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Adventures in Utopia

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1979 studio album by Utopia
Adventures in Utopia
Studio album by Utopia
ReleasedDecember 27, 1979
Recordedat Utopia Sound Studios
GenrePop rock, progressive rock
Length42:24
LabelBearsville
ProducerTodd Rundgren, Utopia
Utopia chronology
Oops! Wrong Planet
(1977)
Adventures in Utopia
(1979)
Deface the Music
(1980)
Singles from Adventures In Utopia
  1. "Set Me Free"
    Released: February 1980
  2. "The Very Last Time"
    Released: May 1980
  3. "Second Nature"
    Released: 1980
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic
Record Mirror

Adventures in Utopia is the fourth studio album by Utopia.

Mixing their earlier progressive rock style with mainstream rock, pop and disco music, Adventures in Utopia achieved success both with the band's established fan base and wider commercial success, with the track "Set Me Free" released as a single. The song became the only Top 40 single for Utopia in the United States. "Umbrella Man" was its B-side.

The by-then established Utopia line-up of Todd Rundgren, Kasim Sulton, Roger Powell and John "Willie" Wilcox wrote, performed and produced the album on their own.

According to Rundgren, the album was intended to be the soundtrack for a TV show the band was working on. Even though the album was recorded in a place with video equipment, they never got around to writing or producing the TV pilot.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Utopia (Rundgren, Powell, Wilcox, Sulton).

Side one
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
1."The Road to Utopia"Rundgren, Sulton4:54
2."You Make Me Crazy"Wilcox3:41
3."Second Nature"Rundgren2:36
4."Set Me Free"Sulton3:09
5."Caravan"Powell7:01
Side two
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
6."Last of the New Wave Riders"Sulton, Rundgren4:22
7."Shot in the Dark"Sulton, Rundgren3:41
8."The Very Last Time"Rundgren3:52
9."Love Alone"Sulton3:55
10."Rock Love"Rundgren5:33

Personnel

  • Todd Rundgren - Electric guitar, lead vocals (1, 3, 6–8, 10), backing vocals, Saxophone (4)
  • Roger Powell - keyboards, lead vocals (5), backing vocals,
  • Kasim Sulton - bass, lead vocals (1, 4, 6, 7, 9), electric piano (4), backing vocals
  • Willie Wilcox - drums, lead vocals (2), backing vocals

Engineered and produced by Rundgren, front cover concept by Rundgren

Charts

Chart (1980) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) 96
US Top LPs & Tape (Billboard) 32

References

  1. "allmusic ((( Adventures in Utopia > Overview )))". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2009-09-19.
  2. Gardner, Mike (23 February 1980). "It's only Runt 'n' Roll". Record Mirror. p. 15.
  3. Rundgren, Todd comments from the 2018 CD reissue of the album put out by Friday Music
  4. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 318. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
Utopia
Studio albums
Live albums
Compilation albums
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