| No World Order | ||||
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| Studio album by TR-i | ||||
| Released | May 1993 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 53:14 | |||
| Label | Rhino Records/Forward Alchemedia (No World Order Lite) |
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| Producer | Todd Rundgren | |||
| TR-i chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Source | Rating |
| allmusic | link |
No World Order is an album by Todd Rundgren (under the pseudonym TR-i), released in 1993. It was heavily influenced by electronica and rap.[1]
Contents |
This CD-only recording was available in an interactive version on Philips' short-lived CD-i format, as well as the Macintosh and Windows operating systems. The interactive version included the ability to alter the playback of the music by selecting a pre-determined sequence by either Rundgren or one of his four guest producers - Don Was, Jerry Harrison, Hal Wilner and Bob Clearmountain. The interface allowed the listener to control various aspects of music playback. If the user did nothing, the Rundgren mix would start and play through to the end.
The interactive interface presented standard playback controls and the following major functions, plus a help function:
The material on the disc was 933 4-bar musical segments.[2] Each was a portion of one of the songs, accompanied by metadata describing the character of the segment - tempo in BPM, mood, chorus or verse, etc. Each segment was available in multiple mixes as well, from instrumental to a capella. As the listener adjusted parameters, the currently playing segment would finish before starting a new segment, ensuring a seamless listening experience.[3]
The interface had the unique (at the time) property of allowing the user to select a range rather than a single value when adjusting a parameter. One could select a fast tempo, reducing the range so only that fast tempo segments were played, or increase the range so medium to fast were played, weighting towards fast.
Rundgren demonstrated No World Order and the Philips CD-i system at record stores and electronics retailers after the release of the disc, and can be found on YouTube: Part 1 and Part 2.
The tour for the album was designed to maximize interactivity with the audience, allowing members to dance on a raised portion of the stage, and even to guest solo on guitar.[4]
The interactive program received "Best Composition/Arrangement" from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, and the "Best Interactive Disc of the Year" Award from Video magazine.[5]
A non-interactive, audio-only CD was released simultaneously with Rundgren's preferred sequence. Even this version, however, played on the theme of interactivity and orderlessness: its nearly continuous flow supported random play, and its paper insert could be refolded and reinserted so as to display any of 16 alternate versions of the cover art.
Another version of the album, No World Order Lite, was released the following year, presenting the same material in a more song-oriented format.
In Japan, a promotional disc called "NWO (Version 1.01)" was released that contained alternate versions of some of the songs.
Another Version compiling all of the previous versions plus other bonus tracts titled: "Todd Rundgren - No World Order Expanded Edition" was released by Esoteric/Cherry Red Records November 8, 2011. Some listings for this set have a slightly different listing for disc 2, losing one song.
All songs by Todd Rundgren
Disc 1
Disc 2:
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