Travelogue [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Import]

Human League | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 6, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 1980
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Import
• Label: EMI Europe Generic
• ASIN: B00007KMZT
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,047 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #14 in Music > Indie Music > Alternative Rock > New Wave
  • #40 in Music > Indie Music > Pop > General
  • #85 in Music > Indie Music > Alternative Rock > General

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars post-punk synth classic, January 29, 2003

By 

aliled "aliled" (Austin, TX, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Travelogue (Audio CD)

For all the press that synth pop got in the early 80s, not a lot of it has held up particularly well, except at the more experimental end of what could still sort of be called pop. Suicide's first album still sounds fab, Cabaret Voltaire's early Rough Trade material makes increasingly wonderful aesthetic sense, but it's the Human League who finally seem to be undergoing a long overdue critical reevaluation. This began with the release of a CD of "pre-Human League" recordings made largely under the name "The Future". It continues with the reissue and remastering of the first three Human League albums.

"Travelogue" is the band's true masterpiece. Much more cohesive than its predecessor "Reproduction", it maintains a unique experimental edge that's largely (though not entirely) lost on their next album, "Dare" - but it's loaded with songs that are full of great ideas, catchy tunes and stark beauty. It's hard to resist "The Black Hit Of Space" - wherein a song so bland becomes a black hole, sucking up everything in its orbit and climbing so high in the charts that it reaches negative numbers - in this day and age. They turn a commercial jingle for gin into a lovely tune, cover Iggy, Mick Ronson and Gary Glitter, and convincingly too.

What's new about this remaster? Well, it sounds great - better than the original vinyl and miles beyond the earlier CD issue. Other than that, it looks the same from the outside, but inside the booklet are expanded lyrics and credits. That's the good stuff... Oh well. It's nearly the length of two LPs (there are 7 bonus tracks) and worth every penny anyway.

For the record, "Reproduction" and "Dare" are similarly remastered and worth it too. Each has 8 bonus tracks.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spooky Masterpiece....., March 9, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Travelogue (Audio CD)

There is something about this album that is strange and unique. It is truly a work of art-- themes of industrialization, automation, and isolation are echoed by machine-like synthesizer sounds of the late 70's. It is haunting yet charming at the same time. Poignant, but with a sense of humor too. This is rare and under appreciated album and probably always will be. The bonus tracks are equally as good, most notably "I don't depend on you" with its surprising disco-era sound. Not for everybody, but definitely can be appreciated by fans of Gary Numan's early work such as "Telekon" and "Dance"

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF BUDDHA..., April 14, 2000

By 

Foot Artist (Houston, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Travelogue (Audio CD)

I was listening to the Human League back in late 79 when if you listened to "Alternative Music" you were considered weird. This album pre-dates the well known DARE with its hit "Don't you want me." I never resented the Human League for going to a more mainstream pop sound - they have bills to pay same as averyone else; but some of my friends did resent that very much and stopped listening to the Human League from that point on. The first two albums REPRODUCTION and TRAVELOGUE did not do very well in terms of sales, but they are some of the most inspired and inspiring sounds you'll ever hear. The genius of Philip Oakey is undeniable and shines through in every song. His voice is filled with longing, frustration, love and pain. He uses it like a paintbrush to color the synth melodies with shades of emotions the likes of which only come from people with deep feelings and undescribable passion. My favorite song is "dreams of leaving," when he begins to sing "Someone stopped the clock, when we should have started early...if we miss the morning meeting, our lives will be in danger. Someone's trying to stop us, there is someone in our party. It is someone with a grudge and they won't let us reach the border..." it brings tears to my eyes. When you hear the song "Listen to the Voice of Buddha" you'll understand what it's like to be "boiled alive for some god's stocking," and you'll understand that "...just because the kid's an orphan is no excuse for thoughtless slaying, people don't forget there's torture... Buddha's watching, Buddha's waiting!" I own everything the Human League ever released and listen to it quite often, especially REPRODUCTION and now I'll be able to enjoy TAVELOGUE on CD. Incidentally, in case you're interested, there is this little, obscure, lesser known album by the Human League called ROMANTIC? (with a question mark at the end) that came after DARE and HYSTERIA. most of it is mainstream pop, but there's one song called "The Stars Are Going Out" that is reminescent of their old stuff. Philip's voice is filled with this almost bittersweet resignation; it is the voice of a man who's realizing that youth is leaving him. It is as if he's reflecting on his past when he says "we used to be so tough, but just not tough enough that's all." I love the Human League, and recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning about the beginnigs of electronic music in the 70's. These guys are up there with Kraftwerk and all the other pioneers of synth.