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May
1980
TRAVELOGUE
LP/cassette,
Virgin V2160/TCV 2160
CD
released in 1989, Virgin CDV 2160
remastered
CD released in 2003, Virgin CDVR2160
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The
Black Hit Of Space
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Crow
And A Baby |
Only
After Dark
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The
Touchables |
Life
Kills
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Gordon's
Gin |
Dreams
Of Leaving
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Being
Boiled
* |
Toyota
City
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WXJL
Tonight |
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additional
tracks on CD:
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The
second and final album by the early incarnation of The Human
League was recorded in their own studio, Monumental Pictures,
with Richard Manwaring co-producing all but two of the tracks
(Toyota City and the re-recorded version of Being
Boiled, which were taken from earlier recording sessions).
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Released
just as the UK's so-called Futurist (or New Romantic) scene
was taking off, the album's use of electronic sounds and occasional
dance rhythms was more warmly received by the public than
Reproduction,
and Travelogue reached Number 16 in the UK charts.
However, some critics raised an eyebrow at the group's reliance
on old songs (Toyota City and Being Boiled were
two of their earliest compositions) and cover versions (Mick
Ronson's Only After Dark and Jeff Wayne's Gordon's
Gin, which themselves were released just weeks after covers
of Rock 'N' Roll and Night Clubbing).
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| Critics
also voiced concerns over the League's increasing use of traditional
rock elements, which came as a disappointment to those who had
hoped the group would forge a path towards a new electronic
age of pop music, jettisoning tiresome rock clichés.
It seems the group members were conscious of this as their later
work would mostly shun rock influences in favour of pop and
dance, with only the occasional nod towards Glitter beats and
chants. As a whole though, Travelogue works well and
can be considered a success, still outstripping most of its
peers in terms of originality. |
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Curiously,
the CD versions include both sides of the first Human League
single not to feature Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh
- Boys And Girls b/w Tom Baker (which reached
Number 48 in the UK charts in early 1981).
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Canadian issue of Travelogue was released in a different
sleeve (pictured right), similar to the Holiday
'80 front cover, and the tracklisting also differed: |
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The Voice Of Buddha (the re-recorded version of Being
Boiled under a different name), The Black Hit Of Space,
Only After Dark, Life Kills, Dreams Of Leaving
b/w Crow And A Baby, The Touchables, Gordon's
Gin, Rock 'N' Roll/Night Clubbing, WXJL Tonight. |
| Similarly,
the Australian issue also featured a different tracklisting,
though the original sleeve and song titles were retained for
this release: |
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Being
Boiled, The Black Hit Of Space, Only After Dark,
Life Kills, Dreams Of Leaving b/w Crow And
A Baby, The Touchables, Rock 'N' Roll, Marianne
(alternate version), Gordon's Gin, WXJL Tonight.
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All
tracks written by The Human League, except Only After Dark
(M. Ronson/S. Richardson), Gordon's Gin (Jeff Wayne),
Being Boiled/I Don't Depend On You/Cruel (Ware/Marsh/Oakey),
Marianne (Marsh/Oakey/Ware), Dancevision (Marsh/Ware),
Rock 'N' Roll (Glitter/Leander), Night Clubbing
(Osterberg/Bowie), Tom Baker (Oakey/Wright) and Boys
And Girls (Wright/Oakey)
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Produced
by The Human League & Richard Manwaring, except *The Human
League and John Leckie, **Ian Marsh and Martyn Ware, *** Colin
Thurston and The Men
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Available
on: Travelogue CD (Virgin CDVR2160)
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Previously:
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Next:
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Holiday
'80 (single)
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Only
After Dark
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