Supertramp - Crime of Century

[spectoremg]

For the first time in five decades I've sat and listened to this album properly. Talk about the planets of musicianship and creativity lining up! Awesome. 

Ps. It sounds great too. 

Edited May 22, 2020 by spectoremg

[Graham]

A guy at work was telling me yesterday how good this album is, will have to give it a listen

[naxos10]

It's one of the best albums of the seventies. If you like it try and listen to their Breakfast in America album as well.

[Phil Starr]

Supertramp and another band Brewer's Droop (Mark Knopfler) were 'our' university bands. They did a lot of gigs at Reading. They were always good, interesting and charged just the right amount that you could afford to book them and still make a small profit/loss. I think I saw them six times and I didn't see then every time they played. They were always good and just got better over time. That album must have been the result of many thousands of hours of collective music making. The same for Dire Straights too later on. 

I think a lot of UK rock came out of that university scene as well as the venues in London and the other major cities. Regular venues paying well enough to keep the band fed and watered whilst they grew their craft in ront of a live audience. Years of hard work before you were spotted and became an overnight success..

I still listen from time to time, it still sounds good to me, Im not huge on nostalgia but it's great music with real craftsmanship from people I know did their 10,000 hours.

Just a thought, does the music made by people who make their living playing to paying audiences always end up more immediate. Mozart and Beethoven were gigging musicians

[Hellzero]

All Supertramp Roger Hodgson period is fantastic. Listening in chronological way makes you understand their way of composing and the complexity of their music. I like to listen to these albums in a row, they are so full and so well recorded.

Too bad, they took different roads because of ... America.

[Graham]

Just listened to it, not my usual thing at all, but the song writing, musicianship, arrangements and production are all superb

Not a band I'll listen to often, but I could see myself listening to this again.

[BassBunny]

Superb album and band. Have all the Roger Hodgson era albums on vinyl and they do get a regular play.

Their 97 concert in Paris comes up regularly on Sky Arts, ( or search catch up or YouTube ), and is well worth a watch.

[Barking Spiders]

I was never a fan of the more prog lite elements but Crime has some great moments like the more commercial/poppy  Dreamer and Bloody Well Right. Great arrangement and production throughout

[spectoremg]

2 hours ago, Phil Starr said:

Supertramp and another band Brewer's Droop (Mark Knopfler) were 'our' university bands. They did a lot of gigs at Reading. They were always good, interesting and charged just the right amount that you could afford to book them and still make a small profit/loss. I think I saw them six times and I didn't see then every time they played. They were always good and just got better over time. That album must have been the result of many thousands of hours of collective music making. The same for Dire Straights too later on. 

I think a lot of UK rock came out of that university scene as well as the venues in London and the other major cities. Regular venues paying well enough to keep the band fed and watered whilst they grew their craft in ront of a live audience. Years of hard work before you were spotted and became an overnight success..

I still listen from time to time, it still sounds good to me, Im not huge on nostalgia but it's great music with real craftsmanship from people I know did their 10,000 hours.

Just a thought, does the music made by people who make their living playing to paying audiences always end up more immediate. Mozart and Beethoven were gigging musicians

Well said that man. Its worth reminding that all those bands put thousands of hours in and the university circuit was great for them. 

[spectoremg]

Wiki says it was recorded Feb-Jun '74 - it sounds like they used every minute of it. Experienced producer/engineer Ken Scott on board too. 

[ead]

I remember it being a bit of a revelation when it came out.  Saw the band a few times in the early years and was always impressed by how well the various instruments wove in and out and just how many multi-instrumentalists were in one band.  Thanks for the memories.

[paulmcnamara]

Apart from the musicianship and writing I was always impressed by the production and dynamics: none of your modern day "killed with compression". It was always a good album to judge a hifi system by. On the right system it could and still does really sing.........

Edited May 25, 2020 by paulmcnamara

[arthurhenry]

Dougie Thompson's playing on this is excellent. The instrumental section of 'School' in particular. A perfectly composed and executed part.