No Time for Dreaming
| No Time for Dreaming | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Charles Bradley | ||||
| Released | January 25, 2011 | |||
| Recorded | 2002–10 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 48:54 | |||
| Label | Daptone | |||
| Producer | Thomas Brenneck | |||
| Charles Bradley chronology | ||||
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| Singles from No Time for Dreaming | ||||
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No Time for Dreaming is the debut studio album by American soul singer Charles Bradley. It was released on January 25, 2011, under Daptone Records. The cover art is photographed by Kisha Bari at Wave Rock, in Western Australia.
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 6.5/10[1] |
| Metacritic | 79/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Consequence of Sound | C–[4] |
| The Independent | [5] |
| Mojo | [2] |
| Now | 4/5[6] |
| Paste | 8.4/10[7] |
| PopMatters | 8/10[8] |
| Q | [2] |
| Tiny Mix Tapes | 3/5[9] |
| Uncut | 6/10[2] |
No Time for Dreaming received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 79, based on 14 reviews.[2] Hal Horowitz of AllMusic said, "Retro-soul aficionados who claim they don't make 'em like they used to will obviously be thrilled with this, but even contemporary R&B fans can't help but be moved by the emotion and passion evident in every note of this riveting set."[3] Mojo said, "The 62-year-old Bradley, meanwhile, has all the marks of the soul greats who have gone before him; the testifying smart Syl Johnson, the grit and gusto of Otis Redding, the raw power of James Brown, the smoulder and shudder of James Carr. Together they make an intoxicating sound, one that would have fit in perfectly at Twilight in the late-'60s."[2] Benjamin Boles of Now said, "While it took a little while for the magic to finally get laid down to tape, the results are worth the wait."[6] Mike Madden of PopMatters said, "You don't need to know his back story to fall in love with Bradley--the music speaks for itself. This album has been a looooong time coming, but it's more than worth the wait."[8] Max Blau of Paste said, "No Time for Dreaming not only prevails as a defining culmination of Bradley's lifelong musicianship to date, but also furthers the argument that Daptone Records can do no wrong."[7]
Q said, "No Time for Dreaming has the gritty feel of the real thing, a man who's known mostly hard times and tells it with a pleading throaty roar and blood-curdling scream worthy of James Brown. A real find."[2] Josh Modell of Spin said, "No Time for Dreaming wails in a world of "Heartaches and Pain" (see the memorable closing track), but Bradley's despair is never less than stirring."[10] Phil Johnson of The Independent said, "Bradley, a 62-year-old ex-plumber and James Brown impersonator, has a raspy, infinitely pained voice but there doesn't appear to be any real interaction between him and the band."[5] J. Arthur Bloom of Tiny Mix Tapes said, "The Menahan Street Band realizes the vision of No Time for Dreaming, with Brenneck at the helm. More Memphis than Detroit, they're always present but never pretentious."[9] Uncut said, "This, assembled by Menahan Street Band guitarist Tom Brenneck, painstakingly recreates the tropes of classic '60s Southern soul--impassioned vocals, shimmering guitars and fruity horns."[2]
Mojo placed the album at number 40 on its list of "Top 50 albums of 2011".[11]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The World (Is Going Up In Flames)" (featuring Menahan Street Band) | 3:22 | |
| 2. | "The Telephone Song" (featuring Menahan Street Band) |
|
3:48 |
| 3. | "Golden Rule" (featuring Menahan Street Band) |
|
3:29 |
| 4. | "I Believe In Your Love" (featuring Menahan Street Band) |
|
3:54 |
| 5. | "Trouble In The Land" (featuring Menahan Street Band) |
|
1:02 |
| 6. | "Lovin' You, Baby" (featuring Menahan Street Band) |
|
5:27 |
| 7. | "No Time for Dreaming" (featuring Menahan Street Band) | Joe Quarterman | 2:52 |
| 8. | "How Long" (featuring Menahan Street Band) |
|
3:54 |
| 9. | "In You (I Found a Love)" (featuring Menahan Street Band) |
|
3:21 |
| 10. | "Why Is It So Hard" (featuring Menahan Street Band) |
|
4:09 |
| 11. | "Since Our Last Goodbye" (featuring Menahan Street Band) |
|
4:16 |
| 12. | "Heartaches and Pain" (featuring Menahan Street Band) |
|
2:56 |
| 13. | "Heart of Gold" (featuring Menahan Street Band) | Neil Young | 3:03 |
| 14. | "Stay Away" (featuring Menahan Street Band) | Kurt Cobain | 3:11 |
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[12] | 37 |
References
- ↑ "No Time For Dreaming by Charles Bradley reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Charles Bradley – No Time for Dreaming". Metacritic. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- 1 2 Hal Horowitz. "No Time for Dreaming – Charles Bradley". AllMusic. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ↑ Jake Cohen (May 9, 2011). "Charles Bradley – No Time for Dreaming". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- 1 2 Phil Johnson (February 5, 2011). "Album: Charles Bradley, No Time for Dreaming (Daptone/Dunham)". The Independent. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- 1 2 Benjamin Boles (January 27, 2011). "Charles Bradley – No Time For Dreaming – NOW Toronto Magazine – Think Free". Now. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- 1 2 Max Blau (January 25, 2011). "Charles Bradley: No Time For Dreaming". Paste. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- 1 2 Mike Madden (August 1, 2011). "Charles Bradley: No Time For Dreaming". PopMatters. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- 1 2 J. Arthur Bloom. "Charles Bradley – No Time For Dreaming". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ↑ Josh Modell (January 25, 2011). "Charles Bradley, 'No Time for Dreaming' (Dunham)". Spin. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ↑ "MOJO's Top 50 Albums Of 2011". Stereogum. December 2, 2011. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
- ↑ "Charles Bradley – Chart history" Billboard Top Heatseekers Albums for Charles Bradley. Retrieved June 25, 2016.