SUPERTRAMP

Track 1 - School

Not too many prog albums begin with a bluesy harmonica, but here we have it. A Hodgson/Davies collaborative composition. A clean guitar & Hodgson's vocals enter with children's playground sounds in the background. The rhythm section provides a steady beat for verse 2, then things drop out for an instrumental section to build up. The piano takes the forefront with a quicker tempo next. Distorted guitar joins in for the bridge following the instrumental break. Verse 3 is strong and steady. We end with sustained sounds from the instruments.

Track 2 - Bloody Well Right

This is one of Supertramp's biggest radio hits. I'm certain that most, if not all of those reading this are very familiar with it. But here are some highlights. A rhythm section accent leads to an electric piano solo, also very bluesy. Then the band plays a transitional melody and establishes a groove for a Wah-wah guitar solo. Distorted guitar comes in for the verse, sung by Rick Davies. Then only the electric piano and rhythm section accents start the first chorus with the fun background vocals. Second verse is similar to the first. Same with the second chorus, but both sections have more guitar fills. Then a bit of coda section with sax fills between lines, and eventually taking over as a solo on the fade out. Such a fun track.

Track 3 - Hide in Your Shell

A mid-tempo ballad led by electric piano. It is Hodgson's turn on lead vocals again. The chorus is almost breezy feeling, and slightly faster than the verse. Do I hear a theremin in the background? Or is it a bowed saw? Not sure. [ Prog Archives lists an anonymous street musician playing saw, so there it is]. Second verse takes things back down. The drums are a bit more pronounced on the pre-chorus section this time. Each chorus seems to build, and the background vocals are amazing. Once again, a sax solo leads us out of the song.

Track 4 - Asylum

The electric piano gives way to the acoustic piano. Back to Davies vocals. The opening verse is slow and quiet, then builds to the chorus. I love the ascending chord pattern at the end of the chorus (I do think I've heard this a few times as well). I also quite enjoy the chord progression leading into the second chorus. This is an amazing arrangement. I love the tubular bells, and the choir-like backing vocals.

Track 5 - Dreamer

Another big radio hit. Perhaps their first? That eighth-note electric piano part drives the song, and we are back to Hodgson's vocals. Once again, great arranging. You gotta love the glockenspiel at the end! Such a fun tune.

Track 6 - Rudy

Acoustic piano returns with octave notes over a backdrop of shoreline sounds. The tempo becomes steadier as the song progresses through the verse and chorus. Once again, it's Davies' turn to sing. Nice instrumental sections. I've heard Supertramp referred to as "sophisticated rock" --I'd say that term definitely applies to this track. I love the build-up in the instrumental section that leads back to the vocals. I love the trade-off vocals with Hodgson & Davies as the song builds to a climax. Then the strings close out the song after a brief final vocal section.

Track 7 - If Everyone Was Listening

This is the least known track to me. We are back to Hodgson. Acoustic piano forms the foundation for this one. A slow dramatic ballad. Lots of dynamic changes. Good track

Track 8 - Crime of the Century

One of my favorite Supertramp songs! A Davies/Hodgson collaboration. The slow 6-8 rhythm is a nice canvas to build the song on. That piano pattern in the instrumental section is absolutely sublime! One thing that really shines on this song (and throughout the album) is the wonderful use of dynamic changes. I love how they layer the instruments in the instrumental section. And once again, the sax solo leads us to the fade-out.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS-

A beautifully executed album from start to finish. No weak tracks at all, but "If Everyone Was Listening" might not be as strong as the rest. As I mentioned, the arrangements and dynamic changes are absolutely fantastic and really help to make this album what it is. The playing and vocals are strong throughout, but they aren't overwhelmingly virtuosic. This album is about the SONGS, not the players. A great listen. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Finally, recognition has come for the work of Hodgson and Davies. "Crime Of The Century" presents a new sound for the band, with a strong interplay between both vocalists and plenty of sparkling piano tones, including the electronic Wurlitzer. It is a thrilling blend of accessibility and enchantment, where the sophisticated rhythms and graceful saxophone playing also contribute their share. Many consider "Crime Of The Century" to be the band's artistic pinnacle and personally, I believe they have never surpassed it, at best equaled it.

Producer Ken Scott also deserves immense credit for the beauty of this album. He successfully translated Hodgson and Davies' make or break mentality into a timeless whole. The vibrant music is bursting with dynamics and when the phenomenon of CDs arrives ten years later, "Crime of the Century" is among the first albums to appear on this new medium. You can rightfully attribute the intense atmosphere in which the compositions thrive to Scott. The Ramport and Trident Studios must have been ideal workplaces.

"Crime Of The Century" consists of eight songs, each shining in its own way. The great thing about this particular Supertramp is that, without making truly progressive music, they still manage to touch the heart of prog music enthusiasts. It often helps if you have an affinity for catchy melodies, as can be heard in Dreamer, the well-known single released to promote the album at the time. The rhythmic vocals never get tiresome. However, the popularity of the song has been surpassed by School, the album open-er. Perhaps it's the many tempo and mood changes that make this song so captivating, or maybe it's the exuberant piano playing in the middle section. Supertramp did them- selves a great service with the infectious School. It is followed by the Davies-sung Bloody Well Right, where contrasts abound. The jazzy piano evolves into almost-hard rock before suddenly shifting back to piano and vocals. It is moments like these that make time stand still on "Crime Of The Century" as if it doesn't matter. Take the crea-tive refrains of Hide In Your Shell, where an unknown street musician is invited with his singing saw, or the bombast in Asylum and you'll come to the conclusion that everyone must have been in quite a frenzy.

On the original B-side, we find the delightful Rudy. This song is the most symphonic of them all, largely due to the unmatched string arrangements. Rudy is followed by the light-hearted If Everyone Was Listening, which, despite sounding somewhat old-fashioned, is also beautiful thanks to the smooth clarinet. The album concludes with the ultimate closer. The last few minutes have an incredible impact, once you've heard it, you'll never forget it.

Listening to the entire album is also an experience for a lifetime. "Crime Of The Century" confronts you with sincere musicians who have their hearts in the right place, musicians who are true wanderers always in search. Yet, they didn't have to look far for inspiration. If anything is clear, it is that Roger Hodgson, Rick Davies, Bob C. Benberg, Dougie Thomson and John Helliwell have stayed true to themselves while creating this blessing.

Originally posted on www.progenrock.com

I picked up 'Even In the Quietest Moments' the other day and still have not listened to it. There is something about Supertramp that just never grabbed me. Their radio hits ('Breakfast in America', 'The Logical Song', 'Goodbye Stranger', on this album) I adore, but apart from select tracks, not too much listening time for them. But it is the time to listen to a Supertramp album. The record starts with 'Gone Hollywood'. The music sounds a bit like Rush and the vocals are a bit kooky in classic Supertramp style. This song is dramatic and slow, but keeps you hooked. There are some great sax moments in this song. About four minutes in, the song restarts, more aggressive and powerful then ever. There is an amazing sax solo and the music leaves. 'The Logical Song' is a fun little song (not the lyrics!) that still gets radio play today. It has a great chorus and lyrics. About three minutes the song gets even more fun with bouncy instrumentation and funky sax. It fades away, leaving you satisfied with all you heard. 'Goodbye Stranger' has great vocals. It builds for about a minute and a half until the instantly recognizable chorus begins. This song is very fun. Little nuances that you can only catch after multiple listens, making this song a little less accessible than it already is. This statement is relevant for most of the album, as well. Around the three-minute mark the track just explodes and gets so fun you can only boogie. The title track is my favorite song on this album. I can't help myself - the lyrics are just so fun and the music as well. From the beginning to the end you are hooked by weird horns, overtly British backing vocals, goofy vocals, and other amazing stuff. This might honestly be my favorite pop song. Amazing. 'Oh Darling' is kind of funky. It gets really good about a minute and a half in. It is probably one of the weaker songs on this album, but on its own is great. 'Take the Long Way Home' opens with some piano and harmonica. The lyrics are good and the vocals are great. Every moment of this song is memorable and fun. A great Supertramp track. 'Lord Is It Mine' is a somber little number that I found just so grabbing. Pretty, yes; well-arranged, definitely; enjoyable, absolutely. A beautiful song. 'Just Another Nervous Wreck' takes too long to really pick up, but once it does, oh boy, those aggressive drums are great, and the vocals are as strong as Supertramp ever had. It just feels like a three-minute crescendo. 'Casual Conversations' has some great lyrics and sax. It is my least favorite song on this album, but not by a wide margin. 'Child of Vision' has a long opening, but, like with 'Just Another Nervous Wreck', can't slow down once it's rolling. About three minutes into the song vocals end for good and you are left with a great piano solo, although it is quite simplistic. This is a great example of prog pop from a good prog pop band. Prog on.

1. School and the harmonica, that's it, the man with the harmonica, a duel? Nah, it's school, just the bell; the sax on the left, yes from the time when we liked stereo effects; hold an arpeggio on G, another on D and the cries of the schoolchildren... let's go; the sound is used yes, the progression does not care, it wants to be latent and brings this rise which is good for morale, yes the gallop of the drums, you had almost forgotten, and the piano which suddenly snorts Also; it's beautiful, inscribed in our ears between the anvil and the stirrup; grand finale but it's not over a chorus for fun come on 2. Bloody Well Right on the crystalline piano, half jazzy half pop-rock, a sound apart, well, we're on SUPERTRAMP; the croaking guitar, the bass struggling and trying to forget that it doesn't have enough strings; this hard riff, yes I say it, or I write it, it's up to you, all right? The simplet piece from Simplet that works on its own, the sax adds a layer of it, not for nothing is it an OMNI 3. Hide in Your Shell yes deep in your eyes, look who pumped on the other; in short, here we are talking about one of my favorite tracks from the album, everything is the intoxicating keyboard... water only water, the rise in several times, the explosion I would even say, the echo drums, the diphthong voices, the musical saw, in short everything 4. Asylum piano input yes, any voice, yes .... bof; this is where I find the original sound of the intro of 'Fool's, but hey it's so fleeting that I keep it to myself; I feel that it will rise, in a symphonic way, like pompous titles by BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST, melodic, soporific but with enough rhythm to make great pieces; aside on these 2 unloved groups of the progeux because having passed on the radio... ah the poor, if they had known they would have acclaimed them rather than thus letting punk and other derivatives come on this same radio; boom boom, the chorus with vilons, bells, just to remind us that creation already existed at that remote time, what are you talking to me about now, good OK; final with a hardos solo guitar, the notes spurt, the voices of Roger and Richard in osmosis, hello. 5. Dreamer give me a more meaningful intro than this, give me a 3 min track that seems like 10... yes the 'Good Vibrations' I grant you, but still it's good. .. the stereo for the voice and the choirs, maybe that also made me dream, like THE BEATLES of yesteryear even more with this sound that fills the room; that's it, it goes, it hits everywhere, dreaming you hear it, when the musical oxymoron is set up by proposing unmentionable things. 6. Rudy sic piano arpeggio, jazzy variation where you're alone at the bar, hold a whiskey I need a pick-me-up; well it's cool this title ah well he starts to shout, well the piano keeps the atmosphere; boy a second another yes that one with the thread, it must be an old Ardmore I guess, just peated as it should be; but it's really not bad this piano, it reminds me a little of the 'Fool's' that I will listen to a few years later, the intro ... progressive with the megaphone; no thank you no third, we need moderation otherwise Méta will still look for us nouases (baffles... but shhh don't spread the word otherwise we'll be censored, ah damn it's over I hear people leaving; this end worthy of a melodrama of the 30s what can I still like it now; Rudy I have you under my skin and it's not that dram, oh yes two I forgot thank you for following me, 7. If Everyone Was Listening ballad for 'And we schemed' which I translated as 'and a whiskey' as everything has a link; ballad, flute, restful nursery rhyme, clarinet, remember the cellos and other trumpets of today integrated into pieces ... of now are not avant-garde; the violins hurt my heart ah ok it's a coded message instead of 'The long sobs of the violins of autumn hurt my heart...' come on let's attack 8. Crime of the Century for the title everyone knows there; for this attack... again... of pads, of voices, of this intoxicating rhythm; this hard voice, this accordion, but where are we going? the solo that comes, yes, the one we all know, it's one of the most beautiful for me, more moving, more more; oh yes the piano cover too, the pad massacred too; you will have understood it, one of the most striking progressive titles of the last 50 years, I don't really need much, the violins twirling around reassure me... if I still like it, it must be damn good!

Good 5 for CRIME of course!

Crisis isn't a bad album. But it doesn't aspire to what makes Supertramp so good. Supertramp fans yearning for more of the sound will find some of that here--the basic elements are all present, harmonica and all, but the songwriting isn't nearly is strong. No doubt part of that is because there was only one year between their last album and this one-- less time than they usually had to write songs. Reportedly much of this album is leftover songs from their previous albums. Favorite song is "The Meaning." More energetic than the rest of the album.

Recommended for Supertramp fans, assuming they already have Supertramp's better albums. 3.5 stars.