Getting into Todd Rundgren - where to next?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by warewolf95, Nov 12, 2017.

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  1. warewolf95

    warewolf95 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Greenville, SC
    I'll take any and all book suggestions. Thanks for the heads up. Can't wait to check it out. :)
     
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  2. The Panda

    The Panda Forum Mutant

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    Marple, PA, USA
    That's all you need
     
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  3. Chris DeVoe

    Chris DeVoe RIP Vickie Mapes Williams (aka Equipoise)

    There are the two Billy James books, but they are so desperately in need of a good editor that they are painful to read.
     
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  4. The Panda

    The Panda Forum Mutant

    Location:
    Marple, PA, USA
    I was probably listening to you when I bought the AWATS book, I remember someone here saying the same thing.
     
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  5. telecode101

    telecode101 Forum Resident

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    I think that's the only one ever written on him isn't it?

    I have an out of print edition of "The Record Producers" where there is an entire chapter on him and Utopia and the records he made in the 70s.

    https://www.amazon.com/Record-Producers-BBC-Radio/dp/0563179589

    It's a great resource on 60s and 70s music IMO.
     
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  6. telecode101

    telecode101 Forum Resident

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    Interesting article. He made Nearly Human and 2nd Wind and that was it. I am sure he could have kept pumping out a lot more experimental music between those two records. He must have either wanted to get out quick or WB ditched him. Who knows.
     
  7. telecode101

    telecode101 Forum Resident

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    FWIW.. It seems a lot of artists didn't like working with him in the studio. He does not seem (or seemed) to be a people person like a Glyn Johns or George Martin.
     
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  8. edenofflowers

    edenofflowers A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular!

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    UK
    My fave rave Todd performance. Heartbreaking...

     
  9. The Panda

    The Panda Forum Mutant

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    You're forgetting A Capella, which he didn't 'make' for WB technically. They only grabbed it cause it was booted
     
  10. The Panda

    The Panda Forum Mutant

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    Marple, PA, USA
    Yea, you're being kind. He doesn't care, to be sure.
    Andy Partridge used to be very vocal about his lack of people skills, but he's softened as the years have passed.
     
  11. As others have mentioned the first four are essential at least to start. They aren't sonic masterpieces but are really creative.
     
  12. ralphb

    ralphb "First they came for..."

    Location:
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    Runt
    Ballad Of Todd Rundgren
    Something/Anything
    A Wizard A True Star
    Todd
     
  13. Stencil

    Stencil Forum Resident

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    Lockport, IL
    agreed. Its an album I like but can rarely get through it because it usually just makes me want to listen to The Beatles.
     
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  14. Chris DeVoe

    Chris DeVoe RIP Vickie Mapes Williams (aka Equipoise)

    When he was interviewed on the fan webcast Rundgren Radio, Andy said "He has the people skills of a Dalek, but is a God among arrangers."

    Andy Partridge was all offended that Todd recorded a guide vocal for one of the songs on Skylarking, but it turns out he has done the same thing for far better singers than Andy, like Fee Waybill of The Tubes.



    Myself, I've had pleasant contacts with him. Possibly Michele has been a moderating influence, having kids or just age. My personal theory is that he was ADD or ADHD - the only drugs he has been known to use are pot, magic mushrooms ... and Ritalin. The first two are about mind-expansion, and the last is just a weird thing to use unless you're self-medicating.

    People on this forum give him a lot of grief for not being a more exacting engineer, but the more important part of being a producer is getting the performance - which is why Bat Out of Hell sold tens of millions of copies, the performance. Most of those were first or second takes.

    I do have to say, his mixes have improved dramatically since he started mixing "in the box". Automation saved him a huge amount of tedious work - as far as I know, he never had an automated mixing system at his studio. Being able to fiddle with the mix on his laptop, and tweak little bits without having to duplicate every other part at the same time would have made mixing much more appealing.
     
    Last edited: Nov 13, 2017
  15. awizard

    awizard Forum Resident

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    Massacusetts
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  16. Chris DeVoe

    Chris DeVoe RIP Vickie Mapes Williams (aka Equipoise)

     
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  17. William Smart

    William Smart 21st Century Schizoid Man

    Location:
    North Haven, CT
    Ya had to bring THAT up? If I dis-liked Singring this would border on maniacal hatred. Just saying..... I know someone is going to say they love it now. Far be it for me to trample the sanctity of subjectivity, but.......where does subjectivity end and bad taste begin exactly?
     
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  18. Chris DeVoe

    Chris DeVoe RIP Vickie Mapes Williams (aka Equipoise)

    A song that Todd literally wrote in his sleep! He dreamed it, woke up and wrote it down. And with Jesse, he takes a melody that many songwriters would sell their own mothers into slavery to have written, and tosses it off as a partisan joke.
     
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  19. William Smart

    William Smart 21st Century Schizoid Man

    Location:
    North Haven, CT
    Definitely a genius. Faithful was the last album I bought. But I have everything up til then. I should check out some of the later stuff.
     
  20. 86mets

    86mets Counting Crows #1 Fan

    Back to the Bars is ESSENTIAL...a fantastic career up to that point overview...one of my favorite Live albums for any artist...
     
  21. gojikranz

    gojikranz Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sacramento
    ill stand up for the later releases people have said enough good stuff about the early albums.

    individualist, and liars are up there in the top tier for me. No world order is insane but once you get past that it is quite enjoyable. the recent albums have all been quite enjoyable as well. if you like what you are hearing keep going the well is deep and full of treasure.
     
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  22. I confess to liking some songs off later efforts, but just not having spent enough time to say so either way on anything (unique, eclectic, still some great material, but nothing that stuck with me strongly)

    So, incorporating those Utopia albums you're asking about... I'm not a gigantic Prog fan, but being a gigantic music fan, there's plenty of Prog I do love. It's just less often, smaller doses & somewhat less enthusiasm than for some other stuff... so Todd's more Prog stuff (Initiation, Todd Rundgren's Utopia, Ra & Disco Jets) would be Level IV here for me (so would all the Nazz albums)- and Todd's Prog is some of my favorite Prog ever!!!

    Finally... he's still at the top of his game live, but when he tours on a new album, that new album takes up big amounts of the set list... when he tours on a "hits" tour (and it's usually listed as something like that), he's really worth making the effort to catch, always! So, with that in mind, I'm sure most anything live by him is worth checking out with a most special shout out to "Back To The Bars" which holds a special place in my heart- as it was my real deeper intro to his work & set me off in search of the studio works... one of the greatest live albums ever!! Also, for you, I think "Another Live" would be of great interest too.
    OK then, at long last, here's my list

    Level I:
    Runt- The Ballad Of Todd Rundgren
    Something/Anything
    A Wizard, A True Star
    Healing

    Level II:
    Runt
    Todd
    Faithful
    Hermit Of Mink Hollow
    A Capella
    *Deface The Music
    *Swing To The Right
    *Utopia
    *Oblivion

    Level III:
    The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect
    Nearly Human
    *Oops! Wrong Planet
    *Adventures In Utopia
    *P.O.V.
     
    Last edited: Nov 13, 2017
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  23. Chris DeVoe

    Chris DeVoe RIP Vickie Mapes Williams (aka Equipoise)

    Todd's gift for melody has never deserted him. Even if you're not fond of the genres he is currently working in, he's still creating songs that can tear your heart out. Like Soothe - my dream is to hear Jennifer Warnes cover it.
     
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  24. I'm always interested & occasionally delve in a bit deeper with his later stuff, but not much or very seriously. That said, I've come to know some later material from live shows & I certainly appreciate lots of it & acknowledge that same restless creative Spirit & wildly eclectic nature abounds... it's just been diminishing returns& nothing grabbing me, enough... yet...

    And the "yet" is where you come in. The last one that moved me to any degree was "Nearly Human". Sooooo...as the Chief resident Rundgrenarian/Rundgrenite/Rundgrener around here...
    Which albums would you most recommend to an older Todd Head? List everything, in order of your deepest loves to lesser so... and, if you could, tip me off to the easiest to begin, having seen my own little list/dissertation in post #98.
     
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