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

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

https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.Mcfd81734e4f3195e4f1acb473976044eo0%26pid%3D15.1&f=1

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.