Time [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

E.L.O.

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 12, 2001)
• Original Release Date: June 12, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00005KHEV
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (86 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,284 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Time was the last truly great album from the Electric Light Orchestra, released as their world-conquering fame was starting to ebb. A concept album (a brave undertaking in 1981), Time has a space-age theme and is set at the end of the 21st century. What's most remarkable is how all this science-fiction silliness is salvaged by the exuberant playing. "Yours Truly, 2095" uses a number of ELO's hallmarks--a catchy synth riff, sweeping strings, and over-the-top production--to tell a tale of a man in love with a robot; the album's highlight, it should have been a hit single. The epic "Twilight" and "Hold on Tight"--which practically bounces along like an overexcited puppy--also stand among ELO's finest works. Moreover, critical darlings Grandaddy have frequently stated the album influenced their excellent Sophtware Slump, evidence that this futuristic album was itself years ahead of its time. --Robert Burrow

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic album and a great remastering, July 2, 2001

By	Michael Mikesell (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I don't know if its being the first LP I ever bought has anything to do with it, but I've always cherished *Time* and continue to listen to it with surprising regularity. The arrangements are both more intricate and more atmospheric than those on many other ELO albums, and the loose but present narrative thread (of a man lured to an enticing but ultimately lonely future) has always captivated me. "Ticket to the Moon" embodies more than one kind of longing, and its heart-wrenching beauty has few parallels in pop music.

This fresh edition of the album is superlative in almost every respect. The sound, while still dynamically compressed, is extremely true to the astonishing quality of the original LP, with perhaps greater heft in the bottom end (but not so much as to make it sound overly equalized) and of course no surface noise in the quiet moments!

It probably goes without saying that the new version trumps the original CD, mastered by the great Joe Gastwirt in the late '80s. While timbrally respectable, Gastwirt's version still suffered at the hands of the relatively poor-quality analog-to-digital converters of the day, and for some reason certain song transitions did not originally make it the CD intact (track 5 into 6, track 11 into 12); these are restored on this new edition.

The original CD lacked lyrics and complete liner notes, and these also can be found on the remastered disc. The CD's only failing is in the petty "commentary" from Jeff Lynne, who more often belittles than illuminates his music (the commentary on the new box set, *Flashback*, is little better). At best, Lynne offers insight on the keyboard sounds used in the haunting instrumental, "Another Heart Breaks"; at worst he sounds put out at having to say anything at all: his comment for "The Lights Go Down" is merely "I guess the lights went down." One would think this reissue were being put out under duress!

In any case, if you liked this record or are feeling adventurous and want to hear one of the best albums released in the 1980s, add this to your cart!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ELO's Best Ever and Among the Best Concept Albums of All Time!, October 30, 2005

By	Frederick Baptist (Singapore) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This album was one of the very first that I'd ever owned and even after all these years, the sheer brilliance of it still leaves me spellbound. Jeff Lynne without a doubt has the gift of melody and storytelling which comes out in great evidence here. Set as a futuristic warning of a space-age, Asimov-style robotic time to come and one individual's successful escape from this experience, we get track after track of just great, well-written songs that only ELO could come up with. It's difficult to single out any weak track here and my favourite which also is one of my all time favourite tracks is "The Lights Go Down" which still gives me a thrill each time I hear it. This is ELO's greatest album of all and clearly showcases all the reasons for what ELO will also be remembered for: great unique blending of the classical and rock genres, great ear for melody and great songwriting. This version of the album has been well remastered by Jeff Lynne and he writes the liner notes as well. Highly recommended!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Way Music's Meant to Be, June 29, 2001

By	Jvstin "Paul Weimer" (Circle Pines, MN United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

Time was and is one of my favorite E.L.O. albums. A concept album much in the same tradition of Eldorado, TIME tells the story of a man who is transported from the year 1981 (the year of the album release) to a dystopic 2095. Sound dull? Far from it! E.L.O. has a history of catchy pop tunes with excellent and unusual instrumentals, and this is no exception.

This remastered edition includes a few songs which were "left off" the original album, but are definitely part of the story that the item tells. I heard all of the "extras" on the Afterglow compedium, and I like them as much as the original Time songs. They belong with their brethren, and although I already have a copy of Time, and Afterglow, I could not resist picking up this album to have the entire Time cycle on one CD.

This is truly the way music's meant to be.