Time

Who: Meet the band-

Electric Light Orchestra is an English rock band, also known as ELO. Electric Light Orchestra was thought to be the "sons" of the Beatles, as Jeff Lynne (see picture above: right) was a huge fan of the Beatles. Jeff Lynne, who was really the heart of early ELO as the producer and composer, began his music career in 1966. He joined the group the Nightriders in 1966, but after having completed all contract obligations the band changed its name to Idle Race. Eventually, he opted to join the group Move in 1970, where he met Roy Wood. Move was a band that was centered around classical string and horn instruments. However, Jeff and Wood wanted to supplement the pop music of Move by launching Electric Light Orchestra, which was an experiment to allow the two to produce experimental music that mixed rock with a classical influence. They wanted to create music that was a form of self-expression, while carrying on where the Beatles left off. Lynne's compositions walked a line between pop and rock, because he was greatly inspired by the Beatles.

The band went through a series of different member shifts, before settling on a line-up of Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, Bev Bevan, Wilf Gibson, Richard Tandy, Mike De Albuquerque, Mike Edwards, Colin Walker, and Mik Kaminski. In 1971, they released The Electric Light Orchestra, which was filled with cellos, violins, oboes, and clarinets that created overtures and orchestral swells. The band moved from playing rock with classical instruments, which was inspired by Wood, to a new progressive rock feel which was developed through the album Electric Light Orchestra 2, which was released in 1973. By 1975’s Face The Music, the line-up had changed yet again to include Lynne, Bevan, Tandy, Kaminski, McDowell, and Groucutt. The album featured more pop elements, and less classical. Electric Light Orchestra found success on America’s stadium circuit through the albums A New World, Out of the Blue, and Discovery. ELO had an unbroken run of 14 UK Top singles between 1976 and 1981. Lynne left Electric Light Orchestra in 1986.

What: The Album-

Time is the 9th studio album by Electric Light Orchestra, but their second concept album. Time was released in 1981 through Jet Records in the UK and Columbia Records in the US. Their first concept album was Eldorado in 1974. The album has 5 singles: “Hold on Tight”, “Twilight”, “Ticket to the Moon”, “Rain is Falling,” and “The Way Life’s Meant to Be”. For two weeks after the release in the UK, the album reached number 1. The fans loved that it was the first concept album devoted completely to time travel. ELO was comprised of Jeff Lynne on vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, piano, synthesizers, vocoder, and production, Bev Bevan on drums and percussion, Richard Tandy on acoustic and electric pianos, synthesizers, vocoder, and guitars, and Kelly Groucutt on bass guitar and backing vocals.

Why: The Concept-

The songs are connected through a plot. It is thought that a man from the 1980’s is taken to the year 2095, where he faces technological advancements and longs for his past love. Is is all a dream or does he really travel there? Even Lynne is unsure of the answer to this. For my personal analysis of each song and the concept, refer to the section below!

How: The Sound-

The songs on the album sounded futuristic because the band emphasized electronics over its usual orchestra. The album style is progressive rock. It incorporates the influence of 1950s music, new wave, reggae, rockabilly, and the Beatles.

Electric Light Orchestra used cutting edge technology to make their sound unique on top of their classical music influence. Lynne was a pro in the studio, and he was able to manipulate his voice at times to sound like a computer through the use of the studio and effects. In the 1980s, the band began to use synthesizers completely rather than using strings.

Jeff Lynne wanted to pick up where the Beatles left off, and was greatly influenced by the Beatles of 68' and 69', which was right around the time of the album Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Bank and The Beatles. Both of the albums incorporated a range of styles, likes rock and roll, blues, and folk. Classical music was an inspiration for progressive rock. Progressive rock grew out of psychedelic bands, like The Beatles, who incorporated new styles of music.

Where: The Tour-

The Time Tour was a world concert tour from 1981 to 1982. The tour went from September 15th, 1981, until March 5th of 1982. The tour hit 39 cities in the United States. The tour required four keyboard players because they did not want to use backing tapes! It is difficult to produce their sound out of the studio because of the effects. The show featured a robot on the stage as a part of the act, which was controlled by the crew. The band would play their hits as a long medley, rather than as individual songs, in order to keep the show from running too long. The show even featured a John Lennon tribute. The stage for the tour needed to be multi-tiered and a screen was used to show images of the future in order to match the concept of the album. This was their second tour, the first being the Out of the Blue Tour in 1977 to 1978, which featured an elaborate spaceship.

The Album cover:

The album features blues and oranges on the cover. It looks like space, in a simple way. It looks almost like the blue is just melting into the orange like drops of water. The cover features something that looks it is dropping into the water and causing the blue to spill out onto the orange. It also looks like ELO is written inside the moon, and that there are also stars glittering in the background of the blue. The album looks like space, to represent the theme of the album: time travel. Its interesting that the album title is written in the top right corner, but it does not stand out. It almost looks like a shooting star! (see picture below: left)

Below is a personal analysis of each song on the album. I hope it will give you a taste of each song in case you have not heard the album before.

“Prologue”:

This is the first song on the album, and it begins by with sounds that remind you of being underwater, with rushing water or waves. There is an electric piano playing, which makes the song sound futuristic. The lyrics sound like a computer is talking while saying, “I have a message from another time." The lyrics are setting up the story line, and the song beings to spin seamlessly into the next. This song is shorter than the other songs on the album, as it is under a minute and 30 seconds. The lyrics say, "Outside your mind there is space...it’s hard to tell if you are crazy or not when you are reaching the boundaries outside your mind...spreading message from this dimension." The lyrics definitely set up the trip to the future you will take if you listen to the album!

“Twilight”:

The first song on the album flows seamlessly into "Twilight" through what sounds like a spinning noise, which makes it seem like you are transporting dimensions! This is perfect because the album is about traveling into the future. The song has a fast tempo rhythm, featuring drums and an electric piano which hold a steady duple meter beat in the background. It is an upbeat song with dynamics that are not too loud. The scoring of "Twilight" is interesting because the instruments are made to sound futuristic. There are prominent pianos. The lyrics continue the message from the "Prologue" through the message, "Am I awake or asleep", meaning the man who is time traveling does not know if it is a dream or reality. The singing in this song features beautiful harmonies and a polyphonic texture when the word "twilight" is repeated during the chorus! There is some ebbing and flowing in this song, as it slows down at one point, and then features drums to build back into the chorus. In this song there is a chorus. I had to ask myself what would "Twilight" mean and "I only meant to stay a while"? I believe this is the space the prologue was talking about, regarding being outside your mind. The lyrics are as follows:

"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."

After reading the above lyrics I had to ask whether he was abducted or whether some force or light pulled him into this new age. The next line is:

"With your head held high and your scarlet lies

You came down to me from the open skies"

This set of lines makes it seem like he was abducted into space or transported into the future from some other force. Computer sounds lead into the next song..very futuristic.

This song is the second single released from the album. It was released in October of 1981.

“Yours Truly, 2095”:

This song begins with a computer rapidly repeating “2095”, but it is hard to make out because of the other instrumentals. I am also unsure of what instrument is creating this futuristic sound, but it is an interesting twist to make the song fit the concept. This song has a very fast tempo, but the drums keep a steady beat in the background! The vocals of this song sound like they are being spoken. It's a little strange because it sounds as though the vocals are being muffled as well. From my analysis of the lyrics, it sounds as though they are comparing a computer to a women. For example, the lyrics say, "she is an IBM." There is a set chorus in this song. Mid-song there is a polyphony section with overlapping vocals, real singing and harmonizing, no longer just speaking the lyrics, and each note is held. This song even features a little violin solo! In the song, it sounds like he is talking about one woman, to whom he is sending this message throughout the song. He telling her of 2095 and describing this robot woman who is very smart, but only repeats “is that what you want." It seems as though he is trapped in 2095. He has no feelings for the robot, and he could never love the robot the way he loves her.

“Ticket to the Moon”:

This song has a slower tempo, and sounds more like a ballad than the other songs. This was the third single released, in December of 1981. This song was was backed by "Here is the News" upon release. It begins softly with a piano and just one singer. He is singing of how he misses the 1980's and the simplicity of life back then. It does not sound as futuristic as the past songs. He would have rather stayed where he was, in the 80's with the girl he is in love with. The chorus is sung in harmony, this means it is polyphonic at this point by starting “ticket to the moon” at different times. However, halfway through it seems to change the mood and it begins to sound different! It's almost as if the song is jazzier now. The song moves into a new part, sounding although he is floating in space, onto the moon, and looking down. Sadly, he only bought a one way ticket to the moon so he will not be returning to earth anytime soon. The man has a dilemma though, he does not know if he should leave his love interest or not. At this point in the album I had to ask myself whether this album was about time travel or going into space. This song ends with an interesting piano solo, which sounds electric and makes the song sound futuristic.

“The Way Life’s Meant to Be”:

This song was the fifth single released from the album in March of 1982. It was met with great success! It starts off softly but turns into something unlike any other song on the album. It does not sound futuristic at all, making it seen as though it was not originally meant to be on this album at all. The song is upbeat and happy, but the lyrics sound like they are longing. The lyrics make it sound as though the man is unhappy because he does not belong in the future, whether it be on the moon or in a different time period. The longing lyrics make me think he really does want to return to the 1980's. I thought this song may feature a chorus, but with further research I think it is just a tag of "The way life's meant to be".

“Another Heart Breaks”:

This song is 3 minutes and 26 seconds but it only has the lyrics:

"Another heart breaks, another heart breaks

Another heart breaks, another heart breaks

Another heart breaks, another heart breaks."

However, this song is back to sounding futuristic! It sounds futuristic until the piano, or some other chords, come in that could be adjusted by the studio. This song has a very slow tempo, it sounds sad like his heart is really breaking. The vocals are very soft and kind of foreboding. The song is repetitive with the beat, until it slightly builds up and the chords sound louder! The chords have a very high pitch and each beat is held. I believe this is homophony. This song does not fade into the next song.

“Rain is Falling”:

The lyrics of this song begin in a very high pitch that is extremely hard to hear saying, "Rain rain, go away, come again another day." It sounds as though there are many singers creating a polyphonic texture, by beginning at different times. I was left to wonder whether this song is really describing a rain storm, or was the storm a metaphor for something else. Perhaps the rain is a metaphor for sadness after a heartbreak. This song features a chorus, which is sung softly but in a high pitch. This song ebbs and flows into very strong singing and then transitions into more easy going singing. This song is a mix of futuristic sounds and a classic soft song. This is what Electric Light Orchestra does best, takes a song and uses different instruments to make it sound electric and futuristic, they were not afraid to experiment. The lyrics of the song continue:

"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"

This set of lyrics seem to come out of the blue, but somehow allows the song to relate back to the album.

This song is the fourth single released from the album, in January 1982.

“From the End of the World”:

This song begins with some cool instrumentals again, making it sound futuristic! This song has a tag which is, "From the end of the world." This song builds up, and the instrumentals get louder and the lead singers vocals get more intense as he talks to his girl. However, both fade after and the song continues into a solo. He sounds like he is mostly speaking his solo, or singing but not holding the beat until he says “from the end of the world.” At this point, his lyrics and the instrumentals are twisted as the beat is held, which incorporates an interesting sound. This song sounds different from the rest, and I am left trying to think of what he means by “from the end of the world." I think it is the end of the world as he knows it.

“The Lights Go Down”:

This song sounds more like a beach song than a futuristic song! It has a slow tempo, and an easy-going beat that you would expect would produce tropical vibes. This song features nice singing harmonies and polyphonic textures at times for the chorus. The lyrics make it seem like he is trying to escape his current situation, it doesn’t seem like a song about love but rather about himself. I wonder if because he is trapped in this new time, he is questioning whether everyday that passes is wasted, or whether is is missing out on his dreams and dream girl. I get a feeling he is lonely from this song, and at the end of the day (when the lights go down) he is alone. The chorus repeats and then fades into the next song.

“Here Is the News”:

This song starts with what sounds like a heart monitor over instrumentals. Why would he be in a hospital? Luckily, the tempo picks up rapidly and it sounds futuristic again! This leads us back into a space-themed song where the lyrics are telling of a space storm. The song has a polyphonic texture again with speaking over the singing telling of the news. The news seems to be futuristic crimes that occurred in London. I believe it is this singing and talking that is making the texture polyphonic. The man is overwhelmed by the news and just wants to go home. To him, home may be back to his own planet or back in time to the 80's. The rhythm slows down at this part, and the lyrics sound almost muffled under the instrumentals. This song is very repetitive, telling only futuristic news.

It is the third single released from the album in December 1981 as a backing to "Ticket to the Moon".

Click here to listen! I believe this song is definitely a great choice to represent the futuristic effects used on the album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRWZxO4UhVE

“21st Century Man”:

This sound does not sound as futuristic, rather it has an easy-going melody with a few futuristic twists.

The lyrics go as followed:

"You stepped out of a dream

Believing everything was gone

Return with what you've learned

They'll kiss the ground you walk upon."

I believe the lyrics to mean that the man has returned to the 1980's. He has now seen the future, which separates him from the rest of the people in the 80's. Just because he has seen tomorrow, does not mean he is happy. Plus, he is still lonely because now the man is the only one who has this new experience of the 21st century. Although he does not want to be a 21st century man, rather he wants to be like everyone else. Another interesting part of this song is that each note is held over the lyrics, which make it rubato.

“Hold on Tight”:

When first listening to the album the whole way through, I realized I had definitely heard this song many times before. Little did I know it was part of a concept album! This song was the first single released for the album, in July of 1981. I wonder if this song was added to the album later because of its popularity because it does not sound futuristic. "Hold on Tight" sounds a little country with a splash of rock and roll. This makes it sound very different, with its fast tempo and easy-going vocals! The vocals in this song are interesting as well, and some of the lyrics are even sung in French. The lyrics are saying to hold on tight to your dreams. I wonder if this is referring to the dreams the man has for his life, or the dream or reality he had just experienced with time travel. It is a song about never giving up as well, so maybe it is a song to inspire the man to never give up the dream of reuniting with his dream girl or perhaps his dreaming of really going to the moon. Then again, maybe the whole album is a dream! This song seems like a weird song to choose as the second to last song on the album, because it is a curveball with sound.

“Epilogue”:

The final song is only a minute and 30 seconds long. This song has a slow tempo but features an electric guitar in the background providing a bulk of instrumentals. The lyrics are spoken and then there is dreamy singing:

"Though you ride on the wheels of tomorrow

You still wander the fields of your sorrow.

Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow."

"Tomorrow” is repeated in harmony, for a polyphonic texture section. The end of the album is filled with weird futuristic sounds, maybe it is the sound of a time travel machine. The song quickly fades and ends.

The album sticks to its concept with futuristic sounds, while also incorporating different kinds of music. I believe this makes the album progressive, with influence from the Beatles. There is a consistent verse-chorus-verse structure in many of the songs, but each song is instrumentally different. All the tracks were written by Jeff Lynne.