Todd Rundgren

Todd Rundgren is one of my favorite music artists. As a teen, I followed him throughout the 70s, through all his stylistic twists and turns, both solo and with Utopia. It helps to appreciate different musics and not demand that your favorite artists stick to a single genre.

After the 70s I continued to consider Todd an auto-buy, and to this day I still do. The man never stopped with the twists and turns, and that's one of the reasons why I appreciate him so. His more recent releases hold up well next to his "classic" period, IMO. I can't say that about very many artists.

I got a chuckle when I read that some fans were walking out of shows from his new White Knight tour because of "Tin Foil Hat", his and Donald Fagen's humorous anti-Trump song.

 

That's a word that is tossed around far too freely in music, but I honestly think that Todd is one of the few who would still be considered a genius even if he had never played a note (along with Frank).

 

If he makes McCartney look focused, then being unfocused is a big asset, because Todd is my #3 artist and McCartney wouldn't be in my top 100.

That's not to suggest that I don't like solo McCartney + Wings--I do. I like him a lot. And McCartney/Wings are definitely in my 100-200 range, higher than solo Lennon, Harrison and Starr. But he's nowhere near Todd caliber to me. The Beatles aren't either.

 

WIZARD - A TODD A TRUE STAR the man is untouchable. Jumped on at Adventures in Utopia. Never jumped off and my friends were too dumb to realize how great he was.

Hey albums folks .. any problems with the vinyls going over 30 minutes a side

 

Haven't bought any Todd in many years, though I'll always try and listen when he does something new. His latest one has two great tracks on it, especially the return to pop form duet with Moe Berg.
I always look back on his first 5 with great memories.
I got Todd for Christmas way back when and the old man was not happy about seeing the guy with colored hair was going to be in my record collection. But of course he never did any shopping for me unless it was something I didn't ask for that he thought I'd like.

 

I'm not obsessed with him, but he's a great talent. Runt and Something/Anything? are classics. I also like his production with Badfinger, Meat Loaf, and Cheap Trick.

 

I'm going to "get" the Marvin reference. It's just a matter of time.

 

But his classic albums* also make McCartney look a little bit quotidian.

*For me Wizard and Todd, along with the classic early songs.

 

I love Todd and I've seen him live many times. He is a consummate musician, a work-a-holic and a great producer. He's brimming with ideas and energy. He's up there with Zappa in terms of the variety and volume of work his work.

Fortunately for me my wife was a big fan when I started dating her and she converted me. I had written him off as some wimpy singersongr writer who wore silver lame jumpsuits and too much mascara. I liked his hits but I thought he was aiming at teenage girls as his target audience. Boy was I wrong.

 

Todd was The Beatles in the seventies.
Sorted !!!

 

Don't forget the follow up. https://smile.amazon.com/Dream-Goes...&qid=1500554186&sr=1-4&keywords=todd+rundgren

 

My top 10 including Utopia

1. Wizard
2. Something Anything
3. Hermit of Mink Hollow
4. Utopia - Adventures Utopia
5. Faithful
6. Utopia - RA
7. Utopia - Deface The Music
8. Runt
9. Healing
10. Utopia

 

Yeah ..have that one, invaluable.
Pt 2 i want : covers UTOPIA.

 

Nice list.

 

(first Utopia album) I LOVE this album, I've had three or four copies of it. I bought it when it was his new album, 74 or 75 or something. A friend of mine, an early audiophile, great stereo and knew a lot about music technical things, told me theres NO WAY a rock album could have a 30 minute side. "The needle will jump right out of the track! The grooves are too close together!"

it never did.... I played that thing to death.

 

Beach Boys early albums were like 27/28 minutes.

 

I remember him telling me to turn the bass way down or the needle would jump out of the groove. It never did. I didnt turn the bass down either.

Maybe Todd mastered it that way, I dunno.

 

Sadly the two Billy James books are so poorly laid out and copy edited that I've only read both once. Even physically, copies had a tendency to fall apart. They are one of the best arguments I've seen in favor of professional publishing standards. A Wizard/A True Star: Todd Rundgren In The Studio by Paul Meyers, on the other hand, is excellent and very well produced. I wish an exceptional writer like Graeme Thomson would do a through book on Todd like his ones on George Harrison, Phil Lynott and Kate Bush.

 

Agree. Handle with care,
Cheap publisher.
Still invaluable.

Wouldn't mind Byrds guru Johnny Rogan doing one on Todd.

 

My top 10

A Wizard A True Star
Another Live
Hermit Of Mink Hollow
Ra
Todd
Healing
Nearly Human
Something Anything
The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect
Faithful

 

Great how he's never attempted to do a AWATS vol 2 ...ditto S/A? 2.

 

Top 10 Todd (solo in order of release):

The Ballad Of Todd Rundgren
Something/Anything
A Wizard A True Star
Todd
Initiation
Faithfull
Hermit Of Mink Hollow
Back To The Bars
Healing
Liars

Top 5 Utopia:

TR's Utopia
Another Live
Ra
Oops Wrong Planet
Adventures In Utopia

 

The one undeniable fact about Todd's career is that he'll never do the same thing twice.

 

I think I was about 5 years old when I first heard Hello It's Me on the radio and I've been into his music ever since then. I loved Todd's early 1970s stuff. I would just repeat Wizard or Todd for days on end, such incredible variety! Show tunes, novelty songs, children's songs, hard rock, he could write and play almost anything. I've always thought that Something/Anything was a sort of early version of the "boxed set" thing going on now because this was the first time I'd seen an artist include older songs on an album for archival purposes. As time went on though he sort of broke away from the short neatly-constructed songs and experimental stuff that I liked, and Hermit of Mink Hollow was the last Todd album that I really got into. His post-1970s music wasn't quite as interesting to me. I bought Nearly Human when it came out but didn't really enjoy his "new" style all that much, although the production quality was excellent. I'd love to hear him put out something like Wizard again.

 

I've always been partial to Healing, Wizard and Initiation. I think these are Todd's finest moments. I have to say though that I really like 'White Knight' - it's the first of Todd's recent albums that has really grabbed me. I will go back and check out Liars now also - I've always skipped over that one because of the silly artwork on the cover.