Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Supertramp
Label: A&M Records / Interscope
Released: 1982
Running time: 47:35
Rating: 3.5/5
»…Famous Last Words…« was the farewell album of guitarist/vocalist Roger Hodgson as a member of the British art rock icons Supertramp. Right after the tour wrapped in 1982, he decided to go solo, and that was the end of the classic lineup of this legendary band. Plenty of Supertramp fans still regret his decision today, because after Hodgson left, the band never again reached its old, lofty standards in the studio, and they became a much less interesting act live, too. Contrary to popular belief, Roger didn’t leave because of friction with keyboardist/vocalist Rick Davies, even though the two had plenty of clashes in the past, mostly because their personalities were completely different. He left because, after moving to the US, he wanted to devote himself as much as possible to his newly built family, and the (physical, creative and emotional) distance between him and the rest of the band just kept growing.
Because Roger recorded his vocal lines separately in his American studio, where he didn’t want to leave his wife and two small kids, the making of »…Famous Last Words…« dragged on well past the planned schedule. On top of that, both main songwriters, Hodgson and Davies, had to make a string of songwriting compromises on this record. Their views on the stylistic direction of »…Famous Last Words…« were almost diametrically opposed: Davies, who had by then written the ambitious, 10-plus-minute epic »Brother Where You Bond«, wanted to return to Supertramp’s prog rock roots, while Hodgson wanted to keep going in the more pop rock direction of the previous two studio albums.
In the end nobody was happy. Davies had to save his ambitious, socially critical prog rock epic for the next, self-titled album, while most of the songs on »…Famous Last Words…« were commercial and clearly aimed at stringing together new pop rock hits, though mostly far from the standards of »Breakfast in America« (1979). Listening to the lion’s share of the tracks, it’s obvious that the band members, especially Hodgson, who could hardly wait to walk out the door, didn’t write them ‘with heart and soul’ but because they had to fulfill their record contract. The lyrics, too, had little of the playful, sharp, sarcastic and socially biting humor that marked most of the earlier Supertramp albums. Roger and Rick split the vocal duties fairly democratically, trading places at the mic from one song to the next.
Still, most of the songs on »Famous Last Words« were superbly arranged, and in terms of musicianship and virtuosity there’s really nothing to fault in the individual tracks, as the lucid, bouncy opener »Crazy« already proves, with Hodgson’s traditionally melancholic vocal approach standing out over churning Wurlitzer electric piano lines and sax passages. Davies’ country-and-blues hybrid »Put On Your Brown Shoes« comes off much less interesting; it would have worked better with a bigger pinch of humor and more rhythmic variety. Hodgson’s sparkling pop rocker »It’s Raining Again«, marked above all by its slick vocal harmonies and splendid piano passages, plus an energetic sax solo from John Anthony Helliwell, was one of Supertramp’s last hits, so it’s no surprise that it’s the best-known track on »…Famous Last Words…«.
»Bonnie« is a decent power ballad built on sophisticated piano arrangements and Rick’s traditional, gritty vocal lead, with which he sets the pace for the backing harmonies. »Know Who You Are« is a lovely, melancholic pastoral ballad with Roger on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, and stylistically it’s completely different from the rest of his songs on this album. With the playful pop ballad »My Kind of Lady«, which also features falsetto vocal harmonies, Rick managed to land another hit, although by usual Supertramp standards it’s a fairly average effort, one that mostly lacks atmospheric variety and clever lyrics.
Roger’s »C’Est Le Bon« is yet another pastoral ballad with melancholic acoustic arrangements, while Rick’s art rock outing »Waiting So Long« shows a somewhat darker side of this legendary lineup for the first time in ages, with Roger shining on a brilliant guitar solo. The title of best track on the album goes to the closer »Don’t Leave Me Now«, where Roger, with his farewell song, proves one last time as a Supertramp member that he’s a master of drama and indescribable melancholy, with superb organ and sax variations keeping devoted company with him throughout. He also delivers one of the best guitar solos in the band’s entire story.
Of all the Supertramp albums, »…Famous Last Words…« had the most untapped potential. With more commitment from the whole band, it could have been a much better record than it ended up being. Compared to its predecessor, the hugely successful classic »Breakfast in America«, it was certainly a big letdown, especially on the songwriting front, though looking back today it doesn’t come off as bad at all as a whole. Despite a title that was more than telling and hinted at the imminent departure of their most talented songwriter, Supertramp weren’t actually falling apart at the time. It was just one more playful (and at the same time sad) pun of the kind they always loved. Still, the fact remains that after Hodgson’s departure, despite a brief artistic flash with the next album »Brother Where You Bound« (1985), they never truly recovered, and today, under Davies’ leadership, they’re just a cult band living off past glory.
Lineup
Roger Hodgson – guitar, keyboards, lead and backing vocals
Rick Davies – keyboards, lead and backing vocals, melodica solo on “It’s Raining Again”, harmonica
John Helliwell – saxophones, keyboards
Bob Siebenberg – drums
Dougie Thomson – bass guitar
GUEST SINGERS:
Claire Diament – backing vocals on “Don’t Leave Me Now”
Ann Wilson – backing vocals on “Put On Your Old Brown Shoes”and “C’est Le Bon”
Nancy Wilson – backing vocals on “Put On Your Old Brown Shoes” and “C’est Le Bon”
Production
Peter Henderson, Russel Pope and Supertramp
Track list
1. Crazy (4:32)
2. Put on Your Old Brown Shoes (4:20)
3. It’s Raining Again (4:25)
4. Bonnie (5:37)
5. Know Who You Are (4:58)
6. My Kind of Lady (5:12)
7. C’Est le Bon (5:32)
8. Waiting So Long (6:32)
9. Don’t Leave Me Now (6:25)
