Utopia - Adventures in Utopia
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Free Music Notes for Adventures in Utopia
Free Music Review: An exemplary showcase of Todd and the boys
Hit: 5 Stars
I love this album as much today as I did when I received my first vinyl edition in 1980, before I realized what a masterpiece I had. The musical variety clearly demonstrates why Todd is such a sought after production consultant to so many other artists, and has an almost cult-like following of fans. Some might think that this collection illustrates why Todd has not had all the commercial success he so richly deserves, because it crosses and even pulls together different genres without a consistent style. On the contrary, his ability to appeal to fans of different music without compromising his artistic creativity in the name of commercialism is commendable. If you are looking for technical production that was innovative for the era, catchy tunes and lyrics as well as some that will make you think if you listen carefully, and a general album that has something for everyone, I highly recommend Adventures in Utopia.Free Music Review: Utopia's Reasonably Big Adventure
Hit: 3 Stars
The second album from Utopia Version 2.0 (Top 40 rock, as opposed to the semi-prog rock of the first few albums) must have surprised a few onlookers, as it was the band's highest-charting LP, hitting #32 in Billboard (just three notches below leader Todd Rundgren's biggest solo LP, "Something/Anything?"). The performances were somewhat tighter than the previous album, "Oops! Wrong Planet," but no one wrote anything quite like the hit "Love Is the Answer" (which, unfortunately, became a hit not for Utopia but for soft-rock dudes England Dan & John Ford Coley), and therein lies part of the problem.Not really knowing what would make the biggest commercial success (late 1979 and 1980 was a schizophrenic time in rock & roll, with disco being ushered out the door, punk dying off, and new wave not yet having gained a solid foothold), Utopia threw a little of each in the mix. This is a good band - Roger Powell and Willie Wilcox are very good at keyboards and drums, and Todd and Kasim Sultan are multi-instrumental talents. But the songwriting isn't strong here - "Set Me Free," a Top 40 hit, is catchy but inconsequential, and "Last of the New Wave Riders" combines a theme begging for a catchy arrangement with a synth-heavy bombastic arrangement. And while these guys are pretty good singers, the harmonies won't make me forget the Beatles (obviously their fervent hope, although I suspect they weren't targeting me specifically when this was released).
Still, I've always been impressed with the disco/rock hybrid "Rock Love" (which could have been a single in the wake of Blondie's "Call Me"), "You Make Me Crazy" is a clever pop song (enhanced by a now out of circulation video), and "The Road to Utopia" may be one of the catchiest things the band has ever done. So it's a mixed bag - which is one of the charms (or irritations, depending on your point of view) of Todd Rundgren's solo and group output as a whole.
Side note: I'd probably be happier with these guys if they listed who sang lead on which song (perhaps this is listed on the CD booklet; I only have the vinyl version). Sultan and Rundgren sound so much alike it's hard to differentiate.
Free Music Review: Mixed feelings on this one...
Hit: 3 Stars
Mixed feelings on this CD, but tracks 1, 5, 6, and 8 are classic UTOPIA...1. The Road To Utopia -good
2. You Make Me Crazy - skip
3. Second Nature - skip
4. Set Me Free - skip
5. Caravan - great song
6. Last Of The New Wave Riders - great song
7. Shot In The Dark - skip
8. The Very Last Time - great song
9. Love Alone - skip
10. Rock Love- skip
Free Music Review: SEVEN STARS
Hit: 5 Stars
This is the album that god forgot! Better songs, production, playing and singing is hard to find in these days of computer-made music! This is something for the Queen - Jellyfish and Beatles lovers out there. With songs catchier than herpes at a groupies convention you cant go wrong! A must for everyone who's into MUSICFree Music Review: An excellent testament to an excellent band
Hit: 5 Stars
Utopia was an important band to me in the 80's. They are still an important band to me, although they have not released an album of all-new album since 1985's underappreciated "POV". Well, I do have the good memories, and "Adventures in Utopia" is one of my fondest memories of Utopia! This is an album of extreme diversity, which is one of its greatest strengths. Their are moments of pure catchy pop excellence, such as "You Make Me Crazy", "The Very Last Time" and "Set Me Free". Some lush progressive rock stylings on songs like "The Road to Utopia" and "Caravan". A bit of soulfulness with "Rock Love" and "Second Nature". And even a gorgeous synth-based ballad called "Love Alone", that shows off Utopia's fine vocal harmonies. The thing that made Utopia such a pleasure is that functioned so well as a unit. All of them wrote songs, traded off on lead vocal duties, and complimented (rather than interfeared with) each others instrumental talents. While many may think of Utopia as "Todd Rundgren's band", they were definitly an equal partnership, and this band just would not have the same "spark" without the excellent contributions of Kasim Sultan, Willie Wilcox, and their ever-imaginative keyboardist Roger Powell. Utopia was a creative and underrated band who never got the respect they deserved for the media. This album proves that point beyond a shadow of a doubt!