Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 5051083038119
Label: Red Phone Box
Manufacturer: Red Phone Box
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Red Phone Box
Release Date: September 29, 2008
Studio: Red Phone Box

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Disc 1:

1. Chinese Blues
2. J Smith
3. Something Anything
4. Long Way Down
5. Broken Mirror
6. Last Words
7. Quite Free
8. Get Up
9. Friends
10. Song To Self
11. Before You Were Young

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Editorial Review:

Amazon.co.uk Review:
Our obsession with the weather has long been entrenched in the national psyche, but rarely--if ever--has it had so very much influence over the fortunes of one music career. But in the same way that it supposedly informs our resolute British demeanour (and capacity for standing hail-lashed in queues), seldom have we seen a band quite as stoic in the face of diminishing interest. Travis' existence, in spite of a decent smattering of personable successes, begins and ends with the enduring popularity of "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" and those festival sets at the turn of the century that celebrated career-defining downpours. Everything before and after, with a couple of brief exceptions, became mere footnotes. Agreeable albums hung off an agreeable single or two continue to come and go, but sixth album Ode to J. Smith is a rarity for Travis in that it wholeheartedly answers their original manifesto--namely "All I Wanna Do Is Rock". Well and truly plugged back in after a decade of polite acoustic dalliances "J. Smith" condenses a fit of prog-rock audacity down to a surprisingly effective three minute pop song and "Something Anything" thrashes out a guitar solo to conduct the lightening. The banjo-waltz of "Last Words" and piano lament of "Before We Were Young" may tip their hat at the pocket-sized Travis of old, but even those songs burst with certainty from beneath their beige woollens before they're done. No longer should they be considered musical "Driftwood", then. --James Berry




Rating: - Pleasant surprise
This album is a pleasant surprise! Having spent many, many happy years listening to Travis on recording and live I thought that there time had been and gone but seems there is life in the old dogs yet!! Well, they are not that old but you get the drift. Each track is unmistakably Travis, mildly rocking and well written. There are no bad tracks but to be fair none that are outstanding either. My personal faves are "Friends", "Chinese Blues" and "J.Smith" and "Before You Were Young". All in it is Travis ... Read More

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Rating: - the edgier side of Travis
I have to admit Travis has never totally sold me. The music has been very easy-listening and not particularly exciting...sort of like Take That. I bought this cd because I dj and need to have the newest material by British contemporary artists. I popped it on in the car and was surprised to hear an edgier (though not together appealing) on the opening tracks. I persevered and continued to listen and about half-way through the cd I found some songs I really liked a lot. The acoustic based "Gotta Get Up" ... Read More

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Rating: - Rather different from the last one
This album has been given 4 stars mainly because I do not find it as "instant" as their last album The Boy With No Name, which in my opinion is their best to date. This album starts with the oriental sounding guitars on Chinese Blues. The track J. Smith I find a little hard to get into at the moment, but I am sure will grow to like it in time. The album really starts to pick up with the very catchy Last Words, which is followed by the very melodic Quite Free. One of my favourite tracks is saved until the ... Read More

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Rating: - Wow!
Unexpected. It is brilliant. I checked out the reviews on Wikipedia and noticed the strong reviews. Quite Free, Song To Self, Chinese Blues, Before You Were Young are all in my top 10 Travis songs at least. And they sound amazing on the ears. But songs like Broken Mirror, Last Words, Friends are also really brilliant. The only let down is Get Up, and even that's ok. If you've ever liked Travis, i recommend this. It is definitely their best album since The Invisible Band. Just a shame to see it drop down the ... Read More

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Rating: - Ode to F. Healy (and the other three)
What a nice suprise this was, i didnt even know they were releasing a new album and then i saw it on the shelf and just bought it! a wonderful story, i know.. and a wonderful album aswell! no duds here, Chinese Blues is one heck of a song.. well theyre all very good, i think my favourite is Friends and im not sure why, anyway... buy the album, you wont regret it!

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