Customer Reviews

Initiation

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Nevermind the critics - this album is a masterpiece from beginning to end, with not a single, solitary weak track to be found. 1975's _Initiation_ is an album filled with diversity, taste, scorching passion and excellent craftsmanship, not to mention risk-taking. Another remarkable thing about Todd Rundgren's music was the amazing complexity in arrangements, but yet you probably wouldn't recognize the music as such, because the songs themselves are so catchy, melodic and memorable, and this was something evident even from the beginning.

First off, a description of Todd Rundgren's music (for those who are unfamiliar with his work). Todd Rundgren was a progressive rock giant back in the 1970's. However, many people may not realize this for two reasons: (1). He started out as a pop/rock singer-songwriter. It was after gaining large popularity (with his pop-jugged album _Something/Anything?_) when he decided to dive off into the deep end, and heed more fully to his experimental musings (although there were hints early on.)

So, what does Todd Rundgren's music sound like? Imagine the souls of Frank Zappa, Carole King and select members of the Classic Motown-era (The Temptations, The Four Tops, Stevie Wonder) creating a musically-inclined child. It's another way of saying Rundgren's music combines the manic, humorous and irreverent style of Zappa, the reflective, poignant balladry of Carole King, and the classic psychedelic/r&b-soul of The Temptations all blended into one--added with his own unique and inventive hard rock twists (which are very difficult to describe).

With that said, I shall now talk about the content found on _Initiation_, a mostly spirituality-themed album (evidenced by the anatomy seen on the cover art) that manages to be intelligent, poignant, quirky, thoughtful, playful and futuristic without coming off as pompous or domineering. "Real Man" is probably the best example of this: A catchy, melodic pop/R&B tune with lyrics oriented toward spirituality, without being too stern, and having a sense of play. "Born To Synthesize" is an all-vocal experimentation. "The Death Of Rock And Roll" is pure, energetic, blistering hard rock, and Todd roars his head off, not to mention him playing some of the most nifty guitar licks you'd ever hear. Also, pay attention to the lyrics here. "Eastern Intrigue" is a bizarre mixture of lyrical exotica, quirky vocal harmonies and poignant musical balladry, not to mention some of the most complex jazz-based harmony you'd find. "Initiation" (title track) is an ethereally synthesized hard rock tune, featuring some '70's disco-like backdrops, but not overbearingly or annoyingly so. Soaring harmonies, soundscapes, and some scorching guitar and synthesizer lines featured in the middle. It reminds one slighty of Yes. "Fair Warning" is a slow and droning ballad featuring touches of gospel. Again, intelligent musicianship, touching lyrics, and even amongst Todd's soulful crooning (near the end), you get some passionate saxophone soloing from one named Edgar Winter, and it's all topped off with a touching reprise of "Real Man," which highlights Motown's influence on Todd more strongly than the full version.

"A Treatise On Cosmic Fire" (yes, the big one) is the closer of the album. As an instrumental clocking in at 36 minutes, this is not for the faint of heart, as it's ultra-intense, galvanizing, futuristic, electrifying, extreme, galactic, and hypnotic. It's one track, but spread across tracks 7-10. Largely spatial, experimental and atmospheric, there are some pretty strange and inventive atmospheres on here. It's mostly synthesized and produces such inventiveness like electro-funk, electro-symphonic/orchestral rock, computerized rock, electronica, techno and more. It starts off with electro-funk backdrops, fronted by some Hendrix-like (spacy) solos. It eventually progresses to atmospherical and ethereal ambience. Later, you get some arena rock/video game-like bits, Christmas-like musical pyrotechnics and warped, fiery, intense, violent industrial/electronica that sounds very much like super-proto Nine Inch Nails (or Ministry). It's hard to believe this came out in 1975, mainly because it does not sound dated at all. This stuff is very intense and electric (I feel like I'm being electrocuted when I hear this). You get more relaxed ambience before the main theme returns to finish out the epic.

No matter what anyone says, Todd was a brilliant musician beyond belief, and it's a shame that he doesn't often get the credit he deserves, but I'm sure his fans already know the deal, so it's all gravy. In my mind, Todd made a long string of brilliant albums throughout the 70s (and a couple of Utopia albums are included as well), but this one ranks as my favorite from him. A masterpiece.

I bought this LP in 1975 after hearing "Real Man" on the radio, and proceeded to be blown away (as was the case with all of Todd's albums during that time). It was my professed "favorite album" for many years to come. Side One was the expected collection of superbly crafted tunes (especially "Fair Warning", perhaps my favorite Todd tune). But what intrigued and hooked me even more from the start was Side Two's "A Treatise On Cosmic Fire", which was, and remains, a jawdroppingly masterful work of musical expression. Perhaps by today's standards the electronic gadgetry used sounds a bit cheesy, but back then it was an aural experience unlike any other. And that music! Absolutely beautiful. And rocking. And funny. And mesmerizing. But most of all, just plain ingenious. As another reviewer suggested, this album should be in the "progressive music" hall of fame, along with Todd's first Utopia album of 1974.

of all the records he's done and the myriad of styles, this is the one that sits atop the pile for me.

why? because it combines in the smoothest way possible the varying aspects of this multi dimensional artist named todd. first, the warbly leadoff single real man deals with issues never before addressed in pop song format. the sound is otherworldly on this whole album and thats another reason it is the best of all. the single has the most haunting deep synth sound i have ever heard and i dare anyone to find another sound like the keyboard sound on this studio verison. its otherworldly.

second, the naked born to synthesize holds up well as a showcase for the effects on todds voice..you can feel the blood running through his veins on this one..into the shimmering death of rock and roll-i was always dissappointed sultan sang this live with utopia but always glad to hear it..the solos here eat your face alive..rock is dead! long live rock! breathtaking around the corners.....


then comes the duo of tunes that stood as singnificant meat nightly in the peak years of utopia..eastern intrigue creates the amazing sounds of incense wafting in the air, sound of an appearing horizon at dawn..again, with the voices and their chants doing amazing things with changing effects on each successive verse..another production and artisitic acheivement never to be matched by another..

then comes the apex of side 1, the title track..where the sonics have been fine tuned to a light string touch over a chugging rhythm section of 2 drummers.the sound on all these tracks is so innovative, there are so records that use the same sounds as todd did here..this title track is a great example...the sound comes in along the edges and is not in anyway standard sounds..todd took a lot of time to perfect these sounds and thats what sets this album further apart from the pack...the solos by roger powell, david sanborn and todd just elevate the heads of all outward.

.then the deep deep soul closer, fair warning actually brought a tear upon first listen when it was released. ill never forget the look on everyones face as the tune tumbled out of the speakers for the first time-we were convinced it was over after this album at time..maybe we were too stoned, i dont know.but i was glad when the next one appeared (faithful). we knew then the mesaage was "find your own way" rather than "its over..."


but side two was where the hardy souls were separated from the sheep...it is a sonic side long experiment that again has no parallels. yes, the krautrock groups and free jazzers have endless freak out whole side stuff, but thats not what this is. many who didnt listen to it were lost..in fact the song death of rock and roll kinda sets it up for you. your only limtation is your own mind and many people checked themselves out of the game upon hearing the synths enter..figuring it to be another shaft goes to outer space..its is not...it is a masterful well planned thematically unified art (of todd and roger) on par with any experimental electronic piece ever written by anyone. anyone. without going into the details, i would urge everyone..even those who say they dont like it already to sit down and play it all the way through. if you make it that far, i know you wont hate it..you may not get it the first play but try again...there are such revelations great music and ideas contained conveyed and compressed in these grooves...made for out of body or deep meditation..this will take you places no music has ever done before and im not saying that from a naive point of view..ive heard a lot of things down the same road and there's nothing that touches this.

todd had a lot to say here and said it all without uttering a word. an artist at the peak of his powers unbound by convention both of structure and sound. every time you hear this record it will amaze you. every time. all you have to do is listen. i dont mean talk through it, i mean really listen. it will change your head for good.

If you think an album consisting of pop songs, reflections on God, the music business, and the state of the world, coupled with an entire side of instrumental homages to God and sex can't work, think again. It does. Expect the unexpected from Mr. Todd, and you'll still be surprised. You'll want it just for "Fair Warning," as elegant a snapshot of a man caught between worlds, charting his course, as you'll ever hear, but you'll listen to it again and again for the intelligence, humanity and passion this whole album delivers in every groove.

I bought this on vinyl back in '75. Listened to side 1 incessantly but side 2 ( the "treatise") was too daunting a task for my 18 year old ears. When I saw Todd live in Central Park that summer (check out "Another Live" for what that sounded like) and a few months later at the Beacon Theater in NYC they played exerpts from the Treatise over the PA system at the opening and during the break. It was so excessively psychedelic it frightened me!
Now, in 2006, when I listen to the Rhino CD reissue, I find the Side 1 material a little dated. Maybe I overplayed it back in the 70s.
But the Treatise on Cosmic Fire is a great listen. Self-indulgent? Sure! But fascinating as hell! And brave - hey it took some guts to squeeze 36 minutes of music on to one album side. The opening guitar jam (reprised at the end) really cooks. The rest is "synthesised noise" ...of the best kind. The first two "pranas" evoke the Far East, space flight and riding a cosmic Merry-go-'round. The frantic middle part may remind some of a bad LSD trip, but it resolves (or winds down)into a more soothing ethereal section. The whole is like an audio excursion into a carnival fun-house!
Try it, it's fun!

This is one of my all time favorite Todd albums. There isn't a bad song on here and it's unfortunate that at it's release was widely panned. The album also lasts 67 and 1/2 minutes which in the days of lps was quite long. Side one features six songs played mostly with Utopia which was going thru a lineup change at the time. In fact, it was during these sessions that Roger Powell and John "Willie" Wilcox were "asked" to join the band. Side two is made up of the Cosmic Fire segment running 36 minutes. The most known song on here is Real Man which beings the album in fine fashion followed by Born To Synthisize(think of the Grateful Dead's What's Become Of The Baby).Eastern Intrigue is fun which runs into the title track which smokes with some help from early midi stuff. Fair Warning is a cool ballad with great lyrics about an individual's choice in the way things are(I don't like to call it fate as it releaves the person's responsibility for their actions like the song suggests).
I should add that all the songs on here have meaning.Side two is given to an instrumental piece called Cosmic Fire. The best sounding version is again the Japan import

This is Todd's "initiation" into full-blown synth-based prog rock after a few albums that tended to lean more towards pop rock and quirkiness. I like Todd's ballads and popular songs just fine, but I LOVE his prog efforts. And this is GREAT!

The overall theme of the album is so inspiring and thought-provoking, dealing with his search for spirituality and self-realization. The lyrics are absolutely perfect - motivating in "Real Man", psyched-up in "Initiation", contemplative yet determined in "Fair Warning", and typically humorous in "Eastern Intrigue" and "Death of Rock 'n' Roll". That's the strength and beauty of this album: the perfect blend of message with melody and instrumentation.

Oh, and don't overlook some simply STUNNING sax solos - Dave Sanborn provides some fireworks on the title track, while Edgar Winter(!) blows his way beautifully all around "Fair Warning". (You won't find that kind of sax work on any other Todd cd.)

And what about the 36-minute side-2 epic, "A Treatise on Cosmic Fire"? You either love it or hate it. It deteriorates into a bit of "needless noodling" at times perhaps, but this is a dreamy, fun, electronic trip into space and back again - with MUSIC, not just random sound effects. I LOVE it. Todd plays all of the instruments on this track, which features a lot of keyboards. During the opening few minutes though, Todd reminds us that he's also a pretty great guitarist as he wails out on one of his best guitar solos ever!

I've seen too many reviewers go overboard with superlatives on other cd reviews, so I'll try to remain rational. But this goes into my top 5 list of personal favorite all-time albums (along with Yes' "Tales from Topographic Oceans", Genesis' "A Trick of the Tail", Jean-Luc Ponty's "Enigmatic Ocean", and Renaissance's "Live at Carnegie Hall").

Hey, in the liner notes, Todd even thanks you for buying the album! Get it!

I value interesting music that is played and recorded well. This cd's rating was based on:
Music quality = 9.3/10; Performance = 9/10; Production = 9.5/10; CD length = 10/10.
Overall score weighted on my proprietary scale = 9.3 ("5 stars")

Where does one begin to speak about such an album that even today is still just as incredible and fresh as the first day it was gloriously listened to? The album liner said that to handle it carefully since it had more than it's fair share of music crammed onto the vinyl, and that we did, oh that we did. Real Man, which personifies all of the depth of emotion that one can generate, blazes from the speakers like a hell-yes mantra of it-is-time-to-tighten-up to all of the wimps and momma-boys out there who are too scared to be a real man and to do the-right-thing. All of the songs on this monster of an album though still are a primer for the Mother-of-all-one-side-songs....namely Trestise...I listen to it take me out to the land of milk and kharma and I do not know if it has really brought me back yet from whence I came.....the song is that powerful....I however must warn the fair listener, DO NOT listen to this mantra of a song in any type of an altered state.....You will NEVER be the same!!!! Don't just buy this masterpiece.....let it be a part of your being....

This album is mesmerizing. Not a weak track on it, and believe me, although Todd goes over the top at times on "A Treatise on Cosmic Fire," the track still gets better and better with repeated listenings. "Eastern Intrigue," "Fair Warning," and "Real Man" are standouts for me, although I love EVERY track. Highly recommended.

"Initiation" is a spiritual, soul-searching concept album that culminates in Todd Rundgren's most challenging composition: "A Treatise on Cosmic Fire". The song (divided into many parts) is thirty minutes long, and entirely instrumental. The passages range from catchy synth-pop to ethereal lushness to carnival-like music to blistering assaults.

The song is excellent in parts, a little draggy in others, but all and all a highly rewarding prog-rock experiment. And then there's the song-oriented first half of the album as well..

"Real Man" is a terrific soulful pop tune, soaked in dense synthesizers. It's one of Todd's most beloved songs for good reason; fantastic melodies, hooks galore, and the lyrics are among his best, too.

"Born to Synthesize" is an a cappela vocoder experiment which segues into the raucous rocker "Death of Rock N' Roll"; the latter has a couple wickedly good hooks, and some awe-inspiring guitar shreading, thus making it a favorite of mine.

"Eastern Intrigue" is a pretty strange song that documents Todd's fascination (at the time) with Eastern religion. It's both philosophical and playfully quirky, as Todd asks, "Will the real god please stand up?".

The title track is a lengthy number that can best be described as "progressive-disco". Todd was truly ahead of his time here.

Finally, there's "Fair Warning", an epic ballad loaded with soulful crooning, saxophones, and the whole deal. It brilliantly ends on a surprise reprise of "Real Man", summing the whole thing up nicely.

"Initiation" seems to get a bad rap from most non-diehards..but even if you don't like his experiment at the end, the first half is really good. It's challenging, yet pop-tastic at the same time.