I'm writing an essay in my englishclase about Travis.
One of the questions I have to answer is "In what way have their music affected people?". So if anyone could tell me how they have affected your life it would be really nice! :)
But if it's for your English class, I might as well answer in English. I'd say Travis have influenced me more than any band in shaping an identity for myself, musically and to some extent also personally. At surface level, their songs appeal to me directly, both music and lyrics. And also their seemingly unpretentious attitude towards everything they do. The simpleness of their music has been a healthy influence for someone as hopelessly academical as me. And I also have Fran to blame for starting to play the guitar myself, which I'm very thankful for.
Låter det bra? Jag skulle nog kunna skriva en hel uppsats på ämnet själv, men kanske inte en fredagkväll ;) Lycka till med uppsatsen!
Tack så väldigt mycket! Jo, jag skulle gärna skriva om hur de påverkat mig, men man får inte ha med så mycket egna åsikter i den här uppsatsen så tänkte därför fråga andra människor :).
The chorus & lyrical nous of Side stretches the ''moral relativism'' (1) line a tad too far IMHO, but I wouldn't have it any other way - or so they say? (1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_relativism
But yeah, freedom of opinion & expression is utopian, but will (ultimately) sow the hedges off democracy, civil obedience, duty & reciprocal altruism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arbitrariness
Well they've effected me as they are always the band I'll listen to when I'm feeling calm, happy, sad, hyper or for random moments when you usually can't find music to listen to such as when I am enjoying a walk by myself through nature, they are the band I can listen to no matter what is going on in life. I love to listen to Writing To Reach You when walking down the river bank by myself just taking in the soothing views, it sort of soothes me to go with the scenery. Then there's songs like Why Does It Always Rain On Me, I think sometimes I am probably the only person who walks onto the bus absolutely soaked through with a big smile on my face and it's all thanks to this song, if it didn't exist I'd probably have the same glum face as everyone on the bus on a rainy day (which happens quite a lot in Manchester). Then there's All I Want To Do Is Rock for when I'm getting hyped up or I'm feeling energetic. Then there are songs that I have amazing memories about, such as Tied To The 90s, that song always reminds me of when I finished college about two or three years ago and there was nothing to do during the day so I used to go shopping with my Mum, hang out with my friends or watch Black Books as I bought the DVDs of them. Their songs can be used to bring back great memories, similar to what Fran said the song Slideshow was about. All of the Travis songs have a good place in my heart as I remember listening to them during care-free times and also the times when they've helped me through bad times, such as getting soaked in the rain or worrying over an exam.
Really overall I guess my point is Travis are one of the few bands that you can actually listen to their music and it doesn't matter what mood you're in or where you are. As well as being so down to earth and reminding me of great memories and their music can be linked to a lot of every day situations. They have in a way helped me to find myself as they were the band that stood out when my friend introduced me to their music after saying I should go to one of their gigs as a few of my mates were going. So I went and after it I was blown away. During a time when everyone is going on about music at college and you are looking to find who you are and the whole fitting into stereotypes, Travis allowed me to break away from it and allowed me to be myself and listen to music I liked.
Hope that helps! I know what it's like having to get opinions or interviews from people for my uni work and it can be very stressful. Right now for me I am trying to arrange an interview with a band and I am worrying a little about it as my deadline is approaching and they seem to be quite busy at the moment so hopefully that all works out! But anywhoo good luck with your essay, if you need any more information feel free to ask me!
I bought my first Travis album because of WDIAROM, and the rest as I found them. At first they were just another band I quite liked, with a soothing affect on me. With TBWNN I got into this website, got to know more about the band and how nice and down to earth they are. The first Summer after the Boy I had a horrible work project, and listening to Travis helped me through it. I finished every working day (late) by watching Closer video, it calmed me down and got me ready for sleep. Still, when I need to get focused or calm or even out of a bad mood I put some Travis on, it never fails.
I have my tea on working hours from the Travis eye mug, a double pleasure.
I became a fan upon hearing Side at that Wallmart spin off retailer called Target here in OZ/AU way back down in 2001. I've been a loyal fan ever since & till the day I die: bought all their CD albums & a good sized chunk of their singles. It was bliss hearing Side, on par with John Lennon's Imagine that swept my political & soul aspirations at the age of 12 or so.
I'm not a full out communist or socialist nut though, I do pay full price for CDs of my favourite bands e.g. Maroon 5 - whose She Will Be Loved again got my rocks off upon hearing it at a multinational franchise here in AU called Sanity. It's a crying $hame women are from venus & us blokes from Mars - oh well life goes on, ergo sum with a pre-nup & rule of thumb!
All of you; thank you so much! I really appreciate that you took some time to answer my question, you've been of great help!
If any of you ever need any help I'll be glad to help you.
Thanks again :)
They affected my belief in my own future. I was a "run-away". Ran away from home for several months and came across "LWCT" - which kinda brought me back on the right track. I came back, finished "HighSchool", joined a band - with which we now plan to do this Ode to J.Smith-Musical, went to college (where I still am, studying German Philology and Law)...I started playing the guitar and learned it by playing Travis songs...
Through Travis I came to this musical-idea of Ode to J.Smith in which pretty much all of my friends are involved somehow. (singing, costumes, technics etc. etc.etc.)
So it affected the life of my whole community.
It's pure joy of life. It's the essence of life itself!
I was a "run-away". went to college (where I still am, studying German Philology and Law). So it affected the life of my whole community. It's the essence of life itself!
Hahahaha, so you read my answer and immediately thought of this book? :D
I know Herman Hesse though I wasn't aware of this book. I only read Steppenwolf, which now seems to be very smiliar to this book. About run aways and the seek for the meaning of life. I think I'm gonna buy this book. So thanks. (Sex as an epiphany? Hahhaa!!)
Well, I'm definitely not made to live in a monastery either :) Whether or not I've found meaning in my life - I'm not sure. I think no - one is or can be - til it's over and you know for sure you had it. Maybe the meaning of life is the seek for it.
:)
But just to say, I wasn't the kind of deliquent run away :P
Well, I'm definitely not made to live in a monastery either
After the Vietnam war, some nun fell in love with a male patient in a hospital. This ''baby boomer'' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_Boomers married couple (with surviving offspring) was featured in the obituaries when the woman died recently here in QLD, Australia (vis-a-vis) ''The Courier Mail'' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Courier_Mail
But alas sub zero chances of finding love in a hospital or monastery permeate the litigious, insurance, cry wolf, cry victim, money hungry, pre-nup programmed & economic obsessed, tied up/down (to the fabric of our synaptic electrochemical being) & all around Western Society Inc Corp. In other news RBA increases interest rates by 0.25%
Well, I'm definitely not made to live in a monastery either
After the Vietnam war, some nun fell in love with a male patient in a hospital. This ''baby boomer'' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_Boomers married couple (with surviving offspring) was featured in the obituaries when the woman died recently here in QLD, Australia (vis-a-vis) ''The Courier Mail'' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Courier_Mail
But alas sub zero chances of finding love in a hospital or monastery permeate the litigious, insurance, cry wolf, cry victim, money hungry, pre-nup programmed & economic obsessed, tied up/down (to the fabric of our synaptic electrochemical being) & all around Western Society Inc Corp. In other news RBA increases interest rates by 0.25%
Well the first example of the monastry would be prove that love can be found everywhere. Even in a litigious, insurance, cry wolf, cry victim, money hungry, pre-nup programmed & economic obsessed, tied up/down (to the fabric of our synaptic electrochemical being) & all around Western Society Inc Corpprogramm :)
Maybe love wants to be stumbled over instead of being seeked :)
Who knows what happens next. How did we get to this?
Jeg kunne skrive på dansk... men... hvem kan læse det??
Okay, so I was a teen in Stafford (a nasty little Midlands town too far from anywhere), going to a nasty little Catholic school and it was just horrible. I went to college and my life opened up, I bought tickets to see Oasis and guess who was supporting?
Then I went to university and everyone I knew listened to Travis, I was excited because I had seen "This Life" (A British drama/soap about law students) and I thought everyone listened to indie music (but no, they actually listened to pop or dance, the pain!).
I was lucky, one of my good mates from then was a girl called Vicky, who had had her own fanzine. We went to a Travis gig together and she showed me how to get to the front of the crowd. Taught me everyone's name...
The songs helped me through some tough times, I cannot guess at the number of times I listened to those albums.
Vicky was on the cover of Good Feeling, how cool is that?
Then I got more into Muse... and ska... and anyway, grew away. And then, just by accident, I was in Paris when Travis were in Paris this Feb and I thought, you know what the hell, they were really important when I was just learning to be an adult.... and they blew me away. All that J. Smith stuff... but I got the other albums and I am so glad that I did. Something clicked on in my head and I started writing. I have written about 82,000 words in my novel. Good words. *Interesting* words! It was like finding a room in your house you didn't know you had. Very grateful to have found inspiration.
