OK, I love this album; I first heard it as a 15-year-old in 1975, and played it endlessly - it's THAT album for me.

Those of you who only know the band from Breakfast In America are missing something important. This is one of the most perfectly constructed, played and produced albums of the 70's. Get this, and listen to it. Listen to it again, and then ask yourself: how on earth did they do this on 24 tracks of audio tape, and still get such a clean sound? In the early days of CD, this and Dark Side Of The Moon were about the only rock albums that were used to demo CD players -- and this is a great deal less angst-ridden than Dark Side.

From the opening, unforgettable harmonica solo, to the fading chords of the last track, this is proper music, played for intelligent listeners, and not with the radio or the charts in mind. All the songs are through-composed, all impeccably arranged and played, and that production is astonishing. Listen to the drums on 'If Everyone Was Listening'. Or the Wurlitzer solo on 'School'. Or.. I could go on and on. For the perfect blend of musicianship, accessibility and adherence to exacting standards, it is very, very hard to find anything that could compete with this record.

If I ever get asked to do Desert Island Discs (ha ha) this whole album would be absolutely, no question, top-of-the-list. Pick a song, you say? OK, School.

Go. Don't hesitate. Buy it.

In a lot of ways, this was Supertramp's debut, as the first two albums saw a lot of uncertainty in membership and musical direction - they sounded a little half-baked, although they are still enjoyable listens. The band assembled for Crime of the Century stayed together right up till Roger Hodgson left in the eighties and is considered the "classic" lineup.

There is a lot of discussion on the net regarding whether or not Supertramp were a Progressive Rock act or not, I would say they were, if that means lengthy well developed pieces / many key changes / instrumental sections, but I would hardly describe them as "experimental". This is a much gentler style of Prog. There is plenty of radio friendly pop on offer as well - such as the hit "Dreamer" - but even this has a sophisticated arrangement and a short development section before the final chorus. The meat of the album though are songs like School, Rudy, Asylum and the the title track, and they are all glorious. In particular, School's piano led development section is a highlight, and has a storming bass line - sounding great in the remastered version. Also, the title track (which closes the album), has a fabulous doubled guitar solo and a superb fadeout jam - completed by a harmonica returning to the opening theme of School (the first track on the album).

On the downside, I find two of the tracks a little saccharine (Hide in your Shell and If everyone was listening), and "Bloody well Right" has an annoying campy chorus which clashes rather vigorously with its naive sounding "heavy rock" refrain. I'm in the minority here though, most fans love these tracks - especially "Hide in your Shell".

I'm sure the band knew they had hit the jackpot within a short time of being in the studio, and even though it is highly regarded, I still think the album is generally underrated - it is one of the strongest albums of the era, and straight away I would suggest that anyone who loves seventies music of any kind should own this album. The cover design looks great too, and what a great title for a rock album!

I recall the name 'Supertramp' appearing among the cover scribbles of school exercise books in the mid-1970s. This was the album that started it, one of the heavyweight rock releases of the era. Though Roger Hodgson's distinctive keyboard style on the hit, 'Dreamer' became a band trademark, 'Crime Of The Century' otherwise features guitar just as prominently, together with liberal touches of sax and clarinet. 'School,' though, kicks off with plaintive harmonica. Like several tracks, it starts slowly before bursting into its main theme. Apart from 'Dreamer,' almost every track is a mini-epic, featuring changes of tempo, volume, etc. As with a lot of ambitious music of this era, the songs grow on you, but they are pretty enticing to begin with. The lyrical content is sometimes well-worn, but the band put it across well. The title track provides a suitably dramatic finish. 'If Everyone Was Listening' is probably the weakest track, but it isn't actually weak. Enough said.

Beautiful album. I loved the LP and I love the CD just as much. Forget what my fellow oldies say about youth of today not appreciating this stuff. Of course they do. It's fresh it's vibrant and it tells you what school is all about! Rebel again and treat yourself to some beautifully crafted keyboard centred rock that stirs you up, chills you out and inspires you. Best track - Hide in your shell - one of my favourite songs by anyone ever! Probably the most cohesive Supertramp album, certainly the moodiest/darkest and its always been my favourite. Breakfast in America is too superficial and the others have some excellent tracks but some weak fillers this one is end to end brilliance with Hodgson and Davies both at the top of their game.

this album (sorry cd) typifies the growth of sound in the seventies - every track is awesome, even now thirty odd years later it still sounds as fresh and vibrant as ever. Personally I prefer this to Breakfast In America (which is excellent) As a review I give this a 10 out of 10.