Customer Reviews

Travelers & Thieves

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

There always seems a point in every Blues Traveler album where the flow is broken and perhaps one or two songs make the cut that probably should not have. No such problems on Travelers & Thieves. This album gets lost in the shuffle when looking at their work as a whole, but many of BT's most cherished songs make their appearance here. John Popper hits his stride as a songwriter on Sweet Pain, Optimistic Thought, The Best Part, and Bagheera.

Although BT made its mark through a absurdly extensive touring schedule in its early years, it was in T&T that the songwriting and musical talent that culminated in the wildly successful Four truly shines for the first time.

The choice of All in the Groove as the initial single release was puzzling, but BT always seems to mess that up on every album. Don't let the lack of sales pre-Four allow you to dismiss this album, if you like BT you need this one.

Travelers and Thieves is a true masterpiece by one of the most energetic and intelligent bands of the 90's. The album lacks a real radio favorite (maybe "All in the Groove")but delivers a masterful combination of acoustic ballads and powerfully tight blues jams that have become staples of the live Blues Traveler performances. "Sweet Pain" and "The Best Part" are vintage John Popper ballads that blend beautiful lyrics with addictive melodies. The bolder side of the band comes out on "The Tiding", "What's for Breakfast", and "Ivory Tusk", which contains the Blues Taveler trademark of a musical break that builds to the contagious chorus. The album finishes with "Mountain Cry", an epic blues tune that includes Greg Allman. There's really not a bad song on Travelers and Thieves. I recommend it highly.

This, long ago, was my introduction to Blues Traveler, on the very short-lived Dennis Miller late night show before he moved to HBO. I heard "All in the Groove" and was hooked. An album about love and longing, musically uninhibited. This is the BT that the "real" BT fans fell in love with (I hate to sound snobby about it, but I can't relate to the "Four" fans anyway). Sweet Pain (one of my 10 favorite songs of all time), Bagheera, The Best Part, THIS is the good stuff. Their second album, when they're realizing the entirety of their greatness and can't put enough of it down on tape, especially since they have one album under their belt (very good in its own right). It doesn't get any better than this.

This CD is really not for those who like Blues Traveler for songs like Run Around and Hook, but it gives a lot of insight about who the band is as individuals. All the songs are "borrowed", hence the title of the CD, but they have that unique Blues Traveler sound to them that can't be duplicated. John Popper has talked at length about how he loves the chord progression in Pacchebel's Canon (spelling?), and his love for this piece of music is not only prevalent in some of the songs on this CD, but also in the string arrangement in "Yours" which is on Blues Traveler's album "Straight on Till Morning". I really hope that those who didn't like this CD will look again into their own musical tastes and see why it is that they listened to Blues Traveler in the first place, and know that there is more to a group of musical artists than a couple of popular songs.

this is by far the best recording by this band. i have loved it since the first time i heard it. you definetly need this cd in your home.

For any Blues Traveler fan who only knows the band from the "Four" album, I would highly suggest this record and the following one "Save His Soul." "Travelers and Thieves" presents the band at a time when their singing and music style was much different than it is now. This is a fantastic album and it is interesting to see how the band has changed over their four studio records. Highlights include "Optomistic Thought," "Onslaught," "Mountain Cry," and, above all, "Sweet Pain," which has remained one of my favorite songs ever since the first time I heard it back in the fifth grade.

This CD is so much better than anything the band did before and after! It is doubtful if any band could have sustained the emotional layers and unique romantic wordplay that was unbeleivably found in this work. the highlight is "sweet pain" which shows the author's ability to paint romantic tragic figures with allure and showcased his own realizations associated with growing up and ultimately growing older. Songs such as "i have my moments and "the best part" are sweeping both for their musical intricacies and for the complex ongoing thoughts their lyrics provide. ive had this cd since 1992 and it never fails to move me.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore Four, it is an amiazing album, and it gets better every time you listen to it. However, once you like that album and are hooked on BT, get into the really good stuff. This album, along with "Straight on 'till Morning", reveals BT's true sound, much less commercial than Four, but just as amazing. The last track, "Mountain Cry", featuring The Allman Brothers band, finally tells the world why they are called BLUES traveler. Amazing stuff, but make sure you like the BT sound before this.

Like the other reviewers have said, this album is much different from "Four." However, I think you'll love this different side of Popper and his band. It's some truly insightful music. If nothing else, the CD worth buying just for the last song, "Mountain Cry," which really explains why the band is called BLUES traveler. It features Steve Almann from the Almann Brothers Band, and is a true BT classic. Buy the CD. You won't regret it.

This was my intro to Blues Traveler, and this album brought me out of a depression and I'm forever indebted to Popper and Sheehan for it. One thing it has going for it is it's not as 'pop'py as their later albums like Four and Straight on Til Morning. Too bad you can't hear Onslaught because it rocks. Listen to What's for Breakfast or Optimistic Thought and you'll get a good idea of the wild and carefree jubilation and exuberance that this album inspires.