Lost/Forgotten Album #317

[Jon]

Time might be winding for this series which I thought up all by myself. It was supposed to be never ending, kind of like The Neverending Story", but that movie did end so the title did lie even though there was a sequel but that was a lie as well. Hopefully (?) I'll change my mind and go on for a bit more so I can say I did it for a year.

We shall see, I guess.

This week's selection is 1981's Time from ELO which is the followup to their biggest selling studio album, 1979's Discovery which was certified 2x platinum. If you want to get REALLY technical, you could say that this was the followup to the soundtrack to "Xanadu" which was released in 1980 and was also certified 2x platinum, but that album also featured Olivia Newton-John, The Tubes, Gene Kelly and Cliff Richard so it isn't actually an ELO album.

Time did reach gold status but it was their lowest charting album since 1974's Eldorado with both albums reaching #16 on the US charts. So, it was a top 20 album which isn't a bad thing. The album reached #1 in the UK and Germany and was in the top 10 in many other countries. 

I remember when this album came out and the first thing that struck me was the album cover. Compared to the previous couple of albums, it was kind of bland and that might have carried over to my feelings when I listened to the album. I actually was kind of expecting "Discovery II" and that's not what I got. Listened to it maybe a couple of times and forgot about it.

Listening to it now and when I got that box set a few years ago, I now enjoy it. I still find the album cover to be bland, but interesting. I want the damn spaceship!

Well, allmusic.com doesn't like it too much, but at least ELO hasn't Bryan Adamed AM (yet):

Time takes its cues more from such bands as the Alan Parsons Project and Wings than from Jeff Lynne's fascination with Pepper-era Beatles. Sure, all the electronic whirrs and bleeps are present and accounted for, and Time did spawn hit singles in "Hold on Tight" and "Twilight," but on the average, ELO had begun to get too stuck on the same structure and content of their releases. "The Way Life's Meant to Be" echoes very early ELO hits like "Can't Get It Out of My Head," and the "Prologue" and "Epilogue" segments try and bring about a unifying concept that doesn't quite hold up upon listening all the way through. Time proves to be competent ELO but not great ELO.

Time

1. Prologue
2. Twilight
3. Yours Truly, 2095
4. Ticket To The Moon
5. The Way Life's Meant To Be
6. Another Heart Breaks
7. Rain Is Falling
8. From The End Of The World
9. The Lights Go Down
10. Here Is The News
11. 21st Century Man
12. Hold On Tight
13. Epilogue

Availability: The single album, remastered and with three bonus tracks (not included here), can be found for less than $7.

   

[Scott]

[Scott]

Thanks to my brothers album collection I was introduced to ELO via their “Face The Music” album.  “Fire On High” being the first track I recall hearing/playing.  What an intro that was!  But what I realized was that it was also the opening theme to ABC’s Wide World of Sports so I was already familiar – anyone remember the video that accompanied the Agony of Defeat? (As a side note, Pablo Cruises “Zero To Sixty in Five” also shared that distinction but I digress)…  Point is that I became a fan and the rest of “Face The Music” has become a classic to me.  And really the launching point for ELO’s radio persistence up until “Time” was released.

 

It’s either real or it’s a dream, there’s nothing that is in-between….

 

Local radio heavily indulged us with hit after hit and the albums released up until “Discovery” were all instant classics.  So why didn’t “Time” get the same response?  I don’t know that answer, but I would guess that music had begun to change a bit and so did ELO.  We got a thematic album, heavily electronic, less symphonic, and lyrically strange.  But to me, it was a great success, there’s so much to like about it. I still get it and I still spin this album often, maybe more that Out Of the Blue and Discovery even.  First, the production is probably some of the best of the bands catalog, and the pop sensibility and catchiness of the choruses are at an all-time high.  Lynne was firing on all cylinders as far as I’m concerned.

 

Remember the good ol’ 1980’s, when things were so uncomplicated….

 

Prologue and Twilight really launch the album in the right direction.  It’s a perfect ELO opener, there’s the electronic focus and minimal cello presence, but its classic ELO and it bridges the old ELO to the new ELO nicely.  It’s not until “Yours Truly,2095” that the real ELO shift is announce yet the string section is ever present on this one as well.  It’s yet another cool and catchy tune.  How forward thinking was Lynne to announce that she is also a telephone!  It’s coming just wait!  “Ticket to the Moon” has been featured on SHT before, it’s likely my favorite track on here though its technically a ballad.  If you listen close enough to “That’s The Way Life’s Meant to Be” it’s got a Traveling Wilbury’s vibe to it – if you think about it while listening it’s a perfect track for Roy Orbison. 

 

A Brand New Time Transporter…

 

Another Heart Breaks is the transitional instrumental, that gives way to the more “electronic” tracks beginning with “Rain Is Falling” which is yet another catchy slow tempo’d masterpiece.  The bass line on “From the End of the World” is very Discovery like, which could never be a bad thing – nice tune.  The fun vibe of “Light Go Down” continues the hook-laden listen, it’s an irresistible tune if you ask me.  “21st Century Man” has an epic feel to the lyrics.  The album closes with the Top 40 hit “Hold On Tight”, I don’t know why but this song always reminds me of  Dire Straits “Twisting By The Pool”.  Cool album beginning to end.  A must have…

 

12 Strings tie in…

 

I heard it all the way through practically, did you?

[RJhog (Admin)]

I have been trying to get to this all week.  But as you can see, by the lack of a comment by me up to this point, I have failed miserably.  I tried to listen to it a couple of nights ago when I retired to the pleasure palace for the evening, but I fell asleep after about two songs.  Twilight is a fantastic ELO track.  It sort of has an epic feel, somewhat like a big song from a movie.  Parts of the song make me think of Cheap Trick.  Your Truly sounds very futuristic, maybe that's the reason for 2095 in the title.  I wonder what this world will be like in 2095, if there is even life here at that time.  What I do know is that no person that I know today is likely to be alive then, and that makes me sad.  The next song sounds quite sad too, but I dig it a lot.  

Next song is just okay.  Rain is Falling is a good track.  I really like Lynne's voice.  Sounds a bit like some backward stuff at the beginning of From The Sun To The World. Song isn't that good.  The album plays out without any more particularly outstanding songs.  21st Century Man is Beatle like as well as Queen like.  That's not usually a bad thing. Well, actually, Hold On Tight is a pretty standout track.

Nice post, sorry it took so long to get to it...not really.  But I did enjoy it.