I am an Aussie, had to travel a long way and I finally got to see Todd at the Tower Theatre in Philly New Years Eve 81 with support Band , The Jack Bruce Band, and my dream had finally come true:-} I am 51now and have been listening to Todd since I was 12. same trip also saw the Tubes in San Fran, Greatful Dead, travelling - caught Nils Lofgren/ Ted Nugent, and finally Allman Bros, TODD , WHY IS HE NOT IN THE US MUSIC HALL OF FAME ? Chris Australia
Utopia is very great ! My favourite album with Genesis is The lamb lies down on Broadway, my favourite album with Yes is Fragile, and my favourite album with Utopia is Ra ! So good rock's group !
It is inconceivable that this can even be performed live. Un-REAL! My favorite ever band. Thanks. Just gonna take it all in and then take it all in again....before heading down the road to armagedon.
wow they started off really strugglin with this one, hahah Powell's yelling, haha and the harm on "mystery" @ 0:50, Kaz is sooo off hahah! todd looks at him right afterward @ 0:53 like hahah what was that> and they smile...so sick ... haha they're all laughing their asses off like "we wrote the most kick ass fucking hard tunes to play".. and its becasue of this thats this is my favorite performance of theirs ive seen on youtube. my fav utopia tune too and todds guitar is NOWAY loud enough!
this is so progressive. and you gotta love analog synths! first saw them in high school around this time frame (they opened for the Tubes or something, after hundreds of live shows it's all a haze ;)). it's amazing how good this sounds, even 32 years later. beyond the impressive dynamic range of his voice, his sense of harmony is uncanny. peace.
Was SO into Utopia and Todd back in those days, saw them about 20 times between going to Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago whenever they came around. Met Todd face-to-face twice. So talented! Empty feelings bring a frown, only love can make you smile :)
Started to try and hum the riff in Warrington in 1978 when I first got the album. Am nearly there now. Just a few semitones still to work out. Vocals: The others do well but the range tells on their voices. Rundgren is so effortless. Timeless stuff. Your Mother will always tell you to turn it down no matter what.
I had this album song when a young teen Rundgrens Utopia played the album Ra daily great album Todd went nutty over pyramids!Great to see this played live decades later!
A remarkable moment in Prog Rock history. I forgot how much I liked this time period of Todd and Utopia's work. Also nice that it is a quality sound recording.
todd should have road this solo out at least another 8 or 16 bars,,,,EASY,,,,or switched back between keys and him again on the ending....this is a song you can ride out and people will love it even more...there are just those songs you can do that on...and todd this is one of them...i saw you back in 76,77,78 i think those were great years for me to see you the Ra tour was like fucking awesome i still remember...and your Initiation-Utopia(the icon) and Another Live albums were my favorites-more so the first ones i bought...beside you have many great albums...thanks for your soulfulness-spirit and feel for music over the years....
Great album, truly great..love this song because it goes from straight rock to rock mentalness, don't know but did Frank knock this Todd_they struck me as two sides to the same vinyl. Also one of the most amazing outro on any record, something in the order of Genesis, anthemic and soothing (stay forever,stay for a while....)
wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww that was bad as fuck...they sound great on album....but even better live...thats the mark of a great band...i saw the ra tour...i was hypnotized by site-love and sound...this is a great soulful song full of love soul and power...thank you todd for the ra tour the ra album..and that great 4 piece band..love your solo at the end...the way it drags out the ending alot more...than the album...
This song is about feeling good about living. Is Prog rock out of fashion or is it that there are no musicians anymore? "They're all gone!!" It would be an effort to compose like this? I guess the potential is out there. It's just the nature of the music business and distribution is evolving. You can find Prog on youtube and such just not on MTV because they only want people they can own to death.
They were destroyed in a warehouse fire in 1985. John Veleno, the guy who made the guitars for Todd and Kas is selling a limited edition re-issue of the "Ankh" guitar, but it's $14,000!
When's the last time anyone has heard such precisely, harmoniusly, distinct 4 part harmonies, very rare indeed.Combined w/superbly talented musicians & instrumentalist,the hallmark stamp of those most successful of the "Prog-Rock" genre.
The riff the verse is based on is just so bad ass. I kind of stole it for a song of my own. But these guys were just awesome.The vocal here is a bit rough but this song is crazy complex. Great outfits...
They didn't play this song much becuase it was so complex! Probably only 20 or so times during the 77 tour. A great version of this is on the "Utopia is here to come" bootleg from the Oxford Polytechnic in England. I like this video but the audience looks like they have no idea who these guys are!
All these years and I didn’t know that Roger was the opening verse. This is raw and raggedy at the edges, but great footage. RA is arguably their zenith in songwriting and complex instrumentals.
Neato how the light reflects off his guitar at around the end there like a golden rock god. Shame the reception they got was so so. Make some noise crowd.
they didn't play this tune often live because it was so difficult to pull off. the vocals sound weird because they're going through an eventide harmonizer which sounds like they have a little too much of, it doubles each voice making the vocals sound fuller. they were having a lot of sound problems that night and it didn't help they were in a small TV studio.
@middenrat Sorry - nobody's going to prove you wrong. Today, four players of this caliber would have such huge egos that they'd be in 4 separate bands, to assure themselves of all the spotlight/money/groupies/etc. Not to mention, the mobster pricks who run the record companies would never sign or promote a band this talented. People might figure out what bullshit the other 99.9% of the music on the radio really is. Can't have that; yacht payments and all...
Kas is the only one to hit that high A note in the verses. In the second round, Todd actually hits it better than him, but loses it right in the next syllable.
Tony Featherstone he's just speaking the words that are being sung by the others I think... check out an album version of the track and you'll get what I mean
this level of performance is rarely seen now
there is no gigging band in their twenties alive who could approach it
pls, prove me wrong :)
Amazing song from an amazing album. Am stunned that they could pull it off live...
yes
My thoughts exactly...they to slightly slow it down a couple bpm's, but it sounds even better
I am an Aussie, had to travel a long way and
I finally got to see Todd at the Tower Theatre in Philly New Years Eve 81 with support Band , The Jack Bruce Band, and my dream had finally come true:-}
I am 51now and have been listening to Todd since I was 12.
same trip also saw the Tubes in San Fran, Greatful Dead, travelling - caught Nils Lofgren/ Ted Nugent, and finally Allman Bros,
TODD , WHY IS HE NOT IN THE US MUSIC HALL OF FAME ?
Chris
Australia
Utopia is very great !
My favourite album with Genesis is The lamb lies down on Broadway, my favourite album with Yes is Fragile, and my favourite album with Utopia is Ra ! So good rock's group !
every time they were in houston i saw them even saw them in a small club called cardie's on westimer, wow so close...could touch them lol
It is inconceivable that this can even be performed live. Un-REAL! My favorite ever band. Thanks. Just gonna take it all in and then take it all in again....before heading down the road to armagedon.
i bought RA when i was 13 in 1984 . it was easily my favorite album .... and i had already heard every yes and genesis album . Utopia is god !!!
I'd forgot how good this was. T.R is an awesome talent
Smokin' hot. Burnin' rubbah. Whew.
Glad I made it.Gotta cool down. DAMN!
wow they started off really strugglin with this one, hahah Powell's yelling, haha and the harm on "mystery" @ 0:50, Kaz is sooo off hahah!
todd looks at him right afterward @ 0:53 like hahah what was that> and they smile...so sick ... haha they're all laughing their asses off like "we wrote the most kick ass fucking hard tunes to play".. and its becasue of this thats this is my favorite performance of theirs ive seen on youtube. my fav utopia tune too
and todds guitar is NOWAY loud enough!
this is so progressive.
and you gotta love analog synths!
first saw them in high school around this time frame (they opened for the Tubes or something, after hundreds of live shows it's all a haze ;)).
it's amazing how good this sounds, even 32 years later.
beyond the impressive dynamic range of his voice, his sense of harmony is uncanny.
peace.
This is TODD! at his highest times,in the day of when I saw him almost every show!Oh to be 24 again!
GREAT video! My dad pointed out 1:36... his voice cracks, then he laughs about it. But that's completely expected with that amazing range that he has!
Was SO into Utopia and Todd back in those days, saw them about 20 times between going to Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago whenever they came around. Met Todd face-to-face twice. So talented! Empty feelings bring a frown, only love can make you smile :)
Started to try and hum the riff in Warrington in 1978 when I first got the album. Am nearly there now. Just a few semitones still to work out. Vocals: The others do well but the range tells on their voices. Rundgren is so effortless. Timeless stuff. Your Mother will always tell you to turn it down no matter what.
I disagree...I think Kasim sounds great here!
I had this album song when a young teen Rundgrens Utopia played the album Ra daily great album Todd went nutty over pyramids!Great to see this played live decades later!
such a great live band. They had so much fun on stage together. Todd is God !
Performing this live is not something most other bands would dare to try. Amazing!
@larkydozer The Ikon, Seven Rays, Utopia's Theme, Another Live are masterpieces.
A remarkable moment in Prog Rock history. I forgot how much I liked this time period of Todd and Utopia's work. Also nice that it is a quality sound recording.
todd should have road this solo out at least another 8 or 16 bars,,,,EASY,,,,or switched back between keys and him again on the ending....this is a song you can ride out and people will love it even more...there are just those songs you can do that on...and todd this is one of them...i saw you back in 76,77,78 i think those were great years for me to see you the Ra tour was like fucking awesome i still remember...and your Initiation-Utopia(the icon) and Another Live albums were my favorites-more so the first ones i bought...beside you have many great albums...thanks for your soulfulness-spirit and feel for music over the years....
This is the great Todd
i'd forgotten how great they were thanx for posting this..a Scottish utopia fan!!!
This song is about feeling good about living.
Great album, truly great..love this song because it goes from straight rock to rock mentalness, don't know but did Frank knock this Todd_they struck me as two sides to the same vinyl. Also one of the most amazing outro on any record, something in the order of Genesis, anthemic and soothing (stay forever,stay for a while....)
wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww that was bad as fuck...they sound great on album....but even better live...thats the mark of a great band...i saw the ra tour...i was hypnotized by site-love and sound...this is a great soulful song full of love soul and power...thank you todd for the ra tour the ra album..and that great 4 piece band..love your solo at the end...the way it drags out the ending alot more...than the album...
Great performance, that funky bit in the middle is fantastic.
Like the Mahavishnu Orchestra....but with harmony vocals. Unbelievable. They've got the chops.
Unbelievable Creativity! Reaching for the Stars ‼️ Comment added 2020.
This song is about feeling good about living. Is Prog rock out of fashion or is it that there are no musicians anymore? "They're all gone!!" It would be an effort to compose like this? I guess the potential is out there. It's just the nature of the music business and distribution is evolving. You can find Prog on youtube and such just not on MTV because they only want people they can own to death.
Prog's not dead. Check out Heliopolis and Mars Hollow...
They were destroyed in a warehouse fire in 1985. John Veleno, the guy who made the guitars for Todd and Kas is selling a limited edition re-issue of the "Ankh" guitar, but it's $14,000!
this guys should be more famous, they were awsome.
True genius is rarely recognized while the genius is still alive
AMAZING
Still F_ckin Awesome!!!
When's the last time anyone has heard such precisely, harmoniusly, distinct 4 part harmonies, very rare indeed.Combined w/superbly talented musicians & instrumentalist,the hallmark stamp of those most successful of the "Prog-Rock" genre.
AWESOME!!!!!
The riff the verse is based on is just so bad ass. I kind of stole it for a song of my own. But these guys were just awesome.The vocal here is a bit rough but this song is crazy complex. Great outfits...
Holy shit!!
I LOVE this song, sounds great live also, thanks for posting - I think this sounds VERY like Gentle Giant IMHO.
Spettacolare, bellissimo, sono grandi grandiosi...anche se i falsetti non sono ottimali....long live to progressive rock......
haha ya beat me to it! their the best. the song is beyond badass.
Thanks again!!
Welcome to the world of Todd Rundgren -- you've got a LOT of catching up to do!!!! Just go type in "Todd Rundgren" in the search window and ... ENJOY!
What a dynamic Band and SOUND !!!
They didn't play this song much becuase it was so complex! Probably only 20 or so times during the 77 tour. A great version of this is on the "Utopia is here to come" bootleg from the Oxford Polytechnic in England. I like this video but the audience looks like they have no idea who these guys are!
Maybe the greatest progressive rock song ever recorded..."RA" is an AMAZING album...
1:25 Powell's voice cracks, then Rundgren's right after.
Oooh...I like that!
Saw them for the tour of this album in Sacramento CA, it was amazing!
10-13-2011; Considered "hard" for "back-in-the-day" ,well configured for Todd .-Seclusionos.
What a freakin band! UTOPIA. The one dislike is from Satan.
..I never see this Band. It's great¡¡
release the funk!!!!!!!!!!
@drunksingsheep One of many great efforts by the master and friends.All his friends are players of such quality.
All these years and I didn’t know that Roger was the opening verse. This is raw and raggedy at the edges, but great footage. RA is arguably their zenith in songwriting and complex instrumentals.
THAT BOY JUST AIN'T HUMAN! JESUS!..i wonder what happened to these guitars he had made for this tour...amazing
I think Todd's "ankh" guitar shown here was stolen at some point thereafter.
A very clever musician
@DoubleWonderful thanks I thought it was me
Neato how the light reflects off his guitar at around the end there like a golden rock god. Shame the reception they got was so so. Make some noise crowd.
they didn't play this tune often live because it was so difficult to pull off. the vocals sound weird because they're going through an eventide harmonizer which sounds like they have a little too much of, it doubles each voice making the vocals sound fuller. they were having a lot of sound problems that night and it didn't help they were in a small TV studio.
should've hand todd a knighthood for this and other assortments
Sickness. Pure sickness.
Tony his mic was not working.
@middenrat Sorry - nobody's going to prove you wrong. Today, four players of this caliber would have such huge egos that they'd be in 4 separate bands, to assure themselves of all the spotlight/money/groupies/etc.
Not to mention, the mobster pricks who run the record companies would never sign or promote a band this talented. People might figure out what bullshit the other 99.9% of the music on the radio really is. Can't have that; yacht payments and all...
Kas is the only one to hit that high A note in the verses. In the second round, Todd actually hits it better than him, but loses it right in the next syllable.
What is Johnny Wilcox singing at 5:56 ? he is either whispering or he is not in the mix!
Tony Featherstone he's just speaking the words that are being sung by the others I think... check out an album version of the track and you'll get what I mean
Not in the mix. Seems the soundman goofed up.
I love Todd and I love prog rock, but Utopia's music wasn't nearly as challenging as Yes, ELP or Genesis music.
This tune is such a mess.
33 yrs ago when people played music