The Album Review Club - Week #195 (page 1310) - A New World Record - ELO

Supertramp were not my favourite band in the 70's. My brother in law who was a total prick used to play them a lot very quietly on a shit stereo. To me they were a nothing band. Little musical personality and pretty banal. I listened to this again and felt exactly the same as I did then.

4/10
 
Saddleworth2 said:
Thats fighting talk.
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Spotify knows what I like best - at the end of Crime of the Century, it's just played "Turn it On Again". Whilst this will no doubt further alienate me from Genesis nuts, I much prefer these more bombastic Collins-led songs than the Gabriel era.
 
RobMCFC said:
Spotify knows what I like best - at the end of Crime of the Century, it's just played "Turn it On Again". Whilst this will no doubt further alienate me from Genesis nuts, I much prefer these more bombastic Collins-led songs than the Gabriel era.
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I’m a big Genesis fan. Grew up listening to my older brothers Gabriel stuff and progressed on my own to the Collins era. Saw them many times with Collins and generally listen to this more than Gabriel - I think I tapped out after Duke was released in 1980. As the old song goes I know what I like - if it upsets people that’s not my problem :)
 
Crime of the Century - Supertramp

“School” features an odd drawn-out start, and the song doesn’t get going until nearly two minutes. I like a song that builds from a sparse arrangement into something more powerful as it progresses. There’s some nice piano and wah-wah in the closing phase and this one grew on me over repeated listens. That fact that the lyrics speak of a situation that most of us can relate to is another positive.

Elsewhere, “Bloody Well Right” starts with some nice piano, the guitar partway through brings a harder edge and the sax is a nice touch. On “Dreamer”, the vocals at the start are particularly awful, but the choir and staccato piano that bring the song home make it worthwhile.

There are lots of slow piano movements in songs such as “Hide Your Shell”, “Asylum” and “Rudy” that are hard to take in and appreciate over a few listens. Some of these songs definitely feel like to more you listen, the more that you will get out of them, but that didn’t all hit home on the listens that I’ve had, although “Rudy” does have an enjoyably, upbeat second half.

“Crime of the Century”, the title track and final song on the album, feels like the one song that puts together all of the elements the best – the slow piano ballad start, the Gilmour-esque guitar solo then building into something dramatic with the strings and sax.

Supertramp certainly have a unique sound. Not necessarily on this album, but the use of clarinet and saxophone, along with some of the odd arrangements lend them a vaudeville touch.

As previously noted, I have a Supertramp best of, Retrospectacle, which I have not listened to for many years. I was surprised that it actually contains 5 or the 8 cuts on this album. Inspired, I listed to Even in the Quietest Moments and Breakfast in America as well – they are all good solid albums, and I think that Breakfast in America contains the strongest songs in general.

As for Crime of the Century, it has a fantastic album cover, and it’s a good listen but with some reservations about the stretched-out tracks – 7/10.
 
RobMCFC said:
Crime of the Century - Supertramp

“School” features an odd drawn-out start, and the song doesn’t get going until nearly two minutes. I like a song that builds from a sparse arrangement into something more powerful as it progresses. There’s some nice piano and wah-wah in the closing phase and this one grew on me over repeated listens. That fact that the lyrics speak of a situation that most of us can relate to is another positive.

Elsewhere, “Bloody Well Right” starts with some nice piano, the guitar partway through brings a harder edge and the sax is a nice touch. On “Dreamer”, the vocals at the start are particularly awful, but the choir and staccato piano that bring the song home make it worthwhile.

There are lots of slow piano movements in songs such as “Hide Your Shell”, “Asylum” and “Rudy” that are hard to take in and appreciate over a few listens. Some of these songs definitely feel like to more you listen, the more that you will get out of them, but that didn’t all hit home on the listens that I’ve had, although “Rudy” does have an enjoyably, upbeat second half.

“Crime of the Century”, the title track and final song on the album, feels like the one song that puts together all of the elements the best – the slow piano ballad start, the Gilmour-esque guitar solo then building into something dramatic with the strings and sax.

Supertramp certainly have a unique sound. Not necessarily on this album, but the use of clarinet and saxophone, along with some of the odd arrangements lend them a vaudeville touch.

As previously noted, I have a Supertramp best of, Retrospectacle, which I have not listened to for many years. I was surprised that it actually contains 5 or the 8 cuts on this album. Inspired, I listed to Even in the Quietest Moments and Breakfast in America as well – they are all good solid albums, and I think that Breakfast in America contains the strongest songs in general.

As for Crime of the Century, it has a fantastic album cover, and it’s a good listen but with some reservations about the stretched-out tracks – 7/10.
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Covers it for me as well but for the high score.
School with its once upon a time in the west harmonica but longer than the movie.
The piano bugged me rotten on most of the tracks as did most of the intros.
Voice and guitar good but a 5 from me.
Weirdly the other weeks nomination Aimee Mann is featured on the Magnolia soundtrack which i think is briĺiant bar the 2 supertramp songs Goodbye Stranger and The Logical.
 
bennyboy said:
Covers it for me as well but for the high score.
School with its once upon a time in the west harmonica but longer than the movie.
The piano bugged me rotten on most of the tracks as did most of the intros.
Voice and guitar good but a 5 from me.
Weirdly the other weeks nomination Aimee Mann is featured on the Magnolia soundtrack which i think is briĺiant bar the 2 supertramp songs Goodbye Stranger and The Logical.
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“The Logical Song” is fantastic. I’m surprised you don’t like that one.
 
RobMCFC said:
Crime of the Century - Supertramp

“School” features an odd drawn-out start, and the song doesn’t get going until nearly two minutes. I like a song that builds from a sparse arrangement into something more powerful as it progresses. There’s some nice piano and wah-wah in the closing phase and this one grew on me over repeated listens. That fact that the lyrics speak of a situation that most of us can relate to is another positive.

Elsewhere, “Bloody Well Right” starts with some nice piano, the guitar partway through brings a harder edge and the sax is a nice touch. On “Dreamer”, the vocals at the start are particularly awful, but the choir and staccato piano that bring the song home make it worthwhile.

There are lots of slow piano movements in songs such as “Hide Your Shell”, “Asylum” and “Rudy” that are hard to take in and appreciate over a few listens. Some of these songs definitely feel like to more you listen, the more that you will get out of them, but that didn’t all hit home on the listens that I’ve had, although “Rudy” does have an enjoyably, upbeat second half.

“Crime of the Century”, the title track and final song on the album, feels like the one song that puts together all of the elements the best – the slow piano ballad start, the Gilmour-esque guitar solo then building into something dramatic with the strings and sax.

Supertramp certainly have a unique sound. Not necessarily on this album, but the use of clarinet and saxophone, along with some of the odd arrangements lend them a vaudeville touch.

As previously noted, I have a Supertramp best of, Retrospectacle, which I have not listened to for many years. I was surprised that it actually contains 5 or the 8 cuts on this album. Inspired, I listed to Even in the Quietest Moments and Breakfast in America as well – they are all good solid albums, and I think that Breakfast in America contains the strongest songs in general.

As for Crime of the Century, it has a fantastic album cover, and it’s a good listen but with some reservations about the stretched-out tracks – 7/10.
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'Dracula Musical!'
 
Another decent nomination from @OB1 - he never fails to please!
Not heard CotC for a good few years and it brought back some good memories. I think I always veered more toward BIA after its commercial success in my prime music sponge years.
It’s good to listen to longer tracks which take their time to develop but reward you with a worthwhile listening experience. Loved the opening track despite its more melancholic mood. Least favourite was Bloody Well Right, which for some reason has always got on my nerves!!
Solid 7/10 but I’m definitely going back in for a few more listens when I suspect I may have bumped it up a point
 
GornikDaze said:
Another decent nomination from @OB1 - he never fails to please!
Not heard CotC for a good few years and it brought back some good memories. I think I always veered more toward BIA after its commercial success in my prime music sponge years.
It’s good to listen to longer tracks which take their time to develop but reward you with a worthwhile listening experience. Loved the opening track despite its more melancholic mood. Least favourite was Bloody Well Right, which for some reason has always got on my nerves!!
Solid 7/10 but I’m definitely going back in for a few more listens when I suspect I may have bumped it up a point
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It's got a great heavy riff in the bridge though.
 
Crime of the Century - Supertramp

When I double-checked my homemade "Best of Supertramp" CD and confirmed 6 of out 8 of these songs already present, I figured this would mostly be a nostalgic listen this week with only "Asylum" and "If Everyone Was Listening" being new to me.

This prog influenced album became the band's first commercial success, but not initially in the US. It wasn't until after 1977's Even In the Quietest Moments... where this finally reached Gold status. It was around that time and during 1979's Breakfast in America that I remember as an early teen finding this band including their hits off of that current album and harkened back to this one.

It was the jazz fusion opener of "School" that I've already highlighted in some earlier posts once this selection was announced that was an early favourite song of theirs. It was often played on AOR FM stations and was a great song enjoyed by my group of middle school friends. Even though Roger Hodgson and Rick Davies have their own vocally led songs, it is really a unique aspect of this band where they both have that back and forth vocals that really works, and "School" is a prime example. It was predominately a Hodgson song, but Davies wrote both the piano solo and a good deal of the lyrics. The unmistakable harmonica led intro into the girl's scream into the guitar playing was just simply an iconic beginning. Hodgson said of the girl's scream: "Everything, especially that scream that you're talking about just before the band comes in, does represent a lot... I mean, you know, school is a wonderful place. Obviously, it's a school playground but that scream does represent a lot more."

That song and "Dreamer" and "Bloody Well Right" are songs I've known very well since that time and age, but it was the opening track that was the one I've always enjoyed and solidified them as one of my favourites, of all bands I was listening to.

From 42 demo songs came 8 tracks that made up this album, and that's what I think makes this such a strong album. The first ones were recorded for the soundtrack of Tony Klinger's 1971 film Extremes "about British youth, lifestyles and drug addiction".

Songs of theirs I've enjoyed later on when putting together my CD of theirs include "Hide In Your Shell" with that eerie sounding musical saw in background around the sax and keyboards. Another perfect example of the back and forth vocal delivery that really make this band unique, and to me quite special. "Rudy" with its Paddington Station train sounds and Leicester Square crowd noises and "Crime of the Century" are unique prog rock songs that have elements that sound very Pink Floyd-like, especially in the guitar once the songs reach their climaxes. Again, both tracks are aided by the back and forth vocals by both singers that works quite well. The ending of the album with that harmonica on the final track harkens us back to the opener too. A very nice touch I've not ever put together prior.

I agree with Rob that most of the songs start slowly and reach their peak, but it's quite the payoff when it does, at least from my vantage point. I've had decades and years to listen to most of these songs, and except for a few tracks from their other albums that are just as strong, I'd rate CotC overall as their best album, start to finish with their strongest material, and a thematic cohesion I don't think I've appreciated until listening to this as a whole this week. The two songs new to me were nice, and it's the appreciation for this album coming out of nowhere with the band on the verge of an early ending after 2 disappointing releases prior. It's for that reason that this scores 9/10 for me. Just brilliant, and thanks for the memory lane revisits @OB1.

But while I'm still living, I've just got this to say
It's always up to you if you want to be that
Want to see that, want to see that way
You're coming along
 
This is a really fine album, nearly, almost worthy of a masterpiece rating. From start to finish, most tracks are strong and often segue into one another seamlessly. The highlights are Hide in Your Shell, a great song about mental illness, and the title track, the outro of which is powerful and dynamic.
However, almost everything is good and the only weakish track is Bloody Well Right, too crude for a band of this quality and the reason I have stuck at 8, there is though a great heavy riff on the bridge of the song which I really like.
The rhythm section drives everything along effectively, Dougie Thompson being one of the most underrated bassists in rock, and Hodgson, Helliwell and Davies weave impressive melodies over the top. My only regret is the sparseness of the guitar work; they are really a 2 keyboard + sax band essentially.
I know that the vocals don't appeal to everyone but I find them fine.
This is prog rock at its most commercial and accessible and some diehards can't accept that bands can release hit singles and sell bucketloads of albums and still remain prog. Well this was one of the biggest selling albums of the seventies and it is undeniably prog. Should be in everyone's collection, so buy it!

8
 
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Bill Walker said:
This is a really fine album, nearly worthy of a masterpiece rating. From start to finish, most tracks are strong and often segue into one another seamlessly. The highlights are Hide in Your Shell, a great song about mental illness, and the title track, the outro of which is powerful and dynamic.
However, almost everything is good and the only weakish track is Bloody Well Right, too crude for a band of this quality and the reason I have stuck at 8, there is though a great heavy riff on the bridge of the song which I really like.
The rhythm section drives everything along effectively, Dougie Thompson being one of the most underrated bassists in rock, and Hodgson, Helliwell and Davies weave impressive melodies over the top. My only regret is the sparseness of the guitar work; they are really a 2 keyboard + sax band essentially.
I know that the vocals don't appeal to everyone but I find them fine.
This is prog rock at its most commercial and accessible and some diehards can't accept that bands can release hit singles and sell bucketloads of albums and still remain prog. Well this was one of the biggest selling albums of the seventies and it is undeniably prog. Should be in everyone's collection, so buy it!

8
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I've always liked 'Bloody Well Right' myself, and never thought of it as being a weak track.

I remember buying vinyl LP's back in the day, and there was usually one song on an album from a favorite band I didn't really think was that great, but I never thought that about Breakfast in America.
 
CRIME OF THE CENTURY. SUPERTRAMP

Well done OB1 for hitting the nostalgia button yet again.I have this album but haven’t listened to it for about Fifty years, it’s a great album and it’s been fun to hear it again after all this time.
As others have said there’s a number of influences Genesis, 10 cc, and Queen but I also get an early Steely Dan vibe too.Having said that Supertramp have a very distinctive sound, there’s lots of top tracks on this ‘School’ Rudy’ and the title track are probably my favourites.’Dreamer’s ‘ first few lines get a bit monotonous but it still grows into a good song.There’s no fillers on this record.

Great pick

8/10
 
It’s clear to me folks are hearing some things that I’m not. The lightweight twinkly noodling, the mean length of the un-hits at about six minutes, and the relative pointless banality of the lyrics are all signatures of this band. And yet save for the unlistenable “Casual Conversations” and the nearly unlistenable “Lord Is It Mine”, their next record (BIA of course) is a masterpiece of pop. But this isn’t. What melodies are people hearing in songs like “Asylum”? I agree the songs reach peaks — but that’s because the choruses are good but the travel range to get to them long in duration and short on interest. The thematic cohesion is what exactly? Not to mention they dedicated the record to their millionaire backer — would that The Ramones have been so lucky a few years later. Enjoyment is one thing — heft and weight and power and meaning quite a series of anothers, and this has the heft and weight and power and meaning of a helium balloon.

The mystery of the continued English willingness to overrate schlock like this aside, I can’t say I disliked it, coming from the angle that this was designed to be their pop move. And while the three-we-all-knew-already sound just fine, I don’t think any of them hold a candle the hits off BIA. But that’s as maybe — on its own, it’s thoroughly unassuming, generally pleasant, and completely inoffensive. If you turn off your brain — as I did on a mind-numbing drive over which I listened to this a second and third time — it starts to worm its way in and become even somewhat charming. The problem is that I don’t think “Rudy” is supposed to be charming. Anyhow, to their credit I think they do indeed work a few turns on Steely Dan and Elton John here and there, and “School” got me so suspicious that I went and listened to the entirety of Pink Floyd’s The Wall to see how much Floyd might have ripped off from COTC (answer: not much in the end, but a reconfirmation that, like The Wall, this record’s hits were hits for a reason compared to the toothpick-and-glue bridges the other songs between them serve as).

My longstanding scoring system suggests a few songs I like and a remainder that is tolerable earns a 6/10. That’s COTC to a tee. I can see a 7 for acolytes, but 8 and above baffle me as the English falling all over English prog (even poppy prog) always does.
 
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Unfortunately don't have time for a review but fortunately Coatigan and Rob between them have written the majority of what I would have said.

They're clearly accomplished in many respects but it's not really to my personal tastes, 7/10.
 
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