Customer Reviews

Travel Edition 1990-2005

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A worthy collection of tracks from one of Britain's finest 90's pop groups. Tragically ignored in the USA, Saint Etienne had a string of hit singles, and two "best of" compilations in the UK. Many of these singles are present in this release, including "Like A Motorway", "Sylvie", and perhaps their finest moment "He's On The Phone". Some of their better singles are sadly omitted from this collection: "Pale Movie", "Bad Photographer", and especially "You're In A Bad Way". If included, this would have been a perfect CD.
As it stands, "Travel Edition" is a perfect introduction to Saint Etienne for anyone unfamiliar with their brilliance.

OK, from a very pro-Etienne point of view, there are 2 separate reviews that can be written here: one for those new to St. Etienne, and those who are long-time fans.

For those of you who are new to St. Etienne, this is a great introduction. Previous 'Best Of' collections (i.e., Smash the System) are great and more inclusive, but were released before the latest 2 studio albums. This is a great collection that covers the entire span of an incredibly eclectic but unwaveringly good career. As such, if you are only going to buy one St. Etienne CD, this is not a bad choice.

For those who have known and loved St. Etienne for some time, there arise a couple of problems. First are the 2 B-sides that will lure those of us who own all of the other 'best of' songs to buy the new album (myself included) - 'Primrose Hill' is an average instrumental; 'Fascination' is a good (though not great) track, with vintage Etienne sound. The second problem for longtime fans are some of the obvious omissions (Pale Movie, Shower Scene) which may offend the sensibilities of those who care about such things. The liner notes, however, are fantastic and list all Etienne releases (including fanclub-only CDs) and almost necessitate the album's purchase of their own accord.

So, for Etienne beginners and fanatics the album is a must; for those who fall in the middle, it's more difficult to justify.

saint etienne fans are apt to throw around superlatives like 'pop,' 'nostalgic,' 'glittery,' and my favorite: 'sophisticated.' and i admit i count myself as one of them. fortuntely, all those superlatives are true. saint etienne, quite simply, is the *best* pop band of the last twenty years.

subpop's 'best of' release (which was hardly necessary given the number of saint etienne 'best of's' out there: 'too you to die, smash the system, etc) is a nice introduction to the band, despite some glaring omissions (how can any 'best of' not include 'you're in a bad way?' criminal!). however, given the breatdth of the saint etienne catalogue (upwards of 300 songs not including remixes -- that'd add another 150 or so), any 'best of' will fall miserably short of truly representing the band's stylistic wanderings and deviations. what's most striking about this collection is how dance-oriented it is. an overwhelming majority of the tracks selected are more suited for dance floor. 'he's on the phone,' 'like a motorway' and 'action,' for example, are prime examples of saint etienne hitting all the right groove-buttons; but saint etienne never rested on their laurels. it would have been easy for st etienne to stand back and keep churning out catchy pop songs (and really, who did it better?).

sadly, some of the et's finest moments ('the process,' 'i buy american records,' 'clark county record fair,' 'california snow story,' 'spring,' 'leafhound,' 'marble lions,' 'former lover,' etc ad naseum) will never reach the casual fan's ears. it's a shame, but i can rest assured that any saint etienne is better than no saint etienne.

in the end, this is a nice intro to those who've never had the experience of hearing the band before; but saint etienne fans, rabid and completist as we are, will most likely buy this for 'fascination' and 'primrose hill' (an acoustic intrumental version of 'soft like me) simply because we have to have it, and doesn't subpop know it. damn them. =)

...it's what the pop music SHOULD sound like.
I love Saint Etienne and have been in love with them for a very long time. I love their slow ballads (Carn't sleep), their dancy stuff (Hug My Soul), their instrumental songs (Dunnottar), the experimental (Interlude), and even the spoken samples between the tracks (St. Etienne fans know what I am talking about).
They are pure geniuses and I hope they keep it coming. Just remember- they are a lot more complex than they seem at first. Give them a chance and you will be more than glad.

When I was in college in the late '90s, I discovered British pop band Saint Etienne at a local independent record store. I loved their brand of kitschy retro dance/pop. It was pop music without a shadow of a doubt but without being obnoxious (like Britney Spears and her ilk). I quickly became a fan. Unfortunately over the years my infatuation with the band waned and I moved on to other forms of music.

A month ago I re-discovered the band on a British compilation which featured "You're in a Bad Way". I was quickly reminded how much I had enjoyed their music and recently got a hold of a copy of the band's only US best of compilation TRAVEL EDITION 1990-2005. I admit I was immensely disappointed that my favorite tracks "Bad Photographer" and "Pale Movie" were not included on the album. I especially adore the techo-ish sounding "Pale Movie". Asides the exclusion of those tracks, I was pretty satisfied with the overall compilation. I was particularly pleased to see "He's On the Phone" (the very first Saint Etienne song I heard). While I have heard most of the songs on the compilation there were some I hadn't heard so they were new to me. I enjoyed those songs as well.

TRAVEL EDITION is a great reminder why I always liked Saint Etienne. The vastly underrated pop band (in my opinion) made great catchy music. This album is not only a great way to re-introduce old fans to the band but also as an introduction to new fans.

This is my first and only cd by this group, but I think it is great! Good variety, fun party/background music. I love it!

OK, so if you're feely like a little silly dancepop, get this CD. You won't be disappointed.

My fav tunes:
1)Avenue(Edit)
2)Sylvie
3)He's On the Phone
4)Mario's Cafe

I never thought I'd say this, but this it the worst that Saint Etienne has put out. I've always been excited to see new Saint Etienne discs, but this was bad... I felt I had been taken.

Before I'm bashed, let me explain...this CD is a repeat of a lot that has been produced already. The only new stuff was the instrumentals and they sounded a lot like existing stuff too.

For any new Saint Etienne fans, I think your money would be better spent on "Tiger Bay", "Good Humor" or a compilation disc. Even Sarah Cracknell by herself is good stuff.

Try to steer clear of this CD.