Travis | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Along with Cast, Ocean Colour Scene, Kula Shaker, and Embrace, Travis were one of the most prominent British trad rock bands in the mid- to late 90s. Following Oasis lead of crafting down-to-earth, heartfelt songs in the vein of classic British bands from the 60s, Travis were more successful and enduring than some of their peers due to their lively, impassioned songwriting and performances. They would go on influence a generation of bands, including Coldplay, Keane, and Snow Patrol. The group formed in Glasgow around 1990 as something of a lark for its members, singer/songwriter Francis Healy, guitarist Andy Dunlop, drummer Neil Primrose, and bassist Dougie Payne. After finishing their studies at art school a few years later, the foursome became more serious about Travis potential and moved to London in 1996. Their self-released debut EP, All I Wanna Do Is Rock, came out in the fall of that year; with its earnest vocals and soaring guitars, it captured the spirit of British rock at the time, which was retreating from some of Brit-pops artiness to a back-to-basics sound. Their second single, 1997s "U16 Girls," was released by Independiente Records, the new label headed by former Go! Discs director Andy MacDonald; a few months later, their critically acclaimed full-length debut, Good Feeling, arrived. Recorded in a matter of days with top producer Steve Lillywhite, the album included hit singles like "Happy" and "Tied to the 90s" and immediately entered the Top Ten of the U.K. charts. The following year, Travis began sessions with star producer Nigel Godrich for the follow-up to Good Feeling, recording in six studios in as many months. Though it was a slower, darker affair, when The Man Who appeared in 1999 it eclipsed Travis previous successes, going platinum six times in the U.K. and spawning more hit singles such as "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" and "Writing to Reach You." Nominated Select Magazines Album of the Year (and finishing in the Top Ten of many other publications year-end lists), The Man Who appeared on U.S. shores in early 2000, just in time for a tour with their musical big brothers, Oasis. Debuting at the number one spot on the U.K. album chart, The Invisible Band was issued in June 2001 just prior to stateside summer gigs with Dido. Two years later, the band issued the thematically darker 12 Memories, which was loosely based on Healys own struggles with depression. A singles collection followed in late 2004. Travis finally returned with an album of all-new material in the spring of 2007 entitled The Boy with No Name, whose arrival was announced by the release of the single "Closer." Travis opted for an edgier sound on Ode to J. Smith, which was released in early fall 2008 in the U.K. and later in the season in the U.S. Their seventh studio album, Where You Stand, was released in the summer of 2013, five years after Ode to J. Smith. The record was previewed with "Another Guy," which displayed a lo-fi, angular side to Travis. The band returned to the legendary Hansa Tonstudio (David Bowie, Depeche Mode, U2) in Berlin to record their eighth album, 2016s Everything at Once, which was preceded by the lead single of the same name in November 2015. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 14 Title: Good Feeling Released: 1997-09-08 Tracks: 12 Duration: 49:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 All I Want to Do Is Rock (03:53) 2 U16 Girls (04:01) 3 The Line Is Fine (04:04) 4 Good Day to Die (03:17) 5 Good Feeling (03:24) 6 Midsummer Nights Dreamin’ (03:54) 7 Tied to the 90’s (03:06) 8 I Love You Anyways (05:30) 9 Happy (04:15) 10 More Than Us (03:57) 11 Falling Down (04:17) 12 Funny Thing (05:19) |
| Good Feeling : Allmusic album Review : Like most post-Oasis bands, Travis are determined to be a classic band, which means they are decidedly classicist in their approach. Travis have the traditional Britpop influences -- Beatles, Kinks, Small Faces, etc. -- which are filtered through such 90s peers as the Stone Roses, Manic Street Preachers, and, of course, Oasis. Fortunately, they arent tied to the 60s, like Cast or Ocean Colour Scene; they try to revitalize the traditions with harder backbeats and louder guitars, and Fran Healys voice often strains at the edge of screaming. That approach can keep their conventional aspects entertaining, but what makes Good Feeling a successful debut is that Healy can write hooks, whether its the anthemic "All I Want to Do Is Rock" or the stompy "U16 Girls." There are several slow spots on Good Feeling that illustrate how the groups sound has its limits, but its a promising debut that establishes Travis as one of the better British trad rock groups. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 14 Title: More Than Us E.P. Released: 1998-03-30 Tracks: 4 Duration: 18:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 More Than Us (03:57) 2 Beautiful Bird (demo version) (06:39) 3 Reason (03:28) 4 More Than Us (acoustic version) (04:49) |
 | Album: 3 of 14 Title: Why Does It Always Rain on Me? Released: 1999 Tracks: 5 Duration: 21:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Why Does It Always Rain on Me? (04:27) 2 Village Man (03:18) 3 Driftwood (04:07) 4 The Urge for Going (06:04) 5 Slide Show (live at the Link Café, Glasgow) (03:14) |
 | Album: 4 of 14 Title: The Man Who Released: 1999-05-24 Tracks: 13 Duration: 59:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Writing to Reach You (03:42) 2 The Fear (04:12) 3 As You Are (04:14) 4 Driftwood (03:34) 5 The Last Laugh of the Laughter (04:20) 6 Turn (04:24) 7 Why Does It Always Rain on Me? (04:25) 8 Luv (04:55) 9 She’s So Strange (03:15) 10 Slide Show / Blue Flashing Light (10:31) 1 Driftwood (04:07) 2 Slide Show (03:15) 3 More Than Us (04:49) |
| The Man Who : Allmusic album Review : After their successful debut album of murky pop, Travis seemingly felt a need to tinker with the formula. The product of this change is The Man Who, a quiet album filled to the brim with atmospheric and introspective ballads. Acoustic guitars and tranquil melodies rule here, as this release is an entirely different affair than the bands revved-up debut. Fortunately for Travis, this disc became a massive U.K. hit, spawning no less than five hugely successful singles. The album highlight is "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?," a sweeping singalong that took England by storm and became one of the biggest hits of 1999. However, despite the publics warm embrace of this album, fans of the "old" Travis may be disappointed. Gone are the arena-ready stompers and the dirty, grimy singalong pop that comprised Good Feeling. Instead, what is left is merely adequate; The Man Who offers pleasant background music, but no truly gripping moments. Its lite rock for late-90s Britain thats, unfortunately, easily forgettable. [The U.S. release of this album, which came almost a year after its initial release, contains three bonus tracks.] | ||
 | Album: 5 of 14 Title: Coming Around Released: 2000-09-27 Tracks: 5 Duration: 16:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Coming Around (03:09) 2 Just the Faces Change (02:25) 3 The Connection (03:44) 4 Rock n Salad Roll (01:59) 5 The Weight (05:12) |
 | Album: 6 of 14 Title: The Invisible Band Released: 2001-06-10 Tracks: 12 Duration: 45:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sing (03:48) 2 Dear Diary (02:57) 3 Side (03:59) 4 Pipe Dreams (04:05) 5 Flowers in the Window (03:41) 6 The Cage (03:05) 7 Safe (04:23) 8 Follow the Light (03:08) 9 Last Train (03:16) 10 Afterglow (04:05) 11 Indefinitely (03:52) 12 The Humpty Dumpty Love Song (05:02) |
| The Invisible Band : Allmusic album Review : After the momentous success achieved with their sophomore effort (The Man Who), Travis return to melodic rock & roll with The Invisible Band is once again personal and earnest. Having spent most of 2000 supporting Oasis and playing their own headlining gigs in the States, Travis remained humble while collecting a dozen solid tracks for another album, most of them plucked from Fran Healys own humming and tinkering around with an acoustic. The Invisible Band finds Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Beck, Neil Finn) mixing and mastering again, and vulnerability found within these songs is what makes Travis a decent band. They are not afraid to be catchy and theyre certainly suckers for a sweet love tune. But Travis is conscious of the unconscious and reflects any kind of lyrical emotion. Debut single "Sing" is charming while addressing inhibitions within a relationship. The banjo is a nice touch, for it becomes a mainstay throughout and adds a slightly different touch versus the simplicities of an acoustic. "Side" and "Flowers in the Window" are instantly endearing with their Beatlesque hooks, but "The Humpty Dumpty Love Song" is Travis finest moment of musical clarity with Healys heart on his sleeve. Written while on tour with Oasis, "The Humpty Dumpty Love Song" reflects a heros fading fervor of love lost -- "All the kings horses and all the kings men/Couldnt pull my heart back together again/All the physicians and mathematicians too/Failed to stop my heart from breaking in two." Indeed, Travis is the basic mans poets and The Invisible Band plays toward the simplicities of humility. Theyve done it again, but with more internal charisma. The Man Who took them from indie angst to melodic humdrum. The Invisible Band perfects the ever-changing growth within the band for something great. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 14 Title: 12 Memories Released: 2003-10-08 Tracks: 14 Duration: 49:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Quicksand (02:39) 2 The Beautiful Occupation (03:46) 3 Re‐Offender (03:47) 4 Peace the Fuck Out (02:55) 5 How Many Hearts (04:46) 6 Paperclips (03:36) 7 Somewhere Else (03:12) 8 Love Will Come Through (03:38) 9 Mid-Life Krysis (03:39) 10 Happy to Hang Around (03:34) 11 Walking Down the Hill (03:54) 12 Some Sad Song (04:35) 13 Definition of Wrong (02:45) 14 12th Memory (02:32) |
| 12 Memories : Allmusic album Review : As much heat as the group received for The Invisible Band not matching the charm of The Man Who, Travis is still a good pop band. To imagine a world without them and their lovely and amusing songs would be a sad thing. In fact, their fourth album, 12 Memories, might never have been if drummer Neil Primrose hadnt survived a tragic dive while vacationing in France in summer 2002. Primrose sustained a spinal injury in a pool accident; thankfully the odds of a recovery were good, and Primrose went through surgery without any complications. 12 Memories is a dark reflection of that time, not to mention a heavy soundscape looking at violence as a whole that stems from a post-September 11th way of life. 12 Memories is their most mature, most explicit, and most somber album, and fans looking for Travis to resort back to the blazing riffs of "All I Wanna Do Is Rock" obviously didnt come of age with the band as they should have. The worlds a fragile place, and Healy wants to talk about it. Hes on his soapbox and instead of pointing a finger in disgust, he and Travis craft beautiful melodies that do just as much damage. From slagging off a media-obsessed America and its political regime on the jaunty, new wave-tinged "The Beautiful Occupation" to the soft piano-pounce of "How Many Hearts," 12 Memories flows without any preconceptions of what Travis released previously. They really dont care. What they care about is love and spreading it through song. Healys look back at his mums spousal abuse on "Re-Offender" finds Travis maintaining a sweet, basic rock sound and hitting you hard in the face. If youre able to appreciate the pleasure and point they bring as a whole, 12 Memories will be a fine listen. If youre hoping they took the Coldplay route, youre in the wrong place. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 14 Title: Singles Released: 2004-11-01 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:07:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sing (03:48) 2 Driftwood (03:34) 3 Writing to Reach You (03:42) 4 Why Does It Always Rain on Me? (04:25) 5 Re‐Offender (03:47) 6 Walking in the Sun (02:58) 7 Tied to the 90’s (03:06) 8 Coming Around (03:07) 9 Flowers in the Window (03:28) 10 Love Will Come Through (03:38) 11 More Than Us (03:57) 12 Side (03:55) 13 U16 Girls (04:01) 14 Happy (04:15) 15 All I Want to Do Is Rock (03:53) 16 The Beautiful Occupation (03:46) 17 Turn (04:24) 18 The Distance (03:47) |
| Singles : Allmusic album Review : Next to Coldplay, no other band was as successful in disseminating post-Britpop in the early 2000s as the Scottish four-piece Travis. Ironically, starting out as a neo-trad rock outfit on its 1997 debut album, Good Feeling, the band soon experienced a kind of soft rock epiphany and by its 1999 follow-up, The Man Who, was pursuing a decidedly more low-key acoustic sound. Centered around the delicately sanguine vocals of Fran Healy, Travis found radio-friendly currency with such melancholy anthems as "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?," "Sing," and "Flowers in the Window." However, despite a knack for catchy melodies and heartfelt lyrical sentiments, Travis albums often have a "samey" quality, which makes Singles such a pleasant addition to the bands catalog. Featuring every one of Travis singles -- including the aforementioned hits -- as well as a new cut, Singles works as a great introduction to the band, hitting all the high points while avoiding any mid-album filler. Of course, some memorable album tracks like "Safe" cant technically be included here, and fans will have to wait for the inevitable "best-of" disc for a more complete Travis picture. Until then, Singles will do just fine, thanks. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 14 Title: Closer Released: 2007 Tracks: 3 Duration: 10:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Closer (04:00) 2 The Day To Day (02:48) 3 This Love (04:05) |
 | Album: 10 of 14 Title: The Boy With No Name Released: 2007-05-02 Tracks: 12 Duration: 52:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 3 Times and You Lose (04:14) 2 Selfish Jean (04:00) 3 Closer (04:00) 4 Big Chair (04:07) 5 Battleships (04:11) 6 Eyes Wide Open (02:59) 7 My Eyes (04:08) 8 One Night (04:00) 9 Under the Moonlight (04:00) 10 Out in Space (03:35) 11 Colder (04:06) 12 New Amsterdam / Sailing Away (09:26) |
| The Boy With No Name : Allmusic album Review : Early in their career, Travis sounded like Oasis crossed with U2, and as the years rolled steadily on, they gradually replaced Oasis with Radiohead, without ditching that devotion U2. Travis may have cut out any of their overt rock influences, yet they retained the everyday, boys-next-door image that was so common in all the post-Britpop guitar bands, and that humility served them well on their 1999 sophomore effort, The Man Who, a commercial breakthrough that also established the soft, shimmering sound that was their signature. Unfortunately for them, not long after that album, they were eclipsed by Coldplay, another Radiohead-U2 fusion that managed to keep some sense of majesty to their music, something that Travis, sensible lads that they are, seemed to studiously avoid. In the wake of that simultaneous success and eclipse, the group survived some professional and personal struggles, taking four years to record their fifth album, 2007s The Boy with No Name. Far from being a long-gestating leap forward, The Boy with No Name offers a comfortable, familiar Travis, but there is a slight, subtle difference: the band has truly embraced their modesty, settling into their gentleness. Theres a mild, untroubling weariness to their performances here that suits them quite well; it deepens the music, makes their deliberate tempos resonate, it makes the quietness feel contemplative, it even makes the cleanliness of the production feel right, a reflection of their maturity. If the melodies dont really dig in, they nevertheless float sweetly, meshing into the overall fabric and feel of the album. If the music never quite soars, it never seems as if the band is struggling in vain to achieve take-off, either. For the first time since The Man Who, Travis doesnt seem to strive to achieve something, they just exist, and their music is better for it. Theyre still ordinary, almost painfully so, but they dont seem pedestrian, they seem to have weathered some ups and downs, channeling that experience into an album that has a slight, yet palpable, emotional resonance that their predecessors often lacked. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 14 Title: Ode to J. Smith Released: 2008-09-22 Tracks: 11 Duration: 36:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Chinese Blues (03:44) 2 J. Smith (03:07) 3 Something Anything (02:21) 4 Long Way Down (02:36) 5 Broken Mirror (03:08) 6 Last Words (04:09) 7 Quite Free (03:58) 8 Get Up (03:10) 9 Friends (03:21) 10 Song to Self (03:44) 11 Before You Were Young (03:16) |
| Ode to J. Smith : Allmusic album Review : Considering that Travis has spent the years since 1999s The Man Who settling into a quiet, unperturbed groove, it comes as a bit of a relief to hear Travis open Ode to J. Smith with a rush of guitars on "Chinese Blues." For some bands, this surge of six strings may seem reserved but for Travis its positively rude, a welcome attempt to reconnect to their Brit-pop roots, when they were seen as heirs to Oasis lad-friendly rock. As it turns out, Travis spent more time floating in Radioheads wake -- with their innate politeness at times turning them into Coldplays cousins -- and they dont escape that spacy, tasteful vibe on Ode to J. Smith, spending as much time ruminating as rocking. Nevertheless, the uptick in guitars gives Travis some definition -- more along the lines of extra texture than muscle -- and this gives the album some added color, especially when compared to its gentle, sepia-toned predecessor The Boy with No Name, which was otherwise appealing. Ode isnt quite as strong song-wise as The Boy but it makes up for the difference with its deepened palette -- again, this palette may not be as rich as some of their peers, but compared to Travis other work of the past decade, this is richer and livelier as sheer sonics go. Now if they could find a way to marry this feel to the songcraft of The Boy with No Name, theyd wind up with an album that fulfilled the promise of both Good Feeling and The Man Who. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 14 Title: Where You Stand Released: 2013-08-14 Tracks: 13 Duration: 49:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Mother (03:58) 2 Moving (04:32) 3 Reminder (03:21) 4 Where You Stand (03:39) 5 Warning Sign (03:51) 6 Another Guy (03:41) 7 A Different Room (03:58) 8 New Shoes (03:33) 9 On My Wall (02:52) 10 Boxes (04:22) 11 The Big Screen (04:15) 12 Anniversary (03:55) 13 Parallel Lines (03:49) |
| Where You Stand : Allmusic album Review : When Fran Healy sings "Why did we wait so long" on "Mother," the opening song on Travis seventh album, he could be addressing his band, which spent nearly five years between 2008s Ode to J. Smith and its 2013 follow-up, Where You Stand. The extra time off has done the band some good. Toward the end of the 2000s, Travis started to sag under their own weight, as the group slowly grew more ponderous, and while it certainly cant be said that Where You Stand is effervescent, it is more nimble than either Ode or The Boy with No Name, and it boasts a greater variety of tempos and textures, as well. Travis acknowledges a few passing pop trends -- "Reminder" opens with a whistle that echoes Peter, Bjorn & Johns "Young Folks" however fleetingly -- but the best moments arrive when they either kick up the tempo or turn up the amplifier. Oddly, this happens the most on the back half of the album, as they run through a tight glammy shuffle on "Warning Sign," pulse attractively on "Another Guy," flirt with a dark seductive groove on "New Shoes," and conclude with "On My Wall," their loudest song in years. This stretch of songs is the liveliest collection Travis has cut since the 90s, and its heartening to hear them reconnect with some of the wilder aspects that informed their earliest records. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 14 Title: Everything at Once Released: 2016-04-29 Tracks: 10 Duration: 33:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 What Will Come (02:56) 2 Magnificent Time (02:50) 3 Radio Song (02:59) 4 Paralysed (02:49) 5 Animals (03:43) 6 Everything at Once (02:59) 7 3 Miles High (02:46) 8 All of the Places (03:31) 9 Idlewild (03:52) 10 Strangers on a Train (04:52) |
| Everything at Once : Allmusic album Review : Over the span of almost three decades, Scottish indie rock stalwarts Travis have persevered, both holding faithful to the sound that they helped break into the U.K. mainstream in the 90s and rocking long enough to watch their sonic progeny spread their wings and fly off in various artistic directions (see: Coldplay, Keane, Snow Patrol). And through it all, Travis remained reliable, seldom veering too far from the center. On their eighth album, Everything at Once -- a long-form commentary on modern life in the 21st century -- they revive familiar sounds and also push themselves into more cheerful and unencumbered directions. Vocalist Fran Healys voice remains tender as ever on plaintive throwbacks like the strumming "All of the Places" and the warm "What Will Come," both of which would fit seamlessly on The Man Who or The Invisible Band. Rougher-edged moments like the 90s nostalgic "Radio Song" and the Muse-lite Wild West epic "Paralysed" sidle up nicely with the darker 12 Memories or Ode to J.Smith, their heaviest album to date. The highlights are the three most surprising tracks on Everything. "Magnificent Time" -- inspired, in part, by Keanes Tim Rice-Oxley -- is a positively ebullient number that bursts with joy. Within the Travis discography, its a bit jolting -- think "Selfish Jean" with a lot more sunshine -- but the bands happiness is infectious. The title track, penned by bassist Dougie Payne, injects a funky strut to the album, with a slinky bassline and speak-singing reminiscent of Achtung Baby/Zooropa-era U2. "Idlewild," a magical duet with English singer/songwriter Josephine Oniyama, pops up toward the end of the album. Theres a slightly disconcerting tone, despite the gorgeous manner in which Healy and Oniyama trade off verses, like a less scary version of Nick Caves Murder Ballad duet with Kylie Minogue. The album closes with the uplifting radio-ready U2-meets-OneRepublic "Strangers on a Train." All at once, it reflects both the bands that influenced them and the ones that they have influenced over the years. The albums title may refer to modern societys urge for instant gratification, but it also provides a symbolic nod to what Travis have done over the course of their career. Everything at Once is their liveliest and most lighthearted effort to date, a celebration of both their legacy and their maturity. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 14 Title: Live At Glastonbury ‘99 Released: 2019-06-21 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:08:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Blue Flashing Light (Live At Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (03:38) 2 The Fear (Live At Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (04:19) 3 Writing To Reach You (Live At Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (04:00) 4 Good Feeling (Live At Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (03:33) 5 U16 Girls (Live At Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (04:30) 6 As You Are (Live At Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (05:56) 7 Why Does It Always Rain On Me? (Live At Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (04:57) 8 Coming Around (Live At Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (03:49) 9 All I Want To Do Is Rock (Live At Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (04:23) 10 Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah (Live At Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (03:32) 11 Good Day To Die (Live At Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (04:03) 12 More Than Us (Live At Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (04:19) 13 Driftwood (Live At Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (04:30) 14 Slide Show (Live At Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (03:42) 15 Turn (Live At Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (04:48) 16 Happy (Live At Glastonbury Festival / 1999) (04:46) |