No World Order

This article is about a Todd Rundgren album. For the Gamma Ray album, see No World Order

No World Order
Studio album by TR-i
Released	May 1993
Genre	Pop rock
Length	53:14
Label	Rhino Records/Forward Alchemedia (No World Order Lite)
Producer	Todd Rundgren
TR-i chronology
2nd Wind (1991) No World Order (1993) The Individualist (1995)

Professional ratings
Review scores
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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]

Interactive release

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:

• Program

(TR-i, Hal Wilner, Bob Clearmountain, Jerry Harrison, Don Was)

• Direction

(Very Fast Forward, Fast Forward, Forward, Hold, Reverse)

• Form

(Creative, Standard, Conservative)

• Tempo

(Fastest 132 BPM, Faster 126 BPM, Fast 120 BPM, Medium 110 BPM, Slow 100 BPM, Slower 92 BPM, Slowest 96 BPM)

• Mood

(Bright, Happy, Thoughtful, Sad, Dark)

• Mix

(Karaoke, Thick, Natural, Spacious, Sparse)

• Video

(Blank, Warp, Swarm, Title, Editor)

The material on the disc was approximately 990 4-bar musical segments. 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.^[2]

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.^[3]

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.^[4]

Standard CD release

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.

No World Order track listing

All songs by Todd Rundgren

1. "Worldwide Epiphany"
2. "No World Order"
3. "Worldwide Epiphany"
4. "Day Job"
5. "Property"
6. "Fascist Christ"
7. "Love Thing"
8. "Time Stood Still"
9. "Proactivity"
10. "No World Order"
11. "Worldwide Epiphany"
12. "Time Stood Still"
13. "Love Thing"
14. "Time Stood Still"
15. "Word Made Flesh"
16. "Fever Broke"

NWO (Version 1.01) (1993) track listing

1. "Fascist Christ (Fax Version)"
2. "Property (Video Version)"
3. "Day Job (Radio Version)"
4. "Fascist Christ (Radio Version)"
5. "Fever Broke (Xaos Version)"
6. "Property (Lost Version)"
7. "Day Job (Club Version)"
8. "Fascist Christ (Broken Version)"

No World Order Lite track listing

1. "Worldwide Epiphany"
2. "Love Thing"
3. "Property"
4. "Day Job"
5. "Fascist Christ"
6. "No World Order"
7. "Time Stood Still"
8. "Proactivity"
9. "Word Made Flesh"
10. "Fever Broke"

References

1. ^ Kopp, Bill. "Trouser Press - Todd Rundgren". Trouser Press. http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=todd_rundgren. Retrieved 19 July 2011. "Dubbing himself TR-I, Todd stage-dove headlong into electronica and rap" 
2. ^ Théberge, Paul (1997). Any sound you can imagine making music, consuming technology. Hanover, NH [u.a.]: Wesleyan Univ. Press [u.a.]. pp. 253. ISBN 978-0819563095. http://books.google.com/books?id=asBnYmKKz6kC&lpg=PA253&dq=%22No%20World%20Order%22%20Rundgren&pg=PA253#v=onepage&q=%22No%20World%20Order%22%20Rundgren&f=false. 
3. ^ Lethby, Mike (29 October 1994). "Rundgen Takes Interactivity Live". Billboard. http://books.google.com/books?id=YQgEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA85&dq=%22No%20World%20Order%22%20Rundgren%20video&pg=PA85#v=onepage&q=%22No%20World%20Order%22%20Rundgren%20video&f=false. Retrieved 19 July 2011. 
4. ^ "Rundgren to speak at DePauw". Greencastle Banner-Graphic. March 27, 2009. http://www.bannergraphic.com/story/1525529.html. Retrieved 19 July 2011.