IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES

Yes. The double CD version of this album was very expensive when in late 1999 I wanted to buy it (and maybe it is still very expensive now). But I found a one CD version which has these songs:"You win I lose", "Listen to me please", "Sooner or later", "Free as a Bird", "Cannonball", "From now on", "Breakfast in America", "And the light", "Take the long way home", "Bloody well right", "The logical song", "Goodbye Stranger" and "School". The day I bought this CD, I wrote an e-mail message to Supertramp.com. which said:¿Why releasing for a third time live versions of songs previously released in "Paris" and "Live `88"? As I also wrote to them, it could have been better if they only had released the live versions of songs not previously released on other live albums in a one CD version. I only received a message that said "This server has received this e-mail message...". Despite having songs previously released in other live albums, this line-up of Supertramp played them very good. Mark Hart sang some old songs originally sung by Roger Hodgson, doing a good job, but I think that Supertramp could live without playing these songs.Roger Hodgson said in interviews that he doesn`t like that Supertramp play his songs in concert, that he had a verbal agreement with Rick Davies about it when he left the band, but Davies said in othe interviews that it wasn`t true. Mark Hart also sang songs (two in the double CD version, one in the one CD version) that he composed with Davies, and I prefer to hear Mark Hart singing his own songs instead of being a singer of Hodgson`s songs on tour with Supertramp. The main reason I bought this CD was the inclusion of "Goodbye Stranger" and other songs that were not released in other live albums. Maybe one day I`m going to buy the 2 CD version of this album.

Very promising live album from Supertramp. Recorded in 1997 on their "Some Things Never Change" tour. This one features tracks from that album plus many from their earlier works. They're performed with excellence, though the absence of Roger Hodgson gives this album a emptier feeling to it than the "Paris" live album released in 1980. The production is clear and extremely good, and the overall musical performance is great throughout. Mark Hart sings Hodgson's songs good, though it's not quite the same.

If you are a fan, this one is not to be missed! Highly recommended. 4/5, minimum!