Ice Cream Castle

by Jason Birchmeier

The final album released before the Time splintered into pieces for the remainder of the '80s, Ice Cream Castle provides ample evidence in regard to both the group's undeniable talents and also the personal issues that ultimately led to their demise. On the one hand, Ice Cream Castle finds the Time perfecting their patented style of synth-heavy funk-rock; while their previous two albums saw their music blossom, here it sounds fully realized. Never once does the band sound tentative, churning out densely layered riffs with near-reckless abandon when given the chance. In particular, Jesse Johnson steals the spotlight at times with his '80s-style guitar solos, complementing the rhythm section's synth funk with his rock aesthetic. Yet on the other hand, as tempting as it is to praise the Time for hitting their stride with Ice Cream Castle, Morris Day's egocentric indulgences ruin what very well could be the group's best album; you can feel the ridge dividing his megalomania from the remaining group's rapport. When Day keeps his antics to a minimum and lets the group jam -- such as on "Ice Cream Castles," "My Drawers," and "Jungle Love" -- it becomes quite clear why this group is so revered: at this point in their short-lived career, they can play circles around any other '80s funk band. But then there are the obvious Day vehicles -- "Chili Sauce," "If the Kid Can't Make You Come," and "The Bird" -- three songs that find the singer/songwriter's charismatic mania frustratingly eclipsing the band's efforts with his tasteless belligerence. In retrospect, this flawed album does have some brilliant moments worth seeking out; it's just unfortunate that a few self-centered moments on Day's part, and to a lesser degree overproduction, sour what could very well have been the Time's crowing achievement.