It Was the Best of Times

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It Was The Best of Times
It Was the Best of Times.jpg
Live album by
Supertramp
Released12 April 1999 Double CD version
27 April 1999 Single CD version
Recorded19–20 September 1997
Venue Royal Albert Hall (London, UK)
Genre Progressive rock, pop rock, art rock
Length130:08Double CD version
75:22 Single CD version
Label EMI
Producer Rick Davies
Supertramp chronology
Some Things Never Change
(1997)		It Was The Best of Times
(1999)		 Is Everybody Listening?
(2001)

It Was the Best of Times is the third live album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in April 1999. The album title makes use of the opening line from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

Contents

Overview

It Was the Best of Times was recorded in September 1997 at the Royal Albert Hall, London, England, UK during the "It's About Time" tour (set up in support of the Some Things Never Change studio album).

The band includes vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Mark Hart performing songs originally sung by Roger Hodgson.

Supertramp are also augmented by additional players added for this album and tour which later would also take part in the recording of Slow Motion , the follow-up studio album released in 2002.

The 2-CD version features the song "Don't You Lie to Me", a blues song that the band had performed on their 1988 tour and the only song not written by a current or former band member.

The single CD version was later re-released in 2006 under the name of Live, 1997.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]

Reviewing the double CD edition, AllMusic wrote that in comparison to the single CD version, "...this two-CD set packs on eight further selections from Supertramp's career to that point, still eschewing their first two LPs, without really adding anything to the portrait painted by the slimmer edition." [1]

Track listing

All songs written by Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson, except where noted.

2-CD version

Disc 1

  1. "It's a Hard World" (Rick Davies)
  2. "You Win, I Lose" (Davies)
  3. "Listen to Me Please" (Davies)
  4. "Ain't Nobody But Me"
  5. "Sooner or Later" (Davies, Mark Hart)
  6. "Free as a Bird" (Davies)
  7. "Cannonball" (Davies)
  8. "From Now On"
  9. "Breakfast in America"
  10. "Give Me a Chance" (Davies, Hart)
  11. "Rudy"

Disc 2

  1. "Downstream"
  2. "Another Man's Woman"
  3. "Take the Long Way Home"
  4. "Bloody Well Right"
  5. "The Logical Song"
  6. "Goodbye Stranger"
  7. "School"
  8. "And the Light" (Davies)
  9. "Don't You Lie to Me (I Get Evil)" (Tampa Red)
  10. "Crime of the Century"

1-CD version: Live, 1997

  1. "You Win, I Lose" – 4:44 (Davies)
  2. "Listen to Me Please" – 5:03 (Davies)
  3. "Sooner or Later" – 7:35 (Davies, Hart)
  4. "Free as a Bird" – 4:49 (Davies)
  5. "Cannonball" – 7:52 (Davies)
  6. "From Now On" – 7:44
  7. "Breakfast in America" – 2:47
  8. "And the Light" – 5:03 (Davies)
  9. "Take the Long Way Home" – 5:10
  10. "Bloody Well Right" – 6:58
  11. "The Logical Song" – 4:04
  12. "Goodbye Stranger" – 7:24
  13. "School" – 6:32

Personnel

Charts and certifications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supertramp</span> English rock band

Supertramp were an English rock band that formed in London in 1969. Marked by the individual songwriting of founders Roger Hodgson and Rick Davies, they are distinguished for blending progressive rock and pop styles as well as for a sound that relied heavily on Wurlitzer electric piano. The group's lineup changed numerous times throughout their career, with Davies being the only constant member throughout its history. Other longtime members included bassist Dougie Thomson, drummer Bob Siebenberg, and saxophonist John Helliwell.

<i>Breakfast in America</i> 1979 studio album by Supertramp

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<i>Crime of the Century</i> (album) 1974 studio album by Supertramp

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<i>Paris</i> (Supertramp album)

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<i>...Famous Last Words...</i> 1982 studio album by Supertramp

...Famous Last Words... is the seventh studio album by English rock band Supertramp and was released in October 1982. It was the studio follow-up to 1979's Breakfast in America and the last album with vocalist/keyboardist/guitarist Roger Hodgson, who left the group to pursue a solo career. Thus, it was the final album to be released by the classic lineup of the band.

<i>Brother Where You Bound</i> 1985 studio album by Supertramp

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<i>Free as a Bird</i> (album) 1987 studio album by Supertramp

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<i>Some Things Never Change</i> 1997 studio album by Supertramp

Some Things Never Change is the tenth album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in March 1997.

<i>Slow Motion</i> (Supertramp album) 2002 studio album by Supertramp

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<i>The Autobiography of Supertramp</i> 1986 greatest hits album by Supertramp

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goodbye Stranger</span> 1979 single by Supertramp

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloody Well Right</span> 1974 single by Supertramp

"Bloody Well Right" is a song by English rock band Supertramp from their 1974 album Crime of the Century. It appeared as the B-side of the single "Dreamer" in 1974. Listeners in the United States preferred it to the A-side, and "Bloody Well Right" became their breakthrough hit in the country, peaking at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>70-10 Tour</i> 2010 live album by Supertramp

70–10 Tour is a series of live albums from the English rock band Supertramp's 70-10 tour, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the band. Each concert from the tour was recorded and released on CD or as an MP3 download. Although "Don't You Lie to Me" only appears on the album from the second Paris concert, the final show of the tour, there are few differences in set lists.

References

  1. 1 2 It Was the Best of Times at AllMusic
  2. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7 (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 857. ISBN   0195313739.
  3. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Supertramp – It Was the Best of Times" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  4. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Supertramp – It Was the Best of Times" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  5. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Supertramp – It Was the Best of Times" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  6. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Supertramp – It Was the Best of Times". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  7. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Supertramp – It Was the Best of Times" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  8. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Supertramp – It Was the Best of Times". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  9. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Supertramp – It Was the Best of Times". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  10. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  11. ↑ "French album certifications – Supertramp – Ii Was the Best of Times" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique . Retrieved 13 January 2021.
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