This pair of reissues marks the inaugural nexus of Supertramp’s catalog and the mastering work of Miles Showell, renowned for his half-speed remastering technique that has been revitalizing, on vinyl, dozens of classic rock recordings over the past decades. That’s basically the headline here: that two of Supertramp’s gems are back on vinyl and, conceivably, sounding as good as ever, thanks to Showell’s craftsmanship at Abbey Road Studios.

Granted, Showell’s hand is not without its critics. The audiophile community always seems eager to spark a discussion as to whether or not any newly remastered issues meet the sonic standard of the original LPs. Essentially, that’s a matter of opinion. Still, several things are undeniable with these two.

One, having a pair from Supertramp’s impressive discography emerge on clean, super-quiet vinyl pressings is reason enough to celebrate. Especially given that Crime of the Century was the album, really, that broke the band, with its ubiquitous, immortal FM hits, “Bloody Well Right” and “Dreamer.” And, that Crisis? What Crisis? gets another chance to be appreciated for so much more than just as a successor to Crime, five decades ago struggling in the shadow of the mega-watt glare of that killer record.

In fact, Crisis? What Crisis? may be the bigger winner coming out of the simultaneous release of these two long-players. Its exotic drama, progressive and conceptual sonic outlay, and particularly nuanced arrangements show some incredibly skilled effort, delivered under the gun of a label anxious for the follow-up. Admittedly, it’s a bit resolved to its own depleted energy supply- after the massive touring for Crime– yet that works to its advantage when listened to back to back with its predecessor. It’s the come-down, and it’s a beautiful one, to be appreciated fully now 50 years later.

Showell’s mastering does its job as well as ever, and fulfills the expectation of the sales pitch, yet the stronger incentive could be, simply, the chance to snag these jewels on vinyl and revel in both of their respective glories.