News: Supertramp To Release ‘Crime Of The Century’ 40th Anniversary Edition
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(US) Featuring the cream of Rick Davies’ and Roger Hodgson’s songwriting, Crime Of The Century was the first of the many peaks in Supertramp’s illustrious career; an album that had everything to prove, full of tunes that effortlessly straddled the world of pure pop and progressive rock. The LP eventually peaked at Number 4 on the UK charts and saw the band for the first time on the US Top 40. It was the music and the album’s cinematic sonic qualities that accounted for its impact.
Crime Of The Century is not only one of Supertramp’s greatest works, but one of the most highly regarded recordings of 70s rock music. Released in 1974, it put the band on the map after three years of struggle. With the unmistakable blend of the two songwriters – Davies and Hodgson’s – work, it married the sweetness of Hodgson’s ‘Dreamer’ – the band’s first big hit single – with the grit of Davies’ similarly beloved ‘Bloody Well Right.’ In ‘School,’ ‘Rudy’ and the title track, the band – Davies, Hodgson, John Helliwell, Bob Siebenberg, and Dougie Thomson – helped define what would soon be known as ‘Adult Oriented Rock.’ This was – and is – not just an album that showed Supertramp’s increased maturity, but a timeless gem, crammed with incredible melodies and thoughtful lyrics.
This 40th Anniversary edition, set for release December 9th, contains the classic original album remastered by Ray Staff at Air Studios, and a second disc features their 1975 Hammersmith Odeon concert, mixed from the original tapes by original on-the-night engineer Ken Scott, capturing the band on the verge of stardom, showcasing all of Crime, and also previewing tracks from the then-as-yet-unreleased follow-up, Crisis? What Crisis?
The 2-CD package comes with a 24-page booklet of photographs, and a new essay written by Phil Alexander, Editor-in-Chief of Mojo Magazine, containing new interviews with Dougie Thomson, John Helliwell, Ken Scott, Bob Siebenberg, Roger Hodgson, and 1973-1983 Supertramp manager Dave Margereson. Crime Of The Century is also available in 3LP and digital formats.
The heavyweight vinyl set in a beautiful box set, cut by Ray Staff at Air Studios, featuring all the material of the two CDs across three 180gm LPs, with an eight-page album-sized booklet with a longer version of Alexander’s essay, and two 10×8 prints.
Crime Of The Century was produced by Ken Scott (The Beatles’ ‘White Album’, David Bowie’s The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars). His engineering prowess merited a Grammy nomination and became one of the ‘go to’ albums for Hi-Fi demonstrations alongside Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon.
ORIGINAL ALBUM: School / Bloody Well Right / Hide In Your Shell/ Asylum / Dreamer/Rudy / If Everyone Was Listening / Crime Of The Century
LIVE AT HAMMERSMITH 75: School / Bloody Well Right / Hide In Your Shell / Asylum / Sister Moonshine / Just A Normal Day / Another Man’s Woman / Lady / A – You’re Adorable / Dreamer / Rudy / If Everyone Was Listening / Crime Of The Century
Thanks for the info! I have been a fan of Supertramp from the debut album. Over time, I found that certain songs resonated with me more so than others (The Logical Song, Dreamer, Take the Long Way Home, Breakfast in America, School, Hide in Your Shell, Fool’s Overture, to name some) and I was surprised that they were solely written by Roger Hodgson, cofounder of the band. His show is an awesome concert experience and one of the most surefire satisfying, thrilling shows on the road today. I highly recommend anyone and everyone to see him (so many great people I’ve met from his devoted community of fans that trek the globe to see him perform everywhere). Well then, “take a jumbo” to see Roger Hodgson :o) (so you don’t have to go off searching, here is a link to his website tour page – http://www.rogerhodgson.com).
Es fantástico poder reecontrarse en una edición de lujo con este album de Supertramp. Pero realmente, lo más impresionantes, es ver como ROGER HODGSON, compositor de los temas más exitosos del álbum, Hide in Your Shell, Dreamer y School, interpreta actualmente estos temas y muchos otros éxitos más en directo durante su Breakfast in America World Tour, en estos días por Brasil y el próximo mes de Noviembre por Estados Unidos y Canadá, después de recorrer miles de kilómetros por Europa y Asia en los meses anteriores. En estos conciertos, podrás comprobar quien era el espiritu y el alma de aquella banda. Todo un lujo, con el mejor sonido, la mejor calidad en su presentación en el escenario y una conexión realmente especial entre este gran talento y su público. Algo que no hay que perderse al menos una vez en la vida, te sorprenderás, un momento realmente mágico !!.
40 years of “Crime of the Century”? At first, I thought that must be a joke. But it’s not. This album really was published back in 1974… Supertramp (what was left of it) is not touring anymore, but Roger Hodgson, the man who wrote all of the greatest hits and who left the band in 1983 is currently touring the world. When you attend his concerts and hear his voice, you would not believe that this is the man who has grown 40 years older since writing these songs. His voice sounds young and strong, the songs sound fresh and new and it’s fantastic to see younger generations discovering these songs. Hodgson’s solo work is worth a listen, too. Check out his homepage http://www.RogerHodgson.com for info about his solo work as well as info about the tour. He has quite a bunch of shows coming up in the U.S.
It doesn’t seem possible that “Crime of the Century” is 40 years old. It is proof that great music is timeless. I love all 8 songs on the album but to me the ones that stand out are the 4 that were written by Roger Hodgson. My personal favorite, which contains a very powerful message that has help get me through some rough times over the years, is “ Hide in your Shell “ . Even though the original Supertramp hasn’t toured in over 30 years I was thrilled to learn that Roger Hodgson is still touring actively. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing him several times over the last 3 years during his tour through the NJ/NY/PA area and I can honestly say that I have never seen a concert as great as one of Roger’s. He is a consummate artist who obviously loves performing for his audience and he, as well as a very good 4 member band, sounds great. I’m psyched to see him when he plays in Bethlehem, PA and Huntington, NY in November. I also hear that he’ll be touring extensively in 2015 so do yourself a favor and see him if you have the opportunity.