Utopia (1974)
http://youtu.be/SSVxGRo9tBU Beethoven fans: There is a musical work of staggering genius hidden in this album, from the collaboration between Todd Rundgren and
Moogy Klingman (Jimi Hendrix, Lou Reed, Allman Bros., Warren Hayes etc.).
It's called The Ikon, and it starts at 28:52 (it was the B side of the album.) The form is based on Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (note the similarity between the opening riff and the famous four-note intro to the Fifth). It also references Rhapsody In Blue, West Side Story and according to Todd Rundgren; Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.
Each movement has a separate theme featuring a particular instrument - everything from balls-to-the-wall blistering guitar (Todd plays the same Gibson SG that Clapton used on Cream's Disraeli Gears) to pastoral piano interludes, to happy Mariachi craziness - and as with Beethoven, each theme/instrument is layered one-by-one in the spectacular finale (in my opinion, the true genius of the piece is in how well those themes go together in a completely unexpected way, leading up to the best ending in rock music history).
Bear in mind that the track features three wildly disparate keyboardists: Moogy,
Ralph Schuckett and M. Frog LaBat, on early monophonic synths and keys (Moogy alone played;
Fender Rhodes, Minimoog, Univox Mini-Korg, a Hammond L-100 organ, Sound City Piano, an RMI Keyboard Computer and Rock-Si-Chord, a Clavinet, and a Yamaha Grand. The track was recorded live in the studio, with no overdubs.
Enjoy.
