Who's that man? (Todd Rundgren) (LP 3664 - 3671)

Todd Rundgren  Runt (CD, Bearsville Records, 1970) ****  

Todd Rundgren  Runt. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren (CD, Bearsville Records, 1971) ***** 

Todd Rundgren  Something/ Anything? (Vinyl, Bearsville Records, 1972) ***** 

Todd Rundgren's Utopia  Another Live (Vinyl, Bearsville Records, 1975) **** 

Todd Rundgren  Faithful (Vinyl, Bearsville Records, 1976) *** 

Todd Rundgren  Back to the Bars (CD, Bearsville Records, 1978) **** 

Todd Rundgren  Hermit of Mink Hollow  (Vinyl, Bearsville Records, 1978) ****  

Utopia  Deface the Music  (CD, Bearsville Records, 1980) ****

Genre: Rock, pop, prog rock 

Places I remember: Fives, Real Groovy Records, Taupo record shop

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: We Gotta Get You A Woman (Runt)

Gear costume: The Verb "To Love" (Back to the Bars)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6

Active compensatory factors: The genius tag has been applied to Todd and I'm not going to argue.

Runt was his first solo album (he was previously in The Nazz), and it contains an embarrassment of riches. The AllMusic review makes the claim that Todd is a 'gifted synthesist, blending all manners of musical styles and quirks into a distinctive signature sound'. Spot on as he tries out a variety of looks on Runt: guitar wig outs, ballads, pop songs - each with impressive mastery.

He followed up that album with the confusingly titled Runt. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren a year later. Todd wrote, arranged, produced, sang lead and played all the guitars and keyboards. Yes, there are a lot of ballads on the album, but Todd rocks out on songs like Parole, as well. AllMusic sums it up well, calling the album 'the slyly sardonic masterwork of a loner who may be sensitive, but is certainly not shy'.

Something/ Anything? is a double album. Of course, it is, and it's only his third album. His third in three years. And a double!

Amazingly, it's also a terrific work of art. Each side has a different theme: side one 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 live in the studio with a full band (sides 1 to 3 are recorded in the studio with Todd playing all instruments and singing all vocals). We're talking genius level, right there.

Utopia is a band that Todd formed in 1973 as an outlet for his prog rock visions. I had quite a few of their albums, but in the end kept only Another Live (1975), and Deface the Music (1980). Utopia albums are threaded through his solo catalogue, so I've unified them for this post.

I kept Another Live because it rocks! Especially side 1 which features all new compositions. The songs tend to be on side 2. On the whole I prefer Todd's solo albums (admittedly, they include a variety of Utopia members at times). Utopia is synth heavy and includes impenetrable lyrics/ideas some of the time.

The intensity and consistency of approach on the album stems from the fact that most of the tracks are from one location - a gig at Wollman Rink 25 August, 1975, rather than cherry picking from loads of concerts.

Faithful features some members of Utopia joining Todd in covering some songs released in 1966 by rock'n'roll's heavy hitters - The Beach Boys, The Yardbirds, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Bob Dylan. Those covers are all faithful to the original and make up side one. 

The only one that doesn't work is the attempt at Dylan's Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine. He tries a Dylan impression and it's a little off. He sings the rest in his own voice, so the Dylan decision is a strange one. He'd eventually play in a band with Ringo, I wonder if discussion turned to his Fabs attempts (Rain, Strawberry Fields Forever) on Faithful?

Side two collects some of Todd's latest, and best songs. The Verb "To Love" is one of my favourites, but there is also Love of the Common Man, Black and White and Cliche.

Those songs would appear along with some of Todd's biggest hits on the double live album - Back to the Bars. Again the Utopia musicians make up the band.

It's one of those albums that immediately takes me back to a place and time. In this case it's our Taupo house on a family holiday. I'd bought the album in Taupo and played it over and over during that holiday.

Hermit of Mink Hollow has Todd back in true solo mode - he plays and sings everything, arranges and produces. Like Something/Anything? he labels each side. Side 1 is the easy side, side 2 is the difficult side.

Todd had just separated from Playboy model Beverle Lorence 'Bebe' Buell, so there's a certain melancholy vibe to the songs, although Todd denies that there is an autobiographical aspect going on. Can We Still Be Friends and Hurting For You provide the truth to that misdirection.  

Deface the Music sets out its stall right from the cover image! Todd goes down The Rutles route with Utopia. It's a lot of fun too (just like The Rutles).

Where do they all belong? I'll bought and sold a lot more Todd Rundgren albums over the years but I'm happy with my selling and buying decisions. He is a gifted guy, but quality control can sometimes be an issue.

A blade of grass through the vortex of sound (Patti Smith) #346-349

Patti Smith Group because the night/ GOD SPEED (Arista Records, AR 11688, 1978)

Patti Smith Group Privilege (Set Me Free); Ask The Angels/ 25th Floor; A Poem Babelfield (Arista records 12", POP 1, 1978)

Patti Smith Group Frederick/ Fire Of Unknown Origin (Arista Records, ATA 709, 1979)

Patti Smith People Have The Power/ Wild Leaves (Arista Records, 104889, 1988)

Because The Night (upper or lower case- it matters not) was huge in its day but over familiarity since then (it's turned up on countless compilations)  has led to...well- not contempt - this is Patti bleedin' Smith after all, but a diminishing of power. Though, having said that, the version on her Live at Montreaux DVD from 2005 definitely rocked. Maybe it's context, being surrounded by other Smith songs, that helps. 

Patti is no elitist snob; she is obviously not opposed to having hit records. Frederick and People Have The Power are attempts at writing pop songs and she manages that feat with aplomb. Frederick, in particular is glorious. Todd's pop sheen production is perfect!

Hidden gem: Patti subscribes to the notion that B sides should contain nuggets not included on albums so all of these singles contain interesting material.

The live version of 25th Floor and the poem Babelfield (with its torrent of words and images) are especially extraordinary.

It can't get no worse (The Beatles) #158 - 159

Steve Hillage Getting Better/ Palm Trees (Love Guitar) (Virgin, VS 212, 1978)

Steve Hillage It's All Too Much/ Shimmer (Virgin, VS 161, 1976)

Steve Hillage is an English guitarist who loosely connects to the hippy French band Gong and progressive English rock outfit Egg. All appear on the Virgin Records roster.

Haven't heard of 'em? How about The Beatles? Heard of them?

Steve covers a couple of Beatle numbers on these A sides. Of the two, George Harrison's song It's All Too Much seems the most suited to Steve's trippy dream scape guitar style.

It doesn't stray far from the original, even the vocals are Harrisonesque, so I'm not too sure what the point was. Maybe Todd Rundgren suggested it? Who knows.

Getting Better is a strange choice but he mercifully doesn't include the 'beating my woman' verse and he does try for a different approach. Also weirdly it didn't appear on the album Green, although its B side did.

Hidden gems: Shimmer wasn't released on the parent album L but will have been added as a bonus since I'm sure. It's an experimental studio noodling exercise on synths that is fine as a throwaway B side but nothing special.

Palm Trees is much more representative of his meditative approach and vibe and is therefore a true hidden gem. It was produced by Steve and Nick Mason from Pink Floyd fame. I like Nick and I like what he brings to his productions. Gold star standard!

Last night in Little Rock put me in a haze (Grand Funk Railroad) #121

Grand Funk Railroad We're An American Band/ Creepin (Capitol, F 3660, 1973)

Grand Funk Railroad are one of my eldest son's favourite bands. I'm surmising but I think it's the unpretentious earthy dumbness he appreciates.

Somehow this bluesy Cream style trio of boys from Flint Michigan were huge in the late sixties, early seventies.

By the time We're An American Band went to the top of the charts the band had added a fourth member and became more pop rock oriented. Having Todd Rundgren producing didn't hurt as this and the next single both went to number 1.

Hidden gem: Creepin is a longish track from the album (elsewhere The Railroad, also on the parent album, was used). It's quite tasteful - a mid tempo bluesy song with some nice organ - the antithesis of the A side's bluster.