About Time is the twelfth studio album from the Stranglers and the second one from the Black, Burnel, Greenfield, Roberts and Ellis line-up. The album was released in 1995 through the When! label. It was co-produced, engineered and mixed by Alan Winstanley, who had worked with the Stranglers on their first four albums (as the engineer on Rattus Norvegicus, No More Heroes and Black and White and producer on The Raven). Nigel Kennedy plays electric violin on "Face", and a string-quartet is used on three of the eleven tracks ("Face", "Still Life" and "Sinister").
"Lies and Deception" was the only single released from the album, reaching No. 94 on the UK Singles Chart, and is one of the few Stranglers songs solely written by drummer Jet Black. Released as a two-CD set, CD1 of "Lies and Deception" was backed with non-album tracks "Swim" and "Cool Danny", CD2 was backed with non-album tracks "Kiss the World Goodbye" and "Bed of Nails".
The album peaked at No. 31 in the UK Albums Chart in May 1995.
Critical reception
AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that About Time is a "competent but unexceptional record" that contains "a couple of tough, catchy songs" in "Lies and Deception" and "Golden Boy", but is "largely bogged down by tepid songwriting and undistinguished performances."
Track listing
Personnel
The Stranglers
Paul Roberts – lead vocals, percussion, production
Jean-Jacques Burnel – bass, vocals, production
John Ellis – guitar, vocals, production
Dave Greenfield – keyboards, vocals, production
Jet Black – drums, production
Additional musicians
Nigel Kennedy – violin on track 3
Susie Elliott – vocals on track 4 and 11
Chris Winter – harmonica on track 1
Gavyn Wright and Wilfred Gibson – violin on track 3, 4 and 6
Bob Smissen – viola on track 3, 4 and 6
Caroline Dale – cello on track 3, 4 and 6
Alex Christaki – string arrangements on track 3, 4 and 6
Technical
Alan Winstanley – production, engineering, mixing
Simon Dawson – engineering assistance (Rockfield Studios) Andrea Wright – engineering assistance (Parr Street Studios) Lee Phillips – engineering assistance (Westside Studios) Tim Young – mastering Trevor Dawkins – technical assistance, crowd vocal Ray Palmer – front cover image, photography Michel Tcherevkoff – front cover image Castle Communications PLC – design Hugh Gilmour – illustrations