Famous Last Words

Don't ask me how, but I had this album on vinyl when it came out in 1982. Don't remember buying it, but it was there. This, Supertramp's seventh album, and the one that had to follow 1979's monster hit " Breakfast In America ", is quite different in mood & contrast to the success before. While Breakfast was tailor-made to be a "happy feeling" album, Words seems more like "the party is over". While it will always be remembered having their last Roger Hodgson sung hit "It's Raining Again", it's his songs that take a somber, almost depressed, mood that really makes the majority of these songs shine and move you. The bubblegum is gone here, with tracks like "Know Who You Are" and "Don't Leave Me Now" really touching your soul, and in their instrumental parts sounding extremely close to a Pink Floyd's The Final Cut -type of vibe. Sadly though it seems like partner Rick Davies' songs tend to sound like a Doo-Wop era Billy Joel with a hint of Randy Newman that disrupt what could have been an over-all emotional musical experience. Luckly, he does have one gem here, and quite possibly the best track on the album, "Waiting So Long" which almost sounds like his Crime Of The Century 's dark cousin. Maybe the reason why Hodgson was so dark here was he left the band for good right after it, in a way to say goodbye before breaking out on his own with 1984's " In The Eye Of The Storm " with it's moderate hit single "Had A Dream". Both he and the rest of Supertramp separately continued on, but " ...Famous Last Words " was the last big fame for both of them. While this album does have a couple of mediocre tracks (believe it or not, so did Breakfast In America), the songs that do shine, shine brightly and darkly with early 80's perfection. Recommended to anyone who ever hummed along to " Goodbye Stranger ".....it's been nice....

I know the band was falling apart at this time and this record gets forgotten about but I think it's still a solid record and slots in nicely with the previous four from their salad days.

This CD is GREAT. But how come people don't mention it in the same breath as Supertramp's other classics? Well, they should. FAMOUS LAST WORDS, despite a bit of cheesy 80s production in spots ("It's Raining Again"), is an absolute pop delight. The title cut "Crazy" is one of the band's best songs ever, with Roger Hodgson providing another pop classic. But then Rick Davies takes it to another level with two of his best songs ever: "Put On Your Old Brown Shoes" and the absolutely fantastic "Bonnie." This is songwriter Davies at his finest, offering up emotional vocals, great melodies, and solid piano chops. Sure, "Bonnie" does remind me of Billy Joel just a bit, especially on first listen. But who cares? It's still a damn awesome song. Epic pop! Notice that I'm skipping "It's Raining Again?" Yeah, I remember when this album came out. The was the first single from the record and the song was cheesy and dull in 1982. It's pretty much unbearable now. Like many fans who loved BREAKFAST IN AMERICA, I was excited to hear new Supertramp in '82. But this first taste was too saccharine for my tastes. So I ended up never buying the record. Thank goodness I finally got around to it now (albeit 30 years later). Because after skipping "It's Raining Again," the remainder of the CD is wonderful. Roger Hodgson is a truly gifted songwriter and "Know Who You Are" and "C'est Le Bon" are two of his all-time best tunes. Both are sumptuous descent into self-introspection, with the songwriter reflecting upon his own challenges and gifts as a creative entity struggling to create in a world that is hostile to creativity. The results are cries to both himself and the artists within us all. These songs truly speak to both the music fan and musician equally. Then after another great Davies' tune, "Waiting So Long," the CD concludes with another great Supertramp epic: "Don't Leave Me Now." Man, all I can say about this tune is... WOW. This must have been a powerful when performed live. Anyone who thinks FAMOUS... is a throwaway CD from an otherwise great band should put on this tune. Trust me, you will buy / download the rest of the record ASAP. Sure, CRIME OF THE CENTURY and BREAKFAST IN AMERICA are still Supertramp's best two records. But FAMOUS LAST WORDS is third highest in the Supertramp canon, tied in quality (IMHO) with EVEN IN THE QUIETEST MOMENTS.

This record gets unfairly overlooked simply because it wasn't Breakfast in America. But, seriously, talk about a tough act to follow! This record might not have been the hit-stuffed package everyone wanted in the Wake of "Breakfast", but it was a fine record all on it's own. Every song on this record stands up well against the best songs in the Supertramp catalog (except, IMO, "It's Raining Again". A lot of people liked it, but it was too cutesy for my taste). But "Crazy", "Bonnie", "C'est Le Bon", "Know Who You Are", and (my favorite song on the record) "Waiting So Long" are right up there with other Supertramp gems like "Goodbye Stranger", "Fools Overture" and "Crime of the Century". A word of warning: the version of "Bonnie" on this remastered CD has a flaw -- the opening 3 seconds have a weird "cut-and-paste" causing a weird, stuttering repeat (listen to this compared to the 1982 CD version). Unfortunately, since the 2002 remastering, this seems to be the "definitive" version of this song (both Amazon digital and iTunes, for example, use this version) My solution was was to dig out my old 1982 CD, re-rip the song, and boost the volume using AACGain to match the increased volume of the remaster. That flaw aside, still a great record for any fan of this band, or late-70s progressive style rock.

Un disco da collezionare e ascoltare assolutamente.

Ok

Es un gran lp y un gran grupo.

If you're a Supertramp fan, this CD is a must. Great.

Wonderful harmonies