Rating: 
Summary: Nickelodeon - the full thing!
Review: It's difficult for me to give anything associated with Todd Rundgren less than 5 stars, and the only reason I gave less than five stars is due to sound and picture quality. The live performance itself is GREAT. (Clarity of picture and sound quality is 2 1/2 stars - performance is 5 solid stars - making for overall 4 star rating for me). This exact same footage/performance/show was edited down to an hour several years ago and broadcast on Nickelodeon, which has been circulating among Toddheads for years. It's great to finally see the WHOLE show!I would strongly recommend this DVD to all Toddheads. For those just entering the wonderful world of Todd, get the Nearly Human Live in Japan DVD first. That's a better introduction to "our hero."
Rating: 
Summary: Let's Be Honest, Here ....
Review: Let me start by saying this is NOT a bad concert performance, as long as you understand it for what it is. This is basically a bootleg videotape, that is packaged as a DVD. All the signs are there, the off colors(from being dubbed a few times too many) and the occasional bars of static, and moments of image freeze(mostly near the beginning.) And the sound .... well, let's just say that while I'm sure that it is mixed into something resembling 5.1 surround, it still sounds at times like they're singing from the bottom of a coffee can. I'm guessing the sound was recorded by one stationary mic, rather than the feed from the sound board. And the mic was too close to Todd's guitar amp, and too far away from Roger's keyboard amp. And the camera work was definitely some low-budget local crew from the Columbus area. Why does Todd seem to have SO many taped performances from Ohio ??? Anyway, lets look at the performance itself. The main reason I bought this disk was the set list, and while I'll admit it IS pretty impressive(29 songs,) just be aware that it can be a lil misleading. The only thing that is officially listed as a "medley" on the label is "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference/Can We still Be Friends/Hello It's Me."(Note: A snippet of "A Dream Goes On Forever" is in there too!)Well, the last section of the show does a bit of chopping too, merging "The Seven Rays," the introduction from "Singring And The Glass Guitar," an instrumental break from "Initiation," and a few bars from "Utopia(City In My Head.)" The performances themselves are pretty good, and there's some interesting tidbits scattered throughout. I'll admit, I had never seen Todd playing drums, with Willie on bass for "Gangrene" before this. And the storybook animation for Kasim's "Love Alone" is cute. The early days of video animation from Roger's "Sands of Arrakis" will be familiar to anyone who's seen Todd's work in this medium. And the full video for "You MakeMe Crazy" is played, with the sound provided by the live rendition of the song. So, all in all, this is a nice pickup for hard-core Utopians & Todd-Heads who are looking for a document of this tour. But for the casual fan, expecting the quality of some of the current crop of DVD's out there, you will be sorely dis-appointed. Lets remember, this WAS recorded in 1980, and probably kept on VHS. I'm sure that the producers did the best they could with what they had to work with.
Rating: 
Summary: Utopia Live In Columbus Ohio 1980 - DVD
Review: Long-time Utopia fans are going to love this DVD! The "Adventures in Utopia" tour catches Todd and the boys at the height of their popularity and during one of their strongest periods of musical output and creativity. Although there are a handful of odd camera shots and slight glare from the concert lighting, the audio quality is well above average and the overall video quality is fine (for the period). The track list on Live in Columbus is amazing and Todd's energy level, musical chops and voice are in rare form on this DVD. This DVD is divided into three (3) Parts:
Part 1 consists of material from the "Adventures In Utopia" and "Oops Wrong Planet" albums (with Faithful's "Love of The Common Man" breaking up the set at the mid-way point). Part 2 spotlights lead performances from each band member and contains a beautiful medley of 3 Rundgren pop classics "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference", "Can We Still Be Friends" and "Hello It's Me". Part 2 closes with a couple of Todd's most poignant songs, "Bag Lady" and "Cliché". Part 3 features Utopia at its progressive best with their most demanding and intricate material. The performances in this set show off Utopia's exceptional musicianship and gorgeous 4-part harmonies. The DVD (fittingly) closes with the familiar anthems that thousands of Utopia fans sang along with at the close of each concert during that period, "Love Is The Answer" and "Just One Victory". There are countless (recently recorded) concert DVDs that feature better video production quality but considering the fact that this performance was recorded 23 years ago, the end result is exceptional. In fact, I actually prefer the overall production quality of this DVD to the output from last year's Power TR-io DVD release, "Todd Rundgren Live in San Francisco" which was recorded 20 years later (just 3 years ago). Die-hard Utopia fans (with whom I have I have spoken) are absolutely thrilled that this concert footage was captured and is finally available on DVD. Considering the limited number of Todd Rundgren and Utopia DVD releases, I don't see how any fan will be disappointed with "Utopia Live in Columbus". Finally, there is a live concert DVD that captures the magic of Todd Rundgren and Utopia at the peak of their game! Sanctuary Records' "bootleg series" provides both long time Rundgren and Utopia admirers (as well as the uninitiated) with a collection of DVD (video) and CD (audio) releases that capture this "wizard a true star" at his best and provide a glimpse into what makes this artistic genius so special. Do yourself a favor and add "Utopia - Live in Columbus, OH 1980" to your Concert DVD collection.
Rating:
Summary: Utopia Live In Columbus Ohio 1980 - DVD
Review: Long-time Utopia fans are going to love this DVD! The "Adventures in Utopia" tour catches Todd and the boys at the height of their popularity and during one of their strongest periods of musical output and creativity. Although there are a handful of odd camera shots and slight glare from the concert lighting, the audio quality is well above average and the overall video quality is fine (for the period). The track list on Live in Columbus is amazing and Todd's energy level, musical chops and voice are in rare form on this DVD. This DVD is divided into three (3) Parts:
Part 1 consists of material from the "Adventures In Utopia" and "Oops Wrong Planet" albums (with Faithful's "Love of The Common Man" breaking up the set at the mid-way point). Part 2 spotlights lead performances from each band member and contains a beautiful medley of 3 Rundgren pop classics "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference", "Can We Still Be Friends" and "Hello It's Me". Part 2 closes with a couple of Todd's most poignant songs, "Bag Lady" and "Cliché". Part 3 features Utopia at its progressive best with their most demanding and intricate material. The performances in this set show off Utopia's exceptional musicianship and gorgeous 4-part harmonies. The DVD (fittingly) closes with the familiar anthems that thousands of Utopia fans sang along with at the close of each concert during that period, "Love Is The Answer" and "Just One Victory". There are countless (recently recorded) concert DVDs that feature better video production quality but considering the fact that this performance was recorded 23 years ago, the end result is exceptional. In fact, I actually prefer the overall production quality of this DVD to the output from last year's Power TR-io DVD release, "Todd Rundgren Live in San Francisco" which was recorded 20 years later (just 3 years ago). Die-hard Utopia fans (with whom I have I have spoken) are absolutely thrilled that this concert footage was captured and is finally available on DVD. Considering the limited number of Todd Rundgren and Utopia DVD releases, I don't see how any fan will be disappointed with "Utopia Live in Columbus". Finally, there is a live concert DVD that captures the magic of Todd Rundgren and Utopia at the peak of their game! Sanctuary Records' "bootleg series" provides both long time Rundgren and Utopia admirers (as well as the uninitiated) with a collection of DVD (video) and CD (audio) releases that capture this "wizard a true star" at his best and provide a glimpse into what makes this artistic genius so special. Do yourself a favor and add "Utopia - Live in Columbus, OH 1980" to your Concert DVD collection.
Rating:
Summary: Utopia - in my head!
Review: Since watching this DVD I have been unable to get some of the tunes out of my head! This DVD contains a great selection of tunes - 3 sets worth, with only 1 (known) song cut from the concert. From the power-pop to the experimental stuff, it's all here.
Yes, as others have mentioned the sound is not great in places - but don't be deceived by the start, as the sound does improve after a few songs. The picture quality is what you would expect of a 23-year old video tape transfer, but I didn't notice any interference lines or screwed up colors on my copy, my DVD player is just over a year old. This is a GREAT piece of history, and a must for all collectors. For those who are not famiiar with TR's Utopia, I'd recommend the Retrospective video first.
Rating:
Summary: Utopia - in my head!
Review: Since watching this DVD I have been unable to get some of the tunes out of my head! This DVD contains a great selection of tunes - 3 sets worth, with only 1 (known) song cut from the concert. From the power-pop to the experimental stuff, it's all here.
Yes, as others have mentioned the sound is not great in places - but don't be deceived by the start, as the sound does improve after a few songs. The picture quality is what you would expect of a 23-year old video tape transfer, but I didn't notice any interference lines or screwed up colors on my copy, my DVD player is just over a year old. This is a GREAT piece of history, and a must for all collectors. For those who are not famiiar with TR's Utopia, I'd recommend the Retrospective video first.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Have for Todd/Utopia Fans
Review: Some 25 years ago when I was in high school and being avid Todd fans (not an easy thing to be back then), we had a pretty large group go to Nassau Coliseum and Central Park to see this tour. In my book, this was Todd at his peak; a big arena tour, wailing guitar solos, state-of-the-art video projection...a real multimedia event. Since that tour, I've seen Todd maybe 40+ times, but I always remembered that tour as a special time in my life. This release by Sanctuary, while not offering perfect video quality, is an amazing piece of history. Complete with all the set changes and cool instruments (Powell Probe, Ankh guitar/bass, motorcycle drum kit) the video has it all. Well ok, they did leave out Bolero and Something's Coming, but this release will help you relive those wonderful Utopia years. The release also includes a current interview with Todd where he talks about touring, deciding what songs to play, etc. If you had to pick out just one Todd/Utopia video to ever buy, I'd probably recommend this one.
Rating:
Summary: Utopian Time Capsule
Review: this captures an era gone by, the picture quality is low but let's face it, the disk is geared towards die hard Utopia/ Rundgren fans and they will ove it. In comparison to other DVD/Video releases, this one has a ton of material, nothing at all is left out. There are true gems on this offering including obscure Kasim and Roger solo songs. It will be tough to have your non-Todd fans watch it with you...but who cares!
Rating:
Summary: 1980 Utopia
Review: This CD is a wonderful addition to my ticket stub and pictures from Pittsburgh, PA at the Stanley Theater on April 11th, 1980... There is no better way to re-capture the moment of Utopia, over and over again... A dream lives on forever ;-)
Rating:
Summary: how it was....
Review: this dvd captures the way it really was. not everything was perfect all the time. this is not a high-tech video, but it does give a true representation of the tour that happened 23 years ago. this is a must for todd/utopia fans. my only negative is : where is bolero? (not on this dvd.)
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