Travelling [CD]

The 9th Roxette album, the follow up to 2011's Charm School is a sequel to their 1992 album, Tourism - Songs From Studios, Stages, Hotelrooms and Other Strange Places, that album sold 7 million worldwide. Can Travelling live up to that?

In short, it probably hasn't got a chance of selling even half as many 20 years on, but it deserves to.

1. Me & You & Terry & Julie - Starts of gently and then Marie bursts into the Chorus, one of the strangest Roxette album openers, but it works well (10/10)

2. Lover Lover Lover - Already a fan favourite, this is a classic Roxette pop song (9/10)

3. Turn of The Tide - Held back from the Have A Nice Day album this is one of the albums standout tracks and one of their best ballads in years (10/10)

4. Touched By The Hands of God - Chirpy pop song mainly sung by Per with Marie chipping in here and there, another standout track (10/10)

5. Easy Way Out - This song is so typically Per Gessle it had to be sung by him on lead. A good chilled out track that is probably my favourite on the album (10/10)

6. It's Possible (Version One) - The albums lead single shows Roxette doing what they do best - an out and out pure pop song - think The Big L, Fireworks and Dangerous mixed together. (9/10)

7. Perfect Excuse - The first Roxette track on which Per Gessle does not feature as vocalist in any way sees Marie take centre stage with backing vocals from Helena Josefsson who sang joint lead on Per Gessle's original version on his Party Crasher album. This should have always been a Roxette song. (10/10)

8.Excuse Me, Sir, Do You Want Me To Check On Your Wife - An odd title but a great song, quirky in every sense of the word (10/10)

9. Angel Passing - A ballad, it doesn't add much to the album, it won't change lives, but it's okay. (8/10)

10. Stars (Live Soundcheck) - Great guitared up version of this once children's choir led funk fest, sounds even better now (10/10)

11. The Weight of The World - Freshened up version of this fits in perfectly with this album's overall feel, finally does it some justice (8/10)

12. She's Got Nothing On (But The Radio) (Live) - Raw live version of Charm Schools lead single is scratchy but captures the energy within the band and this point in their career (8/10)

13. See Me - Keeping the original vocals this ballad has been refreshed and sits nicely on this album, finally establishing itself as an album track after years in the b-side/ extra track wilderness (8/10)

14. It's Possible (Version Two) - An alternative version of the lead single in a more acoustic style. It works, but I prefer the poppier version. (9/10)

15. It Must Have Been Love (Night of The Proms version) - An orchestral take on a song that has been released by Roxette in no less than 6 versions including this one. However it is totally different to any of them and brings it back to life once more. A good album closer (10/10)

Overall, Travelling is an album that captures Roxette during their 18 month world tour and shows how much energy and drive they still have so far into their career and shows that they are now finally recovered from Marie's illness in 2002 and once again open for business.

Travelling is well worth a listen.

Don't Get Left Behind, Come For The Joyride!

Back in 1992 Roxette released an album called Tourism which was recorded partly on tour during the, "Join the Joyride Tour" the album was a huge success and to this day it is still one of my favourite albums that Roxette released.

Now we welcome, "Travelling" initially dubbed Tourism2, T2 and finally Trism2 instead it was finally named, "Travelling" so what have we got in this album which makes it a recommended purchase!

Initially when I heard the snippets some weeks before the release I was undecided about the songs and the quality of the albums, but now having listened to the album I love it, it is to me even better than Charm School the new album released in 2011 by Roxette.

Let's be honest here it's not the 90's and Roxette are not in their 30's anymore, so fans cannot expect albums to continually sound like the good old days, we have to enjoy what is offered, but more importantly as many will know it is perhaps a miracle that Roxette as a duo are even making music!

The album kicks off with a track called, "Me & You & Terry & Julie" with Terry & Julie being a reference to The Kinks song "Waterloo Sunset." It is a catchy opening tune and is followed by, "Lover, Lover, Lover" which for me is perhaps the second best song on the whole album. The first song that is an ultimate favourite of mine is, "Touched by the Hand of God" which was originally named, "Charm School" but did not make the final cut on the album of the same title. Mr Gessle what were you thinking hiding this gem of a song from us fans because it is simply amazing and Marie's voice suits the vocals immensely.

Like the original Tourism, there are a couple of live tracks on this album; including, "She's Got Nothing On (But The Radio)" and (wait for it...) yes another version of, "It Must Have Been Love" which some fans find annoying. Not I this version was recorded during Night of the Proms in Holland in 2009 which is when Marie gradually made a return back to Roxette after her brain tumour. A fabulous orchestra backs the track, if you where in the audience for the NOTP shows you will understand just how magical hearing this song is again on a CD!

"Excuse Me, Sir, Do You Want Me to Check on Your Wife?" is in fact a beautiful song, I wonder if Per got the inspiration for this title because he owns a hotel in Sweden!

Overall, you have 15 tracks on this album, 2 live songs, 1 soundcheck and a cover of "Perfect Excuse" which originally appeared on Per's solo album in 2009, Party Crasher and was song by Helena Josefsson.

Roxette are back on form - I was disappointed by Charm School but this is a great album. Back with a mixture of their traditional power ballads, rock numbers and lighter touches, the album makes for absorbing listening. My daughter liked it so much, I bought her a copy too!