The album cover is what you see at the end of the song, Crime of the Century. I saw Supertramp three times in the 70s. They had a projector and used it for Rudy and Crime of the Century. In the beginning of the song, there is a dot that is coming closer as Rick Davies sings. At the end of of the lyrics and before the instrumental begins you see earth and then it explodes. For the rest of the song the parts of earth fly out until you see the album cover at the end. When earth blew up there was a huge explosion. It was startling in fact. Didn't expect it at all.
Hi! I don't think Roger Hodgson wrote this one. In Supertramp you can generally tell the writer by who sings lead, so it would be Rick Davies here, as well as in Rudy.
To me this is a song about a homeless person on the streets struggling with some mental issues, going through their day, asking for money off strangers, getting taunted by passers (maybe in suits (good morning!). Possibly ranting sometimes at people. Probably paranoid of being thrown into an asylum and trying to hide their mental state from the person who's talking to him/her by saying they are putting it all on, just a game.
That's a fascinating take. About 20% of the panhandlers in my city play this game. Some of them get called out by the regular passers-buy. A funny, but not so funny scene erupts when that happens. Thank you for watching and adding your exciting insight.
The miracle of this song was how its absurdity was able to follow after Roger's over the top cake left out in the rain song "Hide in Your Shell." No anti-climax! Another interesting note about this song is how it introduces the use of backup strings! Back in the day, most A-sides of albums had the legit music and the B-side would get turned over into trash. So, this song was the conclusion to the first side. In contrast, the backside ended with four conclusions with "Rudy" having two endings, "If Everyone Was Listening begging the listener not to quit on the album, and "Crime of the Century" concluding with the mother of all cataclysms.
Thank you for sharing your insightful thoughts on Supertramp's "Asylum." It's fascinating how the song's absurdity follows after the over-the-top "Hide in Your Shell," creating a seamless and engaging experience for the listener. The lack of an anti-climax adds to the intrigue, making it a memorable part of the album. I appreciate your observation about the use of backup strings in the song, adding a unique dimension to the music. It's interesting to learn about the historical context of album sides and how "Asylum" served as a powerful conclusion to the first side. Supertramp's album structure and musical prowess truly make for an extraordinary listening journey.
The album cover is what you see at the end of the song, Crime of the Century. I saw Supertramp three times in the 70s. They had a projector and used it for Rudy and Crime of the Century. In the beginning of the song, there is a dot that is coming closer as Rick Davies sings. At the end of of the lyrics and before the instrumental begins you see earth and then it explodes. For the rest of the song the parts of earth fly out until you see the album cover at the end. When earth blew up there was a huge explosion. It was startling in fact. Didn't expect it at all.
Very cool.
This really is a great song. So underrated.
Thanks for listening. Yes, it really didn’t attract it’s deserved attentions. An overall great story & production.
Hi! I don't think Roger Hodgson wrote this one. In Supertramp you can generally tell the writer by who sings lead, so it would be Rick Davies here, as well as in Rudy.
Very interesting. I generally will go into these songs cold, so I appreciate your feedback and information.
To me this is a song about a homeless person on the streets struggling with some mental issues, going through their day, asking for money off strangers, getting taunted by passers (maybe in suits (good morning!). Possibly ranting sometimes at people. Probably paranoid of being thrown into an asylum and trying to hide their mental state from the person who's talking to him/her by saying they are putting it all on, just a game.
That's a fascinating take. About 20% of the panhandlers in my city play this game. Some of them get called out by the regular passers-buy. A funny, but not so funny scene erupts when that happens. Thank you for watching and adding your exciting insight.
The miracle of this song was how its absurdity was able to follow after Roger's over the top cake left out in the rain song "Hide in Your Shell."
No anti-climax!
Another interesting note about this song is how it introduces the use of backup strings! Back in the day, most A-sides of albums had the legit music and the B-side would get turned over into trash.
So, this song was the conclusion to the first side. In contrast, the backside ended with four conclusions with "Rudy" having two endings, "If Everyone Was Listening begging the listener not to quit on the album, and "Crime of the Century" concluding with the mother of all cataclysms.
Thank you for sharing your insightful thoughts on Supertramp's "Asylum." It's fascinating how the song's absurdity follows after the over-the-top "Hide in Your Shell," creating a seamless and engaging experience for the listener. The lack of an anti-climax adds to the intrigue, making it a memorable part of the album.
I appreciate your observation about the use of backup strings in the song, adding a unique dimension to the music. It's interesting to learn about the historical context of album sides and how "Asylum" served as a powerful conclusion to the first side.
Supertramp's album structure and musical prowess truly make for an extraordinary listening journey.
Good reaction!
Thank you kindly. This was one of the first I did on the channel here.
Rudy and Asylum are Davies tunes, Hodgson sings the alternate parts on these songs.
Thanks for the info. Good to know.
Actually, Davies wrote 4.5 of the albums songs as they both co-wrote "school."
How in the world could you say predictable? They are anything but.
Early days. I’ve come to appreciate them more since creating that video.