Initiation

‘I was born to synthesise, energise and catalyse,’ Rundgren sings on Born To Synthesize, a song that could double as a career mission statement. Although he would strike a balance between prog complexity and pop commercialism on several records with his band Utopia, his sixth solo album provides the most satisfying blend.

Side one’s concept, about the evolution of consciousness, is challenging and soulful, with gems Real Man and Fair Warning. Side two’s A Treatise On Cosmic Fire finds Rundgren and future Utopia member Roger Powell going down the synth rabbit hole with mind-expanding results.