The album was dominated with the harmonic complexity of sounds of the contemporary progressive rock. The arrangements' linchpins were the double keyboards of Davies and Hodgson and Helliwell’s winds. The portentous “Crime Of The Century”, showed the progressive rock ambition. After all this progressive ambition, the group arrived with their next fourth album “Crisis" What Crisis". Their next fifth album, “Even In The Quietest Moments”, released after the group had moved to California counts as one of their greatest masterpieces. “Breakfast In America” represents the landing of the progression that took off in 1974, thanks to listenable refrains and tightly crafted arrangements well treated with the minimal detail. “Breakfast In America”, in the course of 20 years, would sell about 18 million copies worldwide. Then, it appears their seventh studio album “...Famous Last Words...”. After it, Hodgson left the group and embarked on a solo career. Davies would never get over his departure.
The last studio collaboration by the Supertramp's original singer and songwriter team, of Davies and Hodgson, is a fine album which is unfairly criticised as not delivering the same quality as their previous four classic productions. This criticism is however not warranted for a variety of reasons. It’s a fine album where almost every single song worth to be listen. The main point which makes this album a classic is the meaningful if melancholic lyrics which put both, Roger and Rick, amongst some of the greatest rock lyricists of all time. Anyway, the album was written under difficult circumstances. It was written at the height of the personal tension between Roger and Rick. For the first time, they wrote and recorded their own songs in separate studios without any face to face collaboration. However, Roger has always claimed that this was always the case and he gave songwriting credit to Rick for many of the songs he had written over the years by himself. So, this was a typical “under pressure” follow up album to the chart topping “Breakfast In America”. Anyway, despite it has a pop focus style, it still remains a fine album with a classic rock edge where the lyrics are amongst the greatest Supertramp’s lyrics, as profound and meaningful as rock lyrics can ever get.
About the tracks, “Crazy” is a typical Supertramp’s song that represents perfectly well their unique and unmistakable sound. “Put On Your Old Brown Shoes” is a song clearly influenced by jazz and blues. I think it doesn’t work so well and represents my less favourite track on the album. “It’s Raining Again” is a pop song, the most commercial track on the album. I confess that I like the song and I think that it’s a perfect example how to make a pop commercial song with good quality. “Bonnie” is one of the highlights on the album. This is a great love song, one of the best composed by Davies, I think. “Know Who You Are” is a song, sad and beautiful, made by the hand of Hodgson. I think that only he can write songs like this. It’s a song with great melody performed by a great sensitive singer alone with his acoustic guitar. “My Kind Of Lady” is a love ballad well sung by Davies, who harmonizes his natural voice with a falsetto vocal. It’s a tribute to the 50’s, one of the best musical moments of Davies. “C’Est Le Bon” is a classic Roger’s song that stood the test of time. It’s well arranged with a catchy melody and good lyrics. “Waiting So Long” is well arranged, very progressive and with fantastic musical performances. The epic development of the song can be connected with their great classics. “Don’t Leave Me Now” closes the album in a great style. It’s a sad song with pessimistic lyrics about solitude and fear of loneliness. It has a strange title considering it's sung by Hodgson, the one who was leaving.
Conclusion: I think Supertramp effectively is able to be counted among the rock's greatest bands, even though they are certainly not among the best known. They really made some awesome albums, especially “Crime Of The Century” which is, in my humble opinion, one of the best albums ever. Unfortunately, in 1982, Hodgson decided to leave the band and ending with one of the best duo collaborations, as composers. For me, this was the final Supertramp's album that would sound like a true Supertramp's album, though the remaining members would put together one more interesting effort, “Brother Where You Bound”, before falling into pieces. There are a few classics here. It has almost all the ingredients that made of Supertramp a great band, one of the most creative, one of the most respected and one of the most successful in the progressive rock music. I highly recommend this album to all Supertramp and classic rock fans.
Tracklist for Famous Last Words:
1. Crazy
2. Put on Your Old Brown Shoes
3. It's Raining Again
4. Bonnie
5. Know Who You Are
6. My Kind of Lady
7. C'est le Bon
8. Waiting So Long
9. Don't Leave Me Now
The last studio collaboration by the Supertramp's original singer and songwriter team, of Davies and Hodgson, is a fine album which is unfairly criticised as not delivering the same quality as their previous four classic productions. This criticism is however not warranted for a variety of reasons. It’s a fine album where almost every single song worth to be listen. The main point which makes this album a classic is the meaningful if melancholic lyrics which put both, Roger and Rick, amongst some of the greatest rock lyricists of all time. Anyway, the album was written under difficult circumstances. It was written at the height of the personal tension between Roger and Rick. For the first time, they wrote and recorded their own songs in separate studios without any face to face collaboration. However, Roger has always claimed that this was always the case and he gave songwriting credit to Rick for many of the songs he had written over the years by himself. So, this was a typical “under pressure” follow up album to the chart topping “Breakfast In America”. Anyway, despite it has a pop focus style, it still remains a fine album with a classic rock edge where the lyrics are amongst the greatest Supertramp’s lyrics, as profound and meaningful as rock lyrics can ever get.
About the tracks, “Crazy” is a typical Supertramp’s song that represents perfectly well their unique and unmistakable sound. “Put On Your Old Brown Shoes” is a song clearly influenced by jazz and blues. I think it doesn’t work so well and represents my less favourite track on the album. “It’s Raining Again” is a pop song, the most commercial track on the album. I confess that I like the song and I think that it’s a perfect example how to make a pop commercial song with good quality. “Bonnie” is one of the highlights on the album. This is a great love song, one of the best composed by Davies, I think. “Know Who You Are” is a song, sad and beautiful, made by the hand of Hodgson. I think that only he can write songs like this. It’s a song with great melody performed by a great sensitive singer alone with his acoustic guitar. “My Kind Of Lady” is a love ballad well sung by Davies, who harmonizes his natural voice with a falsetto vocal. It’s a tribute to the 50’s, one of the best musical moments of Davies. “C’Est Le Bon” is a classic Roger’s song that stood the test of time. It’s well arranged with a catchy melody and good lyrics. “Waiting So Long” is well arranged, very progressive and with fantastic musical performances. The epic development of the song can be connected with their great classics. “Don’t Leave Me Now” closes the album in a great style. It’s a sad song with pessimistic lyrics about solitude and fear of loneliness. It has a strange title considering it's sung by Hodgson, the one who was leaving.
Conclusion: I think Supertramp effectively is able to be counted among the rock's greatest bands, even though they are certainly not among the best known. They really made some awesome albums, especially “Crime Of The Century” which is, in my humble opinion, one of the best albums ever. Unfortunately, in 1982, Hodgson decided to leave the band and ending with one of the best duo collaborations, as composers. For me, this was the final Supertramp's album that would sound like a true Supertramp's album, though the remaining members would put together one more interesting effort, “Brother Where You Bound”, before falling into pieces. There are a few classics here. It has almost all the ingredients that made of Supertramp a great band, one of the most creative, one of the most respected and one of the most successful in the progressive rock music. I highly recommend this album to all Supertramp and classic rock fans.
Tracklist for Famous Last Words:
1. Crazy
2. Put on Your Old Brown Shoes
3. It's Raining Again
4. Bonnie
5. Know Who You Are
6. My Kind of Lady
7. C'est le Bon
8. Waiting So Long
9. Don't Leave Me Now
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