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Ode to J. Smith | 
| Artist: Travis
Label: Red Phone Box
Category: Music
List Price: £13.99
Buy New: £7.98
You Save: £6.01 (43%)
New (19) Used (5) from £5.74
Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 546
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
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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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 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
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 Pleasant surprise December 3, 2008
Muso (Scotland)
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 in more mature mode as you would expect. It is not "The Man Who" or "Good Feeling" as they were more of the moment if you like but it's a solid, enjoyable album that is not trying to be something it isn't! Worth buying for definite.
the edgier side of Travis October 30, 2008
Janis Schacht (Bronx, NY United States)
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" is very catchy and instantly singable...this is my favorite track. My other favorite "Friends" has more of that signature Travis sound but the lyrics are so lovely that it sucked me in.All in all it's a very listenable cd and worth your time.
Rather different from the last one October 8, 2008
G. Basford (York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
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 end with Before You Were Young, with that lovely piano thrown in for good measure. I would class this album alongside the grittyness of their debut Good Feeling and the darker sound of their 2003 album 12 memories. I suppose I am a bit biased as I saw them on their forest tour to promote the wonderful The Boy With No Name album in 2007. I am sure (as with 12 Memories) that this album is a grower which I will grow to love.
 Wow! October 8, 2008
MusicWoo (England)
3 out of 4 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.
Ode to F. Healy (and the other three) October 7, 2008
J. Bowden (England)
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
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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