FAMOUS LAST WORDS

Supertramp's tellingly titled "Famous Last Words" album was the studio follow-up to their 1979 mega-smash "Breakfast In America." It came three years after "Breakfast" and carried with it a full platter of high expectations and news about the band's internal turmoil. The whole situation was a recipe for disappointment --how do you follow-up a sensation like "Breakfast In America," anyway?-- and "Famous Last Words" wasn't quite strong enough to escape the gravity of the situation. The pop textures of singles "It's Raining Again," "Crazy," and "My Kind Of Lady" didn't have the rock-energized crackle of the previous album. As a result, despite generally strong songs and respectable commercial success, the album never quite received the praise it deserves.

Listening beyond the singles of "Famous Last Words" reveals some truly outstanding tunes: the stark, plaintive yearning of "Know Who You Are"; the heartbreaking "C'Est Le Bon"; the edgy, screaming undercurrents of the dark "Waiting So Long"; and the glorious, melancholy art-pop of album-closer "Don't Leave Me Now." Although the set is a bit inconsistent, falling several killer cuts short of the best 'Tramp albums, it is still a worthy release from one of the all-time great art-pop bands, essential for fans and thoroughly enjoyable for even casual listeners.

As if the titles of the album and its finale weren't poignant enough, after "Famous Last Words," Supertramp lost a major part of their voice with the departure of Roger Hodgson, who sang many of the band's biggest hits ("Give A Little Bit," "The Logical Song," "Take The Long Way Home," "It's Raining Again," etc.). This excellent album remains the final statement of the classic 'Tramp lineup, and with the possible exception of the gritty, dark "Brother Where You Bound," it is substantially better than anything Supertramp has released since.

The fine remastering on this newly released reissue makes some difference in its impact, but for most fans, it is not clear that the improved sonics merit upgrading one's original CD to this new version. There are no bonus tracks on this reissue.