Utopia

"...Pure power-pop joy! This is definitely one of the most under-rated albums of the eighties. Why rock radio wasn't ALL OVER this gem is one of the great mysteries of the 20th century. Todd and the boys have truly outdone themselves with this magnificent opus and there's not one clunker in the bunch..." Amazon reviewer Michael Gerstbrien

Utopia: Utopia

Y'know, fans are fans are fans...and you can't really believe what they say, because they can be so extreme. However, if I could, I'd ask you to suspend that intelligent cynicism and just believe me about this one album, Utopia. It's simply one of the best mainstream pop albums of all time...and virtually nobody knows about it. It's got so many hooks you could put the Pacific fishing fleet in dry dock for a year and no-one would notice (boom-boom)!

O.K., lyrically there's nothing too profound here:

boy meets girl
boy gets girl
girl leaves boy
boy ponders the cosmos etc.

...but what's said...is said so wittily...that it really doesn't matter. This album is so "up", so full of beans, that it's hard to believe it died a quick death when released in 1982. Utopia should have been a monster! What you get are a fantastic four-voice harmony band (each taking lead on different songs) who also really know how to play their instruments...and two songs in particular, that should have been monster singles:

Firstly, Bad Little Actress...

"...So when you see her give her my critique She's a bad little actress
Her delivery
Don't come naturally
Anyone could see
She doesn't mean a word she says..."

Bad Little Actress

and...the brilliantly titled...I'm Looking At You (But I'm Talking To Myself)

"...And for a shred of a second
I...
...Thought we could still...
...Change our fate
What is wrong with me?
Can't I see it's...
...Already w-a-y too late?

And I'm looking at you...
But I'm talking to myself..."

I'm Looking At You (But I'm Talking To Myself)

There are also five stunning power-pop album tracks (these really are about as good as the art-form gets!):

There Goes My Inspiration

"...Me 'n' Gaugin used to party down
I was hung in the Louvre, I was Renoir's pal
Vincent van Gogh used to joke with me
Now they don't come 'round
It's all over town that the master's lost his touch
I'm so lost I can hardly hold a brush

There goes my inspiration
My reason for creation
There goes my inspiration
I felt it fly away when you said goodbye..."

There Goes My Inspiration

Say Yeah...one of the happiest pop songs about unhappiness that you're ever likely to hear

"...I don't believe in magic but you...
...Could avert a tragedy here
I got to say that I...
...Think you've got the power and you...
...Know the final hour has come
So don't delay 'cause I...
...Wanna get this straightened out
I'm getting tired of waiting

When I say 'When...will you lay your love down for me?'
Don't say 'What?'
When I say 'Why...won't you put out something for me?'
Don't say 'What?'
Say 'Yeah!'

and the witty Feet Don't Fail Me Now...a call to action for a broken heart

"...Time to hit the highway
Nothing left to do
But I feel like my shoes
Have been crazy-glued
Feet don't fail me now..."

Feet Don't Fail Me Now

Utopia: Feet Don't Fail Me Now

Libertine, a tale about a carnivorous vixen

"...When she walked in the room
I could faint from her strong perfume
And she said her name was 'Libertine'
A voice...
...In my ear
Said: 'Don't be a fool, stay clear...
Better stay away from Libertine'..."

Libertine

Neck On Up...basic scenario: Boy is only interested in flesh, boy gets disappointed, boy meets girl he respects and becomes happy.

"...Now I'm looking for Heaven fron the neck on up
Got a perfect eleven from the neck on up..."

The "11" referred to is in reference to the movie 10 in which a horny Dudley Moore lusts after a young Bo Derek, who, when the best looking girls are considered a "10", is his perfect "11"

Then, four niche songs of equally high standard:

Hammer In My Heart...guitar razor rock with a tub-thumpin' backbeat

"...There's a hammer in my heart
Pounding out your name
There's a hammer in my heart
Here it comes again..."

Hammer In My Heart

Infrared & Ultraviolet...pretty funny, comic-book mysticism

"...Take a look
At the things that you can't see
All the mystic treasury
And you'll get them for free
Infrared and ultraviolet

Check it out
Like a secret waterfall
Like a rainbow on the wall
Costs you nothing at all
Infrared and ultraviolet..."

Infrared & Ultraviolet

Chapter And Verse...witty sing-a-long pop

"...I got the crossword puzzle half complete
But now I need another word four letters long
It's just like the way I want a perfect fit
I can settle for less...but all of them are wrong..."

Chapter And Verse

Forgotten But Not Gone...a superb piece of Rubber Soul McCartney...and a few more album tracks that are pretty good with only one genuine stinker, Private Heaven.

Look, there are two reasons why this album, Utopia, failed:

1 MTV had kicked in and Duran Duran was suddenly all the rage. Utopia were nowhere as er...photogenic and suffered accordingly. Their video for Feet Don't Fail Me Now was pretty funny but horribly cheap-looking and under-shot in comparison to Duran Duran's classy TV commercial-like mini-movies &

2 Rundgren had by then thoroughly confused the record business through Utopia's previous releses, The Beatles parody album, Deface The Music and the political album, Swing To The Right.

Basically, Network, their new record company didn't really know how to promote the album or the band and to be fair, who would?

Fine, I understand...the album was out of synch with the music biz...but Utopia is a really a terrific, album and if you like melodic pop, you can do no better than buying this sensational album, today!

Utopia: Utopia

"...All of the tracks on this CD are infectious toe-tapping songs. Each of these tracks could be released as a damn good single! Don't hesistate to buy it!!!..." Amazon.co.uk reviewer spectrus

"...Everybody should hear these songs and have them in their collection. A definite MUST for everyone who enjoys great music..." Amazon reviewer Charles Biancosino

"...Todd went through many phases, both individually and with Utopia. Here he dons the New Wave duds...and shows he can do power pop...as well as anybody who's ever attempted it (with):

tremendous tight harmonies
crystal clear production
glistening guitar runs
clever lyrics
too-cool melodies

...a solid, consistently superior package. It's hard to put this on and not feel the infectious, upbeat, intelligent melodies put you in a better mood...As this will surely go out of print again soon, I recommend this for any serious music collector and the casual Todd fan as well..." Amazon reviewer Todd and In Charge

Utopia's Greatest Hits

a superb collection of power-pop