Utopia's RA is the Best Prog Album from 1977: Discuss

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This record is fucking *bonkers*. I just listened to most of it before my tape deck died in my car last night in a driving storm on the way back from NYC last night and Jesus Christ does it overload my senses. Discuss the wonder of its insanity, the ludicrous Queen harmonies, the splenditude of the pinched Moog Roger Powell solos and Todd narrating a fairy tale with a Scottish elf accent here. Godley and Creme's Consequences, consider yourself on notice.

but is it better than GOING FOR THE ONE? Better than *checks RYM chart*....hmmmm....okay

"Sunburst Finish" and "Communion With the Sun" are incredible and I do dig "Singring" a lot. I remember listening to some prog covers band tackle it and man, even in the context of progressive rock epics that one really stands out as being weird. Cool concept though!

For the record I like the '74 s/t more than this, cuz "The Ikon" rules all

guessing I'm gonna be the only one to comment on this thread ;)

Fairwell to Kings? Camel's Rain Dances?

jethro tull - Songs From the Wood
locanda delle fate - Forse le lucciole non si amano più
goblin - Suspiria

this album is a personal touchstone perhaps partially for nostalgic reasons, but I agree it's great and has aged well or even improved with time (if one's ears are prog-friendly anyway). that said i wasn't listening to much - any - prog in 1977 and can't do much comparison. i saw utopia on the ra tour that spring, fantastic show, climaxing with todd ascending a pyramid during the singring suite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2DABaH0Mjs

Animals?

whoa his guitar looks just like Prince's in that video

Yes -- pretty great.

So has Todd ever spoken about what this was all about? Pretty sure this is his only full-fledged concept record in the bunch, and it's pretty clearly not remotely to be taken seriously. Also if this isn't the best line ever, I'm not sure what is:

Hiroshima!
Na-ah-ah-gasaki
Don't you ever forget
Don't you ever fucking forget

I've never listening to this album, but watching some of that clip it seems like the sort of strain of macho prog I've never really dug. I like wimpy/pastoral prog like Genesis and smarty-pants aggro prog like KC and VdgG, but not this kind of stuff. I'll give the album a shot, though.

well "smarty-pants" is pretty much the best descriptor I can come up with for Rundgren as a person

There's a few gossipy anecdotes about Todd & RA in Barney Hoskin's book on Woodstock NY, SmallTown Talk. Bassist Kasim Sultsn joined Utopia just before the album and describes driving from Manhattan to Woodstock w/Todd as the most uncomfortable 2 hour ride ever, his new boss refused to speak to him the entire way. Bearsville Records wasn't too happy about the prog/concept direction while Kasim was absolutely mortified by the Egyptian tunic or toga or whatever it is he had to wear on tour. I knew Todd had the reputation of being difficult to work with but overall this book makes him sound like an all-around dick. You come to understand why artists have ONE album produced by Rundgren.

you all are gonna make me listen to this and i hate todd r. :/

I've seen Kasim speak highly of Rundgren in other interviews, but yeah it seems everyone who's worked with Todd has at least one horror story about the guy. The 4-piece Utopia were an excellent band but they had some pretty clear identity issues. The Egyptian shtick lasted exactly one album after which they became New Wave space cadets, then Beatles parodists, then Cars-style microwave pop shortly after. All the while receiving practically no radio play, despite gunning hard for it and having a bona fide star in their ranks.

anyway I played Ra today in honor of this thread and yeah...it's pretty good, maybe because I find its weirdness endearing instead of cloying

"Hiroshima" still a weird fuckin tune

"Singring" is really great though, one of the few prog epics with a concept I can actually grasp (as dumb as it is), but it's a neat excuse to get some kickin' rad solos in

still don't know if anything beats "Communion of the Sun" which gives me serious flashbacks to "International Feel"

For the record I like the '74 s/t more than this, cuz "The Ikon" rules all
― frogbs
^ This, though I like 'Ra' just fine too.

Anyone else remember the first issues of the LP which came with a cardboard insert with directions of how to cut it out to form a pyramid under which you could put your razor blades and wait to see if they became sharp again? I think the headline for the NME review of this was 'Rundgren reveals secret of keeping sandwiches fresh' or something.

I knew Todd had the reputation of being difficult to work with but overall this book makes him sound like an all-around dick. You come to understand why artists have ONE album produced by Rundgren.

the stories about Rundgren's assholism abound among his collaborators, but tbh I have a hard time squaring that image with the guy who was by all accounts a doting dad to Liv Tyler. Todd seems... complex. I've only recently started digging into his 70s stuff

ok i'm listening to this

y'all should check out styx

m coleman -- some people may have one record produced by Todd, but Kasim Sulton has played with Todd for 40 years. He was in the band I saw Todd play with Tuesday night in NYC. I think it's more likely that Todd is just super intense and impulsive -- and that you either *get* him or you don't.

Josh, you should absolutely listen to this album. It's not wimpy, but it's not macho either, IMO. Macho Todd is usually Piss Taking Todd (i.e., "Heavy Metal Kids"). It usually kicks a little bit of ass, too.

this thread got me to check rym's prog charts for '77 and _movin' on_ by circus is also a really good prog record

I didn't really mean to dis Todd or throw shade above - I'm a big fan. He was accommodating & funny when I interviewed him in the 80s, maybe sarcastic at times but hey I asked some dumb questions. The stuff Kasim said in that book about Todd being so cold was surprising because they've worked together so long and - getting back to RA - so well together. Of course the author could have left out some positive comments in the interest of stirring up controversy. Anyway that quartet lineup of Utopia was a tight, flexible unit. RA kinda sounds like Nazz doing a prog album at times.

Anyone else remember the first issues of the LP which came with a cardboard insert with directions of how to cut it out to form a pyramid under which you could put your razor blades and wait to see if they became sharp again? I think the headline for the NME review of this was 'Rundgren reveals secret of keeping sandwiches fresh' or something.

― Bloody Snail, Thursday, January 19, 2017 3:29 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah I listened to my mom's copy of this album lots as a kid, and it had that insert. I was tempted to cut it out per the directions, but I thought the record was worth a ton of money (ha) and didn't want it to lose any value. "Pyramid Power" was apparently the big pseudoscience of the day, and a few prog dudes rode the wave--see also the Alan Parsons Project's Pyramid album from the following year.

Earth Wind & Fire also had some (funky!) pyramid prog tendencies.

1977!
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/19/Earth%2C_Wind_%26_Fire_-_All%27N_All1.jpg

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Haha niiiice.

Waited until 1984:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1c/Iron_Maiden_-_Powerslave.jpg

I imagine "Album Covers Featuring Pyramids" could probably be an extensive thread of its own

Also, Jealousy is a fucking jam.

Yes it is, also love the contrast between hard-rocking Jealousy and Eternal Love where Todd's Phill Soul roots show. The guy contains multitudes, ya know?

"Pyramid Power" was apparently the big pseudoscience of the day, and a few prog dudes rode the wave

Ambrosia's Somewhere I've Never Travelled

http://www.hackettstownlife.com/images/forum/2012/04/0a727d7d73d63de39d4cff5bb29566e5c2d291e8.jpg

glastonbury fayre's build your own pyramid

On one listen, I am not buying that this is better than A Farewell to Kings, as much as I love the Todd.