Adventures In Utopia - Utopia
Track List:
The Road To Utopia
You Make Me Crazy
Second Nature
Set Me Free
Caravan
The Last of the New Wave Riders
Shot in the Dark
The Very Last Time
Love Alone
Rock Love
Other artists this reminds me of:
Weird Al
Daft Punk
Notes on the music:
There is a truly impressive amount of variety on this album. I don’t believe that this is intended to be parody or satire however the variety on this album puts me in mind of Weird Al. The band is technically sound and isn’t afraid to take chances both with their style and lyrics, I don’t think it always works.
Notes on individual Songs
The Road To Utopia
This sounds to me like a TV show intro song or a song for a movie.
You Make Me Crazy
This song almost sounds like a parody of pop songs. The lines:
Why know you make me crazy
What you do to me
It's a chemical reaction or an allergy
Just wow…if there ever was a pinnacle of songwriting…it’s not this. I am aware that Todd Rungren is involved in this and he has the ability to write songs of various qualities.
Second Nature
Disco! This song is fun.
Set Me Free
Now we are going into some euro dance funk sounds. Starts with a 4 on the floor beat. Reminds me of “Around the World” by Daft Punk.
Caravan
This is the first song that feels like we get the music I was expecting when I read that Rungren was involved. Multiple stylistic changes over the course of the song. The story is a bit lacking, it’s a tale of some folks who have made the misfortune of venturing into a desert and getting stranded which they have now ran out of supplies and are in the throes of death and hallucinating. Really fun song to listen to.
The Last of the New Wave Riders
Now I am expecting something a bit more like the last song. It’s not quite the same but still very proggy. I normally associate what I think of as “New Wave” as music from the 80’s. I believe that this song is referencing “New Wave” music so I have to look up when styles of music came around..This is a different style than the last song however still sounds very technically impressive. I think this could be part of the story that the TV show or movie “Adventures in Utopia” was going to be. The New Wave Riders were a group of rocking heroes that help save the universe! Their numbers have been depleted and the last of the New Wave Riders still patrol the galaxy around Utopia with his guitar strapped to his back…
Shot in the Dark
I like the intro, it has a similar feel as “Hot Dog” by Zeppelin. Well the intro does. There is a high pitch legato like thing playing with the lyrics, dancing with them almost that I really like.
The Very Last Time
The synth that is playing the arp is a really cool sound that I wish I could isolate and play with. I feel like this should have been the end of the album but perhaps it was a growing moment for the lead character in the TV show or movie.
Love Alone
It’s a waltz. It works, I don’t like it. I may read the lyrics but I don’t think I will listen again.
Rock Love
Disco again!
