Not really knowing what would make the biggest commercial success (late 1979 and 1980 was a schizophrenic time in rock & roll, with disco being ushered out the door, punk dying off, and new wave not yet having gained a solid foothold), Utopia threw a little of each in the mix. This is a good band - Roger Powell and Willie Wilcox are very good at keyboards and drums, and Todd and Kasim Sultan are multi-instrumental talents. But the songwriting isn't strong here - "Set Me Free," a Top 40 hit, is catchy but inconsequential, and "Last of the New Wave Riders" combines a theme begging for a catchy arrangement with a synth-heavy bombastic arrangement. And while these guys are pretty good singers, the harmonies won't make me forget the Beatles (obviously their fervent hope, although I suspect they weren't targeting me specifically when this was released).

Still, I've always been impressed with the disco/rock hybrid "Rock Love" (which could have been a single in the wake of Blondie's "Call Me"), "You Make Me Crazy" is a clever pop song (enhanced by a now out of circulation video), and "The Road to Utopia" may be one of the catchiest things the band has ever done. So it's a mixed bag - which is one of the charms (or irritations, depending on your point of view) of Todd Rundgren's solo and group output as a whole.

Side note: I'd probably be happier with these guys if they listed who sang lead on which song (perhaps this is listed on the CD booklet; I only have the vinyl version). Sultan and Rundgren sound so much alike it's hard to differentiate.

Mixed feelings on this one...
Mixed feelings on this CD, but tracks 1, 5, 6, and 8 are classic UTOPIA...

1. The Road To Utopia -good
2. You Make Me Crazy - skip
3. Second Nature - skip
4. Set Me Free - skip
5. Caravan - great song
6. Last Of The New Wave Riders - great song
7. Shot In The Dark - skip
8. The Very Last Time - great song
9. Love Alone - skip
10. Rock Love- skip

SEVEN STARS
This is the album that god forgot! Better songs, production, playing and singing is hard to find in these days of computer-made music! This is something for the Queen - Jellyfish and Beatles lovers out there. With songs catchier than herpes at a groupies convention you cant go wrong! A must for everyone who's into MUSIC

Utopia's best ever, and a personal favorite
This has been a personal favorite ever since I saw a bargain-priced cassette of this album on the cutout racks in 1983. It had "Set Me Free" (a lost classic pop hit from 1980), Todd Rundgren was in the band, and the price was right. I figured with that combination, you can't go wrong. I was right.

Needless to say, I loved this on first listen and it is still a favorite that I haven't gotten tired of listening to. I have gone through something like 5 different copies in three different formats (worn out two cassettes and one vinyl LP, and now have it on CD).

This is an excellent transitional album for Utopia, between their earlier progressive rock and their later new wave and power pop. It combines elements of both, and has such a diversity of style that it is incredible that this entire album was made by the same four musicians. "The Road to Utopia" is an excellent progressive rock workout, which recalls Utopia's first two albums, "You Make Me Crazy" is a fun Devo-ish pop song, "Second Nature" is a very catchy ballad which recalls what Todd Rundgren was doing in the early 1970s (e.g. "Hello, It's Me"). "Last of the New Wave Riders" is a hard rocking, near-heavy-metal anthem. "Shot in the Dark" takes them back into new wave territory with a sense of humor, "The Very Last Time" is a more commercial FM-friendly rock song, and "Rock Love" is another upbeat rock song, with a disco beat, typical of the era. Then there was "Set Me Free", which was a hit in the spring of 1980 although you never hear it on the radio anymore.

This was Utopia's best album, maybe not as experimental as some of their other stuff, but as a pop album it is nothing short of a masterpiece.

The production is a bit dated to today's ears. It's trebly and lacking in dynamic range, but probably typical of most music released circa 1980.

An excellent testament to an excellent band
Utopia was an important band to me in the 80's. They are still an important band to me, although they have not released an album of all-new album since 1985's underappreciated "POV". Well, I do have the good memories, and "Adventures in Utopia" is one of my fondest memories of Utopia! This is an album of extreme diversity, which is one of its greatest strengths. Their are moments of pure catchy pop excellence, such as "You Make Me Crazy", "The Very Last Time" and "Set Me Free". Some lush progressive rock stylings on songs like "The Road to Utopia" and "Caravan". A bit of soulfulness with "Rock Love" and "Second Nature". And even a gorgeous synth-based ballad called "Love Alone", that shows off Utopia's fine vocal harmonies. The thing that made Utopia such a pleasure is that functioned so well as a unit. All of them wrote songs, traded off on lead vocal duties, and complimented (rather than interfeared with) each others instrumental talents. While many may think of Utopia as "Todd Rundgren's band", they were definitly an equal partnership, and this band just would not have the same "spark" without the excellent contributions of Kasim Sultan, Willie Wilcox, and their ever-imaginative keyboardist Roger Powell. Utopia was a creative and underrated band who never got the respect they deserved for the media. This album proves that point beyond a shadow of a doubt!
Digitally remastered reissue of 1980 album by Todd Rundg ren's art/ prog/ power pop group. 10 tracks, including 'The Road To Utopia', 'Set Me Free', 'You Make Me Crazy' & 'The Very Last Time'. Also features the original cover art and liner notes with new interviews. 1999 release.