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Ode to J. Smith |  | Artist: Travis
Label: Red Phone Box
Category: Music
List Price: £13.99
Buy New: £2.50
as of 22/11/2009 20:09 GMT details
You Save: £11.49 (82%)
New (22) Used (9) Collectible (1) from £1.98
Seller: enigmadirect
Rating:  12 reviews
Sales Rank: 9079
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
EAN: 5051083038119
ASIN: B001E1GXHS
Release Date: September 29, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Chinese Blues | | • | J Smith | | • | Something Anything | | • | Long Way Down | | • | Broken Mirror | | • | Last Words | | • | Quite Free | | • | Get Up | | • | Friends | | • | Song To Self | | • | Before You Were Young |
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| Editorial Reviews:
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 iOde to J. Smith/i 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. i--James Berry/i
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 12
 Travis' Best One Yet January 9, 2009
MDD (UK)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I actually got this for my sister as a Christmas present - oh how I regret that! I borrowed it and I was blown away by it. I wasn't expecting anything too special, I just thought it would be more of the same from Travis. I was wrong. Electric guitars and edgieness are in, and hell do they benefit from it. Think of it as a much more mature Good Feeling (their debut album). Problem with their debut was - as good as it was - you knew Oasis did that sort of anthemic rockers better. No Oasis influence here - it's just all Travis here.
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br /In a year in which everyone went on about Elbow, Coldplay, Oasis, Duffy, Adele etc, this is quite easily the album of 2008. Just a shame nobody cares about the real music like this. But what do the music buyers know? This is a truly great hidden gem.
It would be a Travis-ty if you didn't love this long-awaited album. September 29, 2008
Guitar Heroine (Liverpool, England.)
10 out of 14 found this review helpful
I shall begin with a summary of each song.
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br /Chinese Blues is very catchy and sounds very commercial and upbeat and would be great on the radio but this vibe masks a more profound set of lyrics. This track is very similar in these characteristics to their previous hit single Side.
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br /J. Smith is, according to Travis, just a randomly made up name, one of the most common out there, just to devise a name for a character. As someone who studied Latin and still can decipher it to this day, I find the addition of this language in the second verse highly amusing, especially the line which translates roughly as "coal in your arse for eternity." Naughty Mr Healy!! Another big point of interest is the choir. Brilliant, unique track which is also catchy and would sound great on the radio.
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br /Something Anything is another catchy, very listenable track with lyrics which speak to me and have meaning for me, and would widely appeal. The chorus in particular is very anthemic and I can easily picture crowds singing along to this at one of their shows (please tour soon, lads!)
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br /Long Way Down carries on the catchy, upbeat feel to this album and is also easy to sing along to.
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br /Broken Mirror is a short track with haunting and effecting lyrics, and it breaks away from the until now constantly punchy and happy sound of the album. Healy's voice sends shivers down my spine.
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br /Last Words returns to the catchy and upbeat theme, well moderately so. There is a lot of lyrical repetition in this track and it's a slightly weaker track for me but it's a song which would still appeal to fans as it's easy to remember and sing along to.
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br /Quite Free is very cool and upbeat sounding, and reminds me of summer and makes me think of festivals. Like Chinese Blues, this disguises a more deep set of lyrics and an overall theme.
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br /Get Up is a very acoustic sounding track and very cool. It sounds slightly like a jam and a little raw but in a very good way. Quite probably the most catchy song on the album, this is a fun addition to the mix.
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br /Friends is a really sweet and heartfelt track and one which everyone can relate to so a sure-fire hit and for this reason, I am sure it will be released as a single and will get a lot of praise and airplay, which it of course deserves.
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br /Song To Self is another obvious single choice; classic Travis. Great instrumentals and brilliant lyrics with feeling behind both their conception and their performance.
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br /Before You Were Young closes the album on a positive note and I love the addition of the piano. It's a beautiful little reflective song which moved me.
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br /Overall, I can say this album is certainly worth the wait and is Travis at their best. I prefer this album to 12 Memories, and it's up there with The Man Who and The Invisible Band. A future classic, and classic Travis.
Wow! October 8, 2008
MusicWoo (England)
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
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 charts so quickly because this is the best album of the year. Bland? Dull? Boring? Not with this! The songs are up on Travis' MySpace so give it a listen. Great to have you back Travis.
Just love it January 26, 2009
Mr Happy
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Travis are a relatively recent discovery for me - it's my age, you know - but I've loved everything I've heard from them, and this CD is no exception. In a world of rip-off musical mediocrity, thank goodness there is still some real talent out there. Can't wait for the next one.
New sound, but suceeded with style! October 7, 2008
SJ Hitchcock (Berkshire, UK)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
For me this album has been longly awaited! The 3 singles (J. Smith, Something Anything, and Song to Self) set this album up to be amazing, and the lads from Travis have certainly not dissapointed!
br /They have changed their sound quite abit, introduced more instruments and digital backing , all bringing it together to have quite a rough, yet complex and mastered sound.
br /I strongly recommend this album as it is, in my opinion, one of the best albums this year!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 12
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