2009 studio album by Smokey Robinson
| Time Flies When You're Having Fun | ||||
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| Studio album by Smokey Robinson | ||||
| Released | August 25, 2009 (2009-08-25) | |||
| Genre | Soul | |||
| Length | 57:25 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Producer |
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| Smokey Robinson chronology | ||||
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Time Flies When You're Having Fun is a studio album from American soul music singer Smokey Robinson, released in 2009. The release coincided with Robinson's 50th anniversary as a musician, with a return to the classic quiet storm sound that he pioneered in the 1970s and has received positive reviews from critics.
Critical reception
Editors of AllMusic Guide scored this album three out of five stars, with critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine considering this album "a return to the coolly simmering quiet storm that was his stock in trade during the '70s and '80s" with "impeccably tailored vocals". Writing for Rolling Stone, Mark Kemp gave this album three out of five stars, noting the singer's "sterling tenor". In the Culture Desk segment of The New Yorker, this album was named Album of the Week, with the review opining "it’s not advisable to say that it’s good or bad, at least not in simple terms", as Robinson's quiet storm sound and vocals are always high quality. Lloyd Bradley of BBC News noted not only the singing, but Robinson's songwriting, exhorting readers to "take any one of this set’s 12, beautifully-crafted vignettes that deal with just about every aspect of love – lost, found, enjoyed, unrequited and so on – telling stories in a way that will mean something to just about anybody". Mikeal Wood of Billboard gave this album four out of five stars, calling this "mellow vintage-soul disc that finds the Motown maestro in remarkably fine voice as he flexes his signature falsetto over supple, unhurried live-band arrangements long on tasty licks and laid-back grooves".
Track listing
All songs written by Smokey Robinson, except where noted
- "Time Flies" – 4:59
- "Don't Know Why" (Norah Jones) – 3:54
- "Girlfriend" – 4:26
- "You're the One for Me" – 5:05
- "One Time" – 4:48
- "Please Don't Take Your Love" – 4:50
- "That Place" – 4:54
- "Love Bath" – 5:33
- "Whatcha Gonna Do" (Terrence Bolden and Jeffrey Freeman) – 5:19
- "Satisfy You" (Gary Gold) – 4:46
- "You're Just My Life" – 4:09
- "I Want You Back" (Deke Richards, Berry Gordy, Fonce Mizell, and Freddie Perren) – 4:43
Personnel
- Smokey Robinson – vocals
- India.Arie – vocals on "You're Just My Life"
- Brian French – production
- Gary Gold – production
- Carlos Santana – guitar on "Please Don't Take Your Love"
- Joss Stone – vocals on "You're the One for Me"
Chart performance
Time Flies When You're Having Fun reached 10 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and 59 on the Billboard 200.
See also
References
- Prato, Greg (August 4, 2009). "Smokey Robinson's Motown Memories". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Smokey Robinson – Time Flies When You're Having Fun". AllMusic Guide. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- Kemp, Mark (August 24, 2009). "Time Flies When You're Having Fun". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- "Album of the Week: Smokey Robinson, "Time Flies When You're Having Fun"". The New Yorker. August 26, 2009. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- Bradley, Lloyd (2009). "Review of Smokey Robinson – Time Flies When You're Having Fun". BBC News. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- Wood, Mikael (August 14, 2009). "Smokey Robinson, "Time Flies When You're Having Fun"". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- "Smokey Robinson - Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
External links
- Official website
- Time Flies When You're Having Fun at Discogs (list of releases)
- Time Flies When You're Having Fun at MusicBrainz (list of releases)