pretty cool, and the underrated "Even In The Quietest Moments," as well as snippets from "Fool's Orchestra." Other features include a song-by-song list of Roger's repertoire, an interview and a photo gallery -- pretty much everything a Supertramp fan could want.

Fans may quibble over a couple of missing songs they wanted here, ones that were sung by Rick Davies (like "Goodbye Stranger"), but during the show none of these are missed. Also, a couple of Roger's solo tunes are a little too slow, and a couple of the Supertramp songs chosen aren't that exciting either ("Oh Brother, "Two Of Us"). Minor concerns aside, Take The Long Way Home is a classy, professional show that anyone who likes Supertramp will most likely enjoy.

Rating: B+

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