CRIME OF THE CENTURY

Don't ask me why, but I get this feeling that CRIME OF THE CENTURY sounds very akin to an everyday musical. It's very sing-a-long-able in parts (especially ''Dreamer'') and I can actually imagine the choreography in my head, no joke. The vocal lines are clever and memorable, and the alternation of Davies and Hodgson vocals spotlight the theatre aspect of CRIME OF THE CENTURY. If you don't believe me, take a listen to ''If Everyone Was Listening''.

CRIME OF THE CENTURY fits nicely in any prog rock collection simply because of how well it stands up musically, particularly in the keyboard section. ''Rudy'' and ''School'' are fantastic mini-epics in their own right as both ebb and flow in their development. The electric piano is used to the fullest as the bouncy rhythm instrument in ''Dreamer'' and the solo instrument at the beginning of ''Bloody Well Right''. The title track is the best here with it's climactic instrumental ending that has to be heard to be believed.

Theatrical and playful, yet subtly complex and artistic, CRIME OF THE CENTURY, while poppier than most prog masterpieces, sits nicely in any prog collection. The songs are all entertaining in their own right, but hear the album from end to end to garner its full value. It's a much better listening experience.