Supertramp's "Crime of the Century"

Recently while driving at work I've had the chance to listen to a lot of the CDs that I have bought over the course of this past year. While some have been mediocre (Aerosmith's "Greatest Hits" and Ritchie Blackmore's "Rainbow"), and some have been really good (Tatsuro Yamashita's "For You" and "Rarities"), there is one album that I have been going back to at least once every week. I have 2 Supertramp CDs in my collection, "Breakfast in America" and "Crime of the Century". Both are incredibly good, and while I do enjoy Breakfast in America a lot (due to both nostalgia and just because it's a good album), there's something about COTC that makes me keep going back to it.

Summary:
Crime of the Century (COTC) was released in 1974 by the band Supertramp. It contains 8 songs and runs 44 minutes and 10 seconds. The tracklist is as follows:
1. School
2. Bloody Well Right
3. Hide in Your Shell
4. Asylum
5. Dreamer
6. Rudy
7. If Everyone Was Listening
8. Crime of the Century

Backstory:
There's really only one thing you need to know about this album before you listen to it. Supertramp fell on some rough times from 1973 to 1974, and COTC was their last ditch effort to stay relevant in the quick-evolving music scene of the 70s. If this album didn't succeed, it was pretty much certain that the band was going to break apart.

Individual Track Reviews:

1. School (9/10)
Probably one of the best opening tracks I've heard on any album. The solo harmonica during the intro reminds me a lot of early Supertramp songs, including some songs from Breakfast in America. My immediate reaction when I first heard it was, "yep this is Supertramp." Once the lyrics fade away, we start building up to the first drop of the song, which is an SFX scream followed by something that really caught me by surprise. This sounded almost nothing like what I expected Supertramp to sound like. It still had the very familiar vocals by Roger Hodgson, but the sound was something completely different. Honestly I would say that this specific section of the song is what I always go back to listen to. I don't really want to get into every section of every song, so I won't talk too much about the rest of this one. This song shows me that with this album, Supertramp was transitioning into the newer age of progressive rock, and eventually became very similar to Pink Floyd. It's no wonder why so many people say that this album is on par with some of Pink Floyd's better albums.

2. Bloody Well Right (6/10)
Despite all the praises I just gave the first song on the album, I have to say that I don't particularly enjoy the second song too much. This song is very well liked by other people that have listened to this album, but something about the way the vocals transition throughout the song doesn't really sit well with me. There are some sections I really do enjoy, but the chorus kind of ruins the song for me.

3. Hide in Your Shell (8/10)
This song would have gotten a 9 or even 10 out of 10 if not for the outro. Overall a very good song. I really enjoy both the intro and the chorus, with the chorus being one of my favorites in the album. The saxophone that is mixed in between the lines really ties it all together for me. You can't really have a Supertramp album without the saxophone anyway. There's very good use of some instrument later in this song but I honestly don't know what it is. It just sounds like some sort of alien spaceship I can't really explain it any other way. I just really like this song, I can't analyze it well because there isn't much to say about it other than the outro kind of sucks.

4. Asylum (8/10)
I have the exact same feelings about this song as the previous one. I like the intro a little less in this one but it doesn't matter enough to change the score. The lyrics and chorus in this are very good just like the last song. The outro in this one is actually good, but I still give it the same score as Hide in Your Shell because one of the lines the guy sings in the outro is "I lost the game" (really loudly). I can not listen to this song without losing the game. One point reduction.

5. Dreamer (3/10)
Don't like this song. I skip it every time. No interesting use of instruments and the lyrics aren't that good either. There's just one part in the song that feels like it might take it somewhere interesting but no. It isn't painful to listen to, but I wouldn't listen to it if I had the choice.

6. Rudy (10/10)
Pretty much a masterpiece. I listen to it almost on repeat (but not to the point where it becomes annoying). I restart the song just to sing the intro over again. The symbolism this song uses with trains and Rudy himself is so damn good. The use of all the varied instruments throughout the whole song makes it so that everything feels so fresh regardless of how many times I listen to it. The lyrics are incredible and can lead to multiple interpretations of the life of this boy called Rudy. The drastic and sudden changes in dynamics throughout the song as well as the abrupt changes in instruments help paint the song in your mind, envisioning the life of this poor lad as you listen. Roger Hodgson's use of the wah-wah pedal on the guitar in this song during the outro is incredibly good, and lends itself well to the strict rhythm of a train chugging along the tracks towards the final stop on its route. Overall, very good song.

7. If Everyone Was Listening (10/10)
I like to think that this song is Supertramp's reminder to everyone listening that this could have been their final album as a band. The lyrics make it pretty clear, and when I first heard this song the tone just made me feel sad. After a bit I realized that I'm not a pussy and just started enjoying the song. God this shit is good. The one part in the middle with that one instrument (don't care enough to look it up) reminds me a lot of King Crimson and Pink Floyd, especially the song "I Talk to the Wind". Overall this is a very short song, and I wish it was longer.

8. Crime of the Century (9/10)
The titular piece. There are only lyrics in the first 1 minute and 30 seconds. However, at the 1:30 mark, this song provides one of the best guitar riffs I've ever heard. Every time I hear it I get hyped up. After that, it's pure piano and various other instruments for about 4 minutes. I watched a video of this song being performed live and man it was insane. Dudes knew how to do it. Also, since I'm listening to these songs while writing their reviews, at about 3:50, the saxophone came in and surprised me. At the end, you can hear a very faint harmonica behind the noise made by the other instruments, forming a kind of loop with the harmonica in the intro to School. Overall, a very solid finisher to the album with a nice melody.

Final Words:
I don't really know who to recommend this to. Anyone that listens to or has listened to Pink Floyd or King Crimson might enjoy this album. In my mind I combine this album with Steely Dan's "Aja" for some reason but they aren't all too similar. So I guess if you enjoyed Steely Dan's "Aja" then you might enjoy this? I'm not sure. What I am sure of is that I really enjoy this album, and am willing to give it a 9/10. Despite it having some tracks I don't enjoy, I know that in every album there are going to be bangers and not bangers. In this one, the bangers just far outweigh the not bangers. It's hard to find on YouTube but the full remastered album is on Spotify so go and check it out if you want.