The Time Machine

How good is The Time Machine on a scale of 1-10?

  • Total voters
    25
LooseCannon said:
I will gently again remind people - there is no such thing as "self-plagiarism". One cannot steal what one owns, and music shouldn't exist in a monolith where what came before cannot be referenced and re-used.
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So “autocannibalism” then? I agree with you that a previous piece taken from one’s discography should be judged in the context it’s used — “Empire of the Clouds” is fantastic but has noticeable bits from previous Maiden songs — but there’s also no problem with pointing it out and evaluating if it was worth resurrecting or not.
 
The Time Machine - 10/10 - I don't care how many bits from other Janick songs are in rolled into this one. This is by far the most fun track on the album. It really reminds of a combo between The Talisman and Dance of Death and doesn't feel at all like a 7+ minute song. I kind of wish there was another one of these lighthearted romps here to break up the darkness. Love, love, love everything about this song except for the reprisal of the intro again at the end which seems really unnecessary. Odds of Janick dancing during this song are at a solid 100%.
 
Really like how the tempo is increased starting at 4:52. Then at 5:23, there is an additional guitar added for the lead guitar melody (mixed in the centre). If you listen with headphones this is easier to keep track of. The tempo is still notably higher here as well.

These small details make it sound better for sure.
 
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Now this is where things really get interesting for me! I love the carnivalesque melodies and the way Bruce's voice ascends during the verses, like he's climbing to the top of a mountain and as he gets there he delivers a spectacular, thundering chorus, my absolute favorite on the entire album! The bridge he sings is also amazing along with the guitar work enveloping him as he's singing it. I really cannot sing this song's praises enough, it's one of the highlights in my opinion!
 
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I’m going out on a limb here but I think this is the worst song of the reunion since Age of Innocence. I think the song is an utter mess. Too many changes that don’t flow, odd lyrics and a lack of general cohesion.

It’s such a shame as The Legacy, Talisman and Book of Souls are all contenders for top 10 Maiden songs. Time Machine is a massive let-down.
 
In another topic, a LOT of the lyrics on this song reminds me of Kang the Conqueror. I don't know much of Gers and Harris' personal lives, and Bruce cited a silver surfer on Darkside of Aquarius (is it the marvel character tho?).

I have lived a long life, life extraordinaire

I am not a preacher, I am but a man
You cannot imagine what I've seen and done

Stand among the steeples, stand upon the walls
I have seen a God's face, I have no disgrace

I have seen the gods cry, howling in the wind
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Janick said (in a interview) that he initially wanted to do the intro (and the whole song too) with an acoustic guitar, but with the Strat he can do weird sounds and tunings that the acoustic wouldn't have gotten - I think it sounds better with the Strat... (especially for this song).

If the song was with an acoustic intro, it would have been too similar to the intro of ''The Talisman''.
 
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I think that, for fingering position confort, this is the right way to play the intro (after the intro, one guitar has a drop D tuning; the high E string is in D, only for the intro):

The Time Machine (Gers/Harris)
Double Drop D Tuning: DADGBD

3/4
D|--7h8---------8--|-5h7---------------|--2h3------------3--|-2h3--------------|-2h3-----------------|
B|--------6--------|--------5------8---|---------1----------|--------1-----1---|--------1-----1\3----|
G|°-----------7----|-----------7------°|°------------2------|-----------2-----°|-----------2---------| Last time
D|°-0--------------|-0----------------°|°-0-----------------|-0---------------°|-0-------------------|
A|-----------------|-------------------|--------------------|------------------|---------------------|
D|-----------------|-------------------|--------------------|------------------|---------------------|
 
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Detective Beauregard said:
Is that tuning a first for the band? Also is it Adrian or Janick?
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I just revised and I think it is in DADGAD (same as The Talisman). The intro is on a strat and it is Jan; there's an acoustic, too and it may be Adrian. Gonna work out if the tuning is kept thoughout the song, 'cos I hear the Asus, aug and major, with the high D when Bruce sings "... and done".

The Time Machine (Gers/Harris)
'Celtic' Tuning: DADGAD

3/4
D|--7h8---------8--|-5h7----------5----|--2h3------------3--|-2h3--------------|-2h3-----------------|
A|--------8--------|--------7----------|---------3----------|--------3-----3---|--------3-----3\5----|
G|°-----------7----|-----------7------°|°------------2------|-----------2-----°|-----------2---------| Last time
D|°-0--------------|-0----------------°|°-0-----------------|-0---------------°|-0-------------------|
A|-----------------|-------------------|--------------------|------------------|---------------------|
D|-----------------|-------------------|--------------------|------------------|---------------------|
 
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Just re-revised and only the intro/outro has the 'Celtic' tuning; for the rest of the song, it has, at least, one guitar in drop D tuning.
 
Donner said:
The Time Machine - 10/10 - I don't care how many bits from other Janick songs are in rolled into this one. This is by far the most fun track on the album. It really reminds of a combo between The Talisman and Dance of Death and doesn't feel at all like a 7+ minute song. I kind of wish there was another one of these lighthearted romps here to break up the darkness. Love, love, love everything about this song except for the reprisal of the intro again at the end which seems really unnecessary. Odds of Janick dancing during this song are at a solid 100%.
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Agree .. the song it is catchy as hell
 
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8/10

This is a fun "little" song. It's not particularly great or memorable, but the major-key, rollicking vibe really adds some flair to the listening experience of Senjutsu. As with some of Janick's writing in recent years this is heavily derivative of other songs (Dance of Death springs to mind), but it all sounds good.

The transitions can be a bit wonky, but I'll take wonky and fun over drull and boring. Oh yeah, and Steve's lyrics are pretty terrible and really go nowhere.
 
There's nothing grating about it musically, but it doesn't stand out that much either.

That being said:

I feel like Steve is trying to piss me off with the lyrics. He keeps going on about 'have I told you this', 'have I told you that', 'let me tell you about this and that and the other'. Well? Where are the stories, then? Some lines are actually pretty cool but don't feel connected to each other. And some are completely pointless, like 'the truth that is never a lie' bruh? Maybe that is a reference to something but it actually made me laugh when I first heard it.
 
^Yeap Time Machine is ok musically, but lyrics are uninspired and boring. Typical Steve mannerisms, what to do..
 
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