Supertramp

I think allot of people were in a music club in the late 70's. I ordered a 4-pack cassette of Supertramp because I had bonus points. Got the tapes and wore them out before I started college. I saw this very best of CD and had to have it in my collection. Very good AOR stuff if you are a listener. I love the disc!

Actually, I ran across my dusty "Breakfast in America" album recently. Ordered a new Grado cartridge for my Technics turntable and ripped it to MP3. But nothing beats the original analog recording with all the pops and cracks of dirty vinyl. Nothing missing from the originals....and no download or CD compares.

I LOVE WITH VINYL AGAIN!

This is my second copy of this CD. My first one is so worn out that I wanted a replacement before it gave up the ghost. My daughters, 18 and 15, enjoy Supertramp's music as much as I do.

'The Very Best of Supertramp' is by far the best Supertramp compilation on the American market. Almost identical to 'Classics, Vol. 9,' only this set features the full-length album versions, and adds my favorite song from the 'Crime of the Century' record, 'School.'

Mostly every single Supertramp hit is here. 'Give A Little Bit,' 'Take The Long Way Home,' 'Breakfast In America,' 'The Logical Song,' 'Cannonball' and 'Rudy' all appear on this set for your listening pleasure. And, A&M gets tons of credit for remastering these tracks beautifully. In translation, the sound quality is excellent!

And, album cuts like 'Crime of the Century' and 'Ain't Nobody But Me' also appear on this set.

Overall, if you buy it with 'The Very Best of Supertramp 2,' than you'll have all of Supertramp's important songs. But overall, this is highly recommended for the new or casual fan.

Highly recommended. ENJOY!!!

Diferentemente dos CDs da série "THE SUPERTRAMP REMASTERS", essa coletânea "DIGITALLY MASTERED" não causou tanto impacto ao ser comparada com minha versão brasileira antiga. Apresenta sensível melhora, mas não se compara à qualidade alcançada na remasterização dos outros álbuns.
Melhor do que adquirir essa coletânea, é comprar cada álbum da série "THE SUPERTRAMP REMASTERS".

Even though, in 1979, I was a sort of full-time musician; and I guess I believed my guitar player when he told me that the Who had had to change their name to "Supertramp" after that disasterous concert. Thankfully, "Goodbye Stranger" and "The Logical Song" surpassed most of everything else that was released in 1979 (yeah..."Bad Girls"..."The Wall"..."The Long Run"...even Mick Taylor's long-awaited solo album...you know, YOU were there...) And to a you-know-what-besotted 25 y/o musician, I learned of the veracity of the old adage, "You can always tell a good album by its cover" after gazing at the "Breakfast" album cover with an..."enhanced" set of eyes. It HAD to be good, and I wasn't wrong. Between gigs in Atlanta and Mississippi, my band spent the rest of that summer giggling at the cover and trying to learn "Goodbye Stranger." Great music here, folks, and this is probably where Supertramp peaked. They'd shortly lose guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist-extraordinare Roger Hodgson to general ennui and "bad vibes." And after seeing that gent with Ringo in 2001, I realized how important he'd been to the Supertramp sound. Be that as it may, "Breakfast" was where Hodgson and other keyboardist/vocalist/songwriter Rick Davies were in perfect synchronization. And that factor, along with the beneficial contributions of reeds player John Halliwell, bassist Dougie Thompson, and drummer Bob Seibenberg, made "Breakast In America" THE album of 1979. Oh and BTW, be sure to read reviewer Alan Caylow's appraisal of "Breakfast" (above) - and if you can ever access the story where Supertramp and Procol Harum shared a gig, and only Procol's Chris Copping and Supertramp's Seibenberg actually showed up, and the two of them actually almost pulled the gig off, playing all the instruments - read it: it's hilarious, and it shows why Rock and Roll was so much more..."prolific" then as compared to anything post-1980. Enjoy yourself!

Credit Hodgson & Davies for writing such wonderful songs, such as the hits "The Logical Song," "Goodbye Stranger," and "Take The Long Way Home." But even the non-hits are shimmering beauties, such as "Gone Hollywood," "Oh Darling" (not to be confused with the Beatles tune), "Lord Is It Mine," and the exuberant finale, "Child Of Vision," all played to perfection by Hodgson, Davies (who both do great vocal work as well), sax player John Halliwell, bassist Dougie Thomson, and drummer Bob Siebenberg. This new remastered edition of "Breakfast In America" sounds sensational, with greater boom & clarity than any CD version of "Breakfast" that I'd ever heard before (including the now-defunct gold disc version from Mobile Fidelity). Now you can enjoy Supertramp's all-time classic the way it was meant to be heard. Pick it up, and enjoy this delicious breakfast as only Supertramp can serve it.

So, I dug this outta my mp3 collection and it's grown on me so much I've been obsessively listening to it for weeks. Then I realized this mp3 "album" is actually the first real record album I ever bought, way back in 1979 when I was 13. I played it to death back then. And with everything changed in my life, so much in between, it's still really enjoyable. That's pretty cool so thought I'd toss up a review. Give it a try, apparently it's never too late for this one.

This album originally came out in 1979 when I graduated from college. It's wonderful to hear these songs again! Of course, "the Logical Song" was a big hit and brings back lots of memories. Highly recommended.

although being supertramp's most commercially successful album (#1 in uk & US), breakfast in america is also very intellectual & musically aggressive. By the time they recorded this album, hogdson & davies were at odds about the material & album name. As each of them shared arranging, writing, & lead vocal duties, they were beginning to want more control. Davies did not like the song breakfast in america or the name of the album. Davies liked working title or hello stranger as album title & wanted to leave BIA off the album. Obviously there was a consensus & hodgson won the battle. That's music... it not only challenges the listener but the artists as well. as they look for their role in the band with ideas & control, a great piece of art is produced through argument & consensus. The album is much more pop oriented with 4/4 patterns than previous albums but still retains aspects of their symphonic/progressive rock roots. The album opens with gone hollywood & reveals strong high-octave backing vocals by hodgson which remains the trend throughout. The song contains the tempo changing & heavy piano playing characteristic of the previous tramp efforts. The logical song follows & uses a rock/jazz electric organ/piano which would remain a staple in the album as well. Hodgson's vocals are incredible here showing an edgier & more aggressive singing style. Goodbye stranger is my favorite davies song besides school & has a great organic groove accompanied by more hodgson vocals. Breakfast in america follows & has unique carnival-like sound that has great vocals as well. Then the epic take the long way home starts with its eerie synth srings & more carnival-like stuff. 2 overlooked songs are nervous wreck & child of vision as they possess the same power-charged vocals & heavy keyboards. Although less progressive the album is quite consistent & almost conceptual with pessimistic social undertones which was a common theme in the late 70s in music (rush/genesis/elp/queen). Supertramp also mimics pink floyd in a way with their alternating vocals within songs. It is also very ahead of its time from a production standpoint. Also clarinet became a rock 'n roll instrument after this thanx to helliwell. Sibenberg's drumming is also quite aggressive & inventive. The drumming, though, is partially harmed by the low tuned toms which produces a muffled sound. All in all a great album that closes the seventies & welcomes the 80s.

This album, along with "Even in the Quietest Moments..." is simply amazing. The song order is brilliant, and I could listen to the title track over and over (I have it playing as I write this!) Supertramp has always had some of the best instrumental segments in many of their songs, so multilayered and pleasing to the ear. My favorites, along with the title track, are "If Everyone Was Listening," "School," and "Bloody Well Right." A bloody good album indeed.

If you like "Crime Of The Century", this 2002 version labeled "Newly Digitally Remastered from the Original Master Tales" is the best digital version available. Better than the MFSL UD1 Made In Japan, catalog UDCD 505 or any other version. This is a wonderful flat transfer.

This recording was remastered by Greg Calbi and Jay Messina at Sterling Sound, New York. The two gentlemen achieved results similar to the Car Stevens Limited Editions Digi-Pak series also remastered at Sterling Sound (Ted Jensen performed that remarkable transfer).

If you take the time and effort to properly EAC this disc and then burn the results onto the best possible media (Green Tunes mastering CD), the playback on a high end audio system is truly amazing.

a great recording,this is a superlative album by supertramp.there are so many great songs on here,such as dreamer,rudy,school,bloody well right,and asylum.this is definately my favorite supertramp album,and probably everyone elses also.this cd, and crisis what crisis,are essential supertramp recordings.after that they had a run of cheesy pop songs,that were total commercial sellouts,but this is supertramp at their best,and at the hieght of their powers,you can't go wrong with this cd.

Depois de ouvir qualquer CD da série "THE SUPERTRAMP REMASTERS", qualquer fã sentirá a necessidade de substituir sua coleção antiga, caso já a tenha, pois os resultados, na minha opinião, não poderiam ser melhores.
Essas remasterizações são perfeitas e ressuscitam o desejo de ouvir esse álbuns, com muito maior prazer.

Crime of the Century is probably the best album Supertramp ever made. Starting here the songwriting became top notch and memorable, and the mysteriously quiet vibe the band had throughout most of the 70's is most noticeable on this album.

The title song truly amazes me every time I hear it. It starts off quiet and eerie, like a detective snooping around through the rain in a dark city. Then it surprises you by shifting gears and throwing in an atmospheric and VERY spooky piano melody. The piano work builds into a jazzy jam while still maintaining the eerie vibe that really amazes me. Wow, what a song.

"Bloody Well Right" is probably one of their most well-known songs (yes, even more popular than the hits from Breakfast in America). I love the rocking verse melody and the poppy chorus. "Dreamer" will probably sound familar from the popular TV commercial it's been appearing on lately. Very good chorus, and a good way to figure out whether you'll like the lead singer or not (well, one of the two lead singers).

"School" has a brilliant jam in the middle that's catchy and melodic, and a good uplifting verse melody to make it a great song overall. "Asylum" shows signs of the songwriting style Supertramp would continue with all through the 70's.

A great early album from a band that would soon become even bigger.

Supertramp is basically a band that likes to focus their music on writing excellent songs, sort of like Elton John or Billy Joel. Supertramp's style, however, is more laid back and they like to extend their songs a bit further than most. As a songwriting band, they're pretty good at what they do, and I recommend this album in particular for its overall consistency and enjoyable value. "Fool's Overture" steps away from the other songs with its big, bombastic style, and it's over 10 minutes of memorable music.

The headmasters of Supertramp, Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson, made a new masterwork with "Even In the Quietest Moments".

This album has some heavyweight tunes: "Give A Little Bit", "From Now On", and an ignored supersong: "Downstream"... This tune is magnificent, very romantic and with a neat vocal and piano work. Then why so ignored by radio DJs???... Luckily, as it happens with "Breakfast in America" and "Crime Of The Century", the remastered version has an outstanding sound quality.

I just got the 1997 AM/Universal Import version used. It sounds wonderful! (label on mine says Audio Master+ series 394634-2 made in Germany) It is very clear and UN-digital /ungrating /unharsh (no "volume wars") - and cheaper too! Musically it's a great album, there is a fond place in my heart for this ...record. : )

Supertramp is great and out of all their albums, this is my favorite. When most artists step up to the microphone, they are inspired. They see the world in a different way and share it so the listener can glimpse their viewpoint. But somewhere along the road, they lose their way and pump out a couple of songs about phone numbers, and losing girls to their buddies to get their stuff on the shelves. Crowds roar, music sells, but in the end, the fluff is forgotten (Except By Guitar Hero) and the real lives on. Supertramp is no exception. They have their fluff songs, and I like them too. But, this album is that inspired step to the microphone,a work of art, a unique look at life - from the studies of love in "Give a Little Bit" and "Lover Boy" to the unique angst and peace interplay in "Even In The Quietest Moments." Then "Downstream", "Babaji", and "From Now On", keep up that RUSH-like odd way of looking at life in a melodious melancholic way. Yes, I compared Supertramp to Rush. My favorite, "Fools Overture" tells a story with instruments emphasizing the parts in a way I rarely hear from other artists. Good group, good album.

Supertramp's fifth album Even in the Quietest Moments was released in April of 1977.
In July of 2002, I took a gamble by buying this remastered CD and all I can say is that it is the best disc the band ever recorded.
Guitarist/singer/keyboard player Roger Hodgson dominates on this album as witnessed on the album's opening classic track "Give a Little Bit" (which became Supertramp's first Top 20 hit in the U.S. and had a classic 12-string acoustic guitar riff from Hodgson), the atmospheric title track (which featured another memorable 12-string acoustic guitar riff), the mystical second half opener "Babaji" (which had Hodgson on piano and guitar and I liked the solo section where it was Roger's guitar and saxophonist John Helliwell's saxophone playing in unison with one another) and the classic epic album closer "Fool's Overture" (which was almost like listening to a classical work by Mozart or Beethoven and is powerful and rivals other great epic songs from 1977 such as Yes' Awaken, Rush's Xanadu, ELP's Pirates and Pink Floyd's Dogs and also has one of John's best saxophone performances ever).
Keyboard player/singer Rick Davies contributed the shuffling whimsical "Lover Boy" (which was one of the best songs he ever wrote for the band and featured excellent guitar work from Roger), the piano and voice piece "Downstream" (which ended the first side of the album) and the album's other hit "From Now On" (which is about someone wanting to escape the dull routine of daily life to go in a fantasy world).
I can see why Even in the Quietest Moments was Supertramp's first album to go Gold (500,000 plus copies in US sales) and broke the US Top 20 for the first time in the summer of 1977 peaking at #16, and it is because all of the songs are timeless classics and have withstood the test of time unlike some of the other albums that came out that year (musical mediocrity like Barry Manillow, Thelma Houston, David Soul and Glen Campbell anybody) and sounds just as fresh today as it did then, especially with the remastering job that Greg Calbi and Jay Messina did with this and all of the other A&M albums that were reissued in 2002.
Highly recommended!

Throw all your preconceptions out the door. This is not really "rock" because there is really nothing to protest or be angry about. It's not "pop" because what Supertramp sings about is highly personal and complex.

This music shows people at their most vulnerable. Who of us growing up did not feel being completely isolated and misunderstood? It's so poignant and sad, but it never gets sappy.

I still don't know how Roger Hodgson can sing a song like "The Meaning" or a 7 minute masterpiece like "Hide in Your Shell" off the Crimes of the Century album, and keep me "right there" with him the entire time. It's inexplicable.

Also, you have Rick Davies on keyboard, who has a more sarcastic, abrasive voice, and which is a perfect counterpoint for Roger's voice. It's kind of like Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who. They're able to express the full gamut of young male adult emotions.

Sit back and enjoy!

English art rockers Supertramp's fourth album entitled Crisis? What Crisis? was released in November of 1975.
Like its predecessor, 1974's Crime of the Century, the album was once again co-produced by the band and Ken Scott.
Crisis? What Crisis? was the second album by the band's classic lineup which were the two singer-songwriters Rick Davies( keyboards) and Roger Hodgson (guitars and occasional keyboards), saxophonist/woodwind expert John Helliwell, bass player Dougie Thomson and drummer Bob C. Benberg. This new lineup did a superb job fleshing out the sound and managed to do a great job of embelishing the prog pop sound that Davies and Hodgson had developed.
Hodgson's interest in spiritual themes comes to the fore with this album (although it was hinted at previously). Roger's guitar driven one-two punch of "Easy Does It" and "Sister Moonshine" kick the album off in full throttle. The latter track is called by some as the lost sequel to The Beatles' Here Comes The Sun (Hodgson is a huge Beatles nut). Hodgson also contributed the lovely "A Soapbox Opera", "Lady", "Meaning" and the acoustic-tinged closer "Two of Us".
Davies crafted four songs on this album starting with the shuffling "Ain't Nobody But Me" (a minor hit when released). That track was the first in a long string of Davies sung songs that played with the traditional pop love song in new and surprising ways. The playing on this particular track showcased the strengths of the band's new sound. Despite its quirkiness (and had an instrumental arrangement that matches the quirky, anti-love song sentiments) but doesn't try to coast on just that single merit. Rick's other tracks like the rocking "Another Man's Woman", the ballads "Poor Boy" and "Just a Normal Day" (which had Roger sharing vocals) are also great tunes.
Although Crisis tanked upon its release, peaking at a dismal #51 compared to Crime's Top 40 peak, Crisis sounds stunning today.
The remastering, done painstakingly by Greg Calbi and Jay Messina made the album sound much better than it did when first released.
Highly recommended!

I first bought this album when it came out on vinyl in the 70's. I became a Supertramp fan back then and am still so now nearly 30 odd years on. I guess soft rock is one of my favourite music genres and "Crisis? What Crisis?" fills the bill admirably. I'm happy that I was able to obtain a copy on CD.

I bought this album along with Crime of the Century in a fit of nostalgia but have certainly not regretted it. These are the two definitive Supertramp albums and fit my definition of "Classics". A good classic should sound good now, it may have some associations with the times it was released but has to rise above the comment "good example of the genre". These do.

There is a perception out there that Supertramp took a step backward from Crime of the Century with the release of this album. I disagree. It is another 5 star classic. I put it right up there with Crime, and there are times I'll put this CD on first if I want a Supertramp fix.

The vocals from Hodgson and Davies are top notch again. Not many bands can claim to have two high quality lead singers. The "environmentally and spiritually conscious" theme of the CD make this one especially relevant even today.

Magnolia the film is the reason I became an Aimee Mann fan. Her song "Wise Up," was profoundly moving when sung by virtually the entire cast of the movie in that all so powerful montage. A collection of songs that capture the same varied emotions of the film, most of which are sung by the captivating Aimme Mann, this is a must have if you loved the movie.

It seems incredible to me now that nine years ago I had never heard of Aimee Mann or her music. It seems equally incredible that this knowledge gap closed because of a movie; I never expect much from soundtracks, however enjoyable they may be, because I generally don't go to a flick to hear music. (When you go to a concert, do you expect to see a great movie?) So watching "Magnolia" was a unique experience. It was 100% worth the price of a ticket, but of that, only 20% was due to the movie itself --and I liked the movie a lot. Songs like "One," "Driving Sideways," and "Wise Up" made up the other 80%.

Given such an intro, a five star review of this disk should surprise no one. What might surprise is that I was debating whether to give it three or four, because there are five tracks here I could do without. The two Supertramp songs are unnecessary. Both were played to death on top 40 radio in the 1970s and 80s, and neither added much to the film. "Dreams," by someone named Gabrielle, is a pleasant enough R&B ballad. (ie: filler). Jon Brion's composition "Magnolia" is OK in an aural wallpaper mood-setting sort of way if you're into that sort of thing, which I'm not, most of the time. Aimee's own "Nothing Is Good Enough" is, unaccountably, an instrumental version; someone at Reprise Records must not have gotten the memo explaining that Ms. Mann is all about lyrics, and that the music is so good because it's been crafted to serve the lyrics.

The five stars, then, are for the eight Aimee Mann songs presented whole as Aimee Mann songs: "One," "Momentum," "Build That Wall," "Deathly," "Driving Sideways," "You Do," "Wise Up," and "Save Me." They're strong enough to make up for the weak ones. Strong, because of her choice of subject matter --desolation, desperation, self-destruction, self-deception, loneliness, and longing to name a bagful--, and strong, because of her handling of that subject matter. The music somehow carries its emotional freight without coming across as oppressive. When Mann writes about people doing or experiencing these things, she is also writing about people who have turned around to face their demons, name them, and thereby defeat them. Or at the very least open a pathway to defeating them. Under even the most crushing of burdens there still lurks hope. Which is what "Magnolia" is about, come to think of it. If a complex movie like that can be about any one thing.

But then Aimee's music inspired Paul Thomas Anderson to make his film. They are its guiding spirit. And that, I suppose, is what the best movie soundtracks do.

I absolutely love this soundtrack. The perfect soundtrack to go with a perfect film. Ever since I saw the film back in 1999, it instantly became one of my all time favorites, and shortly after, I bought the soundtrack. I can't say enough about it. It's beautiful. Aimee Mann is a genius! Her songs are so powerful, and I can see why P.T. Anderson wanted to adapt her songs into a screenplay. Buy it from Amazon NOW!

The tracks on this album flow so well. The transitions are great. I've loved Aimee Mann since her 'Til Tuesday days, but can never get enough of her voice on this soundtrack.

This review refers to the soundtrack of "Magnolia"(CD)
see below for link to the film score

"Magnolia" was a one of a kind film. Not only for it's amazing cast, unique story and great filming, but the soundtrack is one that will touch you to your very core. Aimee Mann's words and music are stirring, and tell a story of life that is so relateable, that P.T. Anderson wrote the screenplay based on her works, all the different character stories that converge stemming from the character of Claudia. Don't worry though, if you are fan of Mann, but have not seen this film, this is an album that stands on it's own. One that you will never seem to get enough of.

The CD has 13 tracks from the film, every one a winner. Most are written and performed(9 of the tracks) by Mann, and even the opening with "One" not written by Mann, she makes it her own with a fresh take and the mood is set. "Momentum", "Build That Wall" "Deathly", "Driving Sideways", and 'You Do" follow and the words and music have such feeling you cannot helped be touched by the story they tell. One of human emotions that you will either relate to or be touched by. "Nothing is Good Enough" is a fine instrumental, that needs no words. Mann's final two selections are 'Wise Up" and "Save Me". Supertramp adds their wonderful talents with "Goodbye Stranger", 'Logical Song" both excellent tunes that I find nice for drive time, as well as "Dreams" from Gabrielle" . The album closes with "Magnolia" from John Brion's superb score.

The CD sound is excellent. It comes with a booklet with some notes from P.T. Anderson, the songs and the words, and some film pix. Fans of the film can relive all the very human moments again and again, and if you weren't a fan of Aimee Mann before you will be now. Fans of Mann, will enjoy this album that is definitive of her muisc, her style and intuitiveness for saying what we may be feeling.

If you are looking for just the score(also marvelous on it's own), that is also available atMagnolia (Score to 1999 Film) (Score to 1999 Film). There are some excellent reviews there of the album. This soundtrack is also available here:Magnolia
so you can check both of these sites for best deals and availability.

I've written close to 1,000 reviews here and I don't think I've ever said this before..If I could go more then 5 stars I would, but it's true of this album.

I'll leave this with some words by Mann's "Save Me":

"You look like - A perfect fit -
For a girl in need - Of a tourniquet -
But can you save me -Come on and save me
if you could save me - from the ranks- Of the freaks
who suspect - they could never love anyone...."

Enjoy....Laurie

Was looking for a Supertramp DVD (music and video combination) but only found this CD with all the songs I wished to have. Rated 4/5 for good audio quality, but I would prefer to have this same concert with the film of the group playing the songs as a DVD, that would rate at 5/5. Aparently the film of the concert exists, but is being processed or remastered. Roger Hodgson has his own DVD with good audio quality, when you listen to his solo versions such as in "Dreamer" and other songs, it is clear he produced most of Supertramp's sound, but thier songs are much better with all the instruments in the whole band.

Supertramp's Paris is a must have in any form you can get your hands on. The remastered version is great although the packaging didn't change much from the original cd release; no new pictures or commentary from anyone. The song selection is great and the live versions are better than the studio versions. Includes a song called "You Started Laughing" which I do not believe was available on any studio album. It's a great song. If you are long time fan or are just getting into them, do not hesitate to buy this cd.Crank it up. You'll love it. Trust me.

Paris is a very unique and special live album of one of the great bands of late seventies and eighties. The combination of Rick Davies and Roger Hudson deliveres that special Supertramp sound, which was already unique on the studio albums.
This live albums contains the successes on the first CD and has some of the best and most beautiful songs of Supertramp on the second CD.

Supertramp's seventh album entitled Paris was released in October of 1980.
The album was recorded in November of 1979 in Paris, France at the Pavillion on the final night of the band's Breakfast in America European tour. Paris is a wonderful live set, capturing the band at the peak of their popularity when co-leader/guitarist/singer/keyboard player/songwriter Roger Hodgson was still with the group. When you consider that the possibility of Hodgson returning to Supertramp these days very doubtful, Paris becomes an extremely important live document of the classic lineup of the band, indeed.
Many great Supertramp classics are included in this live two disc set, such as most of 1974's grand breakthrough Crime of the Century (the spirited opener "School", a slightly extended "Bloody Well Right", an excellent "Hide in Your Shell", a superb "Asylum', the Top 20 hit "Dreamer", a uperb "Rudy" and the closing "Crime of the Century" which closes this live album), two songs from 1975's highly underrated followup Crisis? What Crisis? ("Ain't Nobody But Me' and "A Soapbox Opera" both superior to studio versions), two from 1977's Gold selling US breakthrough Even in the Quietest Moments ("From Now On" and the best version of "Fool's Overture" ever), and three from the #1 Multi-Platinum selling Breakfast in America (the monster hit "The Logical Song", the title cut and the Top 20 smash "Take The Long Way Home") plus one exclusive song called You Started Laughing which was not found anywhere else save the B-side to a song called Lady from Crisis?.
Hodgson and co-leader/keyboardist/singer/songwriter Rick Davies sing their hearts out and play their respective keyboards with great passion, and Hodgson also serves up some incredible fretwork on the guitar. Co-horts John Helliwell on saxophones/clarinets/occasional keyboards and additional backing vocals, drummer Bob C. Benberg and bass player Dougie Thomson have terrific interplay with Hodgson and Davies, helping to bring the band's great melodic music to life in tremendous fashion. Just like on their studio albums, the band totally cook live in concert, too. The songs on here rival their studio counterparts, especially on Rudy which is sped at faster speed than the studio version on the Roger/Rick vocal duel section.
Commercially, Paris did well peaking at #8 on the album charts and is one of my Top 10 favorite live rock albums ever, especially with the remastering on this album.
Highly recommended!

The 2 CDs "Paris" by Supertramp are fantastic! Just like I desire; in perfect conditions, considering the long distance for the delivery.

I purchased this CD for my husband. I am not really into this music, but he loves it. I can speak to however, the speed in which I recieved it, which was very fast, and, the quality of the disc, which was excellent. I am very impressed with all aspects with purchasing from Amazon thus far, both new and used. I couldn't be happier. Thank You.

Sometimes I bemoan the quality of rock music produced in the post-Beatles era of the late 70s and early 80s. Then I remember Supertramp, enough so recently purchase their latest compilation, "Retrospectacle". A spectacle it is, including almost all the best songs I remembered from almost 30 years ago and a few others, most of which are among my favorites now. As noted by another reviewer, a major omission is "Hide in Your Shell", but given that the 2 CD set includes almost 2-1/2 hours of great music, I've forgiven the producers already and picked up the mp3 for a less than a buck.

"New" highlights for me were Your Poppa Don't Mind, and the rollicking Land Ho. From their first hit LP "Crime of the Century" we get School, Bloody Well Right, Dreamer, Rudy and the title song.

The title of the album providing the next set of songs, "Crisis, What Crisis?" comes from the pressure of following a first hit album. Sister Moonshine, Two Of Us, and Ain't Nobody But Me make the compilation. I missed this album the first time through.

I didn't miss "Even in the Quietest Moments", there first Gold record, which included my favorites "Give a Little Bit", the title track, and "From Now On".

The boys from the UK via Los Angeles hit the charts big time with "Breakfast In America" - with Gone Hollywood, The Logical Song, Goodbye Stranger, the title song, and Take the Long Way Home and Oh Darling all here.

If that's not enough Supertramp, there nine tracks from their last seven original albums -- more education and good music in this section.

Great lyrics, great harmonies, great arrangements from lone acoustic guitar (Little Bit) to blues (Ain't Nobody But Me) to rock guitar and piano, to full orchestration with lots of horns, it's all there.

My big dilemma with this two-disk set is deciding whether to start with CD 1 or CD 2 - because of my new love for Land Ho, I usually start there and know that lots of great music will follow.

My 15-year-old daughter listened to a few tracks of "Retrospectacle" and decided she needed it for her Ipod. Roger Hodgson and Rick Davies would love to hear that.

Supertramp's 2-disc retrospective humorously titled Retrospectacle, released in October of 2005, is a must for all Supertramp fans.
Unlike the previous best ofs out there, Retrospectacle focuses on material from the band's entire career including songs from their poorly received (and sadly overlooked) first two albums to 2002's underappreciated Slow Motion and everything in between (including their classic 1974-83 period).
The 1970 self-titled debut album is represented by "Surely" in edited form (I would have loved to have seen "Try Again" here as well but they wanted 2-CDs not 3). 1971's follow-up Indeliably Stamped is represented by "Your Poppa Don't Mind" which marked keyboard player/co-songwriter Rick Davies' vocal debut as guitarist/keyboard player/co-songwriter Roger Hodgson was the main singer on the first album and switched from bass guitar to guitar after original guitarist Richard Palmer quit. What I also like about this collection is that it finally includes the single they released prior to Crime of the Century which was Roger's "Land Ho" coupled with Rick's "Summer Romance" and was the first two tracks Davies and Hodgson recorded with saxophonist/woodwind player/occasional keyboard player John Helliwell, drummer Bob C. Benberg (later spelled Siebenberg) and bass player Dougie Thomson. The Land Ho and Summer Romance mixes here are not the 1974 UK single mix but the mix intended for Crisis What Crisis in 1975 but was left off due to time constraints. Nice to have those two tracks on CD FINALLY! The 1974 classic debut of Supertramp's classic lineup Crime of the Century rightfully gets represented by five tracks ("School", "Bloody Well Right", "Dreamer", "Rudy" and Crime's title cut. Hide in Your Shell is not here but gives one a reason to own Crime of the Century). 1975's Crisis? What Crisis? has four tracks (technically five if you count "Another Man's Woman" (although its live version) represented from that underrated album ("Sister Moonshine", "Ain't Nobody But Me", "Lady" and "Two of Us"). 1977's Top 20 charting Gold selling Even in the Quietest Moments also features four tracks including the hit single "Give a Little Bit" plus "Downstream", Even's title cut and "From Now On" although a shame "Babaji" and/or "Fool's Overture" is missing but c'est la vie!
The second disc features six tracks from the 1979 chart-topping Breakfast in America ("Gone Hollywood", The Top 10 hit "The Logical Song", the Top 20 hit "Goodbye Stranger", Breakfast's title cut, "Oh Darling" and the Top 10 hit "Take the Long Way Home". "Just Another Nervous Wreck" and/or "Child of Vision" should also have been included but nevermind). From the 1980 double live album Paris we get "You Started Laughing" (a studio version was only released as a B-side in 1975 and still remains unreleased)). We then have three tracks from the most popular line up's swan song 1982's Famous Last Words (the Top 20 hit "It's Raining Again", the Top 40 hit "My Kind of Lady" and "Don't Leave Me Now". "Waiting So Long" should have appeared but c'est la vie). The second disc goes on to document the post-Hodgson line up including the marvelous Top 30 hit "Cannonball" from 1985's Brother Where You Bound (that album's title cut which featured Pink Floyd's David Gilmour on guitar should have been included but then would have been a 3 or 4 CD set which is nothing wrong with that), then 1987's flop Free as a Bird is represented by the album's best song which is its title cut. "You Win I Lose" is from 1997's Some Things Never Change which was originally supposed to be a reunion album featuring Thomson and Hodgson but the old tensions proved otherwise (Thomson is now a publisher and Hodgson is still a solo artist). 1999's It Was the Best of Times Live has Another Man's Woman which was a great, spirited version although some prefer the studio version or the Hammersmith 1975 version. 2002's Slow Motion is represented by "Over You".
If you don't know where to start with Supertramp, scoop this 2-disc set up and then work your way through the catalog (especially the live album Paris from 1980).
RECOMMENDED!

Supertramp is one of the best progressive bands in history. Led by the vocalists/keyboards of Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson and the saxophones of Dougie Thompson, they produced some of the best records of all-time on the A&M label in the 1970s-1980s.

What makes 'Retrospectacle' (or 'Gold') unique is not only the best-of standards like 'Breakfast In America,' 'The Logical Song' and 'Bloody Well Right' but the inclusions of rarities and deep album cuts. 'Land Ho' has been 'lost' for nearly 35 years, and I've never seen 'Sister Moonshine' on a compilation before.

Overall, if you want a good Supertramp set featuring some of their classics on two discs, you've come to the right place.

Highly recommended for any Supertramp fan. A great set. ENJOY!!!

This had the potential to be one of the best collections of any band to come out of the 1970s. I purchased it on-line without even a look at the track listing, knowing it would have all of the best tunes of their other "best of" compilations and more. While I waited for it to arrive, I even took my old ST compilations to the used CD shop for turn in.
When this CD arrived I took a look at the track listing and almost had an annurism. WHERE IS HIDE IN YOUR SHELL!!!!!!!!!! Now I know what the real crime of the century is...
The rest of the CD is outstanding, however, the omission of Hide in your shell knocks my review down to only 3 stars. Yes, HIYS is THAT good of a song...

As with the rest of the Supertramp remasters - long overdue, even in 2002 - the sound quality here is fantastic. Supertramp always took care in the studio to record and construct their albums with fantastic sound and lots of dynamic range. Given this was Hodgson's last album (and subsequent tour), the lyrics become tinged with sadness and meta-meaning beyond their context in the songs.

However... I don't know the specifics of the how or why, but the beginning of "Bonnie" is glitched up. To my ear, it sounds as if someone with a razor blade or some digital editing software tried to recreate the beginning of the track, but used the later repetition when the xylophone came in over the piano to replay the opening phrase. Anyway, the result is just wrong, and bugged me until I pulled out my old copy of the CD and (there's that digital editing software again) took the beinning of the track from the old CD and 'pasted' it over the offending phrase. I felt better after that. ;)

Supertramp have nearly always delivered the goods with their unique style of music, some albums fantastic, the others probably just good. This one sits in the good category but their music is always thoughtful and doesn't change too much, so this CD will round out your collection. The later albums without Roger Hodgson are still pretty good but in my opinion just lack a bit of spark of earlier efforts. Worth getting.

There are a few decent songs here, but the special energy that Supertramp had on all their classic albums is gone here, and this is becoming a bit annoying at times, particularly Rick's writing which by now has gotten lazy. With a title like "Put On Your Own Brown Shoes", you just KNOW it's going to be some lame pseudo-jazz uptempo thing by Rick. Hodgson's stuff is starting to get whiny rather than positive - "Crazy" and "C'est Le Bon" are decent songs with nice melodies and hooks, though less original than his offerings on previous albums. The only song that was even a moderate hit, "It's Raining Again" is a decent song, but compared to previous albums, it's more of a jingle than anything else, with not-so-great lyrics (come on you little fighter / no need to get up-tighter). Overall, the lyrics are dark and despairing, and point the way to Roger's departure from the band, which goes out with a whimper not a bang.

Depois de ouvir muito esse álbum em vinil, adquiri, recentemente o CD lançado aqui no Brasil, acreditando tratar-se de versão atual, pois a versão remasterizada fora lançada em 2002. Insatisfeito com a qualidade do CD brasileiro, resolvi adquirir essa versão "REMASTERED", e ela é simplesmente FANTÁSTICA, infinitamente superior, deliciosa de se ouvir.
Só não entendo porque a mesma gravadora continua a produzir a pobre versão antiga, depois de haver remasterizado tão perfeitamente esse e outros álbuns.

The title of this album could have been, at no doubt, "Famous Last 70s Music Work"... There were a lot of things that changed in the Music world at the end of that decade.

This Supertramp album, certainly is a sample of what happened... After the smashing success they had with "Crime Of The Century" and even more with "Breakfast in America", it was quite hard for the creative couple Hodgson/Davies to reach the same peak of success with this "Famous...".

In spite of it, the album has some nice tunes. The 50s-styled ballad "My Kind Of Lady" (one of the best Supertramp songs in my opinion), the long-airplay "It's Raining Again", but also to be mentioned "Know Who You Are ", "C'est Le Bon" and even the ignored Hit "Put On Your Old Brown Shoes".

I'm a big Supertramp fan and I have been for years. I have just about every album from Crime of the Century onward (well, I drew the line after Free as a Bird). However, for some reason, I did not have this particular album so I went ahead I bought it. Well, now I know why I did not have it. It's because this album has nothing to do with the Supertramp band we know (and love). Honestly? If you want Supertramp-like albums, I recommend Roger Hodgson's solo efforts. If you think you'll have another Supertramp album, you will be disappointed big time. The sound is as far as it can be from the "classic" Supertramp sound. The songs are melodically weak and boring (although they were written by Hodgson). No catchy tunes here. So, unless you are dying to spend some money and don't know where to, I'd not get close to this album.

For those of you that do not know, Supertramp was MUCH different on this self-titled album released in 1970. The songs here are either much heavier and rocking compared to their more commercial stuff starting a few years later, or the melodies are softer and more pleasing (in a Neil Diamond kind of way). This album is strangely addicting in the way it blends the softer and heavier numbers without anything sounding out of place. The album has a nice flow to it. It's extremely melodic too. The first time you listen to it you'll immediately pick up on the melodic ideas. For some reason, this album has the same kind of exciting uncertainty and willingness to experiment that the Scorpions debut album "Lonesome Crow" did. Albums that show you a band in their early days of creating music that aren't afraid to reveal some exciting, creative and just plain DIFFERENT musical ideas.

"It's a Long Road" is a pretty good rocker. It seems to be surrounded by very pleasant vocal melodies. In fact, if the album has one problem, it's that it's probably slightly hard to separate some of these great melodies and try to match which songs the vocal melodies are coming from. It's just one extremely pleasant-sounding song after another. You'll remember these great melodies after the album is finished playing, but will probably struggle figuring out which song contains the melody in your head. There's another song on here that reminds me of Al Stewart ("Home Again"). This is certainly an album worth picking up because you won't be disappointed with the quality of the songwriting. In fact, the songwriting is so strong you can just go ahead and call this a lost classic. It probably is. Is it better than "Crime of the Century"? Probably not, but it's not far off.

Towards the end of the album the music takes a turn for more heavy rockers, sort of similar to what the Steve Miller Band was doing at the time. "Try Again" is incredible. Everything comes across as nicely-written and very pleasing early 70's rock.

I first started to like Supertramp when i used to listen to my father's copy of their compilation "Classics Vol. 9", and started building my collection starting from "Crime of the Century". I discovered this album for the first time from a Supertramp website and bought an original British copy of the LP from ebay. I never even realized there were albums before "Crime", and that there were guys named Richard Palmer and Bob Millar!

The songs on the album have an overall sad feeling to them and I was also surprised to find all lead vocals by Roger Hodgson and none by Rick Davies. The songs I tended to enjoy the most were the two versions of "Surely", "It's a Long Road", "Aubade and I am Not Like Other Birds of Prey", Nothing to Show" and "Shadow Song" all stood out to me. I think this album shows a young band trying to find a good sound that would capture an audience.

However this would not be. Unfortunately, the album failed to impress the public when released, and resulted in the departure of Palmer and Millar.

If you're expecting to hear the classic, poppy "Breakfast in America", you're not gonna find it here! Its something dratically different.

Overall, I highly reccommend this album to all the Supertramp fans out there. Its too bad this album is overlooked so often, and really deserves positive recognition!

Having heard Supertramp saturate the airwaves in the early 1980's with songs like "Give a Little Bit", I was very uncertain as to whether I would actually like this album or not. To be perfectly honest, as a teenage prog fan in the early 1980's who was obsessed with bands like Yes, King Crimson, and Pink Floyd, I was a bit provincial in my listening habits. Fortunately, I have revisited several British Symphonic pop bands (apart from Supertramp) that I dismissed in my youth and found them to be generally quite good. Supertramp's debut album has three things going for it that made this purchase virtually frictionless: (1) it was released in 1970; (2) it reportedly sounded nothing like their later material; and (3) a lot of my fellow proggers have heaped praise upon it. After listening to the album several times I am happy to report that everything that has been said about the debut is true.

The musicians on this album include Richard Davies (Hammond organ, piano, electric piano, harmonica, and vocals); Roger Hodgson (bass guitar, flageolet, acoustic guitar, cello, and vocals); Richard Palmer (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, balalaika, and vocals); and Robert Millar (percussion, harmonica). Although all of the musicians are decent enough, Richard Palmer is excellent on the guitar and quotes from styles such as jazz and blues, while staying strictly in a rock context. I guess it is also worth noting that Richard went on to join the ranks of 1973-1975 phase King Crimson as a lyricist (at least I think so at any rate). The spacey Hammond organ work of Richard Davies is also superb, although I really wished that he had used the mellotron - there are some supremely melancholy passages on this album that would have been made more so by several orders of magnitude. Come to think of it, the use of the mellotron would most likely have made this album nearly as hallowed as the eponymous debut album by the English rock band Spring (1971).

This is a fantastic spin that is stylistically somewhat similar to other English rock bands lumped under the "progressive" umbrella in 1970 that were interested in pushing boundaries (including Spring). In short, very moody and haunting rock, with some attention paid to things like arrangement and dynamics. The tracks on the album range in length from 0'31 to 12'03" and blend together somewhat, imparting a song-cycle feel to the album. Although musically this album is still largely indebted to psychedelic and spacey blues-jam styles (you will not have your mind blown by intricate ensemble work), I did notice brief references to the emerging progressive rock scene as it developed in England. For example, there is an experimental passage on the lengthy piece Try Again that would not have been out of place on the track Moonchild from King Crimson's 1969 debut. Specifically, the section is structureless (no melody or meter) and consists of little "bleeps and blurbs" on the organ and guitar, with a little bit of percussion thrown in for good measure.

As far as the remastering of this CD goes, it is just so - so. While the sound quality is fine, the CD "booklet" is about as skimpy as they come (no lyrics or notes about the band). There are black and white photos of each band member however.

I was really impressed by this debut album by Supertramp and like it just as much as any of the other early experimental English bands like Spring, Gracious!, and Cressida. Although I have a tendency to give a lot of albums five star ratings (I really can't help myself), this album definitely deserves it. Recommended to fans of the bands previously mentioned along with (perhaps) 70-71 Pink Floyd.

Long before "Crime Of The Century", I bought a promo copy of their 2nd LP ("Indelibly Stamped") and fell in love with the quirkiness of the music and Roger Hodgson's voice. I quickly discovered their first LP "Supertramp" and became a died-in-the-wool fan long before they got big.

This CD is an exact duplicate of the once-available US issue. Great sound and nice, crisp highs.

It's musically more melancholy than later albums, but anyone who loved Supertramp during their big-hit period will find this a welcome addition to their collection.

It's just a shame it's so expensive!