The band Travis marks 20th anniversary with special reissues

Since I first interviewed the band for this album, I can't wait to experience the reissues...

1999 marked a momentous year for Scottish rock band Travis. Singer/songwriter Fran Healy, guitarist Andy Dunlop, drummer Neil Primrose, and bassist Dougie Payne had been together since the beginning of the decade, and were gearing up for the release of their sophomore album, The Man Who, following the release of their 1997 debut, Good Feeling. Though the album found moderate success in the UK and set the band up for extensive touring—opening for the likes of Oasis—Travis were still reasonably unknown internationally.

All of that was about to change.

With The Man Who having only been in the record shops for a month, Travis played the Other Stage at the Glastonbury Festival. It had been glorious weather, but, as they played their soon-to-be-released single “Why Does It Always Rain on Me?,” the heavens opened. The soggy crowd went wild, and the performance went down as one of the all-time great shows in the festival’s 50-year history. By the time “Why Does It Always Rain on Me?” was released as a single five weeks later, Travis and The Man Who were on the precipice of international stardom, and would go on to headline Glastonbury a year later.

Craft Recordings is pleased to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Travis’ breakthrough year with two exciting releases: Live at Glastonbury ’99, plus expanded editions of The Man Who—all set for a June 21st street date. Available for the very first time, Live at Glastonbury ’99 has been a long-sought-after recording by fans of Travis. The 16-song set includes such favorites as the band’s first UK Top-20 single, “More Than Us,” “Driftwood,” “Happy,” and “Turn.” Live at Glastonbury ’99 will be available on CD, as a two-LP set, and digitally. Also available on street date will be a blue vinyl edition, exclusive to select retailers worldwide (more details coming soon). A digital single of “Why Does It Always Rain on Me? (Live at Glastonbury ’99)” is available now to listen to HERE.

To commemorate the anniversary of The Man Who, Travis hand-selected 19 B-sides, which will be available on digital and CD reissues of the album. Additionally, a deluxe box set (previously offered in a limited quantity via Travis’ online store, available again now due to popular demand) offers the expanded album on two CDs and two LPs, while the 12” x 12” lift-top box will also include a 58-page commemorative photobook.

The Man Who sounds as fresh today as it did then. One of the most successful British albums of the last 20 years, it spawned the timeless singles, “Writing to Reach You,” “Driftwood,” “Turn,” and possibly the band’s most iconic song, “Why Does It Always Rain on Me?” Produced by Nigel Godrich(Radiohead, U2, Pavement), The Man Who spent an astonishing 11 weeks at Number One in the UK, going on to sell 3.5 million copies worldwide. Critical recognition quickly followed including Ivor Novello Awards for Best Songwriter and Best Contemporary Song for “Why Does It Always Rain on Me?”and BRIT Awards for Best British Band and Best British Album. Travis would spend the next 18 months on a 237-date world tour.

Looking back, frontman Fran Healy remains modest: “We just enjoyed it—for as long as it lasted. We didn’t force it. We rode the roller coaster for as long as we could, but we didn’t hang on for dear life.” Travis had, he reasons, a healthy quotient of achievement, a manageable dose of fame, and just the right amount of ambition. “At the end of The Man Who, I was just totally energized,” recalls Healy. “We didn’t take the chance to stop and smell the roses—we didn’t want to—we just kept going, right through [2001’s] The Invisible Band.”

Reflecting on their now-legendary Glastonbury performance, Healy muses, “We all thought it was a really below-par performance and a literal washout. When I got home that night, I switched the tv on and the presenters on the Glastonbury highlights were hailing us as the performance of the festival. I watched it years later on YouTube. It was a great performance. A band teetering on the pivot and then tipping all in one gig.”

To date, the four members of Travis are still very active as a band. The last two years have seen the group release their eighth album—the refreshingly punchy Everything at Once—undertake another hefty world tour, and make a documentary film—the candidly titled, Almost Fashionable. Healy, now based in Los Angeles, sums it up: “We’re like a couple who celebrate their 60th anniversary and they’re still in love. It’s all about the relationship. This is the marriage of four men—and it’s hard enough to keep two people interested, never mind four.”

TRACK LISTING:

Live At Glastonbury, ’99 (CD, & Digital)

All tracks recorded live at Glastonbury Festival / Pilton, UK / 1999.

1. Blue Flashing Light
2. The Fear
3. Writing To Reach You
4. Good Feeling
5. U16 Girls
6. As You Are
7. Why Does It Always Rain On Me?
8. Coming Around
9. All I Want To Do Is Rock
10. Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
11. Good Day To Die
12. More Than Us
13. Driftwood
14. Slide Show
15. Turn
16. Happy

Live At Glastonbury, ‘99 (2-LP Edition)

All tracks recorded live at Glastonbury Festival / Pilton, UK / 1999.

A1. Blue Flashing Light
A2. The Fear
A3. Writing To Reach You
A4. Good Feeling

B1. U16 Girls
B2. As You Are
B3. Why Does It Always Rain On Me?
B4. Coming Around

C1. All I Want To Do Is Rock
C2. Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
C3. Good Day To Die
C4. More Than Us

D1. Driftwood
D2. Slide Show
D3. Turn
D4. Happy

The Man Who Deluxe Box Set (2-CD & 2-LP)

CD Disc 1 (full album)

1. Writing To Reach You
2. The Fear
3. As You Are
4. Driftwood
5. The Last Laugh Of The Laughter
6. Turn
7. Why Does It Always Rain On Me?
8. Luv
9. She’s So Strange
10. Slide Show / Blue Flashing Light

CD Disc 2 (B-sides, as selected by the band)

1. Green Behind The Ears
2. Only Molly Knows
3. Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
4. High As A Kite
5. Be My Baby
6. Where Is The Love
7. Village Man
8. Driftwood (Live at the Link Café / Glasgow / 1999)
9. The Urge For Going
10. Slide Show (Live at the Link Café / Glasgow / 1999)
11. River
12. Days Of Our Lives
13. We Are Monkeys
14. Baby One More Time (In Session)
15. Coming Around
16. Just The Faces Change
17. The Connection
18. Rock ’N’ (Salad) Roll
19. The Weight

The Man Who 2-CD Edition

Disc 1 (full album)

1. Writing To Reach You
2. The Fear
3. As You Are
4. Driftwood
5. The Last Laugh Of The Laughter
6. Turn
7. Why Does It Always Rain On Me?
8. Luv
9. She’s So Strange
10. Slide Show / Blue Flashing Light

Disc 2 (B-sides, as selected by the band)

1. Green Behind The Ears
2. Only Molly Knows
3. Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
4. High As A Kite
5. Be My Baby
6. Where Is The Love
7. Village Man
8. Driftwood (Live at the Link Café / Glasgow / 1999)
9. The Urge For Going
10. Slide Show (Live at the Link Café / Glasgow / 1999)
11. River
12. Days Of Our Lives
13. We Are Monkeys
14. Baby One More Time (In Session)
15. Coming Around
16. Just The Faces Change
17. The Connection
18. Rock ’N’ (Salad) Roll
19. The Weight

The Man Who 2-LP Edition

Disc 1 (full album)

A1. Writing To Reach You
A2. The Fear
A3. As You Are
A4. Driftwood
A5. The Last Laugh Of The Laughter

B1. Turn
B2. Why Does It Always Rain On Me?
B3. Luv
B4. She’s So Strange
B5. Slide Show / Blue Flashing Light

Disc 2 (B-sides, as selected by the band)

A1. Village Man
A2. Only Molly Knows
A3. Rock ’‘N’ (Salad) Roll
A4. The Connection
A5. We Are Monkeys

B1. The Weight
B2. Baby One More Time (In Session)
B3. Be My Baby
B4. River