Ode to J. Smith
Encyclopedia
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. 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.
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.
said he would like to record the entire album in two weeks, 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.
, except where noted.
Japanese Bonus Track
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Travis
Travis (band)
Travis are a post-Britpop band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Fran Healy , Dougie Payne , Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose...
, released on 29 September 2008 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and received generally positive reviews. The album was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on 4 November 2008. The first single from the album, "Something Anything
Something Anything
"Something Anything" is the second single taken from Indie band Travis' sixth studio album Ode To J. Smith. The single peaked at #113 on the UK Singles Chart, due to a major lack of promotion-Background:The single was released on September 15, 2008...
", was released on 15 September, and despite being generally well received by Travis fans gained very little airplay.
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
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. In the December 2008 issue of Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
Magazine, Ode to J Smith appeared at number 28 on a list of the Readers' Best Albums Of 2008.
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 HealyFrancis Healy
Francis "Fran" Healy is a Scottish musician. He is currently the lead singer and main songwriter of the Scottish band Travis, having written nearly all of the songs on their six studio albums. He is based in Berlin, Germany...
said he would like to record the entire album in two weeks, having been inspired by the speed and simplicity of their recent recording session with Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
engineer Geoff Emerick
Geoff Emerick
Geoffrey Emerick is an English recording studio audio engineer, who is best known for his work with The Beatles' albums Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles and Abbey Road...
while participating in a BBC programme celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin...
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
Independiente Records
Independiente is a record label formed in 1997 after Andy MacDonald sold Go! Discs Records to PolyGram in 1996 for a reported £30 million. In the UK, the label is distributed Vital PIAS....
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
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
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
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
edition of the Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
short story collection, Someone Like You
Someone Like You (collection)
Someone Like You is a collection of short stories by Roald Dahl. It was published in 1953 by Alfred Knopf.-Contents:* "Dip in the Pool"* "Galloping Foxley"* "Lamb to the Slaughter"* "Man from the South"* "Mr. Feasey"* "Mr...
. Fran Healy announced on the band's official website, that 1000 copies of the song "J. Smith
J. Smith (song)
"J. Smith" is the first single from Indie band Travis' sixth studio album Ode to J. Smith, released as a limited edition E.P. on both 10" vinyl and CD single, with only 1,000 copies made of each. The song reached #1 on the UK Indie Chart on July 6, 2008, mainly due to strong...
" had been pressed and would be available to buy as an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
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
Something Anything
"Something Anything" is the second single taken from Indie band Travis' sixth studio album Ode To J. Smith. The single peaked at #113 on the UK Singles Chart, due to a major lack of promotion-Background:The single was released on September 15, 2008...
". 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
All I Want to Do Is Rock
"All I Want to Do is Rock" is the debut single from Scottish band, Travis. Originally released as a 10" vinyl on the Red Telephone Box label in 1996, it was fully re-released by Independiente Records a year later, after the band signed with the label to record Good Feeling...
" 12 years previously.
Tracklisting
All songs written by Francis HealyFrancis Healy
Francis "Fran" Healy is a Scottish musician. He is currently the lead singer and main songwriter of the Scottish band Travis, having written nearly all of the songs on their six studio albums. He is based in Berlin, Germany...
, except where noted.
- "Chinese Blues" – 3:46
- "J. SmithJ. Smith (song)"J. Smith" is the first single from Indie band Travis' sixth studio album Ode to J. Smith, released as a limited edition E.P. on both 10" vinyl and CD single, with only 1,000 copies made of each. The song reached #1 on the UK Indie Chart on July 6, 2008, mainly due to strong...
" – 3:04 - "Something AnythingSomething Anything"Something Anything" is the second single taken from Indie band Travis' sixth studio album Ode To J. Smith. The single peaked at #113 on the UK Singles Chart, due to a major lack of promotion-Background:The single was released on September 15, 2008...
" (Healy, Dougie PayneDougie PayneDougie Payne is the bassist and backing vocalist of the Scottish band, Travis.-Career:...
) – 2:22 - "Long Way Down" (Healy, Payne) – 2:39
- "Broken Mirror" – 3:12
- "Last Words" (Healy, Payne) – 4:11
- "Quite Free" (Healy, Payne, Andy DunlopAndy DunlopAndy Dunlop is a Scottish musician, who is currently the lead guitarist of Scottish indie band, Travis.-Biography:...
) – 4:00 - "Get Up" (Healy, Payne) – 3:13
- "Friends" – 3:24
- "Song to SelfSong to Self"Song To Self" is the third and final from Indie band Travis' sixth studio album, Ode to J. Smith, released on January 5, 2009.-Background:...
" – 3:46 - "Before You Were Young" – 3:19
Japanese Bonus Track
- 12. "Sarah" - 4:26
Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Album Chart | 20 |
| Austrian Album Charts Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
36 |
| Swiss Album Charts | 16 |
| French Albums Top 150 France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
87 |
| German Singles Charts Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
49 |
| Italian Album Charts Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
95 |
| Norwegian Album Charts Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
27 |
| Mexican Albums Chart | 25 |
| U.S Billboard 200 | 122 |
Personnel
- Francis HealyFrancis HealyFrancis "Fran" Healy is a Scottish musician. He is currently the lead singer and main songwriter of the Scottish band Travis, having written nearly all of the songs on their six studio albums. He is based in Berlin, Germany...
– vocals, guitar, harmonica - Andy DunlopAndy DunlopAndy Dunlop is a Scottish musician, who is currently the lead guitarist of Scottish indie band, Travis.-Biography:...
– guitar - Dougie PayneDougie PayneDougie Payne is the bassist and backing vocalist of the Scottish band, Travis.-Career:...
– bass guitar, backing vocals - Neil Primrose – drums