Travis Album: «Good Feeling»

- Customers rating: (4.3 of 5)
- Title:Good Feeling
- Release date:1997-10-07
- Type:Audio CD
- Label:Sony
- UPC:074646823927
- 1 All I Want To Do Is Rockimg 4:11
- 2 U16 Girlsimg 4:03
- 3 The Line Is Fineimg 4:06
- 4 Good Day To Dieimg 6:11
- 5 Good Feelingimg 3:26
- 6Midsummer Nights Dreamin'3:54
- 7 Tied To The 90'simg 3:17
- 8 I Love You Anywaysimg 5:30
- 9 Happyimg 4:29
- 10 More Than Usimg 3:54
- 11 Falling Downimg 7:01
- 12 Funny Thing Simmon, Tim and Travisimg 5:21
Travis debut album is rock music by the numbers. The band aren't concerned with new trends or the styles of the day but just with making straight up rock music. This is why the album is so good.
The singles All I Want to do is Rock (more rockier Radiohead song), U16 Girls (Stonesesque sleaze), Tied to the 90's (Britpop in 1994), Happy (simplicity) and More Than Us (lovely folk) are all excellent. Tied to the 90's especially is a wonderful stand out on the album.
The first half of Feeling is the rockier bit. It is all good with the exception of Midsummer Night's Dream. The second half is lovely, morose, introspective music. More than Us, Falling Down, and especially I Love You Anyways are among the albums high points.
Overall Good Feeling is the sign of a great band with even greater things to come. When I saw them at the Reading Festival they played a new song, Flowers in the Window which showed a lot of promise.
Good Feeling should be big in the States but once again, pig headed radio dj's can't seem to play anything British. It's a shame because it's all better music.
Noel Gallagher claimed Travis were genius and with this album you can see why.
Buy it now!
"Good Feeling" is a fun solid debut. First of all I'd like to say I bought this album when it first came out before Travis got lots of hype. When I first got it, I thought it was average but revisiting it I like it even more. It's an album like "Definitely Maybe" by Oasis that is just fun sing-along pub rock that you listen to after work on a Friday. While the songs may seem up beat. You really can listen to "Good Feeling" weather you're happy or sad.
The first three songs :"All I Want To Do Is Rock", "U16 Girls", and "The Line Is Fine" are the best songs on the album. They are all single worthy songs and will get you addicted to this album right away. "Good Day To Die" shows a more darker side of Travis that isn't so apparent on "Good Feeling" but heard more on "The Man Who." "Good Feeling" has a nice piano touch and is the heart of the album. "Midsummer Nights Dreamin'" reminds me of a song right out of the 60s(Possibley The Who or even early Beatles.) "I Love You Anyways" and "More Than Us" show the more softer and lighter moments of "Good Feeling."
While I like the way Travis are headed; I hope they go back to the raw energy of rock heard on this album. "Good Feeling" is much worth your money and will give you great pleasure to listen to.
This has to be one of my favourite albums, the main reason being that there are songs for every possible mood you could be in. Recently accused of statutory rape? Try listening to U16 Girls. Sick of pop-culture and the 90's? Listen to Tied To the 90's. Feeling depressed? Good Day To Die would be the song for you. Or maybe you're just plain happy. Then listen to Good Feeling, the CD's title track.
Usually I divide this cd into two halves. Up to Tied To the 90's is half 1 and is much more upbeat, rock, even music you can dance to. The tracks after that resemble their follow up album to "Good Feeling", "The Man Who". However, they are no more less enjoyable and one of my favourite lyric of all time comes from the song Happy (Blow me a kiss/I'll be happy the rest of my life). Yes, it's utterly cheesy and such, but oh it's so beautiful. Fran Healey ventures into his lovely falsetto range on this half, which also dominates their follow-up album.
Although Travis is one of my new favorite bands, for the benefit of those just discovering them, their debut has to be measured within the context of all their work.
The incredible unevenness of "Good Feeling" hits you with the first two songs. A solid opener with big, broad chords of worthy of an anthem --"All I Wanna Do is Rock"-- is followed by the simply embarrassing "U16 Girls", in which Travis invokes the tired subject from rock n' roll mythology of fantasizing about jailbait high schoolers. Complete with "nah-nah nah" choruses, it is truly not one of their finer moments. The middle of the album is strong, with "Good Day To Die", the title track, and "Midsummer Nights Dreamin" all being some of the bands best up tempo numbers. These are book ended by serviceable, if unspectacular tracks like "The Line is Fine" and "Happy", but the album is dragged down by the obvious filler of "Tied to the 90's" (complete with soccer chants).
The album's real saving grace are the four quiet numbers located towards the close of the album (who sequenced this anyway?). These songs show that perhaps, this type of music-- which they latched onto for two subsequent albums-- is really their forte. Whether it's the quiet beauty of "More Than Us" or the building closer "Funny Thing", these tracks, along with the better tracks mentioned above, are essential listening for fans of this band.
Put simply, those looking to explore Travis should start with "The Man Who" and then decide if you want (almost) more of the same on The Invisible Band, or check out the band developing their identity on this album. Hopefully, Travis will rediscover the best about their louder selves and find a way to give us both types of music-- thereby showcasing all of their strengths-- on their next record.
And they rock, all right.
Travis' debut _Good Feeling_ is just plain fun. Don't expect anything like their amazing _The Man Who_, but it's undeniable that this is a great album.
From first track to last, this is one is thoroughly listenable. A joy to hear.
Travis did develop into a somewhat (dare I say) better band with _The Man Who_, which is one of the best albums released last year, but _Good Feeling_ is also well worth a listen.
Good pop rock entertainment, the musical equivalent of a hamburger with a generous side of fries.
Sometimes, all you want to do is rock anyway.