CRIME OF THE CENTURY

'Crime Of The Century, 'Supertramp's third studio record, was released in 1974. Contrary to former and later Supertramp records it is very melancolic and bluesy giving the record a charme that most other Supertramp records unfortunately lack.

The record starts with a slow blues : a harmonica opening, not unlike the lonely harmonica theme in 'Once upon a time in the west' , mournful vocals,clarinet ,guitar, a short break, followed by a midtempo groove with a funky guitar riff, an E-piano pattern, marimba counterpoint a piano solo .'School' is an excellent opening track.

'Bloody well Right' lightens up the mood with it's major piano intro,before a funky guitar leads to a heavy rock riff, a honkytonk piano in the chorus and a sax solo ends another great track, followed by 'Hide in your Shell' a minor tune, that establishes a nostalgic ballroom athmosphere of days gone by.

Side One ends with 'Asylum' a medium tempo Blues with a great arrangement for sax, organ and strings, and the nice piano melody of the beginning as a fade out: just perfect.

Side two starts with a great Pop song : 'Dreamer' driven forward by piano block chords a great melody line and a great vocal arrangement.

After the lighter side of 'Dreamer' another slow Blues 'Rudy' evolving into a light shuffle and climaxing into a heavy funk, with a great string arrangemnet, before fading out with a melancolic athmosphere , followed by 'If everyone was Listening' one more nostalgic medium tempo blues with clarinet and strings.

'Crime of the Century' a brillant closing track starts as a heavy blues and leads into a long instrumental passage for piano and strings before a delicate echo of the opening harmonica closes the cycle of a perfect record.

A perfect masterpiece of melancolic Bluesy Prog.