PARIS

Released at the peak of their popularity, Supertramp's 1980 double album "Paris" followed up their mega-smash "Breakfast In America" with a typically packaged set of live art pop. At the time, it was especially significant as the first 'Tramp album to span multiple studio releases; it contains songs from the four superb albums still recognized as their best, "Crime Of The Century," "Crisis? What Crisis?," "Even In the Quietest Moments," and the aforementioned "Breakfast." Although missing several important cuts from the era --"Give A Little Bit" is the most bewildering omission-- and dramatically shortchanging the underrated "Crisis?" album, it was still the best 'Tramp sampler around, featuring sophisticated, melodic art-pop gems like the masterful "Fool's Overture," the touching, plaintive "Two Of Us," and hits like "The Logical Song," "Bloody Well Right," and "Dreamer." Expectedly strong performances and the distinguishing nuances captured on this live document made it a worthy release for diehards and newcomers alike.

But time changes things, and despite the fine remastering of this reissue, "Paris" now feels like a for-fans-only kind of album. Songs on "Paris" are rarely more energized the studio takes, perhaps reflecting that Supertramp was always more cerebral than rockin'. Further, this reissue is an exceptionally short two-CD set; no bonus tracks were added to the original release.

Overall, "Paris" is still a good collection of great music, but it is not an extraordinary success, and only 'Tramp devotees are likely to care deeply about the distinctions between live and studio versions, or about the hard-to-hear French-language stage banter. For casual fans, there are many studio anthologies available now that were not present in 1980, and most of them are even worthier purchases than this.