It Was the Best of Times

It Was The Best Of Times
Live album by Supertramp
Released	12 April 1999 Double CD version 27 April 1999 Simple CD version
Recorded	19–20 September 1997
Genre	Progressive Rock
Length	130:08 Double CD version 75:22 Simple CD version
Label	EMI Chrysalis Records Oxygen Records (US/Canada)
Producer	Rick Davies
Supertramp chronology
Some Things Never Change (1997) It Was the Best of Times (1999) Is Everybody Listening? (2001)

It Was the Best of Times is a live album by Supertramp. The title makes use of the opening line from A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Recorded in London at the Royal Albert Hall during the It's About Time tour in September 1997. This CD 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.

The album was pulled from performances of the band on tour to support "Somethings Never Change" with vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Mark Hart performing songs originally written and sung by Roger Hodgson. The Simple CD version was latter re-released under the name of "Live, 1997" in 2006.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	Double CD version

Reviewing the double CD edition, Allmusic wrote that in comparison to the single CD version, "...this two-CD set packs on eight further selections from Supertramp's career to that point, still eschewing their first two LPs, without really adding anything to the portrait painted by the slimmer edition."

Track listing

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

Disc 1

1. "It's A Hard World" (Davies)
2. "You Win, I Lose" (Davies)
3. "Listen To Me Please" (Davies)
4. "Ain't Nobody But Me"
5. "Sooner Or Later" (Davies, Mark Hart)
6. "Free As A Bird" (Davies)
7. "Cannonball" (Davies)
8. "From Now On"
9. "Breakfast In America"
10. "Give Me A Chance" (Davies, Hart)
11. "Rudy"

Disc 2

1. "Downstream"
2. "Another Man's Woman"
3. "Take The Long Way Home"
4. "Bloody Well Right"
5. "The Logical Song"
6. "Goodbye Stranger"
7. "School"
8. "And The Light" (Davies)
9. "Don't You Lie To Me (I Get Evil)" (Hudson Whittaker)
10. "Crime Of The Century"

1-CD version: 'Live 1997'

1. "You Win, I Lose" – 4:44 (Davies)
2. "Listen To Me Please" – 5:03 (Davies)
3. "Sooner Or Later" – 7:35 (Davies, Hart)
4. "Free As A Bird" – 4:49 (Davies)
5. "Cannonball" – 7:52 (Davies)
6. "From Now On" – 7:44
7. "Breakfast in America" – 2:47
8. "And The Light" – 5:03 (Davies)
9. "Take The Long Way Home" – 5:10
10. "Bloody Well Right" – 6:58
11. "The Logical Song" – 4:04
12. "Goodbye Stranger" – 7:24
13. "School" – 6:32

The band

• Rick Davies – vocals, keyboards, harmonica
• Bob Siebenberg – drums, percussion
• John Helliwell – saxophone
• Mark Hart – vocals, keyboards, guitars
• Cliff Hugo – bass guitar
• Lee Thornburg – trumpet
• Carl Verheyen – guitars
• Jesse Siebenberg – percussion

Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1999	German Albums Chart	29