A Space in Time
{{distinguish|Spacetime|Space and Time (disambiguation){{!}}Space and Time}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name = A Space in Time
| type = studio
| artist = Ten Years After
| cover = A Space in Time.jpg
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|df=yes|1971|08}}{{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Ten+Years+After&titel=A+Space+In+Time&cat=a|title=A Space in Time | publisher=Dutch Charts | accessdate=18 June 2022}}
| recorded =
| studio = Olympic, London
| genre = Rock
| length = {{Duration|m=37|s=4}}
| label = {{hlist|Chrysalis|Columbia}}
| producer = Ten Years After
| prev_title = Watt
| prev_year = 1970
| next_title = Alvin Lee and Company
| next_year = 1972
| misc = {{Singles
| name = A Space in Time
| type = Studio
| single1 = I'd Love to Change the World
| single1date = September 1971
| single2 = Baby Won't You Let Me Rock 'n' Roll You
| single2date = January 1972{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/greatrockdiscogr00stro/page/823/mode/2up|title=The Great Rock Discography|year=1995|page=823 |isbn=9780862415419 |last1=Strong |first1=Martin Charles }}
}}
}}
A Space in Time is the sixth studio album by the British blues rock band Ten Years After. It was released in August 1971 by Chrysalis Records in the United Kingdom and Columbia Records in the United States. A departure in style from their previous albums, A Space in Time is less 'heavy' than previous albums and includes more acoustic guitar, perhaps influenced by the success of Led Zeppelin who were mixing acoustic songs with heavier numbers.{{Citation needed|date=April 2019}} It reached number 17 on the Billboard 200.
The third track on the album, "I'd Love to Change the World", is also their biggest hit. By combining a melodic acoustic chorus with challenging electric guitar riffs, they managed to produce a sound that hit number 10 in the charts in Canada{{citation needed|date=May 2013}} and number 40 in the US.[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=ten years after|chart=all}} Ten Years After US chart history], Billboard.com. Retrieved 4 May 2013. Although this was their biggest hit, they rarely played it live. "Baby Won't You Let Me Rock 'n' Roll You" also charted, peaking at number 61 in the US, and reaching number 54 in Canada.{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.7505.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - March 4, 1972}}
Critical reception
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-space-in-time-mw0000192047 |title=A Space in Time - Ten Years After |publisher=Allmusic}}
| rev2 = Christgau's Record Guide
| rev2score = B−{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|publisher=Ticknor & Fields|isbn=089919026X|chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: T|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=T&bk=70|accessdate=15 March 2019|via=robertchristgau.com}}
| rev3 = The Village Voice
| rev3score = B+{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Robert|date=14 October 1971|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cg20.php|title=Consumer Guide (19)|newspaper=The Village Voice|location=New York|accessdate=14 April 2013|via=robertchristgau.com}}
}}
Billy Walker gave the album a generally positive review in Sounds. He noted the atypically soft sound of songs such as "Over the Hill" and "Let the Sky Fall" and approved of this "unexpected but pleasing dimension to the overall feel of the album", while simultaneously praising "the old TYA excitement" of tracks such as "I'd Love to Change the World" and "Baby Won't You Let Me Rock 'n' Roll You". He particularly praised Alvin Lee's guitar work. However, he complained that a number of the tracks suffered from "lack of strength or projection of Alvin's voice" and concluded "Ten Years After are a far better live band than their albums suggest; they get over much more of their charisma and excitement that has a job surfacing on their recorded work."{{cite news |title= Ten Years After Today |first=Billy |last=Walker |newspaper=Sounds |publisher= Spotlight Publications |date= 28 August 1971|page= 6}}
Village Voice critic Robert Christgau said the album is one "in which the rock heavy comes of age with his toughest, fullest, and most coherent album. I like it in a way, but it does lack a certain winning abandon, and I'm not crazy about the heavy's economic theories—fellow seems to believe that if you 'tax the rich to feed the poor' you soon run out of rich, with dire consequences."
Track listing
All songs by Alvin Lee except "Uncle Jam", which was composed by C. Churchill, A. Lee, R. Lee and L. Lyons.
=Side one=
- "One of These Days" – 5:52
- "Here They Come" – 4:27
- "I'd Love to Change the World" – 3:42
- "Over the Hill" – 2:28
- "Baby Won't You Let Me Rock 'n' Roll You" – 2:10
=Side two=
- "Once There Was a Time" – 3:20
- "Let the Sky Fall" – 4:19
- "Hard Monkeys" – 3:12
- "I've Been There Too" – 5:40
- "Uncle Jam" – 1:54
Personnel
Ten Years After
- Alvin Lee – guitar, vocals
- Leo Lyons – bass
- Ric Lee – drums
- Chick Churchill – keyboards
Technical
- Recorded at Olympic Studios, London
- Engineer – Chris Kimsey
- String arrangement on "Over the Hill" by Del Newman
- Front cover photograph – Ed Caraeff
- Back cover photograph – Alvin Lee
- Executive producer – Chris Wright
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
! Chart (1971-72) ! Peak |
| scope=row|Australian Albums (Kent Music Report){{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=307}}
| style="text-align:center;"| 18 |
|---|
| {{Album chart|Canada|21|artist=Ten Years After|album=A Space In Time|chartid=7579|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |
| scope=row|Danish Albums (Hitlisten){{cite magazine |date=25 November 1971 |title=LP-hits |magazine=Ekstra Bladet |page=32}}
| style="text-align:center;"| 8 |
| scope="row"| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts){{cite book|last=Pennanen|first=Timo|title=Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972|edition=1st|publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava|location=Helsinki|year=2006|isbn=978-951-1-21053-5 | page= 166 | language= fi}}
| align="center"| 11 |
| {{Album chart|Germany4|35|artist=Ten Years After|album=A Space In Time|id=15999|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |
| {{Album chart|Norway|13|artist=Ten Years After|album=A Space In Time|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |
| {{Album chart|UK2|36|date=19711107|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |
| {{Album chart|Billboard200|17|artist=Ten Years After|refname=BILL200|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
! Chart (2023) ! Peak |
| {{Album chart|Scotland|24|date=20230324|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |
| {{Album chart|UKIndependent|9|date=20230324|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Canada|artist=Ten Years After|title=A Space in Time|award=Gold|relyear=1971|certyear=1979}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United States|artist=Ten Years After|title=A Space in Time|award=Platinum|relyear=1971|certyear=1986}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://coolalbumreview.com/?p=27733 A Space in Time Review on "Cool Album of the Day"]
- {{Discogs master|29457}}
{{Ten Years After}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Space In Time, A}}
Category:Ten Years After albums
Category:Chrysalis Records albums
Category:Columbia Records albums
Category:Albums produced by Leo Lyons
Category:Albums produced by Ric Lee
Category:Albums produced by Chick Churchill