Last Of Last Of The New-Wave Riders – Utopia Storm Tokyo, 1979

by Jeff Boule in Album Reviews, Concert Reviews, Editorials, Musician Reviews, Opinion Posts, Reviews, Song Reviews

Utopia bid adieu after a night on stage. Photo by Coming Age.

It is painfully; finally time to wrap up the on-going series of reviews tackling the Utopia box set Last Of The New Wave Riders.  This set features Utopia playing to the American-culture-starved Japanese inquisitive yet reserved audiences.  Japanese audiences were the most accepting of the some-time obscure and were willing to hear out the overtly obscure.  No better place to play Utopia’s material.  Unless you are Todd Rundgren and in your enthusiasm to entertain you do something that mortifies the people in the first few rows.

Kasim Sulton recalls the story on his DVD An Evening With Kasim Sulton Live In Atlanta, about how in Rundgren’s eagerness to return to position after soloing, he overshot his position and wound up crashing into the front two rows of people in front of him.  Here in these United States, audients would grab, rip, tear, maybe a few would try to help right Rundgren, but none would be mortified.  Sulton describes these Japanese audients whom Rundgren has invaded their personal space as mortified.

Will they be mortified by what they hear here?

Compared to the last disc reviewed from the box set, this is board-recording quality.  But this time, they have omitted the Tomita Planets intro for stark keyboards that introduce “Trapped” from Oops Wrong Planet.  The performances are dead on perfect.  Sure Rundgren’s solo is a bit dicey at first, most likely due to stage antics of the showman variety.  Both lead vocals by Sulton and Rundgren are front and center as are the assisting backing vocals of Powell and Wilcox.  All instruments are in the spectrum, with keys in the left channel and guitar in just the right, like on the recording.

“Love In Action” also from Oops Wrong Planet is clear, tight and concise.  The keys sort of sponge into the second verse.  It’s almost as if they were over-emphasizing the keys to make up for the lack of them on the Oops tour disc.  The dynamic before the key solo is swelled and quelled until the second half of a solar-fired solo.  Great blend of backing vocals at the very tight ending.

A particular fave of mine, Abandon City from Oops creeps in with an outstanding vocal from Powell.  Unfortunately, a delay on the backing vocals dilutes some of their emphasis.  I love when Powell pulls out the coronet for the solo.  He only did this for the first couple of tours.  After the Adventures In Utopia tour, the coronet was retired for a synth solo.  Rundgren counters with a new version of the guitar portion of the solo.  Powell returns with a solo lasting until the added breakdown.  Which turns out to be the end and a rather brash one at that.

Rundgren introduces Powell and welcomes the crowd.  In recognition of an obedient, appreciative audience, Rundgren dedicates the next song from Faithful, “Love Of The Common Man”.

They have this song down, at least this version.  From Powell’s arpegiating keys to little ad-libs on the bass by Sulton.  They can play this tune backwards, blindfolded on a moving hay wagon.  Right down to Rundgren replicating the solo from the recording, note-for-note.  This line-up, with the exception of Sulton, is the same one that recorded it.  John Seigler, of Pokemon fame, was the original bassist.  As usual, Sulton contributes better backing vocals.

A sentimental version of “Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference” from the wretched Something/Anything is offered up next.  Very close version to the one from 1979’s Back To The Bars.  Tight, well mixed, Sulton often reverting to a chorus on the bass to spread it out when Rundgren puts down the guitar.  You hear when Wilcox and Powell are in the background vocal mix and when they are not.  Drums are present and well mixed.  This is going to be an easy review.  I won’t have to waste time and space going on about a bad mix.  Not this time.  They move tightly to a break towards the last chorus.  Rundgren vocal ad-libs his way to the end.

I miss it when he doesn’t do this.

Rundgren intros a pre-release tune, “Shot In The Dark” as the album it was included on Adventures In Utopia, was not released until 1980.  Rundgren strains to reach the higher notes of this duet with Sulton.  The snappy synth notes don’t come through or weren’t thought of yet.  The backing vocals are more stark than the recorded version, naturally.  On the third verse there are enough counter vocals to make it work.  Still, a snappy little version in all.

The intro notes to “The Seven Rays” let us know we are in for a ride.  Picture my last review of this song from the last blog, and put a great mix on top of a killer performance.  A few flubbed notes at one of the key changes, but they would soldier on and put that tight riff through its paces during Powell’s first solo.  Rundgren has no choice but to counter with a hot solo.  After said hot solo, a bass solo is supposed to occur, but was given no volume before the song morphs back to the main themes.  Rundgren is hamming up the lead vocal.  The sojourning parts flow free and easy.  Changes in key, tempo, style, and direction are the make-up of this progressive pop opus.  Before the piano break, Rundgren flubs the riff but comes back strong for the solo during the piano break.  Wilcox flashes some percussive might behind the solo as it rejoins the main melodic structure for a second before we veer into new territory for a break to explain (musically, of course) the types and origins of said rays.  Powell surreptitiously begins a solo that winds its way over riffs and palm-muted chords.  Naturally the dynamic builds as the solo presses on.  The main theme riff is repeated during the rise in the dynamic, but at the verse rejoinder, the explosive vocal powerhouses the band right up until the last eight notes and final chord.

Again, all we need, is “The Seven Rays…”

Another “hit” for Rundgren is proffered from his Hermit Of Mink Hollow album.  Sulton voice enriches the vocal, as is often the case with all he contributes to.  It remains odd, however, hearing other voices besides Rundgren’s, as it is on the recording.  Rundgren plays piano and Powell \adds synths on top.  They omit the “la-la’s” from the chorus break.

It sounds better.

Once again the switch is on. Sulton to guitar, Wilcox to bass and lead vocal, and Rundgren to drums for “Gangrene” from Oops… The riff break is sloppy but Rundgren admits he is no drummer.  But Sulton is a guitar player.  He makes that Fender Mustang scream.  Then during a guitar chord break, Wilcox implores the Tokyo audience to clap as though they were at a Cheap Trick concert.

That’s almost racist.

To make up for their almost racist comments, “The Wheel” is presented in full electric version with Rundgren flubbing the riff every now and again. “The Wheel” is an unhurried song to begin with.  This song was originally released as a live track from Todd Rundgren’s Utopia – Another Live recorded with the seven-piece band.  As Rundgren speeds out one phrase (as Powell twinkles two high register notes behind him) the phrase gets slowed to its end.  Going through several manifestations of man’s humanity to man, we bring in we bring in some round-robin style vocals about stopping the hands of time, letting us off the wheel of Karma, ever forth, etc., so on and so on, ditto ditto…

The biggest issue I found with this version was that he did not use an acoustic guitar as he did for the recording.  Another stage replicated fade brings us to a quiet a cappella vocal ad-lib ending.

“Love Alone” is another song from the to-be released Adventures In Utopia.  “Love Alone” (sometimes sub-titled “Kasim’s or Kaz’s Song) is a piano-vocal song by Sulton.  Live, it is often Sulton who performs the piano part and Powell contributes backing vocals.  The arrangement is a little spotty in the beginning; some different words, but still this version is Sulton and Sulton alone.  To cement that assertion, he also plays the piano beautifully.

Disc two starts with “Last Of The New Wave Riders” soon to be from Adventures… as well as Rundgren encouraging the audience not only to greet friends and family who may hear this via the recording, but also to yell out the most obscene thing they can think of.

Nice!

The version is a peck muddy and Powell’s keyboards play hide and seek through the first verse.  This may even be done in a lower key as Sulton’s vocal is not nearly as taxed.  The break vocal “and the whole universe, is a giant guitar” was yet to be written.  Yet the audience approves.

A Sulton sang “Death of Rock And Roll” is a novelty.  This version is a little less frantic than the album version, from Initiation, that featured Rick Derringer.  The delay on “the death of rock and roll” vocals makes it a bit sloppy.  To make up for that Powell delivers a dynamite solo.  A cracking version otherwise, right up to the burn out ending.

The mood is brought to a mellow now with Faithful’s “The Verb To Love”.  Also a bit bass heavy, they need to oomph things as Rundgren puts down the guitar to do lead vocal.  Powell and Sulton were always able to flesh out these trio-type pieces.  Much of this with their backing vocals, especially here.  But the little things like Wilcox’s drum rolls ending EXACTLY at the end of Powell’s runs, incredibly unrecognized tightness.  Powell hits a couple of sour notes in the higher backing vocals, and his solo sounds sparse and it’s supposed to.  Even with Wilcox over-riding the ride cymbal, taste and discretion are keywords to describe this backing track.  Rundgren’s vocals (as well as the rest of the band’s) area beat but able.  During the outtro vocal ad-lib Rundgren is pulled from the microphone, probably interacting with fans as the oft times did when unencumbered by musical instrument.  They sound like they want this outtro to go on a while, to truly examine the question “what does it mean to love?”

The mood remains mellowish, but is quickly heated by thermonuclear cooking.  I would think they would have to tread lightly playing “Hiroshima” in Japan!  Yes, it is about the bombing.  Not a true pro-American viewpoint, but a spot on version right down to the instrument settings.  That’s hard to do two years after the recording of Ra.  The harmony before the instrumental break was a bit dicey.  Powell was allowed to go off page before his “official address” to the peoples of the Islands of Japan.  As his speech continues, his voice is continually pitched lower and lower until his final words shake the venue rafters.

This is the only alert you will receive…

Then back to a chilling vocalization on the end chorus.  Creepy.

But the Japanese eat it up!

Then Rundgren gives the band a rest with his solo piano version of “A Dream Goes On Forever”.  Rundgren does not profess to be proficient piano player.  Yet Playboy magazine has given him more keyboard nods…  “A Dream Goes On Forever” is from the album Todd and this version apart from a minor flub at the end (hey, I said he claimed not to be a proficient pianist) is merely a less-psychedelic one.

Another track from that dreck-fest, Something/Anything is “Black Maria”.  This ISN’T one of those tracks Rundgren hates.  The band is playing this for real, so they are taking it seriously.  This is a more electronic version than the album in that the guitar, for instance, sounds more solid state than tube amp.  With one synth, Powell eradicates the need to replicate the extraneous organ, piano AND clavinet parts.  Yeah, this version cooks.

Another track from Initiation, “Eastern Intrigue” is a difficult arrangement masterfully handled by the three piece Utopia as Rundgren puts down the guitar to again be the vocalist and entertain the crowd with humorous genuflecting and gesturing.  They still represent the album version well.  It’s no surprise as they had this song rehearsed for the concerts for Indochinese refugees Rundgren did in 1979, which yielded the classic double live Rundgren solo album Back To The Bars.  The round robin religious-themed backing vocals are done to perfection and still cut through the dancing arrangement.

Like the album version, they flow seamlessly into “Initiation”.  Rundgren had plenty of time to strap on a freshly tuned Mustang to put forth a rockin’ version.  Again, for a scaled back production, this is a full sounding version.  Even the ending was crisp.

More from the dreck-o-rama Something/Anything, we have a stock version of a stock song that was part of the set-ending list. “Couldn’t I Just Tell You” is stock right to the ending.

Yawn.

Continuing the dreck attack, the standard three-piece version of  “Hello It’s Me” rears its ugly head. He can’t not play it.  In an interview with folk-rock artist Mark Mulcahy, he said he once attended a Rundgren concert in NYC where Rundgren announced, “If you are here to hear the oldies you may as well turn around and leave.”  Mulcahy was disappointed.  I wasn’t.  Yeah, I was at that show too.  The best part of this version of “Hello…” is the cacophonous ending.

Rundgren thanks the crowd and mentions their itinerary as moving on to Osaka.

At last, as is customary at a Utopia show, it ends with “Just One Victory”.  The mix throughout disc two has been killer.  But Rundgren’s voice is front and center on this track, in your face even.  The musicianship is top notch.  They have played this song at the end of every Utopia show.  Even with that knowledge, Sulton still flubs a note here and there, but they have this down, airtight.

This concludes this box set Last Of The New Wave Riders.  I have some new Utopian news to report, the A Wizard A True Star live show is now being played in Akron, London and a new show is announced for Stamford Connecticut.  The kinds folks at Rundgren Radio who are the promoters of this event have extended an invite to PREX to come and cover the show in Akron (the first show) and I am going to see if I can change the arrangements to go to the geographically closer Stamford show (the third show).  I want to see this show well rehearsed.

To address a comment directed to me via the Arena review, I must reiterate that with the fervor over the AWATS shows, I have become revisionist as well, listening more to AWATS, Todd, and the more psychedelic productions he’s done…

Like next time’s review, the twice Rundgren produced Tubes live at B.B. King’s.  Which we hope will be accompanied by our first photo slideshow!!!  Don’t miss it!