I’m on the stage looking back at John Bonham’s setup that would roll out later. I’m in England with this national touring act on the same bill as Led Zeppelin. Kasim Sulton: I was only 20 years old and had never traveled beyond New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. What did it feel like to perform for an audience of that magnitude? The Maine Edge: Not long after you joined Utopia, the band performed in front a colossal crowd of 300,000 at the Knebworth Festival in England with Led Zeppelin. Todd never does the same thing twice and I think that’s very admirable. When some artists have successful records, they try to top it by doing something very similar.
He’s not going to do something because people expect it of him. Kasim Sulton: The thing I’ve always loved and admired about Todd is that he’s a person who says this is what I do. How would you describe Todd as an artist? He’s a fascinating guy but I think he’s misunderstood by a lot of people. The Maine Edge: We know you best for your work with Todd Rundgren over the last 45 years, with Utopia and his solo work. He asked if I had some new material, so I played four or five things and when he heard them, he said we’re doing a Kasim Sulton solo record and offered to produce. We both came up in the ‘80s making records with other people.
MUSIC BOOKENDS FULL
Kasim Sulton: I had no intention of doing a full album, but I was in England visiting Phil Thornalley. The Maine Edge: When I first listened to “Kasim 2021,” it sounded like a record full of hits. They have the best lobster rolls I’ve ever had in my life. Kasim Sulton: I’ve been through Maine countless times and I’d have to say my most memorable experience was in Portland at this little white lobster house down in the harbor. The Maine Edge: You’ve performed in Maine a number of times. Sulton recently shared a wonderful live band version of the album track “Sweetest Fascination” on social media and says he looks forward to heading out in early 2022 for a full-blown tour in support of “Kasim 2021.” “I tend to be a little more in the middle, but that chorus is very hard-hitting,” Sulton explains, crediting Thornalley with coaxing him out of his comfort zone. The pop hooks of “Kasim 2021” are not far removed from the tuneful pop of groups like Fountains of Wayne or Weezer, a band that receives a nod from Sulton on the dynamic “Blame Somebody Else.” True to form, he’s on tour with Todd as you read this. “Two sides of the same coin can’t join, that’s my conundrum, I’m on the road paying all my bills, thank God for Rundgren,” Sulton sings on a song about his life as a player in someone else’s story. On the richly produced “Unsung,” Sulton confronts his backing player status head on with a song that expresses both appreciation and frustration with the fact that he’s usually heard in the context of other artist’s music.
“He brought the idea of ‘More Love’ to me and it bookends the record with Nick Lowe’s ‘(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.’ Who’s going to argue that the world doesn’t need a little more love?” “We’d finished 11 songs when Phil came to me and said we needed one more uptempo positive message song to round out the record,” Sulton explains. The opening cut on “Kasim 2021,” is “More Love,” a bright burst of sunshine pop that turned out to be the last tune recorded for the project, according to Sulton.
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