I have ordered The Time's third CD (picking it up today). I know it is not generally regarded as their (or Prince's!) best work but what are the highlights as far as others are concerned. Standout tracks, performances, lyrics, solos, or vocals. I'm interested in hearing what you think.

I wasn't overwhelmed by the 'Ice Cream Castles' album.The first two Time albums kicked ass,but this album is just okay,imo.The highlights would be...

***"Jungle Love"

***"My Drawers"

***"The Bird"

But even those tracks aren't all that great.I prefer the second album 'What Time Is It?'.

DavidEye said:

Me too. It´s just sad that it´s more like half an album just like Ice Cream Castles (only six songs!). 777-9311, The Walk and Gigolos Get Lonely Too are the highlights, in my opinion. With better lyrics they could have qualified as some of Prince´s best songs written for other artists.

Thanks guys,

I have just ordered The Time and What Time Is It? too. Any UK orgers who want to increase their related artist collection, get along to HMV. These 3 The Time CDs are still available at £14.99 each. You have to order them but they don't take that long to arrive.

Peace

tip: avoid 'Pandemonium' at all costs

I'd have to agree with Rudy. As a die hard Time admirer Pandemonium was not worth it. The Time and What Time Is It were the best...but I also agree that Ice Cream Castles had some highlights...just a few.

Rudy said:

I agree with you! For some reason,'Pandemonium' just doesn't feel like a Time album.By 1990,I guess the magic was gone.There are some cool songs ("Jerkout","It's Your World","Sometimes I Get Lonely" and the title track) but overall,the album seems messy and unfocused.Perhaps they were trying to do too much?

and don't forget "Skillet"!

(I already have Pandemonium, admittedly not an original copy though, recorded from a friend on cassette)

I just thought it was about TIME I got the original albums.

Ice Cream Castles is a very accessible CD. Its a little on the short side, but I love all the tracks. Execpt the one in the restaurant I cant remember.

Rudy said:

Put down the glass penis.

Seriously, i don't get you people sometimes, and i'm glad for that.

To the novice Time fan from a REAL Time fan, here's the deal on Ice Cream Castles.

THIS WASN'T THE TIME. Jimmy and Terry and Monte aren't on the record. Now that said, it's not a bad record. Ice Cream Castles was a decent enough single. My Drawers rocks hard. Chili Sauce is funny, but a routine that Morris did a LOT back in those days. Parts of it are in the movie. If you haven't heard Jungle Love and the Bird by now, you live under a rock and If the Kid... is well mediocre.

Now as far as Pandemonium is concerned, GET IT. Don't pay attention to these crackheads. The Orignal 7 were back in FULL FORCE on this one. The only way it didn't feel like a Time record was the fact that it had 15 tracks instead of 6. So some tracks could have been left off. Pick an album with more than 10 tracks that doesn't have some dead weight.

An analysis.

It starts off with a bang. Pandemonium is a hard driving funk track with the Time at their best. Funky and Morris talking shit. Jerk Out is the quintessential Time song. Each album had a song where the teach you a dance and Jerk Out is this one. Blondie has Jesse stretching out on the guitar. Donald Trump (Black Version) is a pretty forgettable ballad. Chocolate is well Chocolate. Classic. Skillet is another Jesse guitar track. It's Your World is a great track. Positive lyrics and a cameo from a Prince riff in the end with Lady Cab Driver. Sometimes I Get Lonely is the best Time Ballad ever. Jimmy and Terry make a classic sound and Morris sounds like he can actually sing. I still hear this one on R & B radio today. Data Bank sucks. My Summertime Thang is the same song as The Latest Fashion off of Prince's Graffiti Bridge. Yawn. But all in all it's a solid effort and a much better record than Ice Cream Castles.

Nuff said.

GoldiesParade said:

I actually love the song "Ice cream castles' and I've always thought that "my drawers" was killer. I have always wanted to hear Prince do "my drawers' live.

Chili Sauce...

Pandemonium is a good album.
Some song are just one of the best The Time has ever done (jerk out, chocolate, blondie).

I guess it better than Ice Cream Castle... which ain't that good but is fun to listen to once in a while

Peace,
TheKid

I guess what I didn't like about Pandemonium is the overproduction that marred so much of what was happening in 1990 - what a miserable few years for popular music in general

I'm not a big Nirvana freak but THANK GOD for the new direction things went in '91 - I guess it really changed Prince's audience, which is too bad for him, but at least the radio suddenly got a lot more interesting

"Sometimes I Get Lonely" is the best Time ballad ever"

Nope."Gigolos Get Lonely Too" kills that song!

ButterscotchPimp said:

My problem with 'Pandemonium' is that it sounds messy and unfocused.Like Prince's own 'Graffiti Bridge' soundtrack,it's not a cohesive album,and the songs don't blend well together."Chocolate" is a decent funk number,but by 1990,it sounded really dated..."Skillet" is a disappointing rock number..."My Summertime Thang" and "Data Bank" are filler.These are just left-over Prince jams from the mid-80s..."Donald Trump (Black Version)" is just plain silly.

As I said before,there are a few highlights."Jerkout" and "It's Your World" are the best things happening on this project.But overall,'Pandemonium' is forgettable.

DavidEye said:

You're kidding.

Nostalgia aside, Gigolos Get Lonely Too was a cool song when we were 16 years old. Sometimes I get Lonely is for grown-ups.

Gigolos was a cast-off Prince tune, Sometimes was Jimmy/Terry/Morris's best effort at a serious ballad to date.

I still bounce to Gigolos, but let's keep it real shall we?

DavidEye said:

I Agree Ice Cream Castles felt&Sounded Cold&like a Album that lacked any kind of Heart put into it IMHO.

DavidEye said:

it felt like a Power lunch with JAM&Lewis&,Jesse,Prince&Morris as to a Project that brought them all together with the Right Spirit."Pandemonium" as with "Graffti Bridge" Suffered IMHO from alot of Canned Material as you pointed out.it was a Cross between Dated Material&2nd-tier takes of what was happening at the time IMHO.I felt it had more of a Producer's feel than a Artist's Direction.I felt that Graffti Bridge was a Poor Man's Quincy Jones's "Back on the Block" as well.

ButterscotchPimp said:

I'm a little late responding on this thread, but yes Pandemonium was a great album. One of the best albums of 1990.

Pandamonium is a great album. Skillet, Blondie, and so many others rock. Corporate World is also great...

It is funny. When someone complained about Ice Cream Castles not having Jimmy or Monte, the bottom line is that NONE of the first 3 albums had them. It was all Prince, with Morris on vocals. Many of them were recorded in Prince's home studio. He'd come in and hand them a tape and tell them that this is what the album sounds like. They'd learn it for the live show (which, although great hasn't changed in 20 years). The band was amazing, but the albums were ALL Prince. Consider them Prince albums with someone else singing lead.

madhouseman said:

I was going to point this out too madhouseman. leading on from that how much of Pandemonium is Prince. I can definitely hear some Jam and Lewis type sounds in there but I always think of it as a Prince album too.

Gooey says;

"WE DON'T LIKE NEW WAVE!"

Ain't nuttin' like a fresh pair o' baggies!!


Now I know that's right!!