Older music will always have a place in the world of music. Most people who are passionate about music know the history behind the music they listen to now. It is simply impossible to talk about music without addressing where all of it came from.

I hold the opinion that basically any pop song from the eighties is better than any pop song from right now. There’s an indiscernible quality that makes music from then more appealing. I enjoy it all. I have so many favorite bands that are from way before I was born. So, I want to share some of these gems that I found. Some of them may be known by all, some may be hidden gems.

“Time” is the ninth album released by Electric Light Orchestra. One of the few concept albums that actually sticks to a single theme. It is considered one of the first albums devoted to the concept of time travel. The album is based around the story of a man who is taken from 1981 and placed in 2095. The story follows his reactions to this brand-new world, as he rationalizes the technological changes and mourns the love he lost back in 1981.

Really, the best way to explain this whole album is to look at every song. The sounds and lyrics are perfectly constructed to tell this man’s story.

To start it off, there’s the “Prologue.” No, I’m not kidding. That is the first song. It’s a concept album, right? But it’s a great start to a concept album. The song seems to be depicting the time travel process. A robotic voice delivers the opening monologue: “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…”

The whips and buzzes of the synthesizers build tension, the rush of the music gets quicker and louder. You are introduced to this world. But you know there’s no turning back.

“Twilight” starts right away, rolling off the tension from “Prologue.” The song is all about the man’s initial reactions to 2095. The world rushes around him. The song races just as much as his mind. There is such excitement, but ultimately he is confused. “It’s either real or it’s a dream / There’s nothing that is in between / Twilight, I only meant to stay awhile / Twilight, I’ll give you time to / Steal my mind” How does a man mentally handle such a change in scenery while also losing his reality?

“Yours Truly, 2095” further embraces the concept. The narrator interacts with a robot woman, who claims to be in love with him. He seems to try to love her back, but can never bring himself to accept her. She is much too different for him to fathom spending his life with her. The robot woman knows that he is still in love with the girl from the eighties, and resents him for it. She knows he can never be satisfied in this world.

“Ticket to the Moon” is about the man traveling to the moon. He is so amazed to see the world from high above. He is confused and impressed, but the past still calls to him. “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.”

“The Way Life’s Meant To Be” is the moment where the man starts to question the world around him. Coming from a relatively uncomplicated time, he cannot quickly accept the way this new world works. He notices all the people looking at him, looking in the same way that he looks at them. They are all odd in this world. The sound is fast, imitating his growing anxiety.

“Another Heart Breaks” is an intermission of sorts. The song is psychedelic and slow. The sound creates an atmosphere of fear, mixed with anxiety. A guitar drifts throughout the song, as a man counts up to the end. The man knows that his love is waiting for him.

“Rain is Falling” explains how kids in the future are still afraid of the lightning. He is amazed that despite all of the time passing, not much has really changed. The human race is still amazed by rain. The song is chilling, getting very close to creepy. But it shows an optimism towards the future. That humanity will never be truly lost.

“From The End of The World” is a rushing song. Extremely fast and anxious, paralleling the man’s journey to the end of the world. Apparently, that is the only place that he can send messages to his love. But he is willing to go that far just to send his love back in time.

“The Lights Go Down” illustrates the man’s loneliness in this new time. Full of new challenges and expectations, the man must persevere. He realizes he cannot linger on his past love forever, especially if he is going to be stuck in 2095. She will never truly leave him though.

“I know / The way that I feel is wrong, so wrong / But I gotta carry on /When you ain’t around”

“Here Is The News” literally is a news anchor running through all the new dangers and stories in the future. They are just as depressing as the news from the eighties. Written perfectly for the news, the sound is anxious and scary. Sometimes the future is too similar to the present. People will always die. And calamities will never disappear.

“21st Century Man” is the most introspective song on the whole album. This is the last time that the man contemplates the world of the future. He poses the question: even though you have all of these new things, what do they really bring? Do they make life better? He questions the “utopia’ that the future seems it should be. “You should be so happy / You should be so glad / So why are you so lonely / You 21st century man?”

“Hold On Tight” is the hit single from the album, which is pretty obvious when you listen to it. It’s a good song, don’t get me wrong. But it has little to do with the rest of the album. The song inspires the listener to hold on tight to their dreams, even when it seems impossible to do so. Probably the most forgettable song on the album, since it does not assist the overall concept.

“Epilogue” rounds out the whole album. The sound harkens back to that of “Prologue.” The tension builds, ending with the sounds of a teleporter. It seems like the man is taken back to 1981. He remembers everything he saw, but seems excited to be going back. “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. // Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow.”

The man goes home.

Electric Light Orchestra takes us through every bit of this man’s struggle. Amidst a time when the world was enraptured with the idea of the future, they were willing to question their idealism. ELO wanted people to consider that the future may not be as perfect as they want it to be. I will admit that there are parts of the album that are cliché and a bit overdramatic. But the album is artfully done, every sound matches the mood of the song. They know how to create an atmosphere. I highly recommend listening to “Time,” loudly with headphones on.

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