The MARK’S VINTAGE VINYL page features something from Mark’s collection of recordings from over the years. Most of it is on vinyl – hence the name – though there will be a few entries from his CDs (remember those?).
Crime of the Century, by Supertramp
- Third studio album released in 1974 by progressive rock band Supertramp.
- After their first 2 albums were failures, Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson reshuffled the members of the band, bringing in a new drummer, woodwinds player and bassist. They recorded 42 songs, and 8 were chosen for this album.
- It became the breakthrough album for Supertramp. It managed to chart in the Billboard 200 album chart at #38, and it peaked at #4 in the UK. It also sold over a million copies in Canada – double the sales compared to the U.S.
- There were 2 singles from the album, neither of which were big hits in the U.S. – Dreamer and Bloody Well Right. Dreamer initially did not chart in the U.S. (though it reached #13 in the UK), but in 1980, a live version was released as a single, and it peaked on the Hot 100 chart at #15. Still, the Supertramp sound now was established in the international music world, laying the groundwork for their future success.
- Crime of the Century is a favorite among rock critics. Rolling Stone placed it at #27 on their list of the Greatest Progressive Rock Albums of All Time. In 1987, a Canadian rock critic for the Canadian Broadcast Corporation ranked it as the #10 greatest album of all time. It also is included in the 2005 book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
- It is a particular favorite of mine. My prog rock roots run deep, and this album would be 1 of my top 5 faves. I remember hearing for the first time the opening song on the album, School, and then the immediate transition to the next song, Bloody Well Right – I quickly got hooked on Supertramp. For more on the band, see my post from August 6, 2017.
- Love that harmonica intro to School. Here’s a live performance of 1 of my favorite prog rock songs ever!