Friday's new box set celebrating Todd Rundgren's Utopia has all six of the band's studio and live albums as originally released between 1974 and 1982 as newly remastered by the label's Joe Reagoso from the Warner/Bearsville tapes. Each album will be housed in an individual gatefold digipak with original art elements from each LP including inner sleeves and inserts. Rundgren, Sulton, Wilcox, and Powell have all made written contributions to this set, as well. Fifteen bonus tracks are spread across the seven albums, including live performances, promotional single versions, and more.
Utopia biography
Formed in 1973 in New York, USA - Disbanded in 1986 - Reunited briefly in 1992 - Reformed in 2011
UTOPIA was initially an ensemble, formed by Todd RUNDGREN as a counter-point to his solo work. Various musicians came and went, but the main stays of the band were Roger POWELL (keyboards), Kasim SULTON (bass), and John "Willie" WILCOX (drums), and of course TODD himself handling the guitar work, all four members supplied both lead and harmony vocals.
Their first album "Todd Rundgren's Utopia" consisted of only four tracks! This was at the height of prog/
fusion, and so the quality of musicianship was undeniably high. Between this and "Ra", the line-up was amended, until the four members noted were "the band". Further albums were forthcoming, with a more democratic look to the songwriting credits, but it was always Todd's band. Lead guitar, and most of the lead vocals, plus the major chunk of songwriting were his, this was not to the detriment of the other members, but the boss was always pre-eminent.
For your further listening pleasure, find the following albums. "Another Live", "Oops! Wrong Planet", "Adventures In Utopia", "Deface The Music", and "
Swing To The Right". You may find the last couple too "poppy", but you have to realise that Todd Rundgren has always been, and still is, one of the best writers of the infamous "three minute ditty". However, if your taste is for ten-thirty minute, multi-part epics, you won't find many better than on the first two quoted albums.
Take half an hour out of your day, and listen to "The Ikon", the track which takes up the entire second side on the vinyl version of "Todd Rundgren's Utopia", I guarantee you will come away impressed. progarchives.com