Álbum Crime Of The Century (Supertramp)

Crime Of The Century de Supertramp

Álbum de Supertramp

1974
★★★★★
Basado en 42 votos
  • Fecha de lanzamiento: 13 de Septiembre de 1974
  • Sello Discográfico: A&M Records
  • Compositores: Rick Davies, Roger Hodgson
  • Productores: Ken Scott, Supertramp

Valora este álbum

Crime Of The Century es un álbum de Supertramp, publicado en 1974 por A&M Records. El disco incluye 8 canciones, entre ellas «School», «Bloody Well Right», «Hide In Your Shell» y «Asylum».

Lanzado en 1974, Crime of the Century es el tercer álbum de estudio de Supertramp y es, para muchos, su creación notable conceptual y artística. Tras dos álbumes fallidos y una refundación casi total, este disco representa el nacimiento del sonido clásico de la banda. Con una producción de audio de una calidad extraordinaria a cargo del legendario Ken Scott, "Crime of the Century" es un álbum de rock progresivo y art rock temáticamente cohesionado, que explora temas de soledad, alienación, locura y la rebelión contra la autoridad. Con una colección de canciones impecables que se han convertido en clásicos, como "Dreamer" y "School", el álbum fue su primer gran éxito comercial y de crítica, y estableció la formación clásica que los llevaría al estrellato mundial.

Contexto y nueva formación

Después del fracaso de "Indelibly Stamped", Davies y Hodgson se encontraron de nuevo solos. Decidieron reconstruir la banda desde cero, esta vez con un largo proceso de audiciones. Reclutaron a tres músicos excepcionales: el batería Bob Siebenberg, el bajista Dougie Thomson y el saxofonista John Helliwell. Esta formación clásica no solo era técnicamente superior, sino que también tenía una química musical perfecta. Con el continuo apoyo de su mecenas, la banda se dedicó a componer y ensayar meticulosamente el material para su tercer disco.

La otra pieza clave fue la incorporación del productor e ingeniero Ken Scott, famoso por su trabajo con David Bowie ("Ziggy Stardust") y The Beatles ("The White Album"). Scott les proporcionó un sonido prístino, detallado y potente que se convirtió en una de las señas de identidad del álbum.

Sonido y temática

Musicalmente, "Crime of the Century" es una obra de rock progresivo con una fuerte sensibilidad pop. El álbum perfecciona la dualidad compositiva Davies-Hodgson: las canciones de Hodgson son más melódicas, introspectivas y con una característica voz de falsete (como en "Dreamer"), mientras que las de Davies son más cínicas, rítmicas y orientadas al blues y al R&B (como en "Bloody Well Right"). El álbum está lleno de arreglos complejos, con un uso prominente del piano Wurlitzer, el saxofón y, por primera vez, una orquesta de cuerdas.

Temáticamente, aunque no es una ópera rock con una narrativa lineal, todas las canciones están unidas por un sentimiento de confusión y alienación juvenil, explorando la lucha del individuo contra las instituciones (la escuela, la sociedad) y sus propias inseguridades.

Repaso a las canciones

El álbum se abre con la icónica introducción de armónica de "School", una épica de rock progresivo que crece desde una apertura minimalista hasta un clímax instrumental. "Bloody Well Right" es un rock cínico con un famoso solo de piano eléctrico. "Hide in Your Shell" es una de las composiciones más aclamadas de Hodgson, una pieza orquestal sobre la soledad y la incomprensión.

"Dreamer", con su ritmo contagioso y su estribillo en falsete, se convirtió en su primer gran éxito en el Reino Unido. "Rudy" es una pieza cinematográfica sobre la soledad en la ciudad. El álbum se cierra con la majestuosa y trágica canción que le da título, "Crime of the Century", que culmina con un largo y emotivo solo de saxofón.

Debut y resultados en listas

"Crime of the Century" fue el primer álbum de Supertramp en tener éxito, alcanzando el estatus de disco de oro en Estados Unidos y convirtiéndose en un éxito en toda Europa.

Juicio de la crítica

El álbum recibió una aclamación crítica unánime y es considerado una obra sobresaliente. Fue elogiado por la calidad de sus composiciones, la inteligencia de sus letras y, sobre todo, por su impecable producción de sonido, que se convirtió en un disco de referencia para audiófilos. "Crime of the Century" no solo salvó la carrera de Supertramp, sino que los estableció como una de las bandas de rock más sofisticadas e importantes de los años 70.

Listado de Canciones

  1. School5:34

    Letra

    I can see you in the morning when you go to school Don't forget your books, you know you've got to learn the golden rule, Teacher tells you stop your play and get on with your work And be like Johnnie-too-good, well don't you know he never shirks He's coming along.. After school is over you're playing in the park Don't be out too late, don't let it get too dark They tell you not to hang around and learn what life's about And grow up just like them, won't you let it work it out And you're full of doubt Don't do this and don't do that What are they trying to do? Make a good boy of you Do they know where it's at? Don't criticize, they're old and wise Do as they tell you to Don't want the devil to Come out and put your eyes Maybe I'm mistaken expecting you to fight Or maybe I'm just crazy, I don't know wrong from right But while I am still living, I've just got this to say It's always up to you if you want to be that Want to see that Want to see that way You're coming along
  2. Bloody Well Right4:31

    Letra

    So you think your schooling's phony I guess it's hard not to agree You say it all depends on money And who is in your family tree Right, you're bloody well right You know you got a right to say Right, you're bloody well right You know you got a right to say Ha-ha you're bloody well right You know you're right to say Yeah-yeah you're bloody well right You know you're right to say Me, I don't care anyway! Write your problems down in detail Take them to a higher place You've had your cry, no, I should say wail In the meantime hush your face Right, quite right, you're bloody well right Right, you're bloody well right You know you got a right to say Right, you're bloody well right You know you got a right to say
  3. Hide In Your Shell6:48

    Letra

    Hide in your shell 'cause the world is out to bleed you for a ride What will you gain making your life a little longer? Heaven or hell, was the journey cold that gave your eyes of steel? Shelter behind painting your mind and playing joker Too frightening to listen to a stranger Too beautiful to put your pride in danger You're waiting for someone to understand you But you've got demons in your closet And you're screaming out to stop it Saying life's begun to cheat you Friends are out to beat you Grab on to what you scramble for Don't let the tears linger on inside now 'Cause it's sure time you gained control If I can help you, if I can help you If I can help you, just let me know Well, let me show you the nearest signpost To get your heart back and on the road If I can help you, if I can help you If I can help you, just let me know. All through the night as you like awake and hold yourself so tight What do you need, a second-hand-movie-star to tend you? I as a boy, I believed the saying the cure for pain was love How would it be if you could see the world through my eyes? Too frightening- the fire's getting colder Too beautiful- to think you're getting older You're looking for someone to give an answer. But what you see is just an illusion You're surrounded by confusion Saying life's begun to cheat you Friends are out to beat you Grab on to what you can scramble for Don't let the tears Just let me know I want to know I want to know you Well let me know you I want to feel you I want to touch you Please let me near you Can you hear what I'm saying? Well I'm hoping, I'm dreamin', I'm prayin' I know what you're thinkin' See what you're seein' Never ever let yourself go Hold yourself down, hold yourself down Why d'ya hold yourself down? Why don't you listen, you can Trust me, There's a place I know the way to A place there is need to feel you Feel that you're alone Hear me I know exactly what you're feelin' 'Cause all your troubles are within you Please begin to see that I'm just bleeding to Love me, love you Loving is the way to Help me, help you Why must we be so cool, oh so cool,? Oh, we're such damn fools
  4. Asylum6:43

    Letra

    Jimmy Cream was keen, his brain wal always winnin', I can't keep tabs on mine, it's really quite a joke I see him down the road, I ask if he'd be willing To lend me 15p - I'm dying for a smoke Don't arrange to have me sent to no asylum I'm just as sane as anyone It's a just a game I play for fun - for fun. I told em - look! - I said I'm not the way you're thinkin, Just when I'm down, I'll be a clown, I'll play the fool. Please don't arrange to have me set to no asylum It's just a game I play for fun - for fun. Will he take a sailboat ride? He is very likely to, Will he feel good inside? He ain't very likely to, Will he tell you he's alive? He is always trying to But nothin', no nothin', does he say In the morning when the day's begun - 'Hello Good morning, how are you?' And in the evening or the noonday sun - 'What a lovely afternoon!' Well I've been living next to you Bluesy Monday is the one day that they come here, When they haunt me and taunt me in my cage. I mock them all, they're feelin' small, they got no answer They're playin' dumb but I'm just lauging as they rage Don't arrange to have me sent to no asylum It's only a game I play for fun I've been foolin' everyone - everyone. Will he take a sailboat ride? He is very likely to Will he fool good insidie? He ain't ever likely to Will he tell you he's alive? He is always tryin' to But nothin', no nothin' does he vere say In the morning when the day's begun - 'Do you think it looks like rain'? And in the evening or the noonday sun - 'You know I nearly missed my train' Well I've been living next to you my friend But what kind of friend are you? Is it the beginning or the sorry end? Will I ever see it through? I've never been insane Oh what's the game? I believe I'm dying He's mad, mad, mad Not quite right
  5. Dreamer3:31

    Letra

    Dreamer, you know you are a dreamer Well can you put your hands in your head, oh no! I said dreamer, you're nothing but a dreamer Well can you put your hands in your head, oh no! I said "Far out, what a day, a year, a life it is!" You know, well you know you had it comin' to you, Now there's not a lot I can do Dreamer, you stupid little dreamer; So now you put your head in your hands, oh no! I said "Far out, - What a day, a year, a laugh it is!" You know, well you know you had it comin' to you, Now there's not a lot I can do. Well work it out someday If I could see something You can see anything you want boy If I could be someone You can be anyone, celebrate boy. If I could do something Well you can do something, If I could do anything Well can you do something out of this world? Take a dream on a Sunday Take a life, take a holiday Take a lie, take a dreamer dream, dream, dream, dream, dream along Dreamer, you know you are a dreamer Well can you put your hands in your head, oh no! I said dreamer, you're nothing but a dreamer Well can you put your hands in your head, oh no! Oh no!
  6. Rudy7:19

    Letra

    Rudy's on a train to nowhere, halfway down the line He don't want to get there, but he needs time He ain't sophisticated, nor well-educated After all the hours he wasted, still he needs time. He needs time - he needs time for livin', He needs time - for someone just to see him. He ain't haid no lovin' For no reason or rhyme And the whole world's above him. Well it's not as though he's fat- No there's more to this than that- See he tries to play it cool- Wouldn't be nobody fool. Rudy thought that all good things comes to those that wait But recently he could see that it may come too late. All through your life, all through the years Nobody loved, nobody cared. So dim the light, dark are your fears Try as I might, I can't hold back the tears How can you live without love, it's not fair? Someone said give but I just didn't dare. What good advice are you waiting to hear? Hearing's alright for them that's all there You'd better gain control now You'd better show 'em all now You'd better make or break now You'd better give and take now You'll have to push and shove now You'll have to find some love now You'd better gain control now. Now he's just come out the movie. Numb of all the pain, Sad but in a while he'll soon be Back on his train
  7. If Everyone Was Listening4:04

    Letra

    The actors and jesters are here The stage is in darkness and clear For raising the curtain And no-ones quite certain whose play it is How long ago, how long If only we had listened then. If wed known just how right we were going to be. For we dreamed a lot And we schemed a lot And we tried to sing of love before the stage fell apart. If everyone was listening you know There'd be a chance that we could save the show Who'll be the last clown To bring the house down? Oh no, please no, don't let the curtain fall Well, what is your costume today? Who are the props in your play? You're acting a part which you thought from the start Was an honest one. Well how do you plead? An actor indeed! Go re-learn your lines, You don't know what you've done The finales begun. If everyone was listening you know There'd be a chance that we could save the show, Who'll be the last clown To bring the house down? Oh no, please no, don't let the curtain fall.
  8. Crime Of The Century5:36

    Letra

    Now they're planning the crime of the century Well what will it be? Read all about their schemes and adventuring It's well worth a fee So roll up and see And they rape the universe How they've gone from bad to worse Who are these men of lust, greed, and glory? Rip off the masks and let see. But that's not right - oh no, what's the story? There's you and there's me Thank you for that