"Travelogue" is the second album by The Human League and here I am playing the 2016 180g repressing. As with "Reproduction", this album was made by a different line up to the one that exists today and sits in a kind of limbo. This album wasn't included in the recent "Virgin Years" box set and the current band don't play these songs live (although Heaven 17 played the album its entirety for its 40th anniversary).
The album starts in the same vein as the first with nonsensical space-age lyrics sung over the clacking analogue synths. There's a very enjoyable version of Mick Ronson's "Only After Dark" which only needs a kick drum to be perfect.
Another highlight for me is the magical instrumental "Toyota City" which draws on the influences of Bowie, Eno and the band Japan to great effect. But nothing else on this album really catches the ear in the same way.
"Crow and a Baby" sounds like a prototype version of "The Sound of the Crowd" and there's a sub-par re-recording of their first single "Being Boiled". The rest of the album consists of a cover of the theme tune to a TV commercial and various unremarkable attempts at synth pop. I have a CD version of this album which features some contemporary non-album singles and the rather funky "I Don't Depend n You", but none of this is included on the vinyl.
The relative commercial failure of this album caused some anxiety within Virgin Records and a split of the band was engineered to try to garner more sales. As the next post will reveal, the plan succeeded. 2/5
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