- Ode to J. Smith
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Ode to J. Smith Studio album by Travis Released 29 September 2008 Recorded February–March 2008 RAK Studios Genre Alternative rock, indie rock Length 36:56 Label Red Telephone Box, Fontana Producer Emery Dobyns Travis chronology The Boy with No Name
(2007)Ode to J. Smith
(2008)Singles from Ode to J. Smith - "J. Smith"
Released: June 30, 2008 - "Something Anything"
Released: September 15, 2008 - "Song to Self"
Released: January 5, 2009
Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating BBC (Favourable) link Daily Record link
Evening Standard link
Evening Telegraph (8/10) link God Is in the TV Zine link
Metro link
MusicOMH link
News Of The World link
Pitchfork Media (5.0/10) link Planet Sound (8/10) link Ode to J. Smith is the sixth studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Travis, released on 29 September 2008 in the United Kingdom and received generally positive reviews. The album was released in the United States on 4 November 2008.[1] The first single from the album, "Something Anything", was released on 15 September, and despite being generally well received by Travis fans gained very little airplay.[2]
Ode to J. Smith entered the UK Album Chart at #20, and spent 3 weeks on the chart. The album peaked at #122 on the Billboard 200. In the December 2008 issue of Q Magazine, Ode to J Smith appeared at number 28 on a list of the Readers' Best Albums Of 2008.
Contents
Background
The band announced in December 2007 that a short tour was planned for February 2008, with only five dates in different small club venues around the UK. Shortly after, they would start recording their sixth studio album. Singer/songwriter Fran Healy said he would like to record the entire album in two weeks,[3] having been inspired by the speed and simplicity of their recent recording session with Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick while participating in a BBC programme celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album. The band road-tested the new material in their February 2008 club shows. It was announced in February 2008 that Travis have left Independiente Records as they had "come to the end of our deal and decided to go as it was time to start afresh", according to Healy. The band recorded the album at RAK Studios in London for two weeks between February and March. Afterward, Healy went to mix the record in New York between March and April. The cover image of the eye is an exact copy of a design by Omnific created for an early 1980s Penguin Books edition of the Roald Dahl short story collection, Someone Like You. Fran Healy announced on the band's official website, that 1000 copies of the song "J. Smith" had been pressed and would be available to buy as an EP called J. Smith EP, along with two other new songs, from 30 June 2008. However, Healy confirmed that the EP would not be the 'official' first single from the album, which was "Something Anything". The EP was released on 'Red Telephone Box Records', which was the label Travis set up to release their first EP "All I Want to Do Is Rock" 12 years previously.[4]
Tracklisting
All songs written by Francis Healy, except where noted.
- "Chinese Blues" – 3:46
- "J. Smith" – 3:04
- "Something Anything" (Healy, Dougie Payne) – 2:22
- "Long Way Down" (Healy, Payne) – 2:39
- "Broken Mirror" – 3:12
- "Last Words" (Healy, Payne) – 4:11
- "Quite Free" (Healy, Payne, Andy Dunlop) – 4:00
- "Get Up" (Healy, Payne) – 3:13
- "Friends" – 3:24
- "Song to Self" – 3:46
- "Before You Were Young" – 3:19
- Japanese Bonus Track
- 12. "Sarah" - 4:26
Charts
Chart (2008) Peak
positionUK Album Chart 20 Austrian Album Charts 36 Swiss Album Charts 16 French Albums Top 150 87 German Singles Charts 49 Italian Album Charts 95 Norwegian Album Charts 27 Mexican Albums Chart 25 U.S Billboard 200 122 Personnel
- Francis Healy – vocals, guitar, harmonica
- Andy Dunlop – guitar
- Dougie Payne – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Neil Primrose – drums
References
- ^ "Ode To J. Smith - the new album". travisonline.com. 2008-08-05. http://www.travisonline.com/news/ode-to-j-smith---the-new-album/. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
- ^ "New Single: Something Anything". travisonline.com. 2008-07-31. http://www.travisonline.com/news/new-single-something-anything/. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
- ^ Fran Healy Album 6 - Blog 1
- ^ Fran Healy announces new EP
Francis Healy · Dougie Payne · Andy Dunlop · Neil Primrose Studio albums Good Feeling · The Man Who · The Invisible Band · 12 Memories · The Boy with No Name · Ode to J. SmithOther Albums Singles · WreckorderSingles "All I Want to Do Is Rock" · "U16 Girls" · "Tied to the 90s" · "Happy" · "More Than Us" · "Writing to Reach You" · "Driftwood" · "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" · "Turn" · "Coming Around" · "Sing" · "Side" · "Flowers in the Window" · "Re-Offender" · "The Beautiful Occupation" · "Love Will Come Through" · "Walking in the Sun" · "Closer" · "Selfish Jean" · "My Eyes" · "J. Smith" · "Something Anything" · "Song to Self"DVDs More Than Us · Travis at the PalaceProducers Concert Tours Good Feeling tour · The Man Who Tour · The Invisible Band Tour · 12-Memories Tour · US And Canada 2009 TourRelated articles Discography · List of songsCategories:- 2008 albums
- Travis (band) albums
- "J. Smith"
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