It's September of 1974 and Rob is riffing on Supertramp's “Crime of the Century.” (School, Bloody Well Right, Crime of the Century, Dreamer) ENTERTAINMENT THEME: “The Rockford Files.” STAFF PICKS: “The Bitch is Back” by Elton John — Brian. “Starting Over” by the Raspberries — Bruce. “Life is a Rock (but the radio rolled me)” by Reunion — Wayne. “People Gotta Move” by Gino Vanelli — Rob. LAUGH TRACK: “Earache My Eye” by Cheech & Chong.
Rob brings us Supertramp — with their commercial breakthrough, Crime of the Century, their third studio album. Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson rebuilt the group after their first two unsuccessful albums, adding Bob C. Benburg on drums, Dougie Thomson on bass, and John Helliwell as their woodwinds player. Although not a concept album, Crime of the Century loosely follows themes involving loneliness, struggles with conformity, and mental struggles. This album benefits from the very different styles and personalities of Davies and Hodgson, and the tracks have stood the test of time. Join us as we highlight this album and the hits of September 1974.
School
After a soft start with harmonica and kids playing on the playground, this song builds through wistful Hodgson-led lyrics into a jam session with piano and marimba.
Bloody Well Right
Rick Davies takes the lead vocals and shows his keyboard chops on a jazz organ lead-in. Probably one of Rob's all time favorite songs.
Crime of the Century
This title track was the piece that the band felt was the strongest song on the album. The lyrics are self-reflective, where the instigators of the crime of the century are "you and me."
Dreamer
Who can forget this biggest hit from the album? This song was composed by Roger Hodgson at the age of 19. Hodgson and Davies swap vocal duties, with Hodgson taking the high harmonies.
Theme from "The Rockford Files"
James Garner played a down and out detective in this TV series that started in September of 74 and lasted through 1980.
Elton John - The Bitch is Back
Brian's staff pick highlights this song from Elton John's album Caribou. The title comes from Bernie Taupin's wife's description of Elton John's moodiness. Although a popular song, it's title was controversial, and kept it from getting as much airplay as it otherwise might.
The Raspberries - Starting Over
Bruce's pick is from the Cleveland, Ohio group's final album. The Raspberries were influenced by The Beatles and The Who, and you can hear great harmonies in their songs.
Reunion - LIFE IS A ROCK (But the Radio Rolled Me)
Wayne brings us this pick, featuring a fast monotone lyric summary of the artists on the radio at the time.
Gino Vanelli - People Gotta Move
Rob's staff pick has an R&B crossover feel. French Canadian Gino Vanelli was one of the first Caucasian musicians to perform on Soul Train.
Cheech and Chong - Earache My Eye
Cheech and Chong take us out this week with one of their “COUGH-COUGH-HACK” classics.