Supertramp - It Was the Best of Times (1999)

“It Was The Best Of Times” celebrates the band's heralded 1997 return to the concert stage. The live collection was recorded in September 1997 at London's Royal Albert Hall and captures excitement and tightness of the band.
This album also 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 band is augmented by additional players added for this album and tour as well as “Slow Motion”, the follow-up studio album recorded and released in 2002.
"It Was The Best Of Times," is a fantastic live set, with Rick Davies & the boys recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall in September of '97. The double CD contains the complete 21-song concert in it's entirety, as well as the occasional song introduction from saxophonist John Helliwell, so the album really does give you a marvelous "you are there" feel. Rick Davies & company are simply sensational, delivering smoking-hot live renditions of 'Tramp classics such as "Ain't Nobody But Me," "Cannonball," "Breakfast In America," "Rudy," "Downstream," "Take The Long Way Home," "The Logical Song," "School," and "Crime Of The Century." The material performed from the "Some Things Never Change" album, including "It's A Hard World," "You Win, I Lose," "Sooner Or Later," and "Listen To Me Please" are also wonderfully done. And although former co-leader Roger Hodgson is no longer with the group, his place is taken just fine by Mark Hart, whose voice sounds close enough to Hodgson's, and who sings the Hodgson material perfectly. And, of course, Davies' voice is still as rich-sounding as ever, and his effortless piano-playing outstanding, as is the band's amazing live chemistry. "It Was The Best Of Times" is a truly mind-blowing live set from Supertramp that easily rivals their classic "Paris" concert album.


Disc 1
01. "It's a Hard World" (Davies)  - 9:17
02. "You Win, I Lose" (Davies)  - 4:36
03. "Listen to Me Please" (Davies)  - 5:03
04. "Ain't Nobody But Me"  - 6:14
05. "Sooner or Later" (Davies, Mark Hart)  - 7:35
06. "Free as a Bird" (Davies)  - 4:49
07. "Cannonball" (Davies)  - 7:52
08. "From Now On"  - 8:05
09. "Breakfast in America"  - 2:47
10. "Give Me a Chance" (Davies, Hart)  - 4:39
11. "Rudy"  - 8:05

Disc 2
01. "Downstream"  - 3:53
02. "Another Man's Woman"  - 11:21
03. "Take the Long Way Home"  - 5:10
04. "Bloody Well Right"  - 6:58
05. "The Logical Song"  - 4:04
06. "Goodbye Stranger"  - 6:52
07. "School"  6:27
08. "And the Light" (Davies)  - 5:03
09. "Don't You Lie to Me (I Get Evil)" (Hudson Whittaker)  - 3:31
10. "Crime of the Century"  - 7:46

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

Credits
Rick Davies - Vocals, Keyboards, Harmonica
Bob Siebenberg - Drums, Percussion
John Helliwell - Saxophone
Mark Hart - Vocals, Keyboards, Guitars
Cliff Hugo - Bass Guitar
Lee Thornburg - Trumpet, Trombone
Carl Verheyen - Guitars
Jesse Siebenberg - Percussion
Edited By [Digital Editing By] - Jennifer Munson
Engineer [Assistant Engineer] - Andy Butlin
Engineer [Live Recording Engineered By] - Ken Allardyce
Management - Richard Frankel, Sue Davies
Mastered By - Bob Ludwig
Mixed By [Assistant Engineer] - Lawrence Manchester
Mixed By [Mix Engineered By] - Jay Messina
Photography By [Live Photos] - Andrew Catlin, Dimo Safari
Typography [Supertramp Logotype] - Laura Ljungkvist
Art Direction, Design - Ph.D
Cover - Craig Frazier
Producer - Rick Davies

Notes
Recorded at The Royal Albert Hall, London, England, September 19 and 20, 1997
Mixed at Manhattan Center Studios, New York
Mastered at Gateway Studios, Portland, Maine
Genre: Progressive Rock
Length: 130:08

1999 EMI Records