OK, But too Cute to be Great

Review Score: (6/10)
The Video of Utopia doing this material live shows a power pop band in every sense of the term, doing a rave-up job on stage. Songs like "Libertine", "Princess of The Universe" and "Hammer In My Heart" totally rock out. "Infrared and Ultraviolet" sounded like something Yes or Led Zeppelin might do, but on this CD, that song falls completely flat.

Unfortunately, most of the material on this CD doesn't live up to the live performance. Utopia liiked to parody "pop" bands, but unfortunately, the parody here overwhelms the quality, and this CD is a a case of major underachievement by a great band.

Disappointing, except for the songs listed above, "I'm Looking at You (But I'm Talking to Myself)", "Feet Don't Fail Me Now", and the absolutely stellar remix of "Hammer in My Heart".

Fans must have this of course, bacause even though the performance is below what Utopia are capable of, the songwriting is still first rate.

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