Member:
YESFAN
Date:
1/21/2004
1974’s Utopia was Todd Rundgren’s first real foray into the field of all-out jazz oriented progressive rock. Along with six of his studio friends, notably three keyboarders ( how great for a prog album! ). What resulted is, in my opinion, one of the greatest records of all time, sadly overlooked by all but die-hard Tod-head`s. I just can`t see why.
First the group delivers a live performance of their band-anthem, which is arguably slow, but just perfectly conveys the vision and experimental ability of the band and especially Todd. The second track picks up the pace. The lyrics might turn some people off, with lines like "the greatest freak of them all is the one with no balls", but they work quite well to illustrate the alienation and loneliness of freaks in our society. Along with the lyrics, the music is very jazzy, complex and inventive, with quirky sounds and effects popping up everywhere.
“Freedom Fighters” is more of a solo song by Todd, giving out his beloved "save the world" mantra. It is a great little rocker with really strange rhythms, giving it a distinctly proggish flavour.
The crowing moment of the album, however, comes with the half-hour epic "The Icon". This is a mostly instrumental opus about finding one`s true self and learning about spirituality, theme’s Todd often uses. The instrumental passages are furious and wonderfully played, great sounds from the keyboards. The really magical moments, however, are when the vocals come in. Great vocal lines and moving, euphoric and spiritual lyrics won’t make me ever forget the first time I listened to this beauty.
There is a reissue of this one out, with new liner notes and remastered sound. I can only emphasize how overlooked a gem this is and how much recognition it should actually receive, especially among prog fans.
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