In 1991, Roxette embarked upon its first global tour, Join the Joyride. The tour lasted a little over a year, played more than 100 dates and sold out to more than a million people. While traveling, Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle decided to "capture the energy of the band" by documenting their development on tape. But the result, Tourism, is not a compilation of live material, or what Gessle has referred to as a "second-rate greatest hits album." Rather, it's a tour album, complete with some live tracks, some re-mastered material from the late '80s and some newly written, newly recorded songs. Some of the recording locations include an empty night club, an un-air-conditioned hotel room and studios in Copenhagen and Los Angeles. Live material comes from Sydney and Sao Paolo, among other places.This is, by far, Roxette's best overall effort. Its spontaneity, energy and enthusiasm are prevalent in almost every one of the 16 tracks here. With the exception of older songs such as "Silver Blue" - the original B-side to the 1989 single "The Look" - and material recorded for but not included on the Joyride album - "Come Back (Before You Leave)" and "Queen of Rain" - these songs keep the momentum high. From the pure simplicity of "Fingertips" and "Here Comes the Weekend" to the acoustic remake of "So Far Away," a song originally included on the 1986 Pearls of Passion album, what you get is a true sense of growth and a tight set of bandmembers who are obviously having fun. Gessle pumps, and Fredriksson glides. Other winners here include "Cinnamon Street," "The Heart-Shaped Sea," "Never Is a Long Time" and "The Rain." Even the more studio-glossy numbers such as "Keep Me Waiting" and the venerable "How Do You Do!" have the ability to keep your feet tapping.
This was the first album by Roxette to fall short of the sales and singles peaks of Look Sharp! and Joyride. It did very well in Europe but floundered in the United States. This was the beginning of the decline of Roxette's once-formidable showing in the world music market. It's too bad because Tourism displayed exactly what Roxette was made of, what Gessle and Fredriksson could accomplish without a lot of hype or pomp. At the very least, Tourism is, as Fredriksson once put it, the documentation of a wonderful memory.
I've been a hardcore Rox fan ever since I heard "It Must Have Been Love" back in the early '90s. This album, while a big departure from Roxette's traditional synth-ladden sound, manages to capture the very essence of what makes Roxette such a great band, and lays the groundwork for the equally rockier "Crash! Boom! Bang!". Tourism was put together mostly during their first world tour, and as a result, we get a very varied selection of venues, recording styles, and arrangements... You name it, Per and Marie experimented with it.I couldn't do justice to this masterpiece without providing a small review of each song. So, here we go:
1. How Do You Do!: A traditional Roxette tune. Upbeat, and very lighthearted.
2. Fingertips: This is the first departure. Accoustic guitars dominate this mid-tempo song, one of Per's best.
3. The Look: Recorded live in Australia, this is arguably the best version yet of Roxette's first megahit. The audience plays a big role in the second half of the song. Amazing.
4. The Heart Shaped Sea: A beautiful ballad about letting go of the one you love. The subtle, understated music track works very well on this one.
5. The Rain: A very moody, instrospective song. Great to listen to on a rainy day.
6. Keep Me Waiting: A more traditionl Roxette rocker, but grittier and harder-hitting than anything in "Look Sharp!" or "Joyride". The lyrics are wonderfully bizarre, as only Per could write them.
7. It Must Have Been Love: The quintessential Roxette song, this particular version is probably the only low point in the album. A country-style remake that works as a novelty item, nothing more.
8. Cinnamon Street: Don't let the sugary title fool you. This another example of the edgier Roxette. A very personal song, with an excellent melody.
9. Never Is a Long Time: A song that brings tears to my eyes. If you've ever experienced heartache, you will relate to this song. Marie at her best. This song was recorded in a Brazilian nightclub. Wanna talk about experimental recording venues? ; )
10. Silver Blue: A song originally written in 1987, and that wasn't finished until 1992. An absolutely gorgeous love song in which Per and Marie grace us with their most memorable duet yet. My all-time favorite Roxette song. You'll be transported to another world, believe me.
11. Here Comes the Weekend: Recorded in a hotel room in Argentina, this is one unique song. It will remind you of something The Beatles might have written, but at the same time is very much a song only Roxette could have made. Excellent.
12. So Far Away: Recorded in the same hotel room, it's another moving ballad featuring Marie in lead vocals, it's the ultimate song for the broken-hearted. Another beautifully crafted love song.
13. Come Back (Before You Leave): A few of my "metalhead" friends are put off by the abundance of synths on this track, but they've become converts once they get past the instruments selection and into the song itself: Beautiful lyrics framed by a wonderful, unique melody.
14. Things Will Never Be The Same: Recorded live, this unplugged, more melancholic bersion of the original popster from Joyride is one of the big winners in Tourism. Marie's soulful voice and Per's masterful guitar playing come together wonderfully.
15. Joyride: A bombastic live renditon of this classic hit. Joyride, like The Look, also features a memorable audience-participation segment. Roxette joins Queen, The Beatles, and Metallica as one of the best live acts around. Their connection with the audience is perfect.
16. Queen of Rain: A power ballad once again featuring darker, edgier lyrics than previous Rox efforts. Per shows he isn't alway the "cotton candy and balloons" songwriter he self-mockingly claims to be. A perfect epilogue to the perfect album.
