CRISIS? WHAT CRISIS?

A very consistent album, not a prog masterpiece but an essential acquisition for any fans of progressive-pop and/or top-quality-seventies-rock. After a strong album, Supertramp could use all good attributes of Crime of the Century to build a typical "Supertramp" album. The use of 12-string acoustic guitar in the first two tracks and the delightful elecrtric piano and falsetto-like vocals of Hodgson immediately catch the listener. Two songs that remember Beatles and a whole generation of sixties gentle atmosphere. The guitar solo in "Sister Moonshine" rocks! Davies compositions are extremely strong, like "Another men's woman" and "Pour Boy", with that cabaret-like vocals and a very good band supporting him (the guys are really nice in these album!). I have to admit that Hodgson's songs make the basis of the album, and it's extremely interesting because Crisis, What Crisis ? has a mood and a sound pattern that differs from Crime.. and from Even... (the next album) and it's singularity is the thing that makes Crisis a great record. Too many other songs are superb stuff, like the climatic "A soapbox Opera", the catchy pop-prog tune "Lady", the complex and harmonic "The Meaning", where Hodgson simply show us all his prog feeling and, of course, the hit "Ain't Nobody but Me", a standard Supertramp song that all fans must appreciate. The album is almost absent of big hits but the track list (including the order of the songs, and not only the quality, that makes a big difference), the recording quality (especially in the remaster, that's, for me, superior than Crime...) and the band performance (fresh and exrtemely 70's sounding) are enough qualities to make this album a big rock'n roll record. Don't hesitate to buy Crisis... especially if you think that there are no hits in there. That's not the question, the album is a bridge to the Top 10 Even.. and, especially, to their commercial masterpiece Breakfest in America.