It Was the Best of Times It Was the Best of Times It Was the Best of Times is the third live album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in April 1999. The album title makes use of the opening line from "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens. "It Was the Best of Times" was recorded in September 1997 at the Royal Albert Hall, London, England, UK during the "It's About Time" tour (set up in support of the "Some Things Never Change" studio album). The band includes vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Mark Hart performing songs originally sung by Roger Hodgson. Supertramp are also augmented by
It Was Written that the former has Nas "rapping his way to anarchy in an imagined world where he kicks discipline to the curb and good times rule." In the song, he states that he would "open every cell in Attica/send them to Africa". The latter is an account on the impact of drugs in Nas's neighborhood. The song contains smooth bass lines and frail drums, and it features an interpolation of the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" (1983). The album also features guest appearances from Mobb Deep and The Firm, a supergroup which was initially composed of Nas, AZ, Cormega