| 1. Out Of Sight |
| 2. Take My Heart |
| 3. Holyman |
| 4. Justify |
| 5. Unchain The Night |
| 6. Too Late For Tears |
| 7. Restless Heart |
| 8. Dont Fade Away |
| 9. Face That Evil |
| 10. Not So Innocent |
| 11. Prodigal Son (Bonus Track For Ltd Edition Version) |
Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Sophomore album for Swedish melodic hard rock act. 11 tracks including the bonus track, 'Prodigal Son'. Z Records. 2001.
There are no filler tracks on the album. Zero.
Great melodies. Great hooks. Sly little songs like Denise, Laser Show, and Lost in Space don't wear out their welcome. They come in like a cool, refreshing breeze and are gone in less than 2½ minutes. Never does this album drag. A few semi-serious songs will make you think, like the nostalgic Prom Theme. Mostly FoW is about having a good time, describing ordinary life with wit, in a perfect musical context. They know exactly when to use acoustic guitars, electric guitars, a cheesy synth, or a soaring string part.
Fountains of Wayne are able to express genuine pity in songs like Go Hippie and Fine Day For A Parade, but even here their sense of humor and intelligence never flags. Hippie contains a classic guitar solo that recycles every stereotypical riff and effect from the psychedelic era and spits it out in one minute. I love it! You will smile with recognition and thrill to the beauty of it.
Sometimes it is easier to list an album's flaws than its strengths. Honestly, after a dozen listens to Utopia Parkway, I can't find any flaws. If pressed, I would say that lead vocalist Chris Collingwood's voice is slightly thinner and weaker than on FoW's latest studio record, Welcome Interstate Managers, but for this type of music, it is hardly necessary to have the chops of a Billy Joel or the power of a Springsteen to pull it off. And Chris does, in spades.
Red Dragon Tatoo
It's just about on me
I got it for you
So now do you want me
With nothing to prove
Will you be my honey
Oh yeah
In you I confide
Red dragon tatoo
I'm fit to be dyed
Am I fit to have you?
This chorus from the second song on Utopia Parkway sums up the humor, simplicity, and cleverness of Fountains of Wayne. Like Interstate Managers, Utopia Parkway's songs are written from a middle-class suburban perspective. And what's wrong with that? FoW are us. Arguably this is a better album than their latest and more famous Welcome Interstate Managers, but really both albums are five star efforts. Don't be in the dark about this great band.
Even still, this album for the most part is a solid production, good listening to and it was worth my money even as a non-latino. Check it out!
I recommend everyone to buy this album, you won't be disappointed!!!
Utopia- 5/5 a great starter for the CD slow but catchy.
Ni Freud Ni Tu Mama- 5/5 the first single of this CD and deffinitley one of my favorites. A great song to rock out to with a very catchy beat.
See a Little Light- 2 1/2/5 Deffinitley one of her weekest..not that impressive. The vocal pitches were a little off
Bella Tracion-5/5 One of the best! Fast, catchy, rocky, fun, pop song! I must liked
Contigo O Sin Ti- 4/5 very different..but i like it. I don't really like Nicole Schnizer's voice in it..but not including that, fun/ different.
Alguien Mas-4/5 a darker song..more dreary but great vocals!
Quein es Feliz-5/5 Great pop song ! fun beat and catchy great to fool around with! who is happy? a great song!
Pudo Ser Tan Facil-2/5 Never listen to this song..not that fun more of a dark sad song.
Noche Cool-4/5 fun up beat little rappy song..i like the beggining of the song but after that is it ok.
Amiga Soledad-4/5 I nice melodic song about her dog that died.:( nice
Good...Good-2/5 One of the WORST horrible but some parts are ok
Luz Sin Gravedad (See A Little Light in Spanish) 4/5 much better than the English version.
Never Enough-4/5 a fun song but stupid lyrics..ok..
"Way to go BELINDA!! FELICIDADES mi niña ahi la llevas, tremendo trabajo!"
Utopia started out as a six-piece ensemble with three keyboard players, including synthesizer experimentalist Jean-Yves Labat, and Todd himself on guitar. This debut album could be called Tales from Todd-ographic Oceans. Critics in 1974-5 hated it. In retrospect, it's not hard to see why: by then, the whole prog thing had run its course, most of the key prog and fusion bands had peaked, and critics had moved on.
The music is a mélange of cliches: low-rent Return to Forever, factory-second Genesis, clearance-sale ELP. For all the "epic" quality of the music, the writing is not very sophisticated, relying too much on riffs and repetitious passages. The lack of a true virtuoso instrumentalist in the band hampers matters further: Todd is no Steve Howe; none of the keyboard players are on the same level as Wakeman, Emerson, or Corea. The "experimental" synth sounds are of the dated-sounding bleep-and-fart variety, like ELP's Tarkus from three years previous.
Yet another problem is the thin, muddy sound quality: instead of cramming over half an hour of music on each side of vinyl, Todd really should have edited. The most worthwhile moments here are the "chorus" segments of each track, which showcase Todd's real gift for melody writing.
Yet the album almost gets over on sheer energy and balls; it could even be categorized as "garage-prog." For all its musical inferiority to the likes of Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy or Brain Salad Surgery or Foxtrot, this is progressive rock that *rocks*. So on balance, this is a worthwhile addition to any prog fan's collection.
He was perhaps at his proggiest in 1974 and 1975 when he gave us "Todd Rundgren's Utopia" and followed it up with his "Initiation" album (which I've already gone on record as promoting as a personal "Top 5" album). But this Utopia album is different from all of the subsequent Utopia albums in one major way: the personnel that comprised all subsequent studio albums of the prog-pop Utopia were Todd, Kasim Sultan (bass), Roger Powell (keys), and John Wilcox (drums), while this one-off first Utopia album consisted of Todd, John Siegler (bass), Kevin Ellman (drums), and THREE keyboardists: Moogy Klingman, Ralph Schuckett, and Jean-Yves "M. Frog" Labat. Different sound and different musical focus.
The bottom line here is that this album is really something special for prog fans. The opener, "Utopia Theme", was recorded live in Atlanta, and really is superb for all of its 14 minutes, featuring GREAT guitars (by TR), synths, vocals, melodies, and mystical lyrics. The remainder of the album is studio recorded. The 10-minute "Freak Parade" begins with a great vibe, and ends with the solo bass line fading out. In between, you get a little Zappa-like quirkiness - a bit weird for me in places, but it does hold together pretty well. "Freedom Fighters" is not quite as "poppy" as some reviewers might have you believe. Yeah, it's written in 4/4 time and only lasts about 4 minutes, but it's also a pretty good song. And you kind of need that before the 30-minute-long album closer "The Ikon". This cut is classic prog that runs the gamut from symphonic to spacey (think "Treatise on Cosmic Fire" in spots), to jazz fusion, to Western hoedown! Lots of soloing and jamming combined with clever transitions to new sections.
If you like adventure and a plethora of keyboards in your prog diet, this first unique Utopia album is a great way to escape to musical nirvana. Recommended.
I value interesting music that is played and recorded well. This cd's rating was based on:
Music quality = 8.8/10; Performance = 9/10; Production = 8/10; CD length = 9/10.
Overall score weighted on my proprietary scale = 8.7 ("4 stars")
The musicianship is stunning and there are some great melodies but it is still a silly, goof yconcept album. The chorus from Hiroshima? Todd what were you thinking?
There are enough hooks here that Utopia could have crafted real songs. To someone other than a Utopia fanatic, this is unlistenable.
What he is least credited for, but SHOULD be best-known for, is his fabulous work in his band Utopia, a group compromised of (at one point) THREE synth players. Todd Rundgren's experimentation with LSD may have played a huge role in his surge in tallent and creativity during these albums, but whatever the cause is, the effect is outstanding. Tales of lone sea creatures and tiny elves, reminesing about history, strange hillbilly voices, and REALLY sweet and progressive music is all found on this album.
'RA' can be considered a "concept album", if you will - setting a similar goal as Yes - Close to the Edge, Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick, and Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon. This isn't just a collection of songs, but all having something to do with (and possibly connecting to each other) about THE SUN. Yes, the sun is the only possible way that Japan and tiny elves can possibly relate to one another.
My favorite song on the LP is side two's legendary spectacular called "The Glass Guitar" (An Electrified Fairy Tale). You can tell that TR was on something when he wrote this song - it begins with a minute-long introduction by what sounds like an elf on helium,
"This is an electrified fairy tale. If you've never heard of an electrified fairy tale, just picture tiny elves, with wee-little electric guitars!" :)
The song is about (I think) these four keys located in the "four corners of the earth" which four brave "individuals" rescue from different elements of the earth (mountain, wind, fire, water). Once the keys are rescued, they are joined together to shed "light" on the earth - possibly the sun? I think this is not a mistake! ;)
Not surprisingly, it details these rescues of these keys with a solo from each of the band members (there are only four band members presently when the album is released) - so yes, the lone saviors of the world are also the humble "Utopia"! =)
The epic is 18 minutes long and has some VERY progressive movements. It is both catchy "There's a ru-mor I've heard, that's going a-round", frightening, incredibly passionate, and instrumentally complex. I hate to compare, but think "Close to the Edge" with a more focused story to it. It has all that a good song needs (but with MUCH better drumming than Bill Bruford's chops in Close to the Edge).
Who can I recommend this LP for? Certainly a rock fan with an open mind and a good taste. DEFINITELY Todd Rundgren fans (shame on you if you haven't picked this up already!), and last but not least Progressive Rock fans. I am a gigantic fan of progressive rock, and I'd say without hesitation that Utopia, particularly with this record, ranks up there with the likes of Pink Floyd, Rush, Genesis, Yes, Gentle Giant, and earlier King Crimson stuff.
This LP is HIGHLY recommended, and I suggest that if you're even VIEWING this review now, that you do not think a second longer about purchasing this record. You will be a better person for not only supporting the all-time most tallented musical hermit to ever exist, but for also enjoying one of the many lost treasures in seventies progressive music.
BUT would someone please comment if the remastering actually sounds better?
It's the prog fan in me that brought me to Todd's "A Wizard, A True Star", then "Todd Rundgren's Utopia". Over the years, I've found many a TR/Utopia LP that I listened to, enjoyed three or four tracks fully, maybe appreciated one or two more, and felt turned off by the rest. ("Swing to the Right" was the nadir, with only "Lysistrata"'s name bringing good musical memories.)
I almost fast-forwarded an Internet radio station when Utopia's "Feet Don't Fail Me Now" (from this album) came on a "Gentle Giant"-themed radio station. Say what? My preoccupation with work ended up being a major bonus that got me to the surprisingly catchy chorus, which avoids being saccharine due to the fact that none of the four has a particularly sweet voice (each has its own edge).
And so I started looking around to see if I could find a copy of the song. My only hope was (gulp!) buying the CD. Listening to the sound samples on Amazon, I gulped harder. This didn't sound very friendly.
I received the CD yesterday. I am in _awe_. I played it three times last night (a rare feat for me). There are so many insanely great "nerdy-chords-meets-catchy-melody" moments that few apart from Utopia could pull off that I can't really get bored listening to it. I wonder, had "Perfect Heaven" been pulled off the album so that everything could fit on one 45-minute LP, if the album would have fared better in the shops.
Definite highlights are "Neck on Up", "Say Yeah", "Burn Three Times", "Call It What You Want", and the aforementioned "Feet Don't Fail Me Now". But selecting highlights is an injustice to the album, as "Libertine", "Bad Little Actress" and "Hammer in my Heart" are superior to 90% of the songs on the other albums from their poppier years.
At the risk of sounding like I'm gushing endlessly, it really sounds as if Utopia set out to better every highlight of their "power pop/rock" years with this album. "Say Yeah" beats Deface the Music's similar "That's Not Right" with sheer exuberance. "Libertine" comes really close to matching Oops! Wrong Planet's "Trapped". Roger Powell even screams out a note right at a breakdown in "Burn Three Times". It even seems like Utopia seriously worked this one out before going into the studio, with all four singers demonstrating remarkably similar vocal delivery, hitting most every note dead on. Solos are often eschewed so that the whole arrangement stands out, and at times the right "different chord" can be heard in _just_ the right place during the last chorus. This should have been all over the airwaves in the '80s, alongside the Cars' "Heartbeat City" and Yes's "90125". And the samples on here don't do the album justice. If you're too nervous to buy a copy, do yourself a favor and borrow a friend's, or hunt the local 2nd-hand record shops which still allow you to preview the album. The only thing that stops me from calling this "Utopia's Party Album" is the presence of three ballads, of which I feel one is superfluous ("Perfect Heaven"). (And hey, I could always program my CD player to skip it, or them, were I to play this CD at a party.) It may or may not be my absolute fave Utopia album (the first one is hard to beat), but it'll definitely be my most listened to. I want to start an "original songs" band based on this album alone. Any takers?
But the three-sided artifact those silly Utopians left is great -- tremendous tight harmonies, crystal clear production and glistening guitar runs, clever lyrics, too-cool melodies -- it's 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 - from the clever "Princess of the Universe," to the moody "Bad Little Actress" to the Beatlesque "Chapter and Verse," to the should-have-been hit rock ballad "There Goes My Inspiration." Add to that the hits (for Utopia)"Feet Don't Fail Me Now" and "Hammer in My Heart" and you have an irresistable top notch package. 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.
Lovers of Todd's very early or recent material may find this too bland. However, I have enjoyed each stage of Todd's work.
Vocal harmonies are a favorite of mine, and there is an abundance here on this album. On this CD, I found it very enjoyable to hear all four singers have a turn to lead, and the background vocals are featured loudly enough to where one can make out each particular singer doing their thing, which can be very cool and adds to the relistenability. Each singer is quite competent, and Kaz of course has an excellent voice as always.
This band deserved so much better a fate than the relative obscurity under which it toiled.
Todd scored his big commercial success with Something/Anything. Then he got started with Utopia.
Utopia made an excellent progressive rock album, "RA". That was a minor hit record for the group and was just in time to take advantage of the mini-hobbit craze of the late 1970s. In the terms of the time it was called "head" music and lived 100% up to the title. I had a lot of good times jamming to RA.
This CD, Anthology, has music from all of Utopia's albums. Some of it is very good, such as the tune "Set me free" from Adventures in Utopia. The only great song is "Mountaintop and Sunrise/Communion with the Sun", off the album RA. Here is where your heart sort of breaks. When Utopia decided to be musical and great it was on the cutting edge of rock. Todd and his group was setting the standard. But on other parts of the album Utopia sounds like a garage band version of the Beetles. I never quite liked the band from Britian much in the first place and it's not fun to listen to Utopia simulate the sound of the fab four.
Looking back on it I would have enjoyed just spending the money on RA and Adventures in Utopia, both are what I consider to be Utopia's best albums.
So, is this CD worth it? Yes, if you get it on discount it's not bad. Is this CD worth it at full price? No. Sorry, it's not that good when you add in Utopia's simulations of the Beetles.
If Utopia had been managed a little better they could have put out some really cutting edge progressive rock and fun pop. Yes, pop music isn't progressive, but it's fun. And when you're working it's nice just to have something fun to listen to.
This is a three star CD, a grade C. Pay a discount price and you'll be happy. For the full price of the CD you can buy both "RA" and "Adventures in Utopia", the two best albums by Utopia.
Want to know how good Utopia and Todd were? Hall & Oats would have been nothing with out Todd's producing of their albums. England Dan and John Ford Colley (sp?) owe their best hit "Love is the answer" to Utopia. Todd and Utopia were great.
Utopia could have been a contender.
And that is why I gave this album three stars, a C grade.
collectors, the first being Todd's own 2-CD Anthology.
It has Utopia's essential hits and some of the better album
tracks to satisfy most casual listeners.
But for those who'd want to dig deeper(or already have,
like me), it's still enough to whet your appetite.
Even though Utopia ended up being more or less a part-
time band compared to Todd's work, there's still a lot
of good material here.
The tracks I like best are 'Crybaby,' 'Love In Action,'
'Set Me Free,' 'Love Is The Answer,' the 2-part 'Overture',
and 'Freedom Fighters.'
The richer sounds of this continental European ensemble in comparison to the relentless purity of English groups is also highly welcome. As usual Paul van Nevel encourages a vocal sound that comes more from the chest giving a darker hued color that also has great expressive warmth. There is no attempt to artificially brighten up the upper registrars by doubling the soprano parts for example. In an age dominated by Cambridge style English cathedral style singing from groups which can sometimes start to sound all the same, it is wonderful to hear a group that dares to occupy so unique and distinctive a sound world as theirs.
The Spem in Alium is a good case in point for the performance here is wonderful and quite unique. As for the claim that this performance of the 'Spem in Alium' is somehow weak, you can safely ignore that. Yes, the Tallis Scholars are still excellent too but there is a place for a less ostentatious and relaxed-intimate 'chamber' approach to this music. The performers even stood forming a circle in church to record these works. Warm and understated poetic intimacy are wonderful virtues that the Huelgas Ensemble always convey in abundance.
In all this is one of the absolutely essential recordings of Renaissance polyphony. It is a must have for anyone who loves fine music and it you only own one recording of Renaissance polyphony this might well be it. It certainly has a firm place on my desert island collection.
"The Man From Utopia" is even better than the previous year's "Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch". To begin, the album-cover artwork on this album is much more appealing and clever than the primitive artwork on "...Drowning Witch" (which is the 2nd worst album cover of all of FZ's albums; the #1 place for rotten artwork goes to the "Filmore East 1971" album).
The fact that the All Music Guide rated this FZ's worst official album (2/5 stars) baffles me. The album begins with 2 fantastic songs:
1. "Cocaine Decisions" is about the cocaine fad among yuppies of the 80's that is still a powerful anti-drug song.
2. "Sex" may seem a bit juvenile with its lyrics but it is so catchy and fun to listen to. Its chorus "the bigger the cushin' the better the pushin'" was almost stolen word-for-word by Spinal Tap a year later for their song "Big Bottom."
The next gem on the album is "The Dangerous Kitchen" - with its frightening background music and lyrics about how one's dity kitchen can harm them if they are not careful. PLAY THIS ON YOUR I-POD AT 3AM WHILE YOU'RE WALKING TO THE KITCHEN FOR A LATE-NIGHT SNACK...I DARE YA!!!
In "Stick Together", FZ exposes how Unions are not the perfect organizations they pretend to be. "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou" is an old medley of two oldies tunes that is reminiscent of the songs from the "Cruising With Ruben & The Jets" album...in other words, a real treat.
With these 5 tunes and the rest in between, how can you go wrong if you're an FZ fan??? Maybe you won't like it if you only like Zappa's complex musical compositions and not his semi-raunchy but always amusing lyrics to go with the music. I like it all.
Of course, I didn't start out that way but his music grew on me.
1. Cocaine decisions- 8/10 This underated bluesy number was often played on the 1982 tour. It is a great political statement and is an entertaining listen.
2. Sex- 8/10 Another solid track. Possibly the most offensive song on the album but still a very good song, which has a hilarious message, skinny girls are no fun.
3. Tink walks amok- 9/10 This incredible instrumental features Arthur 'Tink' Barrow ripping it up on bass.
4. The radio is broken- 8/10 By far the most bizzare song on the album.
5. We are not alone- 9/10 Another incredible instrumental, this song was originally written with lyrics.
6. The dangerous kitchen- 7/10 Not one of my favorites, but still a funny and bizzare 'melt-down' song.
7. The man from Utopia meets Mary Lou- 7/10 This combination of two doo-wop tracks is entertaining, but Frank has done better.
8. Stick together- 7/10 This reggae song is not one of the best off of the album, but its ok.
9. The Jazz discharge party hats- 8/10 The final melt-down song on the album is the best by far, it is a hilarious story about a band and their pool-side adventures, among other things.
10. Luigi and the wise guys- 6/10 This recently added track is by far the weakest song on the album. It features irritating vocals and stupid lyrics.
11. Moggio- 10/10 This rewarding instrumental is a great way to finish this unbalanced, but amusing album.
Sophomore album for Swedish melodic hard rock act. 11 tracks including the bonus track, 'Prodigal Son'. Z Records. 2001.
Utopia,Seven Wishes,Z Records,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop
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Utopia Parkway
Fountains of Wayne Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  General
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ASIN: B00000IFW1 Release Date: 1999-04-06 |
Tracks:
- Utopia Parkway
- Red Dragon Tattoo
- Denise
- Hat And Feet
- The Valley Of Malls
- Troubled Times
- Go, Hippie
- A Fine Day For A Parade
- Amity Gardens
- Laser Show
- Lost In Space
- Prom Theme
- It Must Be Summer
- The Senator's Daughter
Amazon.com
Fountains of Wayne's second album is somewhat of a new thing under the sun: Pet Sounds for '90s Jersey high schoolers. Main-men Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood litter these songs with cultural references (Pink Floyd laser shows, tattoos, Puff Daddy, lavender Lexuses, "You Dropped a Bomb on Me"), but their "Valley of Malls" is saturated with as much bittersweetness as that of Adam Sandler's wedding singer. The pop-savvy Schlesinger--who also puts in time as a member of Ivy and wrote That Thing You Do!'s title song--is wiseacre enough to dub a touching ELO tribute "Prom Theme," but when the album ends with one of the kids falling for "The Senator's Daughter," it feels as openhearted as when Brian Wilson puzzled over why he just wasn't made for these times. --Rickey WrightCustomer Reviews:
I love this CD!.......2007-06-04
Parkway to Pleasure.......2006-08-26
A Pop Classic.......2006-08-20
Member of a rare species: the perfect pop album.......2006-07-26
There are no filler tracks on the album. Zero.
Great melodies. Great hooks. Sly little songs like Denise, Laser Show, and Lost in Space don't wear out their welcome. They come in like a cool, refreshing breeze and are gone in less than 2½ minutes. Never does this album drag. A few semi-serious songs will make you think, like the nostalgic Prom Theme. Mostly FoW is about having a good time, describing ordinary life with wit, in a perfect musical context. They know exactly when to use acoustic guitars, electric guitars, a cheesy synth, or a soaring string part.
Fountains of Wayne are able to express genuine pity in songs like Go Hippie and Fine Day For A Parade, but even here their sense of humor and intelligence never flags. Hippie contains a classic guitar solo that recycles every stereotypical riff and effect from the psychedelic era and spits it out in one minute. I love it! You will smile with recognition and thrill to the beauty of it.
Sometimes it is easier to list an album's flaws than its strengths. Honestly, after a dozen listens to Utopia Parkway, I can't find any flaws. If pressed, I would say that lead vocalist Chris Collingwood's voice is slightly thinner and weaker than on FoW's latest studio record, Welcome Interstate Managers, but for this type of music, it is hardly necessary to have the chops of a Billy Joel or the power of a Springsteen to pull it off. And Chris does, in spades.
Red Dragon Tatoo
It's just about on me
I got it for you
So now do you want me
With nothing to prove
Will you be my honey
Oh yeah
In you I confide
Red dragon tatoo
I'm fit to be dyed
Am I fit to have you?
This chorus from the second song on Utopia Parkway sums up the humor, simplicity, and cleverness of Fountains of Wayne. Like Interstate Managers, Utopia Parkway's songs are written from a middle-class suburban perspective. And what's wrong with that? FoW are us. Arguably this is a better album than their latest and more famous Welcome Interstate Managers, but really both albums are five star efforts. Don't be in the dark about this great band.
Catchy Happy Guitar Pop.......2005-10-10
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The Coast of Utopia
Mark Bennett Manufacturer: Ghostlight ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bellini, Vincenzo
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ASIN: B000Q66I1I Release Date: 2007-06-12 |
Tracks:
- Medley: Voyage: Trilogy Prologue/500 Souls
- Voyage: Michael Comes Home
- Voyage: March Here, March There
- Voyage: Spring At Premukhino
- Voyage: Nothing But Self
- Voyage: A Greater Man Than Michael
- Voyage: Serfs At Sunset
- Voyage: The Bonfire
- Voyage: Liubov's Procession
- Voyage: Twelve Days To Catch Up
- Voyage: Moscow
- Voyage: After the Soiree
- Voyage: The Telescope
- Voyage: The Telescope
- Voyage: Belinsky At Work
- Voyage: Riverboat Farewell
- Voyage: Ginger Cat Waltz
- Voyage: Voyage Finale
- Shipwreck: Birch Trees
- Shipwreck: Sokolovo To Salzbrunn
- Shipwreck: Paris
- Shipwreck: The Revolution
- Shipwreck: The Failed Uprising
- Shipwreck: Michael Captured
- Shipwreck: Dejeuner Sur L'herbe
- Shipwreck: Nice: 'Lu Ciuccio De Cola'
- Shipwreck: 'Bella Nice, Che D'Amore'
- Shipwreck: 'I Lamenti Di Una Bella Fanciulla'
- Shipwreck: Return To Sokolovo
- Shipwreck: Shipwreck Finale
- Salvage: Olga Asleep
- Salvage: Herzen In England
- Salvage: Like a Dream
- Salvage: Blackgang Chine And Beach Visitors
- Salvage: Farewell To England
- Salvage: Geneva
- Salvage: Trilogy Finale, the Ninth Wave
- Salvage: Curtain Call
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Utopia
Belinda Manufacturer: EMI Latin ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B000I2ISHC Release Date: 2006-10-03 |
Tracks:
- Utopia
- Ni Freud Ni Tu Mama
- See A Little Light
- Bella Traicion
- Contigo O Sin Ti
- Alguien Mas
- ?Quien Es Feliz?
- Pudo Ser Tan Facil
- Noche Cool
- Amiga Soledad
- Good...Good
- Luz Sin Gravedad
- Never Enough
Customer Reviews:
A surprise for your expectations and worth buying.......2007-02-18
Even still, this album for the most part is a solid production, good listening to and it was worth my money even as a non-latino. Check it out!
GREAT CD!!!!!!.......2007-01-31
I recommend everyone to buy this album, you won't be disappointed!!!
Belinda Gets Older and Improves.......2006-12-17
Utopia- 5/5 a great starter for the CD slow but catchy.
Ni Freud Ni Tu Mama- 5/5 the first single of this CD and deffinitley one of my favorites. A great song to rock out to with a very catchy beat.
See a Little Light- 2 1/2/5 Deffinitley one of her weekest..not that impressive. The vocal pitches were a little off
Bella Tracion-5/5 One of the best! Fast, catchy, rocky, fun, pop song! I must liked
Contigo O Sin Ti- 4/5 very different..but i like it. I don't really like Nicole Schnizer's voice in it..but not including that, fun/ different.
Alguien Mas-4/5 a darker song..more dreary but great vocals!
Quein es Feliz-5/5 Great pop song ! fun beat and catchy great to fool around with! who is happy? a great song!
Pudo Ser Tan Facil-2/5 Never listen to this song..not that fun more of a dark sad song.
Noche Cool-4/5 fun up beat little rappy song..i like the beggining of the song but after that is it ok.
Amiga Soledad-4/5 I nice melodic song about her dog that died.:( nice
Good...Good-2/5 One of the WORST horrible but some parts are ok
Luz Sin Gravedad (See A Little Light in Spanish) 4/5 much better than the English version.
Never Enough-4/5 a fun song but stupid lyrics..ok..
My Best CD!.......2006-10-18
Belinda's GREATEST!.......2006-10-09
"Way to go BELINDA!! FELICIDADES mi niña ahi la llevas, tremendo trabajo!"
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Todd Rundgren's Utopia
Utopia Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B0000032P0 Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- Utopia Theme
- Freak Parade
- Freedom Fighters
- The Ikon
Album Description
Utopia's first album - a break away from Todd's romantic pop leanings to a more progressive "fusion" sound.Customer Reviews:
Tales from Todd-ographic Oceans.......2007-07-18
Utopia started out as a six-piece ensemble with three keyboard players, including synthesizer experimentalist Jean-Yves Labat, and Todd himself on guitar. This debut album could be called Tales from Todd-ographic Oceans. Critics in 1974-5 hated it. In retrospect, it's not hard to see why: by then, the whole prog thing had run its course, most of the key prog and fusion bands had peaked, and critics had moved on.
The music is a mélange of cliches: low-rent Return to Forever, factory-second Genesis, clearance-sale ELP. For all the "epic" quality of the music, the writing is not very sophisticated, relying too much on riffs and repetitious passages. The lack of a true virtuoso instrumentalist in the band hampers matters further: Todd is no Steve Howe; none of the keyboard players are on the same level as Wakeman, Emerson, or Corea. The "experimental" synth sounds are of the dated-sounding bleep-and-fart variety, like ELP's Tarkus from three years previous.
Yet another problem is the thin, muddy sound quality: instead of cramming over half an hour of music on each side of vinyl, Todd really should have edited. The most worthwhile moments here are the "chorus" segments of each track, which showcase Todd's real gift for melody writing.
Yet the album almost gets over on sheer energy and balls; it could even be categorized as "garage-prog." For all its musical inferiority to the likes of Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy or Brain Salad Surgery or Foxtrot, this is progressive rock that *rocks*. So on balance, this is a worthwhile addition to any prog fan's collection.
Overlooked prog masterpiece.......2007-06-22
No need to wait another year, UTOPIA is here.......2007-03-28
Why does this album always seem to "fly under the radar" of prog fans?.......2006-05-23
He was perhaps at his proggiest in 1974 and 1975 when he gave us "Todd Rundgren's Utopia" and followed it up with his "Initiation" album (which I've already gone on record as promoting as a personal "Top 5" album). But this Utopia album is different from all of the subsequent Utopia albums in one major way: the personnel that comprised all subsequent studio albums of the prog-pop Utopia were Todd, Kasim Sultan (bass), Roger Powell (keys), and John Wilcox (drums), while this one-off first Utopia album consisted of Todd, John Siegler (bass), Kevin Ellman (drums), and THREE keyboardists: Moogy Klingman, Ralph Schuckett, and Jean-Yves "M. Frog" Labat. Different sound and different musical focus.
The bottom line here is that this album is really something special for prog fans. The opener, "Utopia Theme", was recorded live in Atlanta, and really is superb for all of its 14 minutes, featuring GREAT guitars (by TR), synths, vocals, melodies, and mystical lyrics. The remainder of the album is studio recorded. The 10-minute "Freak Parade" begins with a great vibe, and ends with the solo bass line fading out. In between, you get a little Zappa-like quirkiness - a bit weird for me in places, but it does hold together pretty well. "Freedom Fighters" is not quite as "poppy" as some reviewers might have you believe. Yeah, it's written in 4/4 time and only lasts about 4 minutes, but it's also a pretty good song. And you kind of need that before the 30-minute-long album closer "The Ikon". This cut is classic prog that runs the gamut from symphonic to spacey (think "Treatise on Cosmic Fire" in spots), to jazz fusion, to Western hoedown! Lots of soloing and jamming combined with clever transitions to new sections.
If you like adventure and a plethora of keyboards in your prog diet, this first unique Utopia album is a great way to escape to musical nirvana. Recommended.
I value interesting music that is played and recorded well. This cd's rating was based on:
Music quality = 8.8/10; Performance = 9/10; Production = 8/10; CD length = 9/10.
Overall score weighted on my proprietary scale = 8.7 ("4 stars")
TODD IS NO RUNT BUT IS THE NAZZ AND A WIZARD A TRUE STAR.......2006-02-25
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RA
Utopia Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B0000032P7 Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- Mountain Top and Sunrise/Communion With the Sun
- Magic Dragon Theatre
- Jealousy
- Eternal Love
- Sunburst Finish
- Hiroshima
- Singring And The Glass Guitar (An Electrified Fairytale)
Album Description
Digitally remastered reissue of original album by Todd Rundgren's art/ prog/ power pop group. Contains all eight tracks from when the album was first released in 1977, including 'Eternal Love'. Also features the original cover art & new interviews in theCustomer Reviews:
Utopian Album.......2007-06-27
self indulgent silliness.......2006-08-29
The musicianship is stunning and there are some great melodies but it is still a silly, goof yconcept album. The chorus from Hiroshima? Todd what were you thinking?
There are enough hooks here that Utopia could have crafted real songs. To someone other than a Utopia fanatic, this is unlistenable.
Todd Squad!.......2006-06-19
This is what Todd should be known for!.......2005-05-04
What he is least credited for, but SHOULD be best-known for, is his fabulous work in his band Utopia, a group compromised of (at one point) THREE synth players. Todd Rundgren's experimentation with LSD may have played a huge role in his surge in tallent and creativity during these albums, but whatever the cause is, the effect is outstanding. Tales of lone sea creatures and tiny elves, reminesing about history, strange hillbilly voices, and REALLY sweet and progressive music is all found on this album.
'RA' can be considered a "concept album", if you will - setting a similar goal as Yes - Close to the Edge, Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick, and Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon. This isn't just a collection of songs, but all having something to do with (and possibly connecting to each other) about THE SUN. Yes, the sun is the only possible way that Japan and tiny elves can possibly relate to one another.
My favorite song on the LP is side two's legendary spectacular called "The Glass Guitar" (An Electrified Fairy Tale). You can tell that TR was on something when he wrote this song - it begins with a minute-long introduction by what sounds like an elf on helium,
"This is an electrified fairy tale. If you've never heard of an electrified fairy tale, just picture tiny elves, with wee-little electric guitars!" :)
The song is about (I think) these four keys located in the "four corners of the earth" which four brave "individuals" rescue from different elements of the earth (mountain, wind, fire, water). Once the keys are rescued, they are joined together to shed "light" on the earth - possibly the sun? I think this is not a mistake! ;)
Not surprisingly, it details these rescues of these keys with a solo from each of the band members (there are only four band members presently when the album is released) - so yes, the lone saviors of the world are also the humble "Utopia"! =)
The epic is 18 minutes long and has some VERY progressive movements. It is both catchy "There's a ru-mor I've heard, that's going a-round", frightening, incredibly passionate, and instrumentally complex. I hate to compare, but think "Close to the Edge" with a more focused story to it. It has all that a good song needs (but with MUCH better drumming than Bill Bruford's chops in Close to the Edge).
Who can I recommend this LP for? Certainly a rock fan with an open mind and a good taste. DEFINITELY Todd Rundgren fans (shame on you if you haven't picked this up already!), and last but not least Progressive Rock fans. I am a gigantic fan of progressive rock, and I'd say without hesitation that Utopia, particularly with this record, ranks up there with the likes of Pink Floyd, Rush, Genesis, Yes, Gentle Giant, and earlier King Crimson stuff.
This LP is HIGHLY recommended, and I suggest that if you're even VIEWING this review now, that you do not think a second longer about purchasing this record. You will be a better person for not only supporting the all-time most tallented musical hermit to ever exist, but for also enjoying one of the many lost treasures in seventies progressive music.
Utopia's Peak.......2004-09-24
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Another Live
Utopia Manufacturer: Castle Essential ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B0000259Q1 Release Date: 1999-08-10 |
Tracks:
- Another Life - Ralph Schuckett
- Wheel - Mark "Moogy" Klingman, , Ralph Schuckett
- Seven Rays
- Intro/Mister Triscuits - Ralph Schuckett
- Something's Coming
- Heavy Metal Kids
- Do Ya
- Just One Victory
Album Description
Digitally remastered reissue of original album by Todd Rundgren's art/ prog/ power pop group. Contains all eight tracks from when the album was first released in 1975, many of which are cover versions. Also features the original cover art & new interviews in the liner notes. 1999 release.Customer Reviews:
wonderful music...horrible recording.......2003-10-10
Few musicians are as talented and complete as Todd Rundgren...he's a great vocalist, guitarist and composer as well as a visionary. None of his best songs sound the least bit dated (even though many are 25 or 30 years old) because they are so well crafted.
I was present for this recording........2003-05-29
Hey All, How's the Sound???????.......2003-02-24
BUT would someone please comment if the remastering actually sounds better?
Where Was It Really Recorded?.......2002-08-21
If anyone saw Todd perform with "A Walk Down Abbey Road" this year, or last, they will know what he can do with a cover song.
Many fans say "Todd is Godd", but personally, I am pushing for Saint-hood!
Another Live Review.......2002-02-25
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Utopia
Utopia Manufacturer: Unidisc Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B00002DD3G Release Date: 2000-01-14 |
Tracks:
- Libertine
- Bad Little Actress
- Feet Don't Fail Me Now
- Neck On Up
- Say Yeah
- Call It What You Will
- I'm Looking At You But I'm Talking To Myself
- Hammer In My Heart
- Burn Three Times
- There Goes My Inspiration
- Princess Of The Universe
- Infrared And Ultraviolet
- Forgotten But Not Gone
- Private Heaven
- Chapter And Verse
- Hammer In My Heart (Dance Mix)
Album Description
Out of print in the U.S.. 1982 album by Todd Rundgren's art/ prog/ power pop group. Features the original cover art, all fifteen of the original cuts, and the bonus track 'Hammer In My Heart' (Dance Mix). Standard jewel case.Album Details
Reissue with Bonus Track: 'Hammer in My Heart (Dance Mix)'.Customer Reviews:
I never thought I'd like a latter-day Utopia album through and through!.......2006-07-20
It's the prog fan in me that brought me to Todd's "A Wizard, A True Star", then "Todd Rundgren's Utopia". Over the years, I've found many a TR/Utopia LP that I listened to, enjoyed three or four tracks fully, maybe appreciated one or two more, and felt turned off by the rest. ("Swing to the Right" was the nadir, with only "Lysistrata"'s name bringing good musical memories.)
I almost fast-forwarded an Internet radio station when Utopia's "Feet Don't Fail Me Now" (from this album) came on a "Gentle Giant"-themed radio station. Say what? My preoccupation with work ended up being a major bonus that got me to the surprisingly catchy chorus, which avoids being saccharine due to the fact that none of the four has a particularly sweet voice (each has its own edge).
And so I started looking around to see if I could find a copy of the song. My only hope was (gulp!) buying the CD. Listening to the sound samples on Amazon, I gulped harder. This didn't sound very friendly.
I received the CD yesterday. I am in _awe_. I played it three times last night (a rare feat for me). There are so many insanely great "nerdy-chords-meets-catchy-melody" moments that few apart from Utopia could pull off that I can't really get bored listening to it. I wonder, had "Perfect Heaven" been pulled off the album so that everything could fit on one 45-minute LP, if the album would have fared better in the shops.
Definite highlights are "Neck on Up", "Say Yeah", "Burn Three Times", "Call It What You Want", and the aforementioned "Feet Don't Fail Me Now". But selecting highlights is an injustice to the album, as "Libertine", "Bad Little Actress" and "Hammer in my Heart" are superior to 90% of the songs on the other albums from their poppier years.
At the risk of sounding like I'm gushing endlessly, it really sounds as if Utopia set out to better every highlight of their "power pop/rock" years with this album. "Say Yeah" beats Deface the Music's similar "That's Not Right" with sheer exuberance. "Libertine" comes really close to matching Oops! Wrong Planet's "Trapped". Roger Powell even screams out a note right at a breakdown in "Burn Three Times". It even seems like Utopia seriously worked this one out before going into the studio, with all four singers demonstrating remarkably similar vocal delivery, hitting most every note dead on. Solos are often eschewed so that the whole arrangement stands out, and at times the right "different chord" can be heard in _just_ the right place during the last chorus. This should have been all over the airwaves in the '80s, alongside the Cars' "Heartbeat City" and Yes's "90125". And the samples on here don't do the album justice. If you're too nervous to buy a copy, do yourself a favor and borrow a friend's, or hunt the local 2nd-hand record shops which still allow you to preview the album. The only thing that stops me from calling this "Utopia's Party Album" is the presence of three ballads, of which I feel one is superfluous ("Perfect Heaven"). (And hey, I could always program my CD player to skip it, or them, were I to play this CD at a party.) It may or may not be my absolute fave Utopia album (the first one is hard to beat), but it'll definitely be my most listened to. I want to start an "original songs" band based on this album alone. Any takers?
New Wave Todd.......2005-11-30
But the three-sided artifact those silly Utopians left is great -- tremendous tight harmonies, crystal clear production and glistening guitar runs, clever lyrics, too-cool melodies -- it's 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 - from the clever "Princess of the Universe," to the moody "Bad Little Actress" to the Beatlesque "Chapter and Verse," to the should-have-been hit rock ballad "There Goes My Inspiration." Add to that the hits (for Utopia)"Feet Don't Fail Me Now" and "Hammer in My Heart" and you have an irresistable top notch package. 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.
The most mainstream pop of Utopia - four-part vocal harmonic bliss!.......2005-08-31
Lovers of Todd's very early or recent material may find this too bland. However, I have enjoyed each stage of Todd's work.
Vocal harmonies are a favorite of mine, and there is an abundance here on this album. On this CD, I found it very enjoyable to hear all four singers have a turn to lead, and the background vocals are featured loudly enough to where one can make out each particular singer doing their thing, which can be very cool and adds to the relistenability. Each singer is quite competent, and Kaz of course has an excellent voice as always.
This band deserved so much better a fate than the relative obscurity under which it toiled.
It isn't the last one, but it's the last uniformly great one.......2005-04-15
Heaven 17 & Ambrosia are Electro Nirvana but I want Utopia!.......2005-02-23
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Anthology (1974-1985)
Utopia Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD New Wave
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ASIN: B0000032Q6 Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- Crybaby
- The Very Last Time
- Mated
- Set Me Free
- Love In Action
- Love Is The Answer
- You Make Me Crazy
- Trapped
- Lysistrata
- Play This Game
- Feet Don't Fail Me Now
- I Just Want To Touch You
- The Wheel
- One World
- Overture: Mountaintop And Sunrise/Communion With The Sun
- Freedom Fighters
Customer Reviews:
Utopia, it could have been a contender.......2005-11-15
Todd scored his big commercial success with Something/Anything. Then he got started with Utopia.
Utopia made an excellent progressive rock album, "RA". That was a minor hit record for the group and was just in time to take advantage of the mini-hobbit craze of the late 1970s. In the terms of the time it was called "head" music and lived 100% up to the title. I had a lot of good times jamming to RA.
This CD, Anthology, has music from all of Utopia's albums. Some of it is very good, such as the tune "Set me free" from Adventures in Utopia. The only great song is "Mountaintop and Sunrise/Communion with the Sun", off the album RA. Here is where your heart sort of breaks. When Utopia decided to be musical and great it was on the cutting edge of rock. Todd and his group was setting the standard. But on other parts of the album Utopia sounds like a garage band version of the Beetles. I never quite liked the band from Britian much in the first place and it's not fun to listen to Utopia simulate the sound of the fab four.
Looking back on it I would have enjoyed just spending the money on RA and Adventures in Utopia, both are what I consider to be Utopia's best albums.
So, is this CD worth it? Yes, if you get it on discount it's not bad. Is this CD worth it at full price? No. Sorry, it's not that good when you add in Utopia's simulations of the Beetles.
If Utopia had been managed a little better they could have put out some really cutting edge progressive rock and fun pop. Yes, pop music isn't progressive, but it's fun. And when you're working it's nice just to have something fun to listen to.
This is a three star CD, a grade C. Pay a discount price and you'll be happy. For the full price of the CD you can buy both "RA" and "Adventures in Utopia", the two best albums by Utopia.
Want to know how good Utopia and Todd were? Hall & Oats would have been nothing with out Todd's producing of their albums. England Dan and John Ford Colley (sp?) owe their best hit "Love is the answer" to Utopia. Todd and Utopia were great.
Utopia could have been a contender.
And that is why I gave this album three stars, a C grade.
Good compilation for its era, but get Todd's, too, .......2005-09-29
collectors, the first being Todd's own 2-CD Anthology.
It has Utopia's essential hits and some of the better album
tracks to satisfy most casual listeners.
But for those who'd want to dig deeper(or already have,
like me), it's still enough to whet your appetite.
Even though Utopia ended up being more or less a part-
time band compared to Todd's work, there's still a lot
of good material here.
The tracks I like best are 'Crybaby,' 'Love In Action,'
'Set Me Free,' 'Love Is The Answer,' the 2-part 'Overture',
and 'Freedom Fighters.'
If anyone should ask.......2004-06-17
Best Of Utopia?.......1999-12-15
Utopia hits collection is good-but not comprehensive enough.......1998-12-03
Anthology attempts to highlight the best material from the band's collection of fine albums. In this respect, I'm not sure the single disc does the band proper justice. Several of the best cuts are included, most notably Trapped, Love In Action and Love Is The Answer from Oops! Wrong Planet,and You Make Me Crazy, Set Me Free and The Very Last Time from the equally fine Adventures In Utopia. But only one song from the Deface The Music album made the cut. This was Utopia's brilliant Beatles knock off and the exclusion of tunes like Where Does The World Go To Hide, Alone, Always Late, All Smiles and Silly Boy make this collection too incomplete to carry the title of Anthology in my opinion. The other Utopia album which is represented by only one song is 1982's self-titled Utopia album. The 3-sided album was considered to be one of the group's best, yet for some inexplicable reason only Feet Don't Fail Me Now is included here. There's nothing wrong with that selection-it's one of their best ever. But Kasim Sulton's vocal on Libertine and Rundgren and Sulton's harmonies on Bad Little Actress make those two cuts essential for Utopia fans. Another high point from that album which did not find its way onto Anthology was Hammer In My Heart, a longtime Rundgren concert favorite. The selection from Ra of Overture/Mountaintop And Sunrise/Communion With The Sun is a rather strange one as well. Where are Jealousy and Hiroshima?
Overall this collection is worth owning if you're only a marginal fan. But I'm betting that this disc will leave you wanting more. A better bet would have been to make this a double disc as Rundgren's solo anthology was. Had this been done, the songs mentioned above as well as Swing To The Right,Gangrene,Caravan,Rock Love,There Goes My Inspiration, and others could have been included. Utopia was always completely underrated as a group. Through no fault of Todd Rundgren, it seemed they could never establish their own identity separate from him. A thorough and more comprehensive anthology collection might have gone a long way to change that. It's a shame that such a fine band doesn't get a little better overview of their work here, especially from a label like Rhino, which normally does an outstanding job of putting together collections like this. You won't be disappointed by this album, but you might wish you had saved the money and instead purchased several of the band's individual albums, all of which are available on cd.
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Utopia Triumphans
Huelgas Ensemble , Paul Van Nevel , Thomas Tallis , Costanzo Porta , Josquin Desprez , Johannes Ockeghem , Pierre de Manchicourt , Giovanni Gabrieli , and Allesandro Striggio Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Gabrieli, Giovanni
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ASIN: B000002APL Release Date: 1995-10-17 |
Tracks:
- Spem in alium - Thomas Tallis
- Sanctus, Agnus Dei - (from the `Missa Ducalis`)
- Qui habitat (Psalm 90) - Josquin Desprez
- Deo gratias
- Laudate Dominum
- Exaudi me Domine - Giovanni Gabrieli
- Ecce beatam lucem
Amazon.com
A greatly expanded Huelgas Ensemble performs here a collection of multivoice works--pieces that are often referred to but, for logistical reasons, rarely performed. Tallis's famous Spem in alium non habui for 40 voices is here, of course; so is the piece that inspired it, Striggio's 40-voice Ecce beatam lucem. Also included are two extraordinary canons: Ockeghem's 36-voice Deo gratias and Josquin's 24-voice Qui habitat--as well as relatively modest pieces for 13 to 16 voices by Porta and Gabrieli. Spem has had livelier performances (try the Tallis Scholars on Gimell), but none of the others have been recorded elsewhere at all, let alone as well as this. You're not likely to hear them in concert, either, so check this disc out. --Matthew WestphalCustomer Reviews:
Well-balanced choral work .......2007-05-28
Utopia very much Triumphans.......2007-01-23
One of the few essential recordings of Renassance polyphony.......2005-05-28
The richer sounds of this continental European ensemble in comparison to the relentless purity of English groups is also highly welcome. As usual Paul van Nevel encourages a vocal sound that comes more from the chest giving a darker hued color that also has great expressive warmth. There is no attempt to artificially brighten up the upper registrars by doubling the soprano parts for example. In an age dominated by Cambridge style English cathedral style singing from groups which can sometimes start to sound all the same, it is wonderful to hear a group that dares to occupy so unique and distinctive a sound world as theirs.
The Spem in Alium is a good case in point for the performance here is wonderful and quite unique. As for the claim that this performance of the 'Spem in Alium' is somehow weak, you can safely ignore that. Yes, the Tallis Scholars are still excellent too but there is a place for a less ostentatious and relaxed-intimate 'chamber' approach to this music. The performers even stood forming a circle in church to record these works. Warm and understated poetic intimacy are wonderful virtues that the Huelgas Ensemble always convey in abundance.
In all this is one of the absolutely essential recordings of Renaissance polyphony. It is a must have for anyone who loves fine music and it you only own one recording of Renaissance polyphony this might well be it. It certainly has a firm place on my desert island collection.
intellectual exercise (yawn).......2004-04-12
Great for meditation.......2003-11-27
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The Man from Utopia
Frank Zappa Manufacturer: Zappa Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B0000009T5 Release Date: 1995-05-02 |
Tracks:
- Cocaine Decisions
- SEX
- Tink Walks Amok
- The Radio Is Broken
- We Are Not Alone
- The Dangerous Kitchen
- The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou (Medley)
- Stick Together
- The Jazz Discharge Party Hats
- Luigi And The Wise Guys
- Moggio
Customer Reviews:
Not one of Zappa's best, but worth 9 dollars.......2007-06-21
A great album.......2007-03-11
bueno , esta bien, hasta los genios la pifian alguna vez..............2006-09-26
Zappa's Most Underrated Album....5 classic songs to enjoy.......2006-03-14
"The Man From Utopia" is even better than the previous year's "Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch". To begin, the album-cover artwork on this album is much more appealing and clever than the primitive artwork on "...Drowning Witch" (which is the 2nd worst album cover of all of FZ's albums; the #1 place for rotten artwork goes to the "Filmore East 1971" album).
The fact that the All Music Guide rated this FZ's worst official album (2/5 stars) baffles me. The album begins with 2 fantastic songs:
1. "Cocaine Decisions" is about the cocaine fad among yuppies of the 80's that is still a powerful anti-drug song.
2. "Sex" may seem a bit juvenile with its lyrics but it is so catchy and fun to listen to. Its chorus "the bigger the cushin' the better the pushin'" was almost stolen word-for-word by Spinal Tap a year later for their song "Big Bottom."
The next gem on the album is "The Dangerous Kitchen" - with its frightening background music and lyrics about how one's dity kitchen can harm them if they are not careful. PLAY THIS ON YOUR I-POD AT 3AM WHILE YOU'RE WALKING TO THE KITCHEN FOR A LATE-NIGHT SNACK...I DARE YA!!!
In "Stick Together", FZ exposes how Unions are not the perfect organizations they pretend to be. "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou" is an old medley of two oldies tunes that is reminiscent of the songs from the "Cruising With Ruben & The Jets" album...in other words, a real treat.
With these 5 tunes and the rest in between, how can you go wrong if you're an FZ fan??? Maybe you won't like it if you only like Zappa's complex musical compositions and not his semi-raunchy but always amusing lyrics to go with the music. I like it all.
Of course, I didn't start out that way but his music grew on me.
Good 1980's Zappa release........2005-07-19
1. Cocaine decisions- 8/10 This underated bluesy number was often played on the 1982 tour. It is a great political statement and is an entertaining listen.
2. Sex- 8/10 Another solid track. Possibly the most offensive song on the album but still a very good song, which has a hilarious message, skinny girls are no fun.
3. Tink walks amok- 9/10 This incredible instrumental features Arthur 'Tink' Barrow ripping it up on bass.
4. The radio is broken- 8/10 By far the most bizzare song on the album.
5. We are not alone- 9/10 Another incredible instrumental, this song was originally written with lyrics.
6. The dangerous kitchen- 7/10 Not one of my favorites, but still a funny and bizzare 'melt-down' song.
7. The man from Utopia meets Mary Lou- 7/10 This combination of two doo-wop tracks is entertaining, but Frank has done better.
8. Stick together- 7/10 This reggae song is not one of the best off of the album, but its ok.
9. The Jazz discharge party hats- 8/10 The final melt-down song on the album is the best by far, it is a hilarious story about a band and their pool-side adventures, among other things.
10. Luigi and the wise guys- 6/10 This recently added track is by far the weakest song on the album. It features irritating vocals and stupid lyrics.
11. Moggio- 10/10 This rewarding instrumental is a great way to finish this unbalanced, but amusing album.
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