Saint Etienne - Travel Edition 1990-2005

Saint Etienne
Travel Edition 1990-2005
Sub Pop Records
Grade: A-/A

Up until a good munching on this eighteen track best-of collection, I had never really been ultra-down on England’s Saint Etienne. Sure, the one-off track here and there sparkled, but overall I was often in strangle mode. Now that I’m older and my tastes have spanned a wider gamut, I find these highlights from their decade and a half existence to be awe-inspiring. Part of this comes from a strong appreciation of Sarah Cracknell’s vocals and the mesmerizing soundscapes laid out by Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs. Given a shoddy memory, I’d have a tough time conjuring up whether these songs are truly special and that the rest of the original records sucked, or that it is not as stark. Regardless, for an introduction or as a quick redux of Saint Etienne’s numerous records on Warner Brothers and Sub Pop, then this is the shit for you. With two new songs, the instrumental “Primrose Hill” and “Fascination,” this record picks songs from 1990 ‘till this past year. Probably most people with an inkling of experience in what was modern rock, or time in clubs at any point, will have a strong experience with the first proper track, the 1990 cover of Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart.” Even now, you can play that number over and over again and not get sick of it. While people have their own favorites, the retrospective highlights come from “Mario’s Café” and “Hobart Paving” from So Tough, the more techno move with “Like a Motorway” from Tiger Bay, “He’s on the Phone” from Continental, the drawn out “How We Used to Live” and “Heart Failed (in the Back of a Taxi)” from Sounds of Water and Finisterre’s “Action.” Also, check out the previously unreleased sweetly amazing “Fascination.” This is a record that I’m very happy to have in my possession, and you will probably as well. With plans for a new record in 2004, Travel Edition serves as nice refresher course.