TIME - concept masterpiece?

[Anonymous]

Time was the first album I've bought myself. Since that time I'm an ELO Fan. But I think the greatest of all is ELDORADO....

[EH-SPAIN]

Time is for me the best of all the albums I have heard in my life. And besides ELO, I am a huge Beatles and Pink Floyd fan, both having a great deal of mythical albums.
I was totally stunned by Time when it was issued in 1981. Up to this moment I didn't have taken ELO seriously. After Time, I started to get all the albums.
The album is very well done, the concept is very attractive to me, that thing of the flowing of time, the way time makes the things to be very different to the way they should be, the feelings of melancholy, lost and loneliness...
And on top of that, the incredible beauty of most of the songs: Twilight, Ticket to the moon, The way life's meant to be, Rain is falling, The Lights go Down, 21st Century Man !!!! How can all these songs to be together at the same time in the same album? Wonders of Time, certainly.

[gregralls]

time is brilliant.  yes, it doesn't sound much like the elo hit making machine of the mid 70s, but that's okay with me.  twilight is my favorite elo song of all-time.

[Anonymous]

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[Skuj]

Hi everyone, I'm new here - please to find a group actively 'nerding' about elo too!!! - I'm a long time ELO fan  - ( I'm about 35 btw!!) - raised on ELO - first song of theirs I 'consciously' remember was 'All over the World' and I just thought "wow - what is this music - can it be possible" since then it's never really let me go...but recently I got to thinking that TIME is a totally underrated concept album masterpiece. I've stuck 'When Time stood Still' in between TWLMTB and Another Heart Breaks and it just 'completes' the journey for me...

What does everyone else think about this amazing futuristic melancholy masterpiece!!

I've been reading all the threads here, in shock. OMG there are people just like me. This is where I shall place my first post.

But I digress. Summer 77. Telephone Line comes on the radio and blows me away like no song ever did before. I was 15. For the first time, I tried to find out WHO the band was behind the song. When I later realized that ELO was also responsible for Evil Woman, Livin Thing, and Strange Magic, I was beside myself.

Some time in 78. Turn To Stone comes on the radio. I am blown away. AFTERWARDS, I learn it is ELO! You can imagine my astonishment. I was a certified ELOmaniac from that time on.

So then we get to the summer of 81. I find Time on cassette at a 7-11. We play it on a drive. I am blown away completely. Again. But even more so this time. Time is my favourite ELO album. IMHO, the lyrics, production and songwriting on Time took a step forward, even from the great heights of 77-79. And nobody cared. By this point ELO had made that disco album, and were involved in that awful movie. Very uncool. My friends made fun of me in 79-80. Things had changed. But Time was criminally overlooked.

To the above poster I say, add When Time Stood Still at the end of side 1, and find a place for Julie Don't Live Here too.

Further on, I think Bluebird off Secret Messages is their best song ever. Does anyone else think the Stones should have sued though? (Satisfaction.)

I tried to like Balance Of Power, but I was so depressed when that one came out. I knew it was over.

Anyway, I'm new here too, and thrilled to find this place!

Cheers
Darren Skuja
Courtenay, BC, Canada.

[Anonymous]

Man, Time should have been a double. The bonus tracks are too good to be b-sides. My dream tracklist:

Side A:
Prologue (1:16)
Twilight (3:42)
Yours Truly, 2095 (3:11)
Ticket To The Moon (4:07)

Side B:
Julie Don't Live Here (3:42)
The Way Life's Meant To Be (3:48)
Another Heart Breaks (4:38)
When Time Stood Still (3:33)

Side C:
Rain Is Falling (3:55)
From The End Of The World (3:16)
The Lights Go Down (3:33)
The Bouncer (3:14)

Side D:
Here Is The News (3:50)
21st Century Man (4:03)
Hold On Tight (3:18)
Epilogue (1:31)

Cheers
Darren Skuja

[bluoysclt]

Love that album.
I was a senior in H.S. when that album came out and has always remained one of the top ELO albums for me.
My first experience that I can recall with ELO was when I bought the 45 rpm record with the song "telephone Line" in 1976.
Anyone remember what song was on the other side? I forget!!

D. Moats

[MrAdam]

yeah that would defiantely be amazing! its still a great record anyway!!! i love it Yours Truky is probably my favourite!!!    

Man, Time should have been a double. The bonus tracks are too good to be b-sides. My dream tracklist:

Side A:
Prologue (1:16)
Twilight (3:42)
Yours Truly, 2095 (3:11)
Ticket To The Moon (4:07)

Side B:
Julie Don't Live Here (3:42)
The Way Life's Meant To Be (3:48)
Another Heart Breaks (4:38)
When Time Stood Still (3:33)

Side C:
Rain Is Falling (3:55)
From The End Of The World (3:16)
The Lights Go Down (3:33)
The Bouncer (3:14)

Side D:
Here Is The News (3:50)
21st Century Man (4:03)
Hold On Tight (3:18)
Epilogue (1:31)

Cheers
Darren Skuja

[Anonymous]

Some great comments here, Time travellers

What amazes me about TIME and every other tune for that matter. Is how Jeff keeps it altogether. This guy is a master of his trade. There is so much going on in every song with each sound in its perfect positon. If you can spare the time you can breakdown each song and work out approximately how many tracks there is to create one of his songs. From the early days of the 8 track to 24 track mixers you will find that the songs just don't add up. Computer technology is a valuable ingrediant here.    
I am 48 in a few days time and have worshipped Jeffs style since the 60's and still, to this very day, keep finding little treasures within his songs/productions that keep me intrigued and fascinated.  
I am pretty sure we will see another concept album from Jeff in the very near future. He may be working on one now?? 'A Day in the Life'

Regards to all, Brian (Leeds, UK)

[Gavin]

I always favored T'ime' early on with my ELO starter kit. It opened me up to what awaited for the ELO catalog. Then I came across 'Out of the Blue.' I then realized where the true ELO gem was.
Excellent overall sound production. Crafty Lynne songs to fill 2 albums. Can't ask for more. 'Time' had some moments but could never match 1977's epic.

[Anonymous]

Time is one of those changing points in Jeff's life where he realized that the bigger sound wasn't necessarily the reason for ELO'S EVOLUTION. But he hit on themes that strangely came true.

I'll always see HERE IS THE NEWS as a black humor piece about how ironic The 21st century's society STILL has to deal with internal conflict.

21st CENTURY MAN mostly seems to suggest how you as a person could be forgotten but you still do your best to adapt to the world around you.

TIME is a classic in my book.

[ELOZoom]

The above message was mine. I forgot to log in. Doh!

So here it is again.

Time is one of those changing points in Jeff's life where he realized that the bigger sound wasn't necessarily the reason for ELO'S EVOLUTION. But he hit on themes that strangely came true.

I'll always see HERE IS THE NEWS as a black humor piece about how ironic it is that The 21st century's society STILL has to deal with internal conflict.

21st CENTURY MAN mostly seems to suggest how you as a person could be forgotten but you still do your best to adapt to the world around you.

TIME is a classic in my book.

[Anonymous]

After so many years, only very recently I started to play and sing at home Ticket to The Moon with just an acustic guitar, in a gentle way.
Even with my voice (I'm not Jeff) and with such a raw arrangemente, suddenly I found out the unbelievable intrinsical beauty of this song

[KB]

How did The Bouncer not make the original track list? That tune ROCKS! It's become one of my personal favs.

Some of the 80's stuff is a bit hard to swallow for me. Great songwriting, but too overboard on the effects (probably why I like The Bouncer so much). I know Jeff was very experimental with whatever effects he could get his hands on. He certainly should be commended for being a pioneer in synth works, but a lot of it (personal opinion) takes away from the song. I'm from the less is more school (which is where Jeff is back at now - mics & instraments).

Another example:

Check out the version of Xanadu on the 3 disc box set Afterglow. Nice and clean. I really never liked the song until I heard this version. The piano dresses the chorus so nicely!

Cheers!

KB
www.kbmusic.net

[hollandanton347]

hi my name is anton holland. time was my first elo tape. time has change my life many ways. it made me think about the future. my faverite song twilight-ticket to the moon-the way lifesment to be-another heart breaks-the rain is falling-the lights go down-21st century man-when time stood still=julie dont live here.