The Whole Thing's Started cover

The Whole Thing's Started

Air Supply · 1977

39 min · 10 tracks · soft rock

Melodic soft rock harmonies blend with lush arrangements, capturing the lush romanticism of the late 1970s.

Top tracks — play these first

  • →
    Teach Me To Run Start here — This track showcases Air Supply's signature vocal harmonies and sets the emotional tone for the album, reflecting themes of longing and desire.
  • →
    Do What You Do — With its catchy melody and relatable lyrics about chasing love, this song encapsulates the band's ability to blend emotion with accessibility.
  • →
    That's How The Whole Thing Started — The title track captures the essence of the album's narrative arc, detailing how relationships unfold while highlighting the duo's vocal interplay.

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

38 /100
Lowland
Higher than 0% of albums we've rated

The album showcases solid songwriting and harmonies but lacks standout tracks that define its identity.

What we noticed

  • The album opens with a mid-tempo track that sets a consistent pace, maintaining a similar energy level across the first five songs.
  • Harmonies are layered throughout, often featuring two or three vocal lines interweaving in the choruses.
  • Several tracks incorporate lush string arrangements that enhance the romantic themes, particularly in ballads like 'Love Comes To Me'.
  • The final track concludes with a gradual fade-out, leaving an impression of lingering emotion rather than a definitive end.
Composition 25% of the score
6/10

the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics

Craft 20% of the score
5/10

production, performance, arrangement

Durability 25% of the score
5/10

whether it rewards returning to it

Distinctiveness 18% of the score
4/10

whether it sounds like itself

Sequencing 12% of the score
6/10

running order, pacing, length

Influence 4/10

Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Is this for you?

Good fit if you like

  • steady pacing for relaxed listening
  • melodic harmonies evoke deep emotions
  • for reflective afternoons
  • consistent flow with emotional peaks

Maybe skip if you

  • seeking high-energy fast tracks
  • prefer standalone singles over albums

Where this album fits

In the catalog
Breakthrough — This debut album helped establish Air Supply's reputation in soft rock.
Themes
Sydney romance· 1970s love stories· melodic longing
Career context
Released in July 1977, The Whole Thing's Started was Air Supply's debut album, marking their entry into the music scene after forming in Sydney just a year prior. At this point, they were still establishing their signature sound and identity as a band, balancing influences from pop and rock while beginning to gain recognition.
Stylistic neighbors
Bread· Chicago· Pablo Cruise

Tracklist

  • 1 Teach Me To Run Start here 4:01
  • 2 Do It Again 3:35
  • 3 Do What You Do 3:46
  • 4 There's Nothing I Can Do 3:37
  • 5 Ready For You 4:26
  • 6 That's How The Whole Thing Started 4:00
  • 7 Love Comes To Me 5:49
  • 8 The Answer Lies 3:44
  • 9 It's Automatic 2:56
  • 10 The End Of The Line 3:35

Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata