scotfree
scotfree
Follow

Best Prog-Rock Band Ever??

Posted almost 4 years ago
When Todd Rundgren's Utopia first hit the stage in 1972, it was considerably different than later incarnations. The seven piece band jammed long and hard to mystic Ikon set, essentially shattering Todd's golden-hit-boy facade. No way these songs were making their way to the charts, but I spent many a drive to and from technical school along the banks of the Mad River in the Ikon's accompaniment.
0

Comments (19)

  1. scotfree
    scotfree says Freedom Fighters ~3w02yySKzJr.mp3~ Tucked away in the darkest cupboard of your heart Theres a feeling you cant let out In a way you are just a soldier of the mind You are marching, what are you marching about? On your mark, now get set Get back on your feet We aint down yet You know we will get it So dont you forget That the world rolls on. Your reward will come Its just a question of how and when Look around, everyone is wondering where its at Do you wonder, or do you know? Clap your hands! raise your voice Some people will hide They cant stand the noise But were freedom fighters And weve got no choice. In a way you are just a soldier of the mind But the world rolls on. Your reward will come And the truth will come and the change will come Its just a question of how and when I cant believe my eyes.
    Permalink posted 06/07/2008
  2. Petey Lapides
    Petey Lapides says I guess they must be the best Prog-Rock band ever, because truth be told I like very few Prog-Rock bands. Whatever Todd does is pretty a-ok with me, though; he brings his wit and cheer and humanity to everything he does, to say nothing of his chops as a tunesmith and musician and singer.
    Permalink posted 06/07/2008
  3. funoka
    funoka says I saw Utopia in 1979 -- and, even though it was a later version, it was one of the best rock shows I ever saw. Rundgren is/was amazing and the band kept evolving.
    Permalink posted 06/07/2008
  4. toronno
    toronno says I dunno. I'm a big fan of Todd's solo work, "A Wizard A True Star" would have to be one of my desert island discs, but I could never get excited about Utopia. Liked it, but didn't love it. Maybe it's because Utopia never got as much airplay as the other prog-rockers? Yeah, I'll blame Radio...
    Permalink posted 06/07/2008
  5. dermahrk
    dermahrk says I'm a big Todd fan, but could not take much of this. I boiled (edited) this theme down to a segment under three minutes, featuring Todd's vocal and guitar solo, and that made it palatable. The only other tune I kept was "Freedom Fighters". Not a prog fan, and to these ears most of this sounds like a bloated pretentious mess. But, hey, thass me....
    Permalink posted 06/07/2008
  6. RodneyPWelch
    RodneyPWelch says I've never heard this album, so I never associated Utopia with prog-rock. Utopia (which I too saw in 1979) always struck me as Todd's slightly weird side project, and I never saw them as being all that far outside of the Top 40 mainstream (eventhough they never cracked it.) As to whether they were the best prog-rock band ever, well, much as I generally loathe the genre -- airy, spacey, moody and moogy stuff steeped in this air of "we're classically trained, so that automatically makes us better" -- Yes and Soft Machine did do some interesting and listenable stuff.
    Permalink posted 06/07/2008
  7. Bartleby
    Bartleby says I'm not sure about Utopia's status. All I know is I like this album quite a bit. (Brought back some memories of a long night spent just listening to Utopia...) Thanks for posting this Scot.
    Permalink posted 06/07/2008
  8. scotfree
    scotfree says Petey, I'm not that big on a lot of prog myself, but I can take Todd anytime! You're right, he brings about the best attitude (and consistently). Any Todd fan is a pal of mine, we might as well make it official. I saw the '79 version as well Funoka. As they closed up their set at Legend Valley near Columbus, the entire entry kiosk was going up in flames! I also saw the initial launch in '73. It was a very intimate setting at an old ornate theatre in downtown Dayton called the Palace. Had red carpeted steps up the full width of the stage. Todd came out solo for the first half of the show, accompanied only by a reel-to-reel tape deck. I'll never forget his wild garb and the way he climbed the curtains on both sides of the stage during "Zen Archer"! After a break, the Utopia band took the stage and played the first lp in it's entirity. What a show! By the way, that pic at the top is from some I took at that very show. Their kind of crappy, so I photoshopped it into a fake painting. To be honest T, the first few Utopia outings are the only ones that hit me hard. No radio play? What about "Love Is The Answer"? Sure, England Dan and John Ford Coley charted highest with it, but it's still a Utopia song. Only you, Mark, would boil down the modern equivalent of the Brandenburg Concertos for your personal listening experience. What's next, editing all the solos out of Zeppelin songs?? Seriously though, I find this has an energy missing from most prog. That said, I can't say I know another soul who's fond of it. Well, now there's Petey :) But, what did you think of these selections Rodney? I agree with Soft Machine and I'd throw Canin the mix too, but though I feel I should like Yes, it's just not there for me. Well, Mark, now there's two. Welcome to the club Michael! Typically, if I'm craving them - this is the set I play.
    Permalink posted 06/07/2008
  9. RGM
    RGM says Never got into Utopia, let alone ever really heard their music. They have a very ELP/Yes/Santana mid 70's edge quality to them. I really like what I hear, I'm surprise I never got into them. Now I gotta grab some of their stuff, thanks for the post. I gotta also say for me, it's hard to choose one great prog\rock band, they're all great in their own right.
    Permalink posted 06/07/2008
  10. ivylander
    ivylander says I think I must have seen them in Philadelphia in '74, because it was just before the Utopia album came out. He did a Todd set for the first half, and came out with the Utopia stuff after intermission. Most people were cool with it, but then the pot was better then....
    Permalink posted 06/07/2008
  11. scotfree
    scotfree says Happy to shine a light RGM! They do wear all them badges, eh? Careful, you might find a new obsession. I think you saw the same tour I did Ivy! Better? Guess it depends on a lot of thingsss :)
    Permalink posted 06/07/2008
  12. ivylander
    ivylander says Indeed. Sid and Danny really came through for me that evening....
    Permalink posted 06/07/2008
  13. scotfree
    scotfree says People still come through. By the way, I ran into your daughter the other day. http://mog.com/scotfree/blog_post/165570 imagine my surprise!!
    Permalink posted 06/07/2008
  14. Cody B
    Cody B says I can get with this, saucer eyes or no. I like to stretch out from time to time and this would be a nice soundtrack for that. 20 minutes, 30 minutes..I can be patient.
    Permalink posted 06/08/2008
  15. scotfree
    scotfree says cool. side 2, "The Ikon". is a 30+ minute 9 part opus that will also please. This was one of the first vinyls to pack more than 60 min on a single disc, so the sound quality of my post may seem a bit mp3ish (how would ya know? :) ) I hear the digital release is sonically better and I've been tempted, but somehow I find the vinyl totally fine.
    Permalink posted 06/08/2008
  16. ivylander
    ivylander says Did she comment? If so, it's gone now. Yeah, we saw them together (along with a bazillion other bands) at the Sounds of the Underground tour last summer. They definitely stood out....
    Permalink posted 06/08/2008
  17. scotfree
    scotfree says No, no comment, I just usually look for other posters before I put up something new (to me) and there was her post. You start em early and straight.
    Permalink posted 06/08/2008
  18. bubb
    bubb says Absolutely! Utopia & The Ikon, the 2 Best prog-rock songs ever as well!
    Permalink posted 06/11/2008
  19. scotfree
    scotfree says

    Hey bubb, how ya been? I thought this might stir you up!!

    Permalink posted 06/12/2008

Comment on this Post

Login using email and password below.

Forgot Password?

OR login using Facebook Connect

Connect

Don't have an account?
Join MOG. It's Free!

 

© 2006-2012 Mog Inc. All Rights Reserved