Todd Rundgren's Utopia (1974)

[umbertino]

After achieving commercial success with the pop masterpiece SOMETHING/ANYTHING?, Todd Rundgren moved in a willfully experimental direction, a move that alienated some of his early fans. The culmination of this exploratory period in Rundgren's career was the formation of Utopia, originally a six-person band featuring an astounding three keyboardists.

TODD RUNDGREN'S UTOPIA, the band's debut, is mid-'70s progressive rock in every sense, from the tricky, fusionesque keyboard solos to the extended compositions--"The Ikon" is a staggering 30 minutes long--to the sometimes oblique and ponderous lyrical preoccupations. Nevertheless, it's better than Emerson Lake and Palmer roughly to the extent that the Beatles are better than Herman's Hermits. Rundgren's songwriting talents are in full force, and even the longest pieces have a fully composed feeling that makes this much more satisfying than the aimless noodling of many prog groups. Not for pop fans, perhaps, but excellent.

Utopia: Todd Rundgren (vocals, guitar); John Siegler (cello, bass); Moogy Klingman, Ralph Schuckett (keyboards); M. Frog Labat (synthesizer); John Wilcox (drums); Kevin Ellman (percussion).

1 Utopia Theme

2 Freak Parade

3 Freedom Fighters

4 Ikon

http://grooveshark.com/#!/artist/Todd+Rundgren+s+Utopia/280521

[fnbplanet]

This was always one of my favorites. Neglected to mention the "playfulness", the humor embedded in the whole "A Wizard, A True Star" album. Thanks!

Edited January 16, 2012 by fnbplanet

[umbertino]

This was always one of my favorites. Neglected to mention the "playfulness", the humor embedded in the whole "A Wizard, A True Star" album. Thanks!

Thank you my Friend...Glad to hear you like it.

I admit I don't know much Rundgren myself... Heard something from him here and there and thought he had a lot of talent....

I know he's considered a Music Genius by many.

Edited January 16, 2012 by umbertino

[easeandpeace]

Todd Rundgren is a musical genius and my first musical crush when I was 13 years old. Saw him wit Utopia in Central Park in NYC....sat next to him at the Bottom line with his playboy centerfold girlfriend (wow was she an eyeful- so unlike his eventual wife Bean) when Hall and Oates were on stage literally leaning on their knees singing songs from Abandoned Luncheonette to me (sigh...). And as I posted earlier not sure I would have gotten through my adolescence without "Just One Victory". This is where Umbertino came on my screen as well I dunno as Umbertino. And so from no posts to several posts what the heck am I doing up at this time of the night/morning??? And do you know about Spotify??? Well, they have just posted Spirit's "The Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus".....wow the seventies were just AMAZING musically...and to think it is now elevator music...the sound track of my life as I approach a teeth cleaning....and so with that Good night to the amazing dinarian dj

[umbertino]

Easeandpeace... Thanks for your testimonial.

[Hamels]

Saw him back in the 70's on South St, here in Philly....he is a Philly native, and I think this LP came out right after his band the NAZZ broke up

[umbertino]

Saw him back in the 70's on South St, here in Philly....he is a Philly native, and I think this LP came out right after his band the NAZZ broke up

Didn't know he was a Philly native.......Yes the Nazz... Supposed to be a great Band...

BTW..I heard that Todd collaborated with Nils Logfren and they did great stuff together ( probably an album)... Gotta look for some of that.

[Hamels]

Early career

Rundgren was born in Upper Darby, on the edge of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He began his career in Woody's Truck Stop, a Philadelphia-based group based on the model of Paul Butterfield Blues Band. However, Rundgren and bassist Carson Van Osten left the band to form the garage rock group Nazz in 1967 with Thom Mooney (drums) and Robert "Stewkey" Antoni (vocals and keyboards). The group gained minor recognition with the Rundgren-penned songs "Open My Eyes" and "Hello It's Me". (He later recorded a solo, uptempo version of "Hello It's Me"; it became one of his signature songs.) Nazz released three albums during this time—Nazz (1968), Nazz Nazz (1969), and Nazz III (1971). [3] "Open My Eyes" gained belated recognition thanks to its inclusion in Nuggets (1972), the genre-defining anthology of American 1960s garage punk and psychedelia compiled by musician Lenny Kaye. The group's second LP was originally intended as double album (titled Fungo Bat), but instead a truncated version was released as Nazz Nazz in April 1969. Rundgren and Van Osten left the band shortly after. Under Stewkey's leadership the band continued (with new members) until 1970, and their label released a third LP Nazz III on which most of Rundgren's vocals on the unreleased songs from the Fungo Bat sessions were replaced by Stewkey's.

Rundgren's distinctive style was informed by a wide variety of musical influences—British pop-rock (notably The Beatles, The Who, The Yardbirds, Cream and The Move), the intricate vocal harmonies of The Beach Boys, classic American rock'n'roll, Broadway musicals, the operettas of Gilbert & Sullivan and American soul and R&B, but as his music evolved he demonstrated an increasing interest in other genres as well, such as hard rock and experimental music.

Particularly during the early years of his career, Rundgren's songwriting was heavily influenced by the music of singer-songwriter Laura Nyro:

"I knew her fairly well. I met her right after Eli and the Thirteenth Confession. I actually had arranged a meeting, just because I was so infatuated with her and I wanted to meet the person who had produced all this music. We got along, and we were kind of friendly, and actually, after I met her the first time, she asked me if I wanted to be her band leader. But the Nazz had just signed a record contract and I couldn't skip out on the band, even though it was incredibly tempting."[4]

Rundgren's debut solo album Runt (1970) includes the strongly Nyro-influenced "Baby Let’s Swing", which was written about her and mentions her by name.

Nazz manager Michael Friedman who had joined Albert Grossman management brought Rundgren to the firm where he became both a solo artist and producer for many artists in the Grossman stable.

[umbertino]

Hamels.... Thanks... Interesting.....Appreciated.

[easeandpeace]

Ok then...to continue the testimonial and to back up Fbplanet because Todd is one hell of a funny guy.....An Elpees Worth of Tunes.....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJPwNI1XQQg

I am "The Individualist"....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtONNLSb5ns&feature=related

I give you this wonderful footage of a Real Man" live 1975 .....Todd white man shakin' it ,,,,http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-X_M1oXXKY

But I have a penchant for his crooner as in "The Love of the Common Man".....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1jRh8dvBR8

And of course speaking to the innocence in all of us "A Dream goes on Forever"....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtV_VP-gvjA

and "Never Never Land"....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouqInz0EWtc&feature=related

And just the sentiment of "I don't want to tie you down" ....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouqInz0EWtc&feature=related

And Umbertino of course your soul must have sang this to your ex if you were still driving her somewhere the other day "Can We Still be Friends?".....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTubNB92b4M&feature=related

oh or how about Daryl Hall and Todd singing it ....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pLTD23l468&feature=relate

oh and for those of us that know that Todd is our rooting for the Paradigm shift WHICH will include us cashing in our DInar in 2012..... back in the 70's club live footage of Just one Victory....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I738Qf9DK9Q&feature=related

SO I hope this speaks to just what a GROUPIE I AM of this amazing man!!!

[umbertino]

Easeandpeace...Interesting.

[easeandpeace]

Thanks for the motivation to immerse myself in a Todd retrospective; it was glorious.

[umbertino]

Thanks for the motivation to immerse myself in a Todd retrospective; it was glorious.

Thanks. I enjoyed reading you.