A rule of thumb in the music industry is that teenage heartthrobs are good for about two years, and Bros was in its second year when its second album, The Time, was released. A second rule of thumb is that teenage heartthrobs don't necessarily travel well, and while Bros ruled the British airwaves with the three hits included on this album--in descending and (notably) chronological order, "Too Much," "Chocolate Box," and "Madly In Love"--they never made much of an impression in the U.S. As with most teenage heartthrobs, the music wasn't the point; all of these songs are heavily produced, glossy dance tracks in which Matt Goss's enthusiastic but thin vocals are the least noticeable aspect. The point was image, and without a big promotional push, that image never became visible to Americans, while, in England, it was only good for the life of this record, completing Bros' two years of fame. (Epic Records in the U.S. reconfigured the album for American release, cutting the tracks "Streetwise" and "Space Sister" and adding "Life's A Heartbeat," the 1988 #1 U.K. hit "I Owe You Nothing," which also had appeared on Bros' previous album, Push, and the 1989 Top 10 U.K. hit "Sister.") ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
The Time is the 1981 debut album by The Time. The album consists of funk-pop jams and ballads. Although the band's lineup is listed and pictured on the cover, the album was essentially written and performed by Prince, with Morris Day replacing Prince's lead vocals. Indeed, Prince's backing vocals can be heard clearly on several tracks. All tracks were written by Prince as Jamie Starr except for "Cool", which was co-written with Dez Dickerson; "After Hi School" written by Dez Dickerson; and "The Stick" written by Lisa Coleman. Coleman also provided backing vocals on "Cool" and "The Stick", while Doctor Fink provided synthesizer solos on "Get It Up" and "The Stick". "Oh, Baby" was recorded in April 1979 at Alpha Studios in Los Angeles during the sessions for Prince's self-titled second album.
The album proper was produced and arranged by Jamie Starr, which was one of Prince's many pseudonyms. Despite the fact that The Time was basically an extension of Prince, the well-trained and talented band created a sensation when performing the songs live. Prince once remarked that they were the only band he was scared to perform against.
The Time produced three singles: "Get It Up", "Cool" and "Girl", with the first two charting within the top ten on the R&B charts. "Cool" was covered by Snoop Dogg for his ninth album, Ego Trippin'.
