TODD RUNDGREN
''THE COMPLETE BEARSVILLE ALBUMS COLLECTION, DISC THIRTEEN''
FEBRUARY 26 2016
641:10
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DISC ONE (''RUNT'', SEPTEMBER 1970)
01 - Broke Down And Busted 04:34
02 - Believe In Me 02:02
03 - We Gotta Get You A Woman 03:07
04 - Who's That Man? 03:01
05 - Once Burned 02:07
06 - Devil's Bite 03:55
07 - I'm In The Clique 04:56
08 - There Are No Words 02:12
09 - Baby Let's Swing; The Last Thing You Said; Don't Tie My Hands 05:27
10 - Birthday Carol 09:13
All Tracks By Todd Rundgren
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Michael Brooks/Drums
Rick Danko/Bass, Guest Artist
Don Ferris/Bass
Donb Ferris/Drums
Levon Helm/Drums, Guest Artist
Mark "Moogy" Klingman/Piano (Electric)
John Miller/Bass
Bobby Moses/Drums
Todd Rundgren/Guitar, Multi Instruments, Vocals
Hunt Sales/Drums, Percussion
Tony Sales/8-String Bass, Bass, Percussion
Don Lee VanWinkle/Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Rhythm)
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REVIEW
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Reluctant to start a full-fledged solo career after leaving the Nazz, Todd Rundgren formed Runt, a band that was a front for what was in effect a solo project. Such isolationism lends Runt its unique atmosphere -- it is the insular work of a fiercely talented artist finally given the opportunity to pursue his off-kilter musical vision. From the moment the slow, bluesy psychedelic grind of "Broke Down and Busted" starts the album, it's apparent that Rundgren could never have made Runt with the Nazz -- and that's before the introspective ballads or the willfully strange stuff kicks in. Throughout the record, Rundgren reveals himself as a gifted synthesist, blending all manners of musical styles and quirks into a distinctive signature sound. He's as interested in sound as he is in song and while he would later pursue these tendencies to extremes, Runt finds him learning how to create an effective sound with the studio, which may be the reason why the album runs the gamut from hard rockers like "Who's That Man?" to ballads like "Once Burned." Although these songs are instantly appealing, the album really gets interesting when he reaches between those two extremes, whether it's in the classic pop medley "Baby Let's Swing," the bizarrely tongue-in-cheek "I'm in the Clique," or the equally impish "We Gotta Get You a Woman," which gave Rundgren his first hit. All the details buried within these songs -- not only in the deceptively direct productions, but within the writing itself -- confirm Rundgren's exceptional skill at songcraft. He occasionally slips on Runt, delivering tracks that rely on production instead of a blend of studiocraft and songcraft, but it remains a thoroughly impressive debut and one of his finest pop records.
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DISC TWO (''RUNT: THE BALLAD OF TODD RUNDGREN'', JUNE 1971)
01 - Long Flowing Robe 03:25
02 - The Ballad (Denny & Jean) 03:05
03 - Bleeding 04:02 (Nil Lara, Todd Rundgren)
04 - Wailing Wall 03:06
05 - The Range War 02:37
06 - Chain Letter 05:06
07 - A Long Time, A Long Way To Go 02:13
08 - Boat On The Charles 04:27
09 - Be Nice To Me 03:26
10 - Hope I'm Around 04:55
11 - Parole 04:20
12 - Remember Me 00:51
All Tracks By Todd Rundgren
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Todd Rundgren/guitars, mandolin, fiddle, piano, organ, pump organ, Clavinet, Wurlitzer electric piano, EMS VCS 3, tenor and baritone saxophones, vibraphone, percussion,
vocals
Tony Sales/bass (tracks 1-3, 5-8,11), percussion (tracks 1, 8)
Norman D. Smart/drums (tracks 1-3, 5-8), percussion (tracks 1, 8)
John Guerin/drums (tracks 9-10 only)
Hunt Sales/drums (track 11 only), conga (track 8 only)
Jerry Scheff/bass (tracks 9-10 only)
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REVIEW/AMG
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Upon its release, Rolling Stone called The Ballad of Todd Rundgren "the best album Paul McCartney" never made, and even if the album doesn't sound particularly McCartney-esque, it does share the homespun, melodic charm of the best of his early albums. Arguably, it's better than Paul's solo work, since it is focused and subtle, never drawing attention to Rundgren's considerable skills as a writer and producer. He tones down the hard rock and his impish wit, lending the album a sense of direction missing on Runt. That's not to say he abandoned his sense of humor -- as if the cover shot of Rundgren sitting at a piano with a noose around his neck left any doubt. This time around, it takes some careful listening to hear the jokes, such as the opening Floyd Cramer piano lick on "Range War." On such clever in-jokes as "Chain Letter," as well as ballads like "Hope I'm Around," the artist reveals himself as an exceptional craftsman and songsmith. In fact, Ballad is considerably more song-oriented than its predecessor, with very little of the jams and instrumental sections that occasionally bogged down Runt. Here, even propulsive pop tunes such as "Bleeding" and "Long Flowing Robe," along with the hard rocker "Parole," are as much about the song as the performance, which is probably appropriate for an album called The Ballad of Todd Rundgren. Another thing about that title -- it may be a joke, but the album inarguably offers a glimpse into Rundgren's inner world through a combination of introspective ballads, off-hand jokes, musical virtuosity, outright weirdness, and unabashed showmanship. And that's the charm of The Ballad -- it's the slyly sardonic masterwork of a loner who may be sensitive, but is certainly not shy.
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DISC THREE (''SOMETHING/ANYTHING?'', DISC ONE, FEBRUARY 1972)
01 - I Saw The Light 03:00
02 - It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference 03:50
03 - Wolfman Jack 02:56
04 - Cold Morning Light 03:34
05 - It Takes Two To Tango (This Is For The Girls) 02:41
06 - Sweeter Memories 03:35
07 - Intro 01:11
08 - Breathless (Instrumental) 03:15
09 - The Night The Carousel Burned Down 04:29
10 - Saving Grace 04:12
11 - Marlene 03:54
12 - Song Of The Viking 02:35
13 - I Went To The Mirror 04:07
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DISC FOUR (''SOMETHING/ANYTHING?'', DISC TWO, FEBRUARY 1972)
01 - Black Maria 05:20
02 - One More Day (No Word) 03:43
03 - Couldn't I Just Tell You 03:34
04 - Torch Song 02:53
05 - Little Red Lights 04:52
06 - Overture: My Roots: Money (That's What I Want); Messin' With The Kid 02:29 (Janie Bradford, Berry Gordy Jr., Mel London)
07 - Dust In The Wind 03:49 (Mark Kingman)
08 - Piss Aaron 03:26
09 - Hello It's Me 04:37
10 - Some Folks Is Even Whiter Than Me 04:00
11 - You Left Me Sore 03:13
12 - Slut 04:03
Tracks By Todd Rundgren, Except 06, 07 Disc Four
CREDITS:
SEE WIKIPEDIA
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REVIEW/AMG
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
After two albums, Todd Rundgren had one hit and a burgeoning cult following, plus growing respect as a hitmaking record producer. There's no question he was busy, but as it turns out, all this work only scratched the surface of his ambition. He had decided to abandon the Runt pretense and recorded a full double album by himself (save for one side). Others had recorded one-man albums before, most notably Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney, but Rundgren -- without borrowing musically from either artist -- captured the homemade ambience of McCartney with the visionary feel of Music of My Mind, adding an encyclopedic knowledge of pop music from Gilbert & Sullivan through Jimi Hendrix, plus the crazed zeal of a pioneer. Listening to Something/Anything? is a mind-altering trip in itself, no matter how many instantly memorable, shamelessly accessible pop songs are scattered throughout the album. Each side of the double album is a concept onto itself. The first side is "a bouquet of ear-catching melodies"; side two is "the cerebral side"; on side three "the kid gets heavy"; side four is his mock pop operetta, recorded with a full band including the Sales brothers. It gallops through everything -- Carole King tributes ("I Saw the Light"), classic ballads ("Hello It's Me," "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference"), Motown ("Wolfman Jack"), blinding power pop ("Couldn't I Just Tell You"), psychedelic hard rock ("Black Maria"), pure weirdness ("I Went to the Mirror"), blue-eyed soul ("Dust in the Wind"), and scores of brilliant songs that don't fall into any particular style ("Cold Morning Light," "It Takes Two to Tango"). It's an amazing journey that's remarkably unpretentious. He may have contributed self-penned liner notes, but Rundgren peppers his writing with self-aware, self-deprecating asides, and he also indulges his bizarre sense of humor with gross-outs ("Piss Aaron") and sheer quirkiness, such as an aural tour of the studio at the beginning of side two. Something/Anything? has a ton of loose ends throughout: plenty of studio tricks, slight songs (but no filler), snippets of dialogue, and purposely botched beginnings, but all these throwaways simply add context -- they're what makes the album into a kaleidoscopic odyssey through the mind of an insanely gifted pop music obsessive. Rundgren occasionally touched on the sheer brilliance of Something/Anything? in his later work, but this extraordinary double album is the one time where his classicist songcraft and messy genius converged to create an utterly unique, glorious record.
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DISC FIVE (''A WIZARD, A TRUE STAR'', MARCH 1973)
01 - International Feel 02:50
02 - Never Never Land 01:34 (Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Jule Styne)
03 - Tic Tic Tic, It Wears Off 01:14
04 - You Need Your Head 01:02
05 - Rock & Roll Pussy 01:08
06 - Dogfight Giggle 01:05
07 - You Don't Have to Camp Around 01:03
08 - Flamingo 02:34
09 - Zen Archer 05:35
10 - Just Another Onionhead-Da Da Dali 02:23
11 - When the Shit Hits The Fan-Sunset Blvd 04:02
12 - Le Feel Internacionale 01:52
13 - Sometimes I Don't Know What to Feel 04:15
14 - Does Anybody Love You? 01:31
15 - Medley_ I'm So Proud; Ooh Baby Baby; La la Means I Love You; Cool Jerk 10:33 (Renaldo Benson, Curtis Mayfield, Smokey Robinson)
16 - Hungry For Love 02:18
17 - I Don't Want To Tie You Down 01:56
18 - Is It My Name? 04:01
19 - Just One Victory 04:59
Tracks By Todd Rundgren, Except 02, 15
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Todd Rundgren/vocals, guitars, keyboards
Michael Brecker/saxophone
Randy Brecker/horn
Rick Derringer/guitar
Mark "Moogy” Klingman/keyboards
Jean-Yves "M. Frog" Labat/synthesizer
Barry Rogers/trombone
David Sanborn/saxophone
Ralph Schuckett/keyboards
John Siegler/bass guitar, cello
John Siomos/drums
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REVIEW/AMG
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Something/Anything? proved that Todd Rundgren could write a pop classic as gracefully as any of his peers, but buried beneath the surface were signs that he would never be satisfied as merely a pop singer/songwriter. A close listen to the album reveals the eccentricities and restless spirit that surges to the forefront on its follow-up, A Wizard, A True Star. Anyone expecting the third record of Something/Anything?, filled with variations on "I Saw the Light" and "Hello It's Me," will be shocked by A Wizard. As much a mind-f*ck as an album, A Wizard, A True Star rarely breaks down to full-fledged songs, especially on the first side, where songs and melodies float in and out of a hazy post-psychedelic mist. Stylistically, there may not be much new -- he touched on so many different bases on Something/Anything? that it's hard to expand to new territory -- but it's all synthesized and assembled in fresh, strange ways. Often, it's a jarring, disturbing listen, especially since Rundgren's humor has turned bizarre and insular. It truly takes a concerted effort on the part of the listener to unravel the record, since Rundgren makes no concessions -- not only does the soul medley jerk in unpredictable ways, but the anthemic closer, "Just One Victory," is layered with so many overdubs that it's hard to hear its moving melody unless you pay attention. And that's the key to understanding A Wizard, A True Star -- it's one of those rare rock albums that demands full attention and, depending on your own vantage, it may even reward such close listening.
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DISC SIX (''TODD'', FEBRUARY 1974)
01 - How About A Little Fanfare? 01:03
02 - I Think You Know 03:04
03 - The Spark Of Life 06:23
04 - An Elpee's Worth Of Toons 02:09
05 - A Dream Goes On Forever 02:21
06 - Lord Chancellor's Nightmare Song 03:32 (W. S. Gilbert, Arthur Sullivan)
07 - Drunken Blue Rooster 03:00
08 - The Last Ride 04:48
09 - Everybody's Going To Heaven; King Kong Reggae 06:38
10 - No. 1 Lowest Common Denominator 05:12
11 - Useless Begging 03:40
12 - Sidewalk Cafe 02:15
13 - Izzat Love? 01:55
14 - Heavy Metal Kids 04:17
15 - In And Out The Chakras We Go Formerly Shaft Goes To Outer Space 05:48
16 - Don't You Ever Learn? 06:06
17 - Sons Of 1984 04:34
Tracks By Todd Rundgren, Except 06
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Todd Rundgren/guitars, vocals, keyboards, synthesizers, bass, drums, drum machine, percussion, other instruments
Kevin Ellman/drums, percussion
John Siegler/bass, cello
Mark "Moogy" Klingman/keyboards, organ, piano, electric piano
Ralph Schuckett/bass, clavinet, organ
Michael Brecker/horn, saxophone
Randy Brecker/horn, saxophone, trumpet
Bill Gelber/bass
Wells Kelly/drums
John Miller/bass
Chris Parker/drums
Peter Ponzol/soprano sax
Barry Rogers/trombone
"Legs" Larry Smith/tap-dancing
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REVIEW/AMG
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Maybe some listeners thought that the sonic trip A Wizard, A True Star was a necessary exercise in indulgence and that Todd Rundgren would return to the sweet pop of Something/Anything? for its follow-up. Not a chance. As it turned out, A Wizard was the launch pad for further dementia, and, depending on your point of view, indulgence. Its follow-up was Todd, an impenetrable double album filled with detours, side roads, collisions and the occasional pop tune. That those pop tunes are among his best may come as little consolation to the lightweight fan who has stumbled upon Todd. Conceptually, A Wizard, A True Star may be the wilder record, but Todd is a more difficult listen, thanks to the layers of guitar solos and blind synth prog tunes, such as "In and Out the Chakras We Go." Large stretches of the album are purely instrumental, foreshadowing the years of synth experiments with Utopia that were just around the corner. The murk subsides every so often, revealing either exquisite ballads ("A Dream Goes on Forever"), blistering rock ("Heavy Metal Kids") or, more murk and dementia (particularly with how Gilbert & Sullivan rear their heads not only on the requisite novelty "An Elpee's Worth of Tunes," but an honest-to-goodness cover of "Lord Chancellor's Nightmare Song"). These are some major additions to his catalog, but the experiments and the excesses are too tedious to make Todd a necessary listen for anyone but the devoted. But for those listeners, the gems make the rough riding worthwhile.
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DISC SEVEN (''INITIATION'', MAY 1975)
01 - Real Man 04:24
02 - Born to Synthesize 03:43
03 - The Death Of Rock N‘ Roll 03:48
04 - Eastern Intrigue 05:04
05 - Initiation 07:04
06 - Fair Warning 07:59
07 - A Treatise On Cosmic Fire (Intro-Prana) 04:20
08 - A Treatise On Cosmic Fire (II The Fire of Mind or Solar Fire) 03:50
09 - A Treatise On Cosmic Fire (III The Fire of Spirit or Electric Fire) 07:32
10 - A Treatise On Cosmic Fire (I The Eternal Fire or Fire By Friction - Outro-Prana) 19:34
All Tracks By Todd Rundgren
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Todd Rundgren/Vocals. Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Sitar. Keyboards, Synthesizers, Piano. ARP String Ensemble, String Arrangements
Roger Powell/Keyboards, Synthesizers, Synthesizer programming Nose Flute, Trumpet
Mark Klingman/Keyboards, Synthesizers
John Siegler, Dan Hartman, John Miller/Bass
Ralph Schuckett/Clavinet
Kevin Ellman, John ’'Willie" Wilcox, Barry Lazarowitz. Roy Markowitz, Rick Marotta, Chris Parker, Bernard Purdie/Drums
Bob Rose/Rhythm Guitars
Rick Derringer/Bass, Acoustic & Electric Guitars
Edgar Winter, David Sanborn/Saxophone
Barbara Burton, Lee Pastora/Percussion
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REVIEW/AMG
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Returning to solo recording almost immediately after forming Utopia, Todd Rundgren continued with the synth-heavy prog rock he pioneered with Todd Rundgren's Utopia on Initiation. The differences immediately resonate with "Real Man," a terrific song that encapsulates not only his newfound fondness for electronics, but also his burgeoning spirituality and his knack for pop craft. "Real Man" is so good, it's tempting to believe that the remainder of Initiation will follow in the same direction, resulting in an inspired, truly progressive fusion of classic Rundgren and synthesizers. As soon as the second track, an a cappella vocoder opus called "Born to Synthesize," it's clear that Rundgren has no intention of following that path, choosing to push the limits of synth technology and recorded music instead of constructing an album. Initiation suffers accordingly. At times, particularly on the first, song-oriented side, it is pretty intriguing, but too often, the results are simply frustrating because it doesn't go anywhere. That's particularly true with "A Treatise on Cosmic Fire," a half-hour "suite" that comprises all of side two and doesn't really go anywhere, despite hitting many stops along the way. It's enough to erase the memory of "Real Man," "Eastern Intrigue" and "Initiation," the moments where it all comes together on the first half of the record, but another spin of the first side reveals that Rundgren could have made Initiation something special if he had the discipline.
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DISC EIGHT (''FAITHFUL'', APRIL 1976)
01 - Happenings Ten Years Time Ago 03:13 (Jeff Beck, Jim McCarty, Jimmy Page, Keith Relf)
02 - Good Vibrations 03:43 (Mike Love, Brian Wilson)
03 - Rain 03:17 (John Lennon, Paul McCartney)
04 - Most Likely You Go Your Way And I'll Go Mine 03:26 (Bob Dylan)
05 - If Six Was Nine 04:55 (Jimi Hendrix)
06 - Strawberry Fields Forever 03:52 (John Lennon, Paul McCartney)
07 - Black And White 04:43 (Todd Rundgren)
08 - Love Of The Common Man 03:36 (Todd Rundgren)
09 - When I Pray 02:58 (Todd Rundgren)
10 - Cliche 04:01 (Todd Rundgren)
11 - The Verb "To Love" 07:24 (Todd Rundgren)
12 - Boogies Hamburger Hell 05:05 (Todd Rundgren)
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Todd Rundgren/Guitar, vocals, Producer
Roger Powell/Trumpet, Keyboards, Rhythm Guitar on If Six Was Nine
John Siegler/Bass, Cello
John Wilcox/drums
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REVIEW/AMG
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Todd Rundgren considered 1966 the beginning of his professional musical career, largely because the Nazz formed around that time. As a celebration, he recorded Faithful. Presumably, Faithful celebrates the past and the future by juxtaposing a side of original pop material with a side of covers. Actually, "covers" isn't accurate -- the six oldies that comprise the entirety of side one are re-creations, with Rundgren "faithfully" replicating the sound and feel of the Yardbirds ("Happenings Ten Years Time Ago"), Bob Dylan ("Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine"), Jimi Hendrix ("If Six Was Nine"), the Beach Boys ("Good Vibrations") and the Beatles "("Rain," "Strawberry Fields Forever"). All of this is entertaining, to a certain extent, especially since it's remarkable how close Rundgren comes to duplicating the very feel of the originals. Still, it's hard to see it as much more than a flamboyant throwaway, especially when compared with the glorious second side. For the first time since Something/Anything?, Rundgren allows himself to write and -- more importantly -- record straight-ahead pop songs. Certainly, A Wizard, A True Star, Todd and Initiation had their share of great songs, but they weren't delivered as pop songs; they were telegraphed as art. Here, Rundgren delivers pop and rock songs with ease, letting the melodies glide to the forefront. There are embellishments, of course, but the end result is a lushness that's apparent even on the hard rockers. If Rundgren had made all of Faithful originals, it would have been a pure pop masterpiece. As it stands, it's essential for the faithful -- not only for hardcore Toddheads, but for devoted pop fans as well.
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DISC NINE (''HERMIT OF MINK HOLLOW'' APRIL 1978)
01 - All The Children Sing 03:11
02 - Can We Still Be Friends? 03:37
03 - Hurting For You 03:23
04 - Too Far Gone 02:40
05 - Onomatopoeia 01:35
06 - Determination 03:12
07 - Bread 02:51
08 - Bag Lady 03:16
09 - You Cried Wolf 02:33
10 - Lucky Guy 02:08
11 - Out Of Control 03:59
12 - Fade Away 03:05
All Tracks By Todd Rundgren
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Todd Rundgren - Arranger, Engineer, All Instruments, Producer, Vocals
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REVIEW/AMG
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Over the course of 1977, Todd Rundgren moved Utopia toward a more pop-oriented direction, winding up with the slick mainstream arena rock of Oops! Wrong Planet. With that in mind, it makes sense that The Hermit of Mink Hollow -- his first full-fledged solo album since Initiation, if you discount the half-cover/half-original Faithful -- finds Rundgren in his pop craftsman persona. The difference is, he's heartbroken. His relationship with Bebe Buell collapsed during 1977 and it's clear that the separation has pained him, since pain and melancholy underpin the album, whether it's on ballads ("Can We Still Be Friends") or on apparently joyous revelries, like "All the Children Sing." That said, this is a Rundgren solo album and he has not abandoned his trademarks, which means that the lush ballads are paired with novelties ("Onomatopoeia," which sounds exactly how you hope it does), ersatz soul ("You Cried Wolf"), and pure pop ("Hurting for You"). Hermit is also the first record Rundgren recorded completely alone since Something/Anything? Where that record sounded like the inner workings of a madman, with each song providing no indication what the next would sound like, Hermit is more cohesive. It also feels less brilliant, even if it is, in many ways, nearly as excellent as Rundgren's masterwork, mainly because it doesn't have such a wide scope. Still, the reason The Hermit of Mink Hollow is such a milestone in Rundgren's career is because it's a small album, filled with details, and easily the most emotional record he made.
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DISC TEN (''BACK TO THE BARS'', DISC ONE, DECEMBER 1978)
01 - Real Man Live Version - 1978 04:48
02 - Love Of The Common Man Live Version - 1978 04:25
03 - The Verb "To Love" Live Version - 1978 08:01
04 - Love In Action Live Version - 1978 03:44
05 - A Dream Goes On Forever Live Version - 1978 02:33
06 - Sometimes I Don't Know What to Feel Live Version - 1978 04:23
07 - The Range War Live Version - 1978 02:46
08 - Black And White Live Version - 1978 05:34
09 - The Last Ride Live Version - 1978 06:04
10 - Cliche Live Version - 1978 04:13
11 - Don’t You Ever Learn- Live Version - 1978 05:51
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DISC ELEVEN (''BACK TO THE BARS'', DISC ONE, DECEMBER 1978)
01 - Never Never Land Live Version - 1978 02:50 (Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Jule Styne)
02 - Black Maria Live Version - 1978 05:42
03 - Zen Archer Live Version - 1978 05:44
04 - Medley_ I'm So Proud;Ooh Baby Baby;La La Means I Love You;l Saw The Light Live Version - 1978 10:59 (Thom Bell, William "Poogie" Hart, Curtis Mayfield, Warren "Pete" Moore, Smokey Robinson, Todd Rundgren)
05 - It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference Live Version - 1978 04:29
06 - Eastern Intrigue Live Version - 1978 05:58
07 - Initiation Live Version - 1978 06:35
08 - Couldn't I Just Tell You Live Version - 1978 04:06
09 - Hello It's Me Live Version - 1978 04:26
Tracks By Todd Rundgren, Except 01, 04 (Disc Eleven)
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Spencer Davis/Guest Artist, Harmonica, Vocals
Rick Derringer/Guest Artist, Guitar
Greg Geddes/Vocals
Daryl Hall/Guest Artist, Vocals
Mark "Moogy" Klingman/Keyboards
Stevie Nicks/Guest Artist, Vocals
John Oates Guest Artist. Vocals
Todd Rundgren/Guitar, Vocals
Ralph Schuckett/Organ
John Siegler/Bass, Cello
Norman D. Smart/Drums
Larry Tasse/Vocals
Utopia:
• Roger Powell/Keyboards, Trumpet, Vocals
• Kasim Sulton/Bass, Vocals
• John Wilcox/Drums, Vocals
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REVIEW/AMG
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Following a year of Utopia and the completion of The Hermit of Mink Hollow, Todd Rundgren hit the road with a musical retrospective on the advice of Bearsville president Paul Fishkin, who wanted a live greatest-hits record to plug. Ever perverse, that's not exactly what Rundgren delivered. Culled from three shows -- where he was supported by both Utopia and a carefully assembled band at New York's Bottom Line, one at L.A.'s the Roxy, one at Cleveland's the Agora -- the resulting double album Back to the Bars was an idiosyncratic collection of hits and personal favorites, covering many (but not all) of his best songs, from "I Saw the Light," "Couldn't I Just Tell You," "Hello It's Me" and "Real Man" to "The Range War," "Sometimes I Don't Know What to Feel" and "The Verb 'To Love.'" All of the performances are tough and persuasive -- enough so that the songs that sounded like production numbers on record, such as large stretches of A Wizard, A True Star, reveal themselves as effective compositions and often sound a great deal more accessible here. That said, Back to the Bars isn't an ideal introduction to Rundgren, simply because his studio wizardry is one of the main reasons his records are so interesting, yet it is true that the record has enough great songs and quirks to paint an effective portrait of Rundgren's music. As such, it's the rare live album that caters to both the casual and hardcore fan and should be equally enjoyable to either audience.
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DISC TWELVE (''HEALING'', FEBRUARY 1981)
01 - Healer 03:42
02 - Pulse 03:10
03 - Flesh 04:01
04 - Golden Goose 03:19
05 - Compassion 04:49
06 - Shine 08:19
07 - Healing Pt.1 07:29
08 - Healing Pt.2 07:52
09 - Healing Pt.3 04:39
10 - Time Heals 03:34
11 - Tiny Demons 03:09
All Tracks By Todd Rundgren
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Todd Rundgren - Arranger, Engineer, All Instruments, Producer, Vocals
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REVIEW/AMG
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Healing is a subdued, reflective effort unlike anything else in Todd Rundgren's catalog. Certainly, there are some familiar elements throughout Healing, particularly on majestic ballads like "Compassion," but there are more new variations on his style since any album since Initiation. Not coincidentally, that record had hints of the spirituality that surges to the forefront on Healing, but it was nowhere near as musically focused as the latter record. Apart from "Compassion," there is a true lack of singles, which doesn't mean that there aren't standouts -- since "Golden Goose" has a weird, jerky hook and the opener "Healer" is a terrific pop single -- that stand on their own merit. Instead, the record works as a whole, flowing as seamlessly as Something/Anything? or Hermit. Unfortunately, it's not as strong as either of those records, largely because it's about texture and spirit, not individual songs. In a case like that, the music and ambience are as important as the actual songs, and while they're often very provocative, they tend to meander as well, particularly on the three-part "Healing" suite that comprises the last side of the record. On CD, its calming effect is dissipated because the bonus 7" single "Time Heals"/"Tiny Demons" is added at the end. Their presence makes it clear that Healing was intended as an album unto itself, without much in the way of singles, because each song -- the former being excellent new wave pop, the other a fine ballad -- could have been a single unto itself. In this context, they may deflate the lasting spiritual impression of the album, but they add musical weight, helping make the disc a fine effort.
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DISC THIRTEEN (''TODD RUNDGREN PRESENTS THE EVER POPULAR TORTURED ARTIST EFFECT'', JANUARY 1983)
01 - Hideaway 05:00
02 - Influenza 04:31
03 - Don't Hurt Yourself 03:45
04 - There Goes Your Baybay 03:54
05 - Tin Soldier 03:13
06 - Emperor Of The Highway 01:41
07 - Bang The Drum All Day 03:38
08 - Drive 05:29
09 - Chant 04:24
All Tracks By Todd Rundgren
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Todd Rundgren - Arranger, Engineer, All Instruments, Producer, Vocals
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REVIEW/AMG
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
As the early '80s continued to unfold, Todd Rundgren grew increasingly disenchanted with Bearsville, especially since the label wasn't supporting Utopia. He wrangled the band free in 1982, but he still had to deliver solo records to Bearsville. Not entirely pleased with the situation, Rundgren hammered out a collection of pop songs on his own, cynically titling the effort The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect. In later years, Rundgren disavowed the album, but it stands as one of his better collections of pop songs, even if it lacks a theme or a unifying sound. There are a fair share of throwaways, not only coming in the expected form of covers (a fine but pointless remake of the Small Faces' "Tin Soldier") and Gilbert & Sullivan parodies ("Emperor of the Highway"), but also in the monumentally silly "Bang the Drum All Day," which not only became a hit, but a hit that refused to die, lasting as a radio staple into the late '90s. These three songs are anomalies on Tortured Artist, which for the most part is pure pop and pop-soul, delivered with little fuss or pretention. There's also little deep meaning to the songs themselves, which is quite unusual for Rundgren, yet the best tunes -- "Hideaway," "Influenza," "There Goes Your Baybay," "Drive," "Chant" -- are indelible, irresistible pop confections that prove Rundgren can be quite involving, even when he's not trying his hardest.
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REVIEW/AMG (THE COMPLETE BEARSVILLE ALBUMS COLLECTION)
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Todd Rundgren's classic run of the '70s and early '80s gets the budget box treatment in The Complete Bearsville Albums Collection. These albums -- the first being Runt, the last being The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect; all studio albums apart from the epic double live set Back to the Bars, all solo, no Utopia LPs -- have been reissued many times, most recently in deluxe editions by Edsel. Any of the bonus tracks that have popped up on these reissues are absent -- this applies not just to the alternate Runt that finally surfaced in the 2010s, but also the EP that came with Healing, included on an early Rhino CD reissue -- but each of the records is attractive as a mini-LP, the sound is good, and the price is cheap, so it's a good, easy way to get the Todd basics.
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BIOGRAPHY/AMG
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Something/Anything?
Todd Rundgren's best-known songs -- the Carole King pastiche "I Saw the Light," the ballads "Hello, It's Me" and "Can We Still Be Friends," and the goofy novelty "Bang on the Drum All Day" -- suggest that he is a talented pop craftsman, but nothing more than that. On one level, that perception is true since he is undoubtedly a gifted pop songwriter, but at his core, Rundgren is a rock & roll maverick. Once he had a taste of success with his 1972 masterwork Something/Anything?, Rundgren chose to abandon stardom and, with it, conventional pop music. He began a course through uncharted musical territory, becoming a pioneer not only in electronic music and prog rock, but in music video, computer software, and Internet music delivery as well.
As his career wound into its third decade, Rundgren concentrated on behind-the-scenes innovations, but during the '70s and '80s he maintained a relentless work schedule. He released up to two albums a year either as a solo artist or with his band Utopia, while producing acclaimed, successful records for artists as diverse as Badfinger, Meat Loaf, Grand Funk Railroad, the New York Dolls, and XTC. Given such an extensive catalog, it's not surprising that there's a vast variety of styles within Rundgren's music -- which is either rewarding or frustrating, depending on the album. Also, more often than not, the singles from each record do not offer an accurate indication of what the remainder of the album sounds like. Such an approach severely curtailed his mass appeal, but it helped him cultivate a ferociously dedicated cult audience.
During the '70s, his records were underground favorites, and his albums continued to chart until 1991, nearly 20 years after his commercial peak. In those 20 years, Rundgren may have existed largely on the fringes of pop music, but he produced a body of work that ranks as one of the most intriguing in rock & roll. A native of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania -- a suburb of Philadelphia -- Rundgren learned how to play guitar as a child, teaching himself after his initial round of lessons ceased. As a teenager, he absorbed pop music from Motown to Liverpool and formed Money, his first band, when he was 16. Following his high-school graduation, he moved to the resort town of Wildwood, NJ, where he regularly sat in with a number of bands. Eventually, he became a member of the blues group Woody's Truck Stop, which soon became based in Philadelphia.
Rundgren stayed with the band for several months, but when the group began to move toward hippie psychedelia, he and Carson Van Osten bailed to form the Nazz in 1967. Taking their name from an obscure Yardbirds song and inspired by a variety of British Invasion groups, from the omnipresent Beatles to the cult favorites the Move, the Nazz were arguably the first Anglophiles in rock history. There had been many groups that drew inspiration from the Beatles and the Stones, but none had been so self-consciously reverent as the Nazz. Playing lead guitar and bass, respectively, Rundgren and Van Osten were joined by drummer Thom Mooney (formerly of the Munchkins) and lead vocalist/keyboardist Stewkey (born Robert Antoni). By September 1967, the group received some financial support from local record store Bartoff & Warfield, who also put them in touch with John Kurland, a record promoter who was looking for a guitar pop band. Kurland took a shine to the Nazz and signed on as their manager.
Nazz
Kurland and his associate, Michael Friedman, had the Nazz sign with SGC Records -- an offshoot of Atlantic Records and Columbia-Screen Gems -- in the summer of 1968. Their debut album, Nazz, appeared in October, supported by the single "Hello, It's Me." Although the song would later become a major hit for Rundgren as a solo artist, the dirgey original version barely scraped the national charts. Despite the lack of success, the record -- particularly the Nazz's self-production of "Open My Eyes" and "Hello, It's Me" -- attracted some good notices. Taking these as a cue, the group began work on an ambitious, self-produced double album, named Fungo Bat. By the time it was released in April 1969, it was trimmed to a single album, Nazz Nazz. In the process of editing, much of Rundgren's newer, Laura Nyro-influenced material -- which he had sung himself -- was left on the shelves. Neither the management nor his bandmates gave Rundgren much encouragement to sing, nor was his new introspective direction warmly received by his colleagues. Faced with a no-win situation, Rundgren left the group not long after their summer 1969 tour. Stewkey took control of the Nazz, erased Rundgren's vocals from the album sitting in the vaults, and replaced them with his own. The result was released as Nazz 3 in 1970, but it stiffed.
Runt
Rundgren, meanwhile, became an in-house producer and engineer for former Bob Dylan manager Albert Grossman's fledgling studio and label, Bearsville Records. Around the same time, Rundgren formed a band called Runt. In reality, Runt was little more than a front for his burgeoning solo career. He played all of the instruments except drums and bass, which were usually handled by brothers Hunt and Tony Sales. Runt -- either Runt's first album or Rundgren's first solo album, depending on your point of view -- was released on Ampex Records in the fall of 1970. The album slowly earned an audience, with the single "We Gotta Get You a Woman" climbing into the Top 20 in early 1971. His modest success was enough to convince Grossman to sign Rundgren to a long-term contract with Bearsville.
Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren
Apart from a re-release of Runt, the first Rundgren album to appear on Bearsville was Runt's final record, The Ballad of Todd Rundgren, a record that was reminiscent of such melodic singer/songwriter peers as King and Nyro, yet it had a subtly bizarre sensibility and quirky sense of humor that gave it a distinctive character. As he pursued his solo career, Rundgren quickly earned a reputation as a talented producer/engineer. His first production was for American Dream, but he quickly graduated to the big leagues thanks to his association with Grossman. In 1970, he engineered the Band's Stage Fright and Jesse Winchester's acclaimed eponymous debut. These two productions set the stage for Rundgren to take the production seat that George Harrison left vacant; the result was Badfinger's Straight Up, which gave him a huge hit with "Baby Blue." It wasn't long until Rundgren had a huge hit of his own. He abandoned the Runt concept before beginning his third album, deciding to record the entire record himself.
A Wizard, A True Star
The result was Something/Anything?, a double-album set that cemented Rundgren's reputation as a near-genius producer and gifted songwriter. Apart from the fourth side, which was constructed as a tongue-in-cheek operetta about a bar band, he played every instrument, sang every part, and produced the entire album. Hailed in the rock press as some sort of masterpiece upon its early 1972 release, it also won Rundgren a wide audience. The King tribute "I Saw the Light" reached number 16, and while its follow-up (the terrific power pop classic "Couldn't I Just Tell You") stiffed, the third single, a superior re-recording of the Nazz's semi-hit "Hello, It's Me," climbed all the way to number five. In all, Something/Anything? reached number 29 and went gold, spending nearly a full year on the charts. Stardom was handed to him with Something/Anything?, but Rundgren rejected it. He would later state that he had mastered pop songcraft and had no interest to simply repeat himself through endless recyclings of "I Saw the Light" or "Hello, It's Me." That's certainly not what he delivered with A Wizard, a True Star, his 1973 follow-up to Something/Anything? A weird sonic collage encompassing everything from psychedelia and Philly soul to Disney show tunes and vaudeville, the record may not have been an intentional move to shed his mainstream audience, but that was the ultimate effect.
Todd
As the legions of listeners who loved "Hello, It's Me" departed, Rundgren's cult following -- the fans who did consider him "a Wizard, a True Star" -- intensified. Rundgren played the role to the hilt, dyeing his hair in a rainbow of colors and turning in extravagant concert performances. His appearance may have flirted with glam or glitter, but his music was getting increasingly progressive. His next album, 1974's Todd, may have had the occasional full-fledged pop song, such as the near-hit "A Dream Goes on Forever," but it had more than its share of lengthy experimental instrumentals. This was the direction he decided to pursue and he decided he needed a full-fledged band to help him continue in the progressive direction. And so Utopia was born. Initially, the group consisted of three keyboardists (Moogy Klingman, Ralph Shuckett, and Roger Powell), a bassist (John Siegler), a percussionist (Kevin Elliman), and a drummer (John "Willie" Wilcox).
Todd Rundgren's Utopia
Balancing Utopia with his solo career, Rundgren became one of the most prolific artists of the decade. Released just months after Todd, Todd Rundgren's Utopia consisted of only four tracks, all of which were mainly instrumental, none of which were less than ten minutes. Rundgren continued in that direction on his next solo album, Initiation, which was released in the spring of 1975. Its radio-ready hit, "Real Man," became one of his concert staples, but the true heart of the album lay in the half-hour-long synth experiment to which the entire second side was devoted. Mere months later, Utopia released Another Live, a wild live album devoted to long synth-driven instrumentals. Another Live proved to be the culmination of the synth experiments and, in some ways, the stretch of willfully difficult records Rundgren made during the mid-'70s.
Faithful
He kicked off 1976 with Faithful, an album that split into original pop material and re-creations of '60s chestnuts from the Yardbirds, Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and the Beach Boys. His resurrection of "Good Vibrations" brought him his first Top 40 hit in three years. That year, he also revamped Utopia, stripping away two of the keyboardists (Klingman and Shuckett), as Elliman and Siegler left. Kasim Sulton joined as the new bassist. Although the new Utopia's first album, Ra, was a prog rock album by any measure, it was less overtly experimental and heavier than before. Ra was released early in February 1977 and was followed seven months later by Oops! Wrong Planet, a record that found the quartet abandoning progressive music for streamlined pop/rock, with a mainstream hard rock bent. By the time The Hermit of Mink Hollow was released in April 1978, it had been two years between Rundgren's solo albums, yet it had been six years since he had delivered an album as unabashedly pop and accessible as Hermit. On the strength of the Top 30 success of the ballad "Can We Still Be Friends," the record became a big hit, spending 26 weeks on the charts and peaking at number 36. He followed the record with the double-live album Back to the Bars, which was split between Utopia and solo material.
Bat Out of Hell
As his solo career received a shot in the arm, his production career reached a pinnacle of commercial success with Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell. The shamelessly bombastic record became an unexpected blockbuster, due in no small part to Rundgren's cinematic production. Not only did it reap financial rewards, but it also opened the doors for a variety of production gigs; over the next year, he kept extraordinarily busy, working with everyone from old friend Patti Smith (Wave) to new wave pub rocker Tom Robinson (TRB Two), as well as arena rock goofs the Tubes (Remote Control). Given that Rundgren had been releasing records at such a rapid rate throughout the '70s, it comes as a shock to note that neither he nor Utopia released an album during 1979. That's not to say he wasn't busy. Not only did he have his production work, but during 1979, Rundgren opened Utopia Video Studios, a cutting-edge video production enterprise. Utopia Video Studios' first project was a version of Gustav Holst's The Planets, a demonstration disc for video disc by RCA SelectaVision. It was a harbinger.
Adventures in Utopia
Throughout the next decade, Rundgren began to devote more time to technological developments than his own music. Nevertheless, the early '80s were a robust time for Rundgren -- his last great period of commercial success. He came back swinging in 1980, releasing two albums with Utopia: the shiny pop/rock opus Adventures in Utopia and the cutting Beatles parody Deface the Music. He also released "Time Heals," the first music video to combine computer graphics and live action; it would later be the second video played on MTV. The following year, he released his first solo album in three years, the spiritually inclined Healing. By this point, his relationship with Bearsville Records had become increasingly rocky. Utopia delivered one last album for the label, 1982's Swing to the Right, before departing for the fledgling Network label, releasing Utopia that same year. After completing a groundbreaking solo tour in 1982, which alternated acoustic sets with sets featuring taped backings and video backdrops, he released The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect. Despite the presence of a moderate novelty hit with "Bang the Drum All Day," the album didn't eclipse Healing on the charts.
A Cappella
As he attempted to leave Bearsville, Rundgren found himself in further record company difficulties when Network folded. Utopia then moved to Passport, yet another new record label. In 1983, after he devoted some time off to do technological work, he reconvened Utopia, which released Oblivion in 1984. Oblivion did respectably on the charts, peaking at 74, but the next year's follow-up, POV, tanked -- it reached only 161. Part of the problem was that Utopia's sound had indeed changed, but it was no longer contemporary. Following POV, Rundgren effectively pulled the plug on the group, although he would later reunite the band for an occasional tour. Rundgren's next solo album, A Cappella, featured nothing but his voice, albeit multi-tracked and sometimes processed beyond recognition. Negotiations with Bearsville held up the release of A Cappella for months. Once the deals were completed, Rundgren was finally free of Bearsville and he signed to its new parent company, Warner, which released A Cappella in September 1985. It did fairly well on the charts, but it was treated more as a novelty than a full-fledged record by both critics and fans.
Skylarking
Rundgren spent the next few years working on computers, as well producing. In 1986, he was hired to produce the cult British pop band XTC. Over the course of the recording sessions, tensions grew between Rundgren and the group's main songwriter, Andy Partridge, eventually spilling over into outright hostility. Nevertheless, the resulting album, Skylarking, revitalized XTC's career and Rundgren's producing career. Although he had a few high-profile gigs afterward -- such as with Bourgeois Tagg and the Psychedelic Furs -- he decided to continue with his own technological and musical endeavors. In 1989, he finally released Nearly Human, his soul-spiked follow-up to 1985's A Cappella. Staying on the charts for 11 weeks, it was Rundgren's last album to come close to a mainstream hit, thanks to the radio single "The Want of a Nail." Several songs on Nearly Human were also used in his musical score for the off-Broadway production of Joe Orton's Up Against It, which was originally the script for the unfilmed third Beatles movie.
2nd Wind
A collection of new material recorded live, 2nd Wind, appeared in 1991. It was his final record for Warner and the last record he would make for a major label. The following year, he reunited Utopia for a tour of Japan, then he set to work on his first album for Rhino's new music division, Forward. Released under the moniker TR-I -- from this point on, he used TR-I to distinguish his technologically innovative work -- No World Order was an ambitious project. Not only was it released as a conventional CD, it was also released as an interactive CD-ROM through Philips and Electronic Arts. It certainly earned him press, but the reviews didn't lead to sales. Frustrated, he left Rhino, releasing The Individualist on ION in November 1995. Like its predecessor, the album was designed as a groundbreaking technological innovation -- this time, however, it was an enhanced CD. The Individualist earned better reviews than No World Order, particularly among computer-based publications.
During this time, he also worked as a DJ on the acclaimed syndicated radio program The Difference with Todd. The show was nominated for several awards, but its production was ceased in November 1996 due to an altered show format. He also did several television and film soundtracks, including the hit Farrelly Brothers movie Dumb and Dumber. In 1997, the fledgling Angel Records offshoot Guardian Records offered Rundgren a significant amount of money to re-record many of his hits and cult favorites as a bossa nova record. Clearly, Guardian was attempting to capitalize on the lounge fad of the mid-'90s, but Rundgren took the bait, supporting the resulting record, With a Twist, with a full-fledged tour. Prior to hitting the road in the U.S., he was one of the first Western artists to perform for the Chinese during the summer Shanghai Festival. That year saw the first release of his Up Against It songs through the Japanese label Pony Canyon. He also inked a deal to host a weekly online radio program called Music Nexus for the EnterMedia network.
Halfway Down the Sky
In fact, the Internet became the main focus of Rundgren's career by the end of the '90s. In 1996, he launched Waking Dreams, a collective that developed creative ideas in marketable commodities. Perhaps more importantly to the music industry, Rundgren also founded PatroNet, an innovative device that lets users subscribe to music offered directly from his site -- with no record company middlemen at all. During all this, Rundgren continued to work on new music -- intending to distribute his new material a song at a time through PatroNet -- as well as write his much-delayed autobiography (despite short previews on his official website, it's yet to be published). The late '90s saw Rundgren return to the road for several different tours -- both as a solo performer and as part of Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band, as he also continued to produce other acts (Splender's Halfway Down the Sky, Bad Religion's The New America, etc.).
King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents in Concert
The emergence of numerous archival projects began to surface in the early 21st century, such as The King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents in Concert and a slew of Japanese-only rarity sets as part of the ongoing Todd Archive Series (by mid-2001, 11 different sets had been issued -- comprised of outtakes, demos, and full concerts over the years featuring Rundgren solo, Utopia, and even the Nazz), as well as a compilation of tracks that has only been available previously on his PatroNet service, titled One Long Year. In the summer of 2001, Rundgren participated in the A Walk Down Abbey Road: A Tribute to the Beatles tour, which also included Ann Wilson (Heart), John Entwistle (the Who), and Alan Parsons (the Alan Parsons Project).
Liars
Three years later, Rundgren issued his first rock album in over a decade. Liars, a politics-heavy concept record, was issued on Sanctuary in spring 2004. After a brief sojourn where he fronted the New Cars, Rundgren returned to the solo arena with Arena in 2008. Over the next few years, he spent some time touring, playing some of his classic albums in their entirety -- separate tours consisted of A Wizard, a True Star, Todd, and Healing -- and in 2011, and releasing two albums: a collection of Robert Johnson covers called Todd Rundgren's Johnson and (Re)Production, where he offered electronic reworkings of songs he'd produced for other artists. Following these two curious detours, Rundgren released the arty pop album State, his first collection of original material in five years; it appeared in April 2013.
Global
Less than two years later, he returned with his 25th studio album, Global, a typically anachronistic fusion of classic rock, soul, and contemporary dance music. Shortly after its release, the Smalltown Supersound label issued the 12-part, 39-minute Runddans, a collaboration with revered Norwegian musicians Emil Nikolaisen (of Serena-Maneesh) and Hans-Peter Lindstrøm that Rundgren likened to a train ride.
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TO THE TOP
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