Customer Reviews

Crime of the Century

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4 star:		(3)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Supertramp's "Crime of the Century" was the first record I ever bought (back in 1981), and for good reason. For the Supertramp fan (or any fan of classic and progressive rock), this album encapsulates all that is Supertramp (moving, multiple textures of music - electric, acousic, orchestral; lyrics poetically spelling out their frustrations with modern - back then - British society; great artwork; the first album with the "classic" lineup and an overall package from School's harmonica beginning to the title track's harmonica fade-out that entertains and compels). Just how great is it? Seven of the album's eight tracks are featured on the band's live album "Paris" recorded six years later (that starts with, what else, "School" and ends with "Crime of the Century"). The only song not included live, "If Everyone Was Listening," is as significant as all the rest, because each song transitions seamlessly to the other until what we are left with as "Crime of the Century" fades to a starless black is a musical experience that fuses everything in its existence so perfectly that Supertramp would never duplicate it again. Rick Davies' piano (best heard on "Rudy"), Roger Hodgson's guitar (likewise "Bloody Well Right"), Dougie Thomson's bass ("School"), Bob C. Benberg's drums ("Crime of the Century") and John Anthony Helliwell's sax/clarinet (all of them) remind us that Supertramp was a BAND, a concept so few groups could claim (then or since). A classic and a standard, an album that shaped my entire views on rock and roll and influenced my every record purchased thereafter for years to come.

This is not just Supertramp's best record, it's also one of the greatest all-round rock records of the early '70s. Unfortunately, it would be all downhill for the band from here.

"Crime of the Century" pulls off the idea of a "concept" album with out coming off as overblown, pretentious or cliched. Each song, in fact, seems to be its own little self-contained rock opera.

The band had not yet sunk into the ubiquitous falsetto that plagued latter efforts like in "Crisis? What Crisis?" and the cloying "Breakfast In America." The songs themselves on "Crime of the Century" are relatively lengthy pieces layered and textured with tempo changes, movements, and other effects. (By the time they recorded "Breakfast In America" three years later, they were reduced to writing three-and-a-half-minute pop songs rife with lyrical cliches with a glossy production sheen so luminous that it bleached way what little passion the songs may have had.)

That was not the case with "Crime of the Century." The songs here are dark, ansgst-ridden and a bit cynical. Songs like "Hide In Your Shell," and "Ayslum" deal with coping with mental illness and offer such dark-humored lyrics as "Will he take a sailboat ride? He is very likely to. Will feel dead inside? He is very likely to!"

I am particularly fond of "Rudy," -- a Supertramp concert staple and maybe one of their best songs ever. It's a piano-based rocker sung from the point of view of a gentleman who is not sure if he's made the right choices in life ("Rudy's on a train to nowhere... halfway down the line...") and is hoping for some sort of redemption we all know will never come.

The singles here, "School," and "Bloody Well Right," almost seem Floydian in the way they chastise the public education system of the day and rail against its administrators' tendency to try make everyone the same by stripping unsuspecting students of their uniqueness or individuality. The song does a great job of conveying the sense of anger, frustration and resignation such institutionalization creates.

The writing, arranging and playing on "Crime of the Century" is first rate and strikingly original. (Tell me, who do you think Supertramp is being influenced by here? Who are they emmulating? The answer is nobody... they've truly created an original sound.)

After "Crime of the Century," Supertramp released 4 more albums with this classic line-up (headed by writers Roger Hodgeson - guitar, and Rick Davies - keyboards). While most of the albums are good... with each subsequent release the band took another step closer to the "pop" millieau that help sell so many copies of "Breakfast In America."

While we're on that subject... remember ALL rock music is indeed "pop" music... but not all pop music is rock.

But when it comes to "Crime of the Century," there is no doubt that this album rocks with the best of the early- to mid-70s rock 'n' roll canon that included the likes of such lumanaries as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple and truck load of other heavy progessive bands.

This is also a great "headphone" album with lots of great piano work, intersting special effects and insightful, thought-provoking lyrics that manage, for the most part, to stay clear of the overly maudline and the cliche.

Hodgeson and Davies also, at this point in their writing careers, had a great sense of melody. So, while the songs' arrangements may be dense and complex, they remain accessable and easy to sing along with. (Which, after a few listens, I'm betting you will!)

When one listens to "Crime of the Century" one can't help but wonder what would have happened if Hodgeson and Davies had managed to get along and the band had stayed the course all these years.

Ah, but that's just rock 'n' roll... Ain't it?

Dear all,

This is one of my oldest and dearest memories:

I remember a small child...(... I know what you're thinkin'...) I remember how he used to climb that cabinet (... See what you're seein'...)so he could reach for the vinyl records and then (...) pick up the one with the bars floating in the stars... I remember him listening to it on the "Dual" turntable (standing beside me as I write this words) over and over again, endlessly... Although the words were put a side, I remember him singing along. The world seemed full of music... (If everyone was listening, you know...) That mysterious brand new record that his father had just recently bought still exists and is also standing beside me. Although the tracks aren't in the same condition as they once were, I still sometimes rather prefer to listen to it than the new age CD. I enjoy waiting for those same old jumps between the words as they were made two decades ago. Precision on handling the turntable arm was never achieved by that time...(... Don't do this and don't do that!!!) It all happened in 1974... The small child was 3 years old, and always lived inside of me.

As time went by, other records surged... Elton John's "Don't shoot me I'm only the piano player"; "Crisis! What Crisis?"; Dire Straits's "Dire Straits" and a few more that I can hardly remember... By the time "Breakfast in America" and the "Wall" were released I was about to begin high school. And when Supertramp finally came to Portugal (one week before the Paris concerts) I had no one to tell me that the band which had made the music of my childhood would be playing in two live concerts in Lisbon, so I missed both concerts. And that... was my "Crime of the Century"!

Between 1979 and 1985 I completely forgot Supertramp, don't ask me why! I most often listened to Dire Straits than anything else. I even remember the Cannonball video clip and, although I could find it surprisingly familiar, I couldn't make any connection to my childhood's only favourite band.

This black period in my Supertramp life story ended in 1986 when I was in a summer camp lying in my bed, falling a sleep (...dream dream dream dream dream along...), after an exhausting day. The guys from the room next to mine were listening to some old tapes, which I could listen through the wooden walls. And then... Magic happened! The most familiar and intriguing, sweetest and enchanting notes were being played on one harmonica; then came the guitar; then the voice (I can see you in the morning...); finally the band joined in apotheoses, awaking long lost dreams and memories of the past... (-You're comin' along!) I jumped out of my bed, went into their room and started shouting:-"I know that! I know that song!... What is that ?!?! Who are they ?!?!?!?!?!?" I sat along and sang every song from the beginning to the end, without being able to pronounce a single word. I didn't know the lyrics! (They were staring at me, speechless...) I asked someone to describe me the cover of the record, and one said:-"It's got stars all over and..."; "Two hands gripping floating jail bars"- I interrupted. I borrowed his tape, which I listened over and over again, endlessly...

From that day, I knew that Supertramp would always be with me, in my life, as it had always been, since 74.

Thank you SAM!

Luís Gouveia

This is one of the classic "must have" albums in anyone's collection. I have yet to slip the CD in my player and not listen to the entire disc. I'm 45 years old and never tire of listening to it, 30 years later.

I'm not going to get into the pop/not pop discussion, don't really care what you call it--I just simply call it GREAT! It's flawless, emotional music.

Any band that has any catalog at all have one album they can call their masterpiece, this is Supertramp's tour de force.

If all you've heard is "School" & "Bloody Well Right", you're in for a treat listening to the others. And it still stands up today...

I first saw Supertramp in 1973 as the rhythm section for Chuck Berry at London's Rainbow theater. A few years later Crime of the Century showed up, courtesy of an older brother. We played the grooves out of several copies. IMO it's a really great album (their only great album) that has held up over the years. 30+ years later and on another continent and I still love listening to it!

Admit it, this is a great album and you're not going to take anything away from that with the hidden insult of calling them a "pop" band. Let's get it straight right here. They were a band with a message, and they had songs that became POPular. They were a band with meaning, and their songs became POPular. Every musician's dream is to have their music reach a large number of people, to be POPular. That doesn't mean that all bands are POP bands. ABBA was a POP band, and I would never compare them to the socially relevant music of Supertramp. C'mon, this album actually SAYS something, I can't think of many that do. If the song School doesn't touch you deep down inside, then burn the rest of your cd's because you don't deserve to be a music fan. Also remember, just because you don't understand the meaning of a song doesn't mean I don't as well. The song "Dreamer" is by no means a catchy, happy, pop throwaway. It is a musical representation of someone taunting someone who dares to dream about great things. Maybe you have to be a musician to understand this. I am an accomplished rock/blues musician, by the way. I know what's it's like to be told that music is a pipe dream and that I'd never make it. Well here I am. Dreamer, I'm such a little dreamer.

This album marked a dramatic shift in direction and style for this British band. Where this album is considered to be Supertramp's masterpiece by most discerning fans, there are actually two tunes that detract from the overall effectiveness of the recording. Dreamer and Bloody Well Right are two silly pop songs that prove to lose their appeal rather quickly. Otherwise this is a well written, performed and produced (Ken Scott-producer)album. School and the title cut are particularly impressive. Hodgson and Davies proved to be a wonderfully inventive and complimentary partnership. This and the follow up Crisis, What Crisis? are well worth owning...Simon

This is where the Supertramp formula really works for me-- perfectly-crafted songs with pompous, but expertly-written arrangements. "Dreamer" is a light-pop tune which sort of breaks up the mood, but the harmonies on that tune make up for it. The rest of the album is perfect, the best song being the wonderful buildup song "School" and the least-great song being "If Everyone Was Listening" which is still pretty good. How that one guy can give it a -one- I have yet to understand, especially because on his reader reviews page he lists other Supertramp albums as partial favorites of his. The album? One of my favorites of all time. I usually don't like '70s mainstream FM-oriented stuff but these songs really work for me.

I have owned "crime of the century" for at least 20 years. First on LP ,then on CD. This has been one of my favourite CD's and I never get tired of it. School, Rudy and Dreamer are all classics
As an audiophle, I recently purchased and unopenned MFSL 24k Gold version of crime of the century. Of course, I had to open and play it(even though it is a collectors item now).
This Gold CD is far superior to the standard if your musical system is up to the task. if it is for your car stereo or ghetto blaster , don't waste your money. If you have a system worthy of hearing the detail that is on this disk, spend the money ,you won't be disappointed. I have other gold cd's ,but not of the quality of "crime of the century".

Not as good as other MFSL releases, the kick drum and snare lack bottom end, cymbals are a little aggressive,, piano thought doesn't overload like the 2002 remaster (check Bloody Well Right), there's more dynamic range. Not bad but could have been better!