UTOPIA-DEFACE THE MUSIC

[beatbo]

i was struck by the attention to detail. although never a rundgren/utopia fan, one would have to be deaf to not hear the influence on the airwaves in the '70's and early 80's. and who was utopia, anyway? sounded like two different bands to me. while i am not a todd expert, his path has crossed several music streams (the beatles being one he has trapsed across many times throughout his career). so quickly, hears some background...

lessee....he started in a band in philly, then founded the Nazz, recorded 3 albums and had a couple of hit singles (the first version of 'hello, it's me' making number 41 in canada). he did Runt with the sales brothers (or did he?) but by 1972 it was the album 'something/anything?' featuring the second, more popular version of 'hello, it's me' that broke him. he became a very successful producer in the early/mid '70's, waxing anyone from the new york dolls, patti smith, meatloaf, the tubes to grand funk railroad and hall&oates. not just the mid-level releases from these artists but the seminal ones: 'bat out of hell' (megaplatinum, causing jim steinman to call rundgren 'a genuis') XTC's 'skylarking'....ok. you get the picture.

so....utopia. the first version was rundgren's back-up band on 'a wizard, a true star'. tons of keyboards, synths, etc. this version of the band showed up on 'todd rundgrens utopia' and did a live album after that (i think). the second version contained roger powell on keyboards, kasim sulton on bass, and john wilcox on drums. the biggie for this line-up was 'adventures in utopia' (1980), the same year that they released 'deface the music'.

now, some todd/beatles background:

in 1974, todd rundgren gave an interview to 'melody maker', a publication familiar to john lennon, as he had a subscription and wrote them often. somehow the subject of lennon and the beatles came up and todd riffed on lennon wanting to be a revolutionary instead of a musician, who his audience was and what lennon represented to his generation. he ended by saying that the beatles had no other style besides being the beatles.

wow.

here's lennon's reply (taken from a page of ray coleman's "lennon" book):

AN OPENED LETTUCE TO SODD RUNTSTUNTLE. (from dr. winston o'boogie)

couldn't resist adding a few "islands of truth" of my own, in answer to Turd Runtgreen's howl of hate (pain)

Dear Todd,

I like you and some of your work, including "I Saw the Light", which is not unlike"There's a Place" (beatles) melody wise.

1. I have never claimed to be a revolutionary. But I am allowed to sing about anything i want! Right?

2. I never hit a waitress in the Troubadoor. I did act like an ass, I was too drunk. So shoot me!

3. I guess we're all looking for attention, Rodd, do you really think i don't know how to get it, without "revolution"? I could dye my hair pink and green for a start!

4. i don't represent anyone but my SELF. It sounds like I represented something to you, or you wouldn't be so violent towards me. (your dad perhaps?)

5. Yess, Dodd, violence comes in mysterious ways it's wonders to perform, including verbal. But you'd know that kind of mind game, wouldn't you? Of course you would!

6. So the Nazz used to do " like heavy rock" then SUDDENLY a "light pretty ballad". How original!

7. Which gets me to the Beatles, "who had no other style other than being the Beatles"!! That covers a lot of style, man, including your own, TO DATE....

Yes, Godd, the one thing those Beatles did was affect PEOPLE'S MINDS. Maybe you need another fix?

Somebody played me your rock and roll pussy song, but I never noticed anything. I think the real reason you're mad at me is cause I didn't know who you were at the Rainbow (L.A.) remember the time you came in with Wolfman Jack? When I found out later, I was cursing, cause I wanted to tell you how good you were (I'd heard you on the radio).

anyway,

However much you hurt me darling,

I'll always love you,

J.L. 10 Sept. 1974

october 1980, utopia releases 'deface the music'. the 13 songs skillfully take the listener through the beatles developing styles (yeah, i said it) and todd writes a new song in that vein, starting with "i just want to touch you" which does "i wanna hold your hand" almost better than the original song! the album is outstanding in it's attention, execution, and homage/parody (depending on if one is john lennon, i presume). here is the amazon link to here snippets of the track listing:

deface the music

the album goes through the parallel career chronologically touching on "i'll follow the sun" (where does the world go), "drive my car"(take it home), "penny lane" (hoi polloi) and ends with "i am the walrus" (everybody else is wrong). this song, in particular (to me) stands out with it's overt lennon references, both musically and lyrically.

december 8th, 1980. mark david c-------n guns down lennon outside of the the dakota in NYC. at his hotel room, police find an 8-track of rundgren's: runt: the ballad of todd rundgren. (many people incorrectly think "deface the music" was the tape, but no) the killer had left the tape as a statement: "i can't overestimate the depth of what his music meant to me" to read more, check out the excellent book: 'let me take you down' by jack jones. chilling.

lennon's murder aside, this album has questions that have never been answered: does todd have a love/hate relationship with the beatles?

since the album release, rundgren has appeared on ringo's all-starr band tour, wrote songs for for the musical "up against it" which was based on the screenplay "prick up your ears" by joe orton-written for the beatles as a film after 'help'. in 2001 he toured with john entwistle, alan parsons, ann wilson and other aging rockers for "a walk down abbey road" tour, with each playing their favorite beatles songs.

what say you?

editted for spelling (hopeless)

[ZeppFanForever]

i was struck by the attention to detail. although never a rundgren/utopia fan, one would have to be deaf to not hear the influence on the airwaves in the '70's and early 80's. and who was utopia, anyway? sounded like two different bands to me. while i am not a todd expert, his path has crossed several music streams (the beatles being one he has trapsed across many times throughout his career). so quickly, hears some background...

lessee....he started in a band in philly, then founded the Nazz, recorded 3 albums and had a couple of hit singles (the first version of 'hello, it's me' making number 41 in canada). he did Runt with the sales brothers (or did he?) but by 1972 it was the album 'something/anything?' featuring the second, more popular version of 'hello, it's me' that broke him. he became a very successful producer in the early/mid '70's, waxing anyone from the new york dolls, patti smith, meatloaf, the tubes to grand funk railroad and hall&oates. not just the mid-level releases from these artists but the seminal ones: 'bat out of hell' (megaplatinum, causing jim steinman to call rundgren 'a genuis') XTC's 'skylarking'....ok. you get the picture.

so....utopia. the first version was rundgren's back-up band on 'a wizard, a true star'. tons of keyboards, synths, etc. this version of the band showed up on 'todd rundgrens utopia' and did a live album after that (i think). the second version contained roger powell on keyboards, kasim sulton on bass, and john wilcox on drums. the biggie for this line-up was 'adventures in utopia' (1980), the same year that they released 'deface the music'.

now, some todd/beatles background:

in 1974, todd rundgren gave an interview to 'melody maker', a publication familiar to john lennon, as he had a subscription and wrote them often. somehow the subject of lennon and the beatles came up and todd riffed on lennon wanting to be a revolutionary instead of a musician, who his audience was and what lennon represented to his generation. he ended by saying that the beatles had no other style besides being the beatles.

wow.

here's lennon's reply (taken from a page of ray coleman's "lennon" book):

AN OPENED LETTUCE TO SODD RUNTSTUNTLE. (from dr. winston o'boogie)

couldn't resist adding a few "islands of truth" of my own, in answer to Turd Runtgreen's howl of hate (pain)

Dear Todd,

I like you and some of your work, including "I Saw the Light", which is not unlike"There's a Place" (beatles) melody wise.

1. I have never claimed to be a revolutionary. But I am allowed to sing about anything i want! Right?

2. I never hit a waitress in the Troubadoor. I did act like an ass, I was too drunk. So shoot me!

3. I guess we're all looking for attention, Rodd, do you really think i don't know how to get it, without "revolution"? I could dye my hair pink and green for a start!

4. i don't represent anyone but my SELF. It sounds like I represented something to you, or you wouldn't be so violent towards me. (your dad perhaps?)

5. Yess, Dodd, violence comes in mysterious ways it's wonders to perform, including verbal. But you'd know that kind of mind game, wouldn't you? Of course you would!

6. So the Nazz used to do " like heavy rock" then SUDDENLY a "light pretty ballad". How original!

7. Which gets me to the Beatles, "who had no other style other than being the Beatles"!! That covers a lot of style, man, including your own, TO DATE....

Yes, Godd, the one thing those Beatles did was affect PEOPLE'S MINDS. Maybe you need another fix?

Somebody played me your rock and roll pussy song, but I never noticed anything. I think the real reason you're mad at me is cause I didn't know who you were at the Rainbow (L.A.) remember the time you came in with Wolfman Jack? When I found out later, I was cursing, cause I wanted to tell you how good you were (I'd heard you on the radio).

anyway,

However much you hurt me darling,

I'll always love you,

J.L. 10 Sept. 1974

october 1980, utopia releases 'deface the music'. the 13 songs skillfully take the listener through the beatles developing styles (yeah, i said it) and todd writes a new song in that vein, starting with "i just want to touch you" which does "i wanna hold your hand" almost better than the original song! the album is outstanding in it's attention, execution, and homage/parody (depending on if one is john lennon, i presume). here is the amazon link to here snippets of the track listing:

deface the music

the album goes through the parallel career chronologically touching on "i'll follow the sun" (where does the world go), "drive my car"(take it home), "penny lane" (hoi polloi) and ends with "i am the walrus" (everybody else is wrong). this song, in particular (to me) stands out with it's overt lennon references, both musically and lyrically.

december 8th, 1980. mark david c-------n guns down lennon outside of the the dakota in NYC. at his hotel room, police find an 8-track of rundgren's: runt: the ballad of todd rundgren. (many people incorrectly think "deface the music" was the tape, but no) the killer had left the tape as a statement: "i can't overestimate the depth of what his music meant to me" to read more, check out the excellent book: 'let me take you down' by jack jones. chilling.

lennon's murder aside, this album has questions that have never been answered: does todd have a love/hate relationship with the beatles?

since the album release, rundgren has appeared on ringo's all-starr band tour, wrote songs for for the musical "up against it" which was based on the screenplay "prick up your ears" by joe orton-written for the beatles as a film after 'help'. in 2001 he toured with john entwistle, alan parsons, ann wilson and other aging rockers for "a walk down abbey road" tour, with each playing their favorite beatles songs.

what say you?

editted for spelling (hopeless)

How's it going "beatbo" as well as our fellow die hard hard core ZEPPELIN fanatics? I do remember this story well. This is a very interesting topic to bring up "beatbo." TODD RUNDGREN has had a long glorious past of putting his own foot in his mouth. TOD RUNDGREN is very knowledgable musically but he rarely ever uses it. Through the years, TOD RUNDGREN has been known to put himself down and not take the credit musically that he deserves. Evidently, RUNDGREN has worked with some of the best musicians in all of Rock history. Some of the hits that RUNDGREN wrote and recorded speak for themselves. Hits such as "We Gotta Get You A Woman," "Be Nice To Me," "I Saw The Light," "Hello It's Me" and "Love Is The Answer" are some of RUNDGREN'S greatest work but is very modest to take any credit when due. In my opinion, when RUNDGREN made those statements about JOHN LENNON and THE BEATLES, I truly believe that he did that for publicity purposes and it worked. TOD RUNDGREN has a very easy habit of pissing people, mainly fellow musicians off. THE MAN IS TALENTED BUT STRANGE. "beatbo," I'll have to do some more research on TOD RUNDGREN since I haven't thought about him for years and comment here on your thread at a later date. I have a lot of TODD RUNDGREN'S albums on CD but I haven't played them in a long while. Thanks to you, you just inspired me to listen to TODD RUNDGREN'S music which will therefore refresh my knowledge on RUNDGREN. ROCK ON!

[beatbo]

some reviews of the album from amazon and progarchives:

amazon

Why did he do this?, February 18, 2006

By Mombatoo

Previous to "deface the music", the Brit group ELO had released a very popular "face the music" in 1975. Todd considered this to be "halfway ripping off the Beatles". So, he said, if you are going to rip them off halfway, why not go all the way! So here you have it: Probably one of the greatest tongue-in-cheek albums of all time! It's in the title, folks!

Surprisingly good music for a "parody", novel concept., August 30, 2005

By musicman (Austin, TX)

I would rate the music four+ stars, and the concept and production five stars. It is remarkable at how Beatlesque the instrumentation and production is, while each song weaves in an interesting variation of a familiar Beatles melody. Like other reviewers have stated, it is quite enjoyable to play this CD for other people and see if they can match each tune here with a Beatles tune.

Those who may see some kind of mockery in this need to keep in mind that Todd Rundgren's 1976 "faithful" had two Beatles covers, and more recently, Todd toured with Ringo Starr's band and also did a George Harrison tribute album.

Having liked the Beatles quite a bit, I find this to be a Utopia favorite of mine as well.

progarchives.com

Daveconn:

UTOPIA was never overtly influenced by THE BEATLES, so the decision to create a condensed career retrospective of THE BEATLES on "Deface The Music" is something of a surprise. Almost all of the songs are variations on an earlier BEATLES theme: "I Just Want to Touch You" is a spin-off of "I Wanna Hold Your Hand", "Where Does the World Go" is based on "I'll Follow the Sun", "Take It Home" is inspired by "Drive My Car", etc. The band occasionally succeeds at putting its own twist on THE BEATLES' songs -- the "Penny Lane"- inspired "Hoi Polloi" or "All Smiles" (which combines pieces of "Michelle" and "Fool on the Hill") improve on psychedelic pop much as XTC was able to do, but using tracks like "Eleanor Rigby" and "I Am The Walrus" as templates for "Life Goes On" and "Everybody Else Is Wrong", respectively, casts too great a shadow over UTOPIA's revisions to enjoy. TODD addresses the hopes of many in the opening track: "You might have heard this all before / But from me it could mean something more." Whether it's meant as a parody or novelty, "Deface The Music" sells their own songwriting skills and sound short.

A cute experiment, to be sure, but what was the point again?

Love me do? by easylivin

If you’ve come across “The Rutles”, a British comedy spoof of the Beatles created by Monty Python’s Neil Innes, you’ll have a good idea of what to expect here. Like the Rutles, the music on “Deface the music” is all deliberately designed to such as much like the (early) Beatles as possible.

Rundgren does a good job if it, the album consisting of short catchy tunes which clone the Liverpool sound perfectly. If you were to be presented with these tracks and told they were from a recently discovered collections of recordings by the fab four, you would have no reason to doubt it.

The question is, why? Todd and the rest of Utopia have come up with some original and enjoyable work over the years, but this album is anything but original. Yes it’s clever, but it does smack of grand scale self indulgence. For devotees of this web-site, there’s no prog to be found here. For those who enjoy hearing the Beatles sound, you’d be better buying a Beatles album.