A Space in Time

A Space in Time
A Space in Time
Studio album by Ten Years After
Released	August 1971
Studio	Olympic, London
Genre	Rock
Length	37:04
Label	Chrysalis; Columbia;
Producer	Ten Years After
Ten Years After chronology
Singles from A Space in Time
	"I'd Love to Change the World"; Released: September 1971; "Baby Won't You Let Me Rock 'n' Roll You"; Released: January 1972;

A Space in Time is the sixth studio album by the British blues rock band Ten Years After. It was released in August 1971 by Chrysalis Records in the United Kingdom and Columbia Records in the United States. A departure in style from their previous albums, A Space in Time is less 'heavy' than previous albums and includes more acoustic guitar, perhaps influenced by the success of Led Zeppelin who were mixing acoustic songs with heavier numbers.^{[citation needed]} It reached number 17 on the Billboard 200.^[3]

The third track on the album, "I'd Love to Change the World", is also their biggest hit. By combining a melodic acoustic chorus with challenging electric guitar riffs, they managed to produce a sound that hit number 10 in the charts in Canada^{[citation needed]} and number 40 in the US.^[4] Although this was their biggest hit, they rarely played it live. "Baby Won't You Let Me Rock 'n' Roll You" also charted, peaking at number 61 in the US,^[4] and reaching number 54 in Canada.^[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[6]
Christgau's Record Guide	B−^[7]
The Village Voice	B+^[8]

Billy Walker gave the album a generally positive review in Sounds. He noted the atypically soft sound of songs such as "Over the Hill" and "Let the Sky Fall" and approved of this "unexpected but pleasing dimension to the overall feel of the album", while simultaneously praising "the old TYA excitement" of tracks such as "I'd Love to Change the World" and "Baby Won't You Let Me Rock 'n' Roll You". He particularly praised Alvin Lee's guitar work. However, he complained that a number of the tracks suffered from "lack of strength or projection of Alvin's voice" and concluded "Ten Years After are a far better live band than their albums suggest; they get over much more of their charisma and excitement that has a job surfacing on their recorded work."^[9]

Village Voice critic Robert Christgau said the album is one "in which the rock heavy comes of age with his toughest, fullest, and most coherent album. I like it in a way, but it does lack a certain winning abandon, and I'm not crazy about the heavy's economic theories—fellow seems to believe that if you 'tax the rich to feed the poor' you soon run out of rich, with dire consequences."^[7]

Track listing

All songs by Alvin Lee except "Uncle Jam", which was composed by C. Churchill, A. Lee, R. Lee and L. Lyons.

Side one

"One of These Days" – 5:52
"Here They Come" – 4:27
"I'd Love to Change the World" – 3:42
"Over the Hill" – 2:28
"Baby Won't You Let Me Rock 'n' Roll You" – 2:10

Side two

"Once There Was a Time" – 3:20
"Let the Sky Fall" – 4:19
"Hard Monkeys" – 3:12
"I've Been There Too" – 5:40
"Uncle Jam" – 1:54

Personnel

Ten Years After

Alvin Lee – guitar, vocals
Leo Lyons – bass
Ric Lee – drums
Chick Churchill – keyboards

Technical

Recorded at Olympic Studios, London
Engineer – Chris Kimsey
String arrangement on "Over the Hill" by Del Newman
Front cover photograph – Ed Caraeff
Back cover photograph – Alvin Lee
Executive producer – Chris Wright

Charts

Chart (1971-72)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)^[10]	18
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)^[11]	21
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)^[12]	8
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)^[13]	11
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[14]	35
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)^[15]	13
UK Albums (OCC)^[16]	36
US Billboard 200^[3]	17

Chart (2023)	Peak position
Scottish Albums (OCC)^[17]	24
UK Independent Albums (OCC)^[18]	9

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)^[19]	Gold	50,000^{^}
United States (RIAA)^[20]	Platinum	1,000,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

^ "A Space in Time". Dutch Charts. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
^ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. p. 823. ISBN 9780862415419.
^ ^a ^b "Ten Years After Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
^ ^a ^b Ten Years After US chart history, Billboard.com. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - March 4, 1972" (PDF).
^ "A Space in Time - Ten Years After". Allmusic.
^ ^a ^b Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: T". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 15 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
^ Christgau, Robert (14 October 1971). "Consumer Guide (19)". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved 14 April 2013 – via robertchristgau.com.
^ Walker, Billy (28 August 1971). "Ten Years After Today". Sounds. Spotlight Publications. p. 6.
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 307. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 7579". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
^ "LP-hits". Ekstra Bladet. 25 November 1971. p. 32.
^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 166. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Ten Years After – A Space In Time" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Ten Years After – A Space In Time". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
^ "Canadian album certifications – Ten Years After – A Space in Time". Music Canada.
^ "American album certifications – Ten Years After – A Space in Time". Recording Industry Association of America.

External links

A Space in Time Review on "Cool Album of the Day"
A Space in Time at Discogs (list of releases)

[1] "A Space in Time". Dutch Charts. Retrieved 18 June 2022.

[2] Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. p. 823. ISBN 9780862415419.

[BILL200-3] "Ten Years After Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2025.

[singleschart-4] Ten Years After US chart history, Billboard.com. Retrieved 4 May 2013.

[5] "RPM Top 100 Singles - March 4, 1972" (PDF).

[AM-6] "A Space in Time - Ten Years After". Allmusic.

[CG-7] Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: T". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 15 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.

[VV-8] Christgau, Robert (14 October 1971). "Consumer Guide (19)". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved 14 April 2013 – via robertchristgau.com.

[9] Walker, Billy (28 August 1971). "Ten Years After Today". Sounds. Spotlight Publications. p. 6.

[aus-10] Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 307. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

[group=-11] "Top RPM Albums: Issue 7579". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 15, 2025.

[den-12] "LP-hits". Ekstra Bladet. 25 November 1971. p. 32.

[FINI-13] Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 166. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.

[ac_Germany_Ten_Years_After-14] "Offiziellecharts.de – Ten Years After – A Space In Time" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 15, 2025.

[ac_Norway_Ten_Years_After-15] "Norwegiancharts.com – Ten Years After – A Space In Time". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 15, 2025.

[ac_UK2_-16] "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 15, 2025.

[ac_Scotland_-17] "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 15, 2025.

[ac_UKIndependent_-18] "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 15, 2025.

[CanadaTen_Years_AfterA_Space_in_TimealbumCertRef-19] "Canadian album certifications – Ten Years After – A Space in Time". Music Canada.

[United_StatesTen_Years_AfterA_Space_in_TimealbumCertRef-20] "American album certifications – Ten Years After – A Space in Time". Recording Industry Association of America.

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v t e Ten Years After
Chick Churchill Ric Lee Marcus Bonfanti Colin Hodgkinson Alvin Lee Leo Lyons Joe Gooch
Studio albums	Ten Years After Stonedhenge Ssssh Cricklewood Green Watt A Space in Time Rock & Roll Music to the World Positive Vibrations About Time Now
Live albums	Undead Recorded Live Live at the Fillmore East 1970
Compilation albums	Alvin Lee and Company
Singles	"Love Like a Man" "I'd Love to Change the World"

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