''POV'' is the ninth and final studio album by the rock group

Utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia (book), Utopia'', describing a fictional ...

, released in

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

. It peaked at #161 on the ''Billboard'' 200 charts. Except for a live 1992 reunion album (and compilations), this was the last album released by Utopia, and Rundgren's final studio work under the Utopia banner. The ambiguous acronymic title is given four possible explanations on the back cover of the album, standing variously for "Price of Victory", "Pillar of Virtue", "Point of View" or "Persistence of Vision". The front cover photo depicts the band dressed in quasi-military costumes and looking at a

star map A star chart is a celestial map of the night sky with astronomical objects laid out on a grid system. They are used to identify and locate constellations, stars, nebulae, galaxies, and planets. They have been used for human navigation since ...

, while in the background the giant "

Pharaoh Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: ''pr ꜥꜣ''; cop, , Pǝrro; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') is the vernacular term often used by modern authors for the kings of ancient Egypt who ruled as monarchs from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BC) until the an ...

" mask (a

stage prop A prop, formally known as (theatrical) property, is an object used on stage or screen by actors during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinct ...

from their 1977-1978 ''Ra'' tour) can be seen. The album layout also reflects Rundgren's interest in computers and

information technology Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology system (I ...

and incorporates elements adapted from the 'window' design used in the Apple Macintosh operating system of the mid-1980s. The music continues in the contemporary pop vein of the previous album, with elements of

new wave music New wave is a loosely defined music genre that encompasses pop-oriented styles from the late 1970s and the 1980s. It was originally used as a catch-all for the various styles of music that emerged after punk rock, including punk itself. La ...

and electronic experimental music as well.

Track listing

Personnel

Todd Rundgren Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, multimedia artist, sound engineer and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the band Ut ...

– vocals, guitar *

Kasim Sulton Kasim Sulton (born December 8, 1955) is an American bass guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist. Best known for his work with Utopia, Sulton sang lead on 1980's "Set Me Free," Utopia's only top 40 hit in the United States. As a solo artist, Sulton ...

– vocals, bass guitar * Roger Powell – vocals, keyboards * John "Willie" Wilcox – vocals, drums

Charts

Album – ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

References

1985 albums Todd Rundgren albums Utopia (band) albums Albums produced by Todd Rundgren Passport Records albums {{1980s-rock-album-stub