The Todd Rundgren thread.*

Talk to me about Todd Rundgren. He's clearly an enormously talented musician and artist whose LPs are readily available in used record stores at reasonable prices. I see his name associated with many other artists whom I respect. At an impressionable age I bought into the idea that he was some kind of villain because of XTC Skylarking. But honestly I've always loved that record—so I must have liked whatever it was that he allegedly did to it. If you're a fan of Rundgren's, I'm interested in hearing what it is you like about him, why you think his "star" faded so rapidly, which LP I should pick up next time I see it, or anything else that comes to mind. The guy's clearly a character from what little I know. I've already been to the Wikipedia page, but I'm still finding Rundgren to be kind of an elusive but fascinating figure.

 

To start, I suggest getting a copy of "Something/Anything", a double LP recorded in '71, released Feb. '72. The first 3 sides Todd plays everything, a sort-of one man band thanks to a 16 track studio. He started recording at home (the centerfold of the album cover shows an 8-track in his house with a Neumann microphone on a broomstick) but soon moved to a regular studio due to external noise from the neighborhood. He did a lot of experimentation while recording, including a "glass harp" (wine glasses tuned by the volume of liquid, played by rubbing his finger on the lip of the glasses) on "Torch Song".

The 4th side was recorded live in the studio with friends. The hit single "Hello It's Me" is from the "live" side.

Get a copy and listen for yourself. This is one of my all-time favorite albums.

Something/Anything? - Wikipedia

 

He fathered Liv Taylor. That's go to be good for something!

 

According to Wikipedia Steven Tyler was her real father.

 

I dunno, I'd kinda want to start with the first Nazz album and go from there on to Bearsville. He was a bit of a minor villain in the Badfinger story too but the stuff he worked on is usually considered among their best.

 

I knew his work from the radio in the 70s and 80s and liked it. First purchased Something/Anything and really enjoyed it.

In the mid 1990s I decided to go see him at an outdoor venue on the water that seats probably 1500 people. Might be the worst show I've ever seen. He was touring on some sort of weird CD-ROM that let you assemble the sounds to make your own music. And he just relentlessly played that stuff for the whole show it seemed. He really played nothing in two hours that I recognized. I wasn't a huge fan so maybe I just didn't get it, but the mood of the audience didn't seem very good to me.

On the other hand, I finally got over that experience and bought the 13 CD box set (super cheap) and really like it. So I guess my impression is that he is an artist that can be difficult but is definitely worth the effort to me for certain periods.

 

I think the members of XTC would be quick to say that Todd is a very talented and imaginative songwriter and producer, although not always easy to get along with.

For his music, I would also say to start with Something/Anything?, or, if you prefer more eccentric fare, the followup A Wizard A True Star.

 

Todd's clearly a great musician, composer, arranger & producer.

But many of his own self produced albums can sound thin & bright so perhaps he's not as great as his reputation suggests?

He has produced many famous albums for other artists eg Skylarking, Bat Out Of Hell etc but I read that no-one has ever worked with him more than once. There have been complaints of overwhelming arrogance, but hey! no-one's perfect.

There's The Complete Bearsville Album Collection which contains 11 CDs. This is only a fraction of work he's done as it omits his later albums & his work with Utopia but it's a great starting point & is very cheap. The mastering is reasonable as well.

 

Ironically, according to a friend of mine at the time, Badfinger hated his production work (this was before either of us knew who Todd was). On "Straight Up" the production was split between George Harrison and Todd.

 

I see you are also from Cleveland. I think we Clevelanders know Todd better than most thanks to WMMS playing the heck out of everything he released and the concerts he played locally.

 

Yes he was very popular here wasn't he? I think there were a lot of disappointed Clevelanders at that particular show though! . Everyone waiting for "Hello its Me" while listening to Todd rap over a drum machine over and over.

I guess I understand and respect his choice, but it wasn't much fun for most people there I bet.

 

Runt
Ballad of Todd Rundgren
Something Anything
A Wizard A True Star
Todd
Todd Rundgren's Utopia
Hermit Of Mink Hollow
Healing

Get these - listen, absorb, repeat.
You'll know what to do from there...

 

Initiation should be checked out as well

 

Something/Anything? is the best place to start. He even gives helpful music
listening tips:

"Intro / Breathless" - Todd Rundgren.
If you want to play it safe and you like that album, use it as a fulcrum: You'll probably enjoy the two prior albums (Runt and Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren) and the two post albums (A Wizard, A True Star and Todd).
His career "turning point" is the creation of Utopia. I'll just leave it at that.

Interest in a good book? Look no further than:

A Wizard a True Star: Todd Rundgren in the
studio - Paul Myers.

 

Cool show from a few years ago with Todd and Daryl Hall:
Live From Daryl's House: This Month's Episode

 

My own feeling is that he neither as eccentric as he thinks he is nor as brilliant as he thinks he is, but he's sporadically capable of some absolutely transcendent music as both performer and producer.

 

I would just take a chance on this .....
The majority of the albums recommended so far are here, it can be found cheap and sounds good.
It gives you a giant lump of Todd in one hit, and you will get a taste of why he frequently thrills, at times confuses, but rarely bores.

 

with regards his productions.i think it was a bit like the old saw that really talented baseball players make lousy managers.
his work from nazz-todd is as good as it gets.songwriting-energy-etc.i listen to the albums in that run
nazz-(can skip nazz nazz)-runt-ballad of-something/anything?/a wizard...../todd. i don't go for much as but all those are essential.

 

He also did a great interview/conversation with Marc Maron on the WTF podcast some months ago - worth checking the WTF archives for his quick review of life and career and stories

 

A second vote for this. 11 cds, new starting at $33 on Amazon right now..

 

That's a bargain alright.
Hopefully we'll get a Utopia one soon.

 

I've been a fan of Todd's for years but I'm not close to being a fanatic. Grew up on the singles that were played on Top 40 radio ("Hello It's Me" still one of my favorites).
As I got older, most of my music friends worshipped him. That led me to collect his albums. A Wizard, A True Star and Todd remain my favorites, although all have their moments. I also liked the 80s and 90s albums, Nearly Human and 2nd Wind.
Sometimes he's too eccentric. I never could get into Nazz or Utopia much at all.
I guess his "star" faded as a Top 40 hitmaker but he obviously remained an in-demand producer. I love the Skylarking album and I think I've read that Andy Partridge admits he did a good job producing it, despite their differences.

 

I still listen to the Nazz albums on a regular basis after all these years. I rarely listen to Todd's solo work, although I do own a few of his albums.

 

Another Cleveland, OH area fan here.

Todd still pays our area about twice a year. He kicked off his A Wizard A True Star and Todd/Healing album tours in Akron. He's got friends here, and he loves the area, being one of the few places his 4-piece Utopia could sell enough to fill an arena.
And yes, lots of radio play back in the day.

I happen to like Todd's 90s-2000s output. The New World Order tour was awesome. As was the Liars tour.

As far as the OPs query about Todd's flame being quickly fizzled, it's because he's always confounding his Something/Anything? fans (another great record!). Or as he put, "I didn't want to be the male Carole King."

Following S/A? with Wizard and Todd kind of put his pop ballad fans off.
Their loss, I say.

But if you like the pop/soul Todd with some rock thrown in, try Nearly Human, Second Wind, Liars, and the Utopia records from Oops! Wrong Planet (1977) through POV (1985).

Enjoy!

 

As an artist, he's eccentric to a fault, and someone who was better off when having to conform, a bit, to the box that being signed to a major label (or a minor label with major label distribution, anyway) puts around you. Once Todd was off Bearsville, he was free to flounder. It's not all bad, but some of it definitely isn't great.

As a producer, his strengths are selecting material and arrangements. He's not a good babysitter, and he's not an audiophile, master of great mic'ing, etc.

Others have suggested getting the Complete Bearsville box, and I cannot agree more. All his career highs as an artist are on there.

If you want to get an idea of what he's about as a producer, find the out of print Rhino CD, "A Elpee's Worth of Productions". Lots of swell songs--hits and shouldabeen hits on that...

As for entry point Todd Rundgren, most of the earlier posters have pointed you to Something/Anything? and that's a great choice. But you could also start with The Hermit of Mink Hollow, which was his return to straight ahead pop half a decade later. It's mostly choice stuff and also easy entree.

Oh, and as for Liv Tyler, he wasn't her biological father. But he agreed to raise her as her father when Steven Tyler bailed. Good on him. Bad on Steven Tyler.