Oops! Wrong Utopia

Smoke and mirrors?

Musical wiz kid Todd Rundgren headed up the band Utopia, who existed in one form or another, off and on, ever since '73. A friend back in college introduced me to Utopia's music after he learned I leaned a bit toward the progressive rock genre. I already appreciated bands like Rush - and Yes, though at the time to a lesser degree. Utopia's music was all over the place, perhaps settling into a certain feel and sound on a particular album, but then on their next recording they could drum up a whole new set of rules... or ways of breaking established musical rules. Progressive rock was flourishing during this time, with Genesis, Jethro Tull, Roxy Music, Caravan and a whole swarm of other eclectics filling the fishbowl of experimental music. And Utopia made their mark in at least some small way.

Anyway, after a little grounding in Utopia's finer moments - thanks to the loan of the band's albums - I was then faced with the opportunity to see them in concert. The price was right and the show was nearby, so I don't think I even gave it a second thought. Of course! 

I don't recall anything about Utopia's music today other than a tiny smattering of the one album that really stood out from the bunch for me, Ra. Its title borrowed from the name of the ancient Egyptian sun god, this 1977 disc featured songs of epic musical fantasy and melodic hard rockers, often with a message. Highlights of the album are Singring and the Glass Guitar, Jealousy, and Hiroshima. Singring is a fairy tale saga set to music, very eastern and exotic in texture. Hiroshima is a harrowing document of the horrors of the second world war; even the memory of its musical finale sends chills down the spine.

Going into this concert - in 1985, I could only have hoped to hear some of that older music. But for some reason, that evening was a blur for me.... and there was not even any imbibing prior to cast a haze on my memory. Anyway, I don't recall disliking the show, so I must have enjoyed it at the time. Utopia did not have a very long-lasting effect on me, though, as I rarely listened to them for the next few years, and in the decades to follow, I never bothered to revisit their music. I know I re-bought Ra sometime in the 90's, but after a couple of listens, I gave up on it. Just not very timeless music, and definitely not my cup of tea any longer. 

Opening act The Tubes were entirely new to me aside from one familiar radio hit song She's a Beauty. They were a bizarre collection of characters onstage; I seem to recall a bit of a musical and theatrical mix that baffled me. Slightly entertaining, but at the time it was mostly beyond me. Unfamiliar with their music, it was difficult for me to properly appreciate their performance.