Utopia

A little too pompous to be a pop band and little to poppy to be a prog band, Tod Rundren's Utopia project was always something of a musical pariah. Sure they had some hits and pioneered the use of video and other technological innovations of the late 1970s, but in the early '80s the band shifted gears and started writing full records of pop songs like Deface the Music and their eponymous album spawned the tour during from which this show was captured. In full on Beatles emulation mode, this is an intimate club show that finds the band at its most elemental. No flashy stage sets, videos or junky drum kits, just four guys playing their songs in the most stripped down format possible. Everything sounds bouncier and livelier, even the older songs like "Road to Utopia" and "Caravan." Worth picking up for fans of the band especially but the additional interviews with the current day band offer a great history lesson for those unfamiliar with a band that was something of a cult phenomenon. (Sanctuary/EMI)