Released in May 1999, The Man Who was the second studio album by Travis.
After the relative success of their debut album Good Feeling, Travis took a more understated and emotional approach on The Man Who. Songs such as “Writing to Reach You,” “Driftwood” and “Why Does It Always Rain on Me?” combined gentle guitars and introspective lyrics with memorable melodies.
Initially, the album was not an immediate commercial success, but its reputation grew rapidly during 1999. “Why Does It Always Rain on Me?” became a defining Travis song after a memorable performance at the Glastonbury Festival, where the weather dramatically changed as the band began playing it. The album subsequently reached number one in the UK and became one of the defining British albums of the late 1990s, eventually selling millions of copies around the world.
What is The Man Who about?
The Man Who is less a conventional concept album and more a collection of songs about insecurity, loneliness, self-doubt, relationships, and trying to find your place.
Fran Healy has said that, while writing it, he didn’t initially have a clear idea of what the album was going to be. The songs gradually accumulated and formed the record.
Track list
- Writing to Reach You
- The Fear
- As You Are
- Driftwood
- The Last Laugh of the Laughter
- Turn
- Why Does It Always Rain on Me?
- Luv
- She’s So Strange
- Slide Show
Front Cover
The photograph on the front cover of The Man Who shows the band members standing outdoors in the snow wearing large, heavy coats and was taken by Stefan Ruiz.
Ruiz has also photographed the covers for Travis’s later albums The Invisible Band, The Boy with No Name, and L.A. Times.
Reception
Upon release in 1999, The Man Who received mixed reviews but was named as the 70th greatest album of all time by Q Magazine in 2006.
The Man Who spent nine weeks at number one on the UK Albums Chart and brought the band international recognition.
Famous fans
One of Travis’ most prominent fans is Coldplay frontman, Chris Martin who said on BBC Radio 1: “Travis … [is] the band that invented my band and lots of others.”
Another fan of the band is Brandon Flowers from The Killers who told Music Week in 2020: “At our very first gig me and Dave Keuning, our guitarist, did an open mic night at a café and played a Travis song, ‘Side’, which I love.”