[1] Prologue (Jeff Lynne) - 1:15
[2] Twilight (Jeff Lynne) - 3:42
[3] Yours Truly, 2095 (Jeff Lynne) - 3:12
[4] Ticket To The Moon (Jeff Lynne) - 4:07
[5] The Way Life's Meant To Be (Jeff Lynne) - 4:38
[6] Another Heart Breaks (Jeff Lynne) - 3:48
[7] Rain Is Falling (Jeff Lynne) - 3:54
[8] From The End Of The World (Jeff Lynne) - 3:16
[9] The Lights Go Down (Jeff Lynne) - 3:33
[10] Here Is The News (Jeff Lynne) - 3:45
[11] 21St Century Man (Jeff Lynne) - 4:08
[12] Hold On Tight (Jeff Lynne) - 3:06
[13] Epilogue (Jeff Lynne) - 1:31
Recorded at Musicland Studios Munich W. Germany.
Special thanks to Bill Bottrell.
Special thanks to Brendan Higgs.
Thanks to Brian Gardner.
Girl's voice on "Yours Truly, 2095" by Sandi.
French verse in "Hold On Tight" by Ghislaine.
Special thanks to Nancy & Phil for their front room.
Gibson, Ovation - guitars
Yamaha, Oberheim, S.L.M., Wurlitzer - keyboards
Fender, Gibson - bass guitars
Slingerland - drums
Zildjian - cymbals
Remo - heads
This is the best ELO album i ever heart, very melodic, soft and this is
still one of my favorite albums. At the early 80's ELO begins with
experiments into the techno sound - with wonderful and great results! I
hear this album very first time in Moscow(!) and since them i was
running behind this CD. This album is recommended not only for ELO
fans, but for every other person, who loves melodical, rhythmical,
dynamical and soft music, going away from disco moving to electronical
music without getting freezed like techno. This album is a must for
everyone!
audio-music dor info
Timely, yet timeless...an enduring vision
TIME (1981) is a very ambitious and important album in the tradition of
ELO's 1974 masterpiece, ELDORADO. Sonically, it is much different, with
the chill of synths replacing ELDORADO's warm washes of orchestral
grandeur. Nonetheless, the two albums both touch very profoundly and
effectively on the potency of dreams. "Twilight" is an incredibly
powerful statement musically and lyrically...it's one of the greatest
techno-rockers ever recorded. Certainly, it was a pioneering track in
terms of much of the synth-rock that followed throughout the 80's and
90's, though few of those other other bands were ever able to match
ELO's excellence. (Keyboardist Richard Tandy proves once again on TIME
that he belongs in the pantheon of great rock instrumentalists.) "Yours
Truly, 2095" is funny, sad, prophetic, and disturbing all at once.
"Ticket to the Moon" begins with a great melancholy line: "Remember the
good old 1980s/When things were so uncomplicated." It's the perfect
sc-fi weeper love song. "The Way Life's Meant to Be," "Here is the
News," and "21st Century Man" were all hits in England, and should have
been smashes in the U.S. All of them are insightful lyrical
observations on the human condition, with all the pop brilliance of a
Phil Spector or Brian Wilson masterpiece. "Rain is Falling" is one of a
series of cathartic Jeff Lynne "rain" songs, which surface on a number
of ELO's albums. The pinnacle of the album is "Hold On Tight," which is
one of the most effective inspirational rockers ever recorded. It's got
a good beat, and you can think to it. As one listens to the entire TIME
album, what appears at times to be a bleak meditation on the future
finally breaks free into the sunlight of hope for a better tomorrow. At
least, that's the way life's meant to be.
Stephen Simpson, March 31, 1999
Jeff Lynne's lyrics tell of a disturbing not-to-distant future in which
man is over-dependant, and overshadowed by machines. The setting may be
the near future, but the themes are as contemporary as anything
currently in the charts. Songs like "2095", "The Way Life's Meant To
Be" "From the End of The World" and "Ticket To the Moon" show humankind
in the future longing for a simpler time and a simpler way of life, and
do so brilliantly. The images these songs evoke of a future dominated
by technology and machines are a bit creepy, but that is probably the
point. Musically, the album is yet more proof that Jeff Lynne is one of
this century's musical geniuses, and the brilliant and original use of
synthesizers actually predates the Techno-Craze that was to follow
starting in 1982. When I first bought a vinyl copy of this album in
1981, I played it so much I wore it out and had to buy another one!!
Ditto a cassette copy. The rocker "Hold On Tight", with half the lyrics
sung in French, was the only single that charted significantly in the
U.S., reaching the Top Ten, but ALL the songs are equally engaging.
This album reached platinum status in the U.S. In the UK, it actually
went to Number One. Go Figure!! The Brits sure know a good album when
they hear one. Definitely something to think about. If you are a fan of
the original Electric Light Orchestra (I have never listened to E.L.O.
Part II; I'm sure they're great, but to me, E.L.O. without Jeff Lynne
is not E.L.O.; it's like the Beatles without Lennon/McCartney/Harrison
or the Who without Pete Townsend) and/or Jeff Lynne, you will not be
dissapointed by this album. I am willing to bet you will love it!! If
you don't have it, by all means, BUY IT!!
To my experience, many groups started out as something fresh and new,
then changed their style, getting softer, sometimes catching "the right
groove", and sometimes get boring, not selling well anymore and
stopping (or stopping before the record sales went down). This happened
to The Beatles, to Abba, to Boney M., and also to E.L.O. This is the
album where E.L.O. caught "the right groove". You can still feel some
of their experimental roots, but it's pleasant enough to have fed four
hit singles, "Hold on tight", "Twilight", "The way life's meant to be"
and "Here is the news". They didn't hit that big with a single album
after that, although they still had some hits until 1986, when they
last charted with "Calling America". This album still shows their roots
like vocoders etc., but already has got a highly commercial sound, not
as experimental as they were in the beginning. This is a concept album.
It tells a science-fiction story of a man who travels in time and gets
stuck in 2081 without a chance getting back to 1981. The songs tell
various aspects of his being there. It all fitted well into 1981, when
the first home computers were sold, and the movie "Flash Gordon"
brought the Sci-Fi concept to the cinemas. This album is too good to be
wasted as "background music". You really should listen to the lyrics
carefully. Depending on what you like on this, I'd suggest different
other artists and albums, besides, of course, other ELO albums: If you
like the computer voices and synthesizers, I'd recommend something by
Jean-Michelle-Jarre, or (seriously!) Boney M.'s "Night Flight to
Venus", which starts out with a similar computer voice as this one, and
by the way, was THEIR top-selling album, including their famous "Rivers
of Babylon", and maybe Alan Parsons or Vangelis. If you like the style
of singing and choruses, you'd better stick to The Beatles (who stopped
where ELO began) or Wet Wet Wet (who began where ELO stopped). Or how
about something else Jeff Lynne produced (and put a remarkable stamp
onto), like The Travelling Wilburys, some later Roy Orbison ("You got
it"), George Harrison ("Fish on the sand") or Paul McCartney ("Young
boy")? Jeff Lynne even produced the new songs on The Beatles' Anthology
(sounding rather like ELO than The Beatles IMHO), and by the way, on
"The way life's meant to be", he sounds like George Harrison, though he
didn't have to do anything with him at that time. Ah yes, and if you
rather like the Rock'n'Roll tunes on it, you could try to listen to
Alvin Stardust or Shakin' Stevens...
Kurt Woloch
This is one of Jeff Lynne's most ambitious projects. I don't agree with
the "two-star" review. I'd give it about a " 3 1/2 - 4". It is a
concept album - one for the future. A world of video, sound, hover
cars, stars and planets, technology.....Lynne covers it all. And he
ends it all with "Hold On Tight (To Your Dreams)". It's actually quite
poetic, and within the next few decade possibly prophetic.
StratCat, January 14, 1999 Rating: 8
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 You Out Of My Head," and the
"Prologue" and "Epilogue" segments try and bring about a unifying
concept which doesn't quite hold up upon listening all the way through.
Time proves to be competent ELO but not great ELO.
Just on the border of your waking mind
There lies... Another time
Where darkness & light are one
And as you tread the halls of sanity
You feel so glad to be
Unable to go beyond
I have a message
From another time...
Twilight
The visions dancing in my mind
The early dawn, the shades of time
Twilight crawling through my windowpane
Am I awake or do I dream?
The strangest pictures I have seen
Night is day and twilight's gone away
With your head held high and your scarlet lies
You came down to me from the open skies
It's either real or it's a dream
There's nothing that is in between...
CHORUS:
Twilight, I only meant to stay awhile
Twilight, I gave you time to steal my mind
Away from me.
Across the night I saw your face
You disappeared without a trace
You brought me here, but can you take me back?
Inside the image of your light
That now is day and once was night
You lead me here and then you go away.
REPEAT CHORUS
(You brought me here, but can you take me back again?)
With your head held high and your scarlet lies
You came down to me from the open skies
REPEAT CHORUS
Twilight, I only meant to stay awhile
Twilight, I only meant to stay awhile
Twilight, Twilight, Twilight, Twilight.
Yours Truly, 2095
2095, 2095, 2095, 2095
I love you, sincerely
Yours truly, yours truly...
I sent a message to another time
But as the days unwind, this I just can't believe
I sent a note across another plane
Maybe it's all a game, but this I just can't conceive.
Can you hear me?
I drive the very latest hovercar
I don't know where you are
But I miss you so much till then
I met someone who looks a lot like you
She does the things you do
But she is an IBM.
2095, 2095, 2095, 2095
I love you, sincerely
Yours truly, yours truly...
She's only programmed to be very nice
But she's as cold as ice
Whenever I get too near
She tells me that she likes me very much
But when I try to touch
She makes it all too clear.
She is the latest in technology
Almost mythology
But she has a heart stone
She has an I.Q. of 1001
She has a jumpsuit on
And she's also a telephone.
2095, 2095, 2095, 2095
I love you, sincerely
Yours truly, yours truly...
CHORUS:
Is that what you want? (Is it what you want?)
Is it what you really want? (Is it what you really want?)
Is that what you want? (Is it what you want?)
Is it what you really want?
I realize that it must seem so strange
That time has rearranged
But time has the final word
She knows I think of you, she reads my mind
She tries to be unkind
She knows nothing of our world
Although her memory banks overflow
No one would ever know
For all she says: "Is that what you want?"
Maybe one day I'll feel her cold embrace
And kiss her interface
'Til then, I'll leave her alone.
I love you, sincerely
Yours truly, yours truly...
REPEAT CHORUS:
"Is that what you want?"
Ticket To The Moon
Remember the good old 1980s?
When things were so uncomplicated?
I wish I could go back there again
And everything could be the same.
I've got a ticket to the moon
I'll be leaving here any day soon
Yeah, I've got a ticket to the moon
But I'd rather see the sunrise in your eyes.
Got a ticket to the moon
I'll be rising high above the earth so soon
And the tears I cry might turn into the rain
That gently falls upon your window
You'll never know.
CHORUS:
Ticket to the moon (ticket to the moon)
Ticket to the moon (ticket to the moon)
Ticket to the moon (ticket to the moon).
Fly, fly through a troubled sky
Up to a new world shining bright, oh, oh.
Flying high above
Soaring madly through the mysteries that come
Wondering sadly if the ways that led me here
Could turn around and I would see you there
Standing there (and I would see you there, waiting...)
Ticket to the moon
Flight leaves here today from Satellite Two
As the minutes go by, what should I do?
I paid the fare, what more can I say?
It's just one way (only one way)...
REPEAT CHORUS:
REPEAT CHORUS:
The Way Life's Meant To Be
Well, I came a long way to be here today
And I left you so long on this avenue
And here I stand in the strangest land
Not knowing what to say or do
As I gaze around at these strangers in town
I guess the only stranger is me
And I wonder (yes, I wonder)
Yes, I wonder (oh, I wonder)
Is this the way life's meant to be?
Although it's only a day since I was taken away
And left standing here looking in wonder
(It's your life, it's your life)
Ah, the ground at my feet, maybe it's just the old street
But everything that I know lies under
(It's your life, it's your life)
And when I see what they've done
To this place that was home
Shame is all that I feel
Oh, and I wonder (oh, I wonder)
Yes, I wonder (wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder)
Is this the way life's meant to be?
Too late, too late to cry
The people say
Too late for you, too late for me
You've come so far, now you know everything my friend
Look and see the wonders of our world...
And I wonder (oh, I wonder)
Yes, I wonder (yes, I wonder)
Is this the way life's meant to be?
As I wander around this wreck of a town
Where people never speak aloud
With its ivory towers and its plastic flowers
I wish I was back in 1981
Just to see your face instead of this place
Now I know what you mean to me
And I wonder (oh, I wonder)
Yes, I wonder (yes, I wonder)
Is this the way life's meant to be?
And I wonder (oh, I wonder)
Yes, I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder
Is this the way life's meant to be?
Ooohh, I wonder
Oh, I wonder, wonder, wonder
Is this the way life's meant to be?
Oh, is this the way life's meant to be?
Mmmmm, is this the way life's meant to be?
I wanna know now
Is this the way life's meant to be?
Another Heart Breaks
Another heart breaks, another heart breaks
Another heart breaks, another heart breaks
Another heart breaks, another heart breaks.
Rain Is Falling
(Rain rain, go away, come again another day)
Early in the morning
The sun was up and the sky was very blue
Without a warning
As I looked out, my thoughts returned to you.
A noise in the city made the children run
And hide themselves away
And thunder boomed and lightning filled the sky.
Looking from this window
A thousand rivers running past my door
Standing on an island
Looking for someone upon the shore
I cane see it very clearly, nothing's really changed
Then lightning strikes across an empty sky.
CHORUS:
Ooohh, the rain is falling
Ooohh, the rain is falling
Ooohh, the rain is falling
Will it wash away the lonely tears?
(It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring)
With their brand new time transporter
They'll think maybe I fought to get away
But with all their great inventions
And all their good intentions, here I stay
Down on the corner where the sun had shone
The people gathered round
Then scattered as the raindrops hit the ground.
REPEAT CHORUS:
(It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring)
REPEAT CHORUS:
(It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring)
(Rain rain, go away, come again another day)
From The End Of The World
Oh you, you're so hard to get to
Oh you, you don't wanna play
You were no better before
I sent a letter before
I sent a dream to last night
From the end of the world.
Oh you, you keep me hanging round & round & round & round
Oh you, look at the trouble I've found
You were no better before
I sent a letter before
I sent a dream to you last night
From the end of the world.
I saw you last night, but you couldn't answer
You were a lonely little sidewalk dancer
When I woke up I could not stand it
You were gone, but I got to hand it to you.
Dream to you last night
From the end of the world.
Oh please, if this is a game I wish someone would win
Please, just let her fly to be upon the wind
You were no better before
I sent a letter before
I sent a dream to you baby last night
From the end of the world.
You were no better before
I sent a letter before
I sent a dream to you baby last night
From the end of the world.
I sent a dream to you baby, last night
From the end of the world
I sent a dream to you, babe
From the end of the world.
I sent a dream...
To you baby...
From the end of the world.
The Lights Go Down
(The lights go down...)
One day
I gotta get out of here
I gotta make everything clear
I gotta see you, oh, oh.
I know
The way that I feel is wrong, so wrong
But I gotta carry on
When you ain't around.
CHORUS:
I believe things are going wrong
And the night goes on and on
All your dreams have flown away
And the sun won't shine today.
The lights go down (I want you, baby)
The lights go down (I need you, baby)
The lights go down
And there's no one around.
I know
You're waiting so close to me
But how will you ever see
As time rolls away?
Lonely
But trying to be so proud
And just as I turn around
The lights go down.
REPEAT CHORUS:
The lights go down (I want you, baby)
The lights go down (I need you, baby)
The lights go down
And there's no one around...
Here Is The News
Here is the news
Coming to you every hour on the hour
(Here is the news)
The weather's fine but there may be a meteor shower.
Here is the news
A cure's been found for good old rocket lag
(Here is the news)
Someone left their life behind in a plastic bag.
Here is the news
Here is the news
Here is the news.
("Spaceworkers dispute in London today.
A lightning strike by air shuttle officers
led to over 2,000 passengers being held up
for up to 10 hours to board flights...")
("Ten Eurotechnicians were today sentenced
by the justice computer to be banished for life
to the prison satellite Penal One...")
Here is the news
Another action filled adventure
(Here is the news)
All the worst from the world convention.
Here is the news (the very latest)
Here is the news
Here is the news
Here is the news
("... shares of Roboko Development are now climbing...")
("... a very great friend of mine...")
("... our regular scheduled programs...")
("... the latest report from the people down there...")
("... a tiny little detail...")
("... I'd like to say hello to everybody...")
Here is the news
I wanna go home, I want my baby back
(Here is the news)
I wanna go back!
Here is the news
Somebody has broken out of Satellite Two
(Here is the news....)
Look very carefully, it may be you, you, you, you...
("... the energy counsel today announced...")
("... the archbishop is waving to the crowds...")
("... the World Broadcasting Authority today announced...")
("... I think that's going to be alright, you'll have to wait & see...")
("... I'll call you back later...")
Here is the news.
21st Century Man
A penny in your pocket
Suitcase in your hand
They won't get you very far
Now you're a 21st century man.
Fly across the city
Rise above the land
You can do 'most anything
Now you're a 21st century man.
Though you ride on the wheels of tomorrow (tomorrow)
You still wander the fields of your sorrow
What will it bring?
One day you're a hero
Next day you're a clown
There's nothing that is in between
Now you're a 21st century man.
You should be so happy
You should be so glad
So why are you so lonely
You 21st century man?
You stepped out of a dream
Believing everything was gone
Return with what you've learned
They'll kiss the ground you walk upon.
Things ain't how you thought they were
Nothing have you planned
So pick up your penny and your suitcase
You're not a 21st century man.
Though you ride on the wheels of tomorrow
You still wander the fields of your sorrow (sorrow)
Tomorrow, 21st century man
21st century man
21st century man...
Hold On Tight
Hold on tight to your dream
Hold on tight to your dream
When you see your ship go sailing
When you feel your heart is breaking
Hold tight to your dream.
It's a long time to be gone
Time just rolls on and on
When you need a shoulder to cry on
When you get so sick of trying
Just hold tight to your dream
CHORUS:
When you get so down that you can't get up
And you want so much but you're all out of luck
When you're so downhearted and misunderstood
Just over & over & over you could
Accroches-toi a ton reve
Accroches-toi a ton reve
Quand tu vois ton bateau partir
Quand tu sents -- ton coeur se briser
Accroches-toi a ton reve.
REPEAT CHORUS:
Hold on tight to your dream
Hold on tight to your dream
When you see the shadows falling
When you hear that cold wind calling
Hold on tight to your dream.
Oh, yeah
Hold on tight to your dream
Yeah, hold on tight...
To your dream.
Epilogue
You should be so happy
You should be so glad
21st century man.
Though you ride on the wheels of tomorrow
You still wander the fields of your sorrow.