| Timelord | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 1993 | |||
| Studio | Synthpop | |||
| Length | 36:12 | |||
| Label | Creation Records (CRE 151) Nippon Columbia ( COCY-75676) | |||
| Producer | Momus | |||
| Momus chronology | ||||
| ||||
Timelord is the eighth studio album by Scottish musician Momus. It was released in October 1993 through Creation Records in Europe and Nippon Columbia in Japan. [1]
Timelord has been described by Momus as "the album that shot itself in the foot". [2] [3] Momus's then-girlfriend, Shazna Nessa, a Bangladesh-born 17-year-old, had been forced into an arranged marriage and kept apart from him. [4] The album was recorded as a response, in a period during which it appeared that their relationship would end permanently, and as a result contains some of the artist's most personal and vulnerable material. [3] Much of the album focuses on themes of love and heartbreak, but also of illness and death, reflective of the AIDS epidemic sweeping Europe at the time. [5] Momus and Nessa were married the following year after assistance from the British High Commission. [4]
Timelord was the first Momus album to be released on a major label, namely Nippon Columbia, who oversaw the album's release in Japan; it was also Momus's final album on Creation Records. Momus was let go from the label after Nessa's brothers stormed the Creation offices wielding machetes in search of the singer. He would go on to sign with Cherry Red Records. [6]
The album's sleeve is a portrait of Momus clad in knight's armour, photographed by notable French artists Pierre et Gilles. [1]
Timelord was reissued in 2018 as part of the Create 2 - Recreate compilation, alongside Hippopotamomus and Voyager . This reissue included three bonus tracks and liner notes by Anthony Reynolds. [7]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| NME |   |
| Vox | |
Timelord received mixed to positive reviews from the British press. NME rated the album 7/10, with critic Stephen Dalton praising Momus' "dry wit, effortless diversity, and enduring fondness for pop" but noting that the album felt "emaciated", adding that the album focused heavily on darker themes of aging, death, and illness. [5] Select also noted the album's darker themes, stating that it was a welcome change from Momus's more humorous writing. [5] Vox critic Steve Malins rated the album 6/10, calling it variously "soothing" and "chilling". [5] Melody Maker commented that, although the album focused on more negative themes than his usual work, Momus offers a glimpse of hope in the album's closing track, "Breathless". [5] AllMusic critic Steve Huey panned the album as inconsistent, but noted that it "can't be divorced from [the] context" of Momus's tumultuous personal life. [2]
Upon the album's reissue in 2018, it garnered further favourable reviews. Louder Than War critic Craig Chaligne commented that the album had "a certain timelessness", and that "Momus’ soulful delivery masks a rather bleak set of lyrics". [8]
All tracks are written by Momus
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Platinum" | 4:43 |
| 2. | "Enlightenment" | 4:30 |
| 3. | "You've Changed" | 3:43 |
| 4. | "Landrover" | 5:06 |
| 5. | "Rhetoric" | 5:09 |
| 6. | "Suicide Pact" | 3:35 |
| 7. | "Christmas on Earth" | 5:07 |
| 8. | "Breathless" | 4:16 |
| Total length: | 36:12 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 9. | "Je Suis Avec Le Christ" | 4:28 |
| 10. | "Song of the Traffic Crossing" | 3:24 |
| 11. | "Empress of Hawaii" | 4:46 |
| Total length: | 48:50 | |
Nicholas John Currie, more popularly known under the artist name Momus, is a Scottish musician and writer.
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The Poison Boyfriend is the second album by Scottish musician Momus, released in 1987 on Creation Records. After the critical success of Momus' Biblical-themed and stripped down debut album Circus Maximus (1986), Momus left él Records and signed with Creation Records after he bonded with record label boss Alan McGee. His first release for the label, The Poison Boyfriend is a song cycle that features a full band; its first half features acoustic-based singer-songwriter songs with cabaret pop influences, while the more upbeat second half features synthesisers and drum machines.
Tender Pervert is the third studio album by Scottish musician Momus, released in 1988 on Creation Records.
Hippopotamomus is the fifth studio album by British musician Momus, released in 1991 through Creation Records.
Vivid is a 2020 album by Scottish musician Momus. It was released on 14 July 2020 through independent label American Patchwork and distributed on CD by Darla Records.
Ocky Milk is the 19th studio album by Scottish musician Momus. It was released on 10 March 2006 through Momus' own label, Analog Baroque, and re-issued through independent label American Patchwork. It is currently distributed on CD by Darla Records.
Don't Stop the Night is the fourth studio album by Scottish musician Momus. It was released in 1989 through Creation Records internationally, and in Germany on Rough Trade. The album featured Momus' highest-charting single to date, "The Hairstyle of the Devil", which reached No. 94 on the UK Singles Chart for the week of 30 April 1989.
Voyager is the seventh album by Scottish musician Momus, released in 1992 by Creation Records. Voyager marked Momus' increased popularity in Japan, where he was signed to Nippon Columbia and began to collaborate with a number of notable Shibuya-kei artists.
Hypnoprism is an album by Scottish musician Momus. It was released on 27 September 2010 through independent label Analog Baroque in the United Kingdom, and in the United States by American Patchwork, distributed on CD by Darla Records.
The Philosophy of Momus is the ninth studio album by Scottish musician Momus. It was released on 1 April 1995 through Nippon Columbia in Japan, and Cherry Red Records in the United Kingdom.
