Todd Rundgren's Utopia is the debut album by the band Utopia. Rundgren (who was primarily a pop musician at the time) had decided to delve into progressive rock. Putting together several musicians, including three keyboardists, the album covers a variety of styles including funk, jazz, classical and even avant garde music.
The first track, Utopia Theme, was recorded live at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia on November 8, 1973.
Critical reaction was mixed, with some critics labeling the album as pretentious fluff, but it sold extremely well, peaking at #34 on the Billboard charts, a placing which no Utopia album save Adventures in Utopia would ever surpass.[3]
Like a few of Rundgren's solo albums (notably A Wizard, a True Star and Initiation), Utopia pushed the limits as to how much music a vinyl could hold. At nearly an hour, the sound needed to be compressed in order to fit it onto vinyl, rendering it of a poorer quality than usual. The CD version avoids this issue.
[edit] Track listing
[edit] CD Version
| Music |
| 1. |
"Utopia Theme (live)" |
Mason, Rundgren |
14:31 |
| 2. |
"Freak Parade" |
Klingman, Rundgren, Siegler |
10:14 |
| 3. |
"Freedom Fighters" |
Rundgren |
4:04 |
| 4. |
"The Ikon" |
Klingman, Rundgren, Schuckett, Siegler |
30:26 |
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Total length:
|
59:15 |
[edit] Vinyl Version
[edit] Side One
| Music |
| 1. |
"Utopia Theme (live)" |
Mason, Rundgren |
14:18 |
| 2. |
"Freak Parade" |
Klingman, Rundgren, Siegler |
10:14 |
| 3. |
"Freedom Fighters" |
Rundgren |
4:01 |
[edit] Side Two
[edit] Personnel
- Todd Rundgren - Producer and Engineer
- David Le Sage - Assistant Engineer
- Maruo Miyauchi - Design and Illustration at Push Pin Studios
[edit] Charts
Album - Billboard
| Year |
Chart |
Position |
| 1974 |
Pop Albums |
34 |
[edit] References
- ^ "allmusic ((( Todd Rundgren's Utopia > Review )))". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r48440. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
- ^ "Todd Rundgren: Todd Rundgren's Utopia : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". rollingstone.com. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/toddrundgren/albums/album/122583/review/5940981/todd_rundgrens_utopia. Retrieved 2009-09-20. [dead link]
- ^ Utopia chart placings, AllMusicGuide.
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| Studio albums |
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| Live albums |
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| Compilation albums |
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| Singles |
- "Communion with the Sun"
- "Love Is the Answer"
- "Set Me Free"
- "The Very Last Time"
- "Second Nature"
- "I Just Want to Touch You"
- "One World"
- "Lysistrata"
- "Hammer in My Heart"
- "Feet Don't Fail Me Now"
- "Crybaby"
- "Love With a Thinker"
- "Mated"
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| Videos/DVDs |
- An Evening with Utopia (1983)
- The Utopia Sampler (1983)
- A Retrospective 1977-1984 (1985)
- Live at the Royal Oak (1985)
- Redux '92: Live in Japan (1994)
- A Retrospective: 1977-1984 (2000)
- Live in Columbus, Ohio 1980 (2003)
- Live in Boston 1982 (2004)
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