THE BLOW MONKEYS aren't the only sophisti-pop group returning to "The Music Spectrum"; I've decided to bring SWING OUT SISTER along for another ride too! I've been holding on to my copy of 1992's "Get In Touch With Yourself" for so long that it occurred to me I'd forgotten all about my other favorite SWING OUT SISTER album, "It's Better To Travel". It had been a few years since I've listened to it.....all the way through, that is, because most of the time, I'm going back to it just to hear their 'breakout' worldwide hit appropriately entitled "Breakout" (not to be confused with the song by the same name recorded by disco singer Patrice Rushen for her 1982 album that I posted just this past week, "Straight From The Heart"), plus a couple of my other personal favorites: "Twilight World" and "Communion". "Breakout" is the song that everybody who grew up in the 80's knows good and well; doesn't it just stir up some of those happy childhood memories? Even back then, when I was still a kid, I loved the lively jazz accompaniment and the warming melody of the main chorus—especially the elongated 'oo-whoo-ooh' voiced by Corinne Drewery herself on the backing vocals. Listening to the cinematic instrumental sequences on "Twilight World" is always like taking a trip back in time to that classy big band era.....or a few years later than that, perhaps. At times, I forget that Corinne's voice is even there because I'm so lost into the music. "Communion" is one of those songs that may not seem like much from the initial outset, but its subtle appeal works on you until you find yourself humming along with it. The producers must've been thinking the same thing, because they included a full instrumental of this song art the very end of the album (I would've taken instrumentals for both "Breakout" and "Twilight World" as well). One song I completely forgot about over the years is "After Hours". You know a song with that particular title can only suggest that it'll be something nice you could groove to late into the night. The cool thing I like about it is that it starts off all nice and slow with the beautiful atmospheric ambiance going on in the background, then midway through, it abruptly switches into a lounge jazz instrumental that the casual listener wouldn't have seen coming otherwise:
1. Breakout
2. Twilight World [Superb. Superb. Mix]
3. After Hours
4. Blue Mood
5. Surrender
6. Fooled By A Smile
7. Communion
8. It's Not Enough
9. Theme [From It's Better to Travel]
10. Breakout [Nad Mix]
11. Surrender [Stuff Gun Mix]
12. Twilight World [Remix]
13. Communion [Instrumental]
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