Todd Rundgren's return to the '70s? RUNDDANS

[Luckie]

It's Todd Rundgren week on Progressive Ears!
Rundgren has a techno-pop-funk solo album out shortly (Global), but there's also a long-awaited collaboration due out in May that should appeal more to the prog purists.


Runddans is the record that Todd-heads have been waiting 40 years for. Cosmic disco pioneer Hans-Peter Lindstrøm and Emil Nikolaisen of Serena-Maneesh have taken Todd Rundgren back to the future, back to the mid-‘70s glory days of Todd and Initiation, albums filled with spiritual longing and a desire to achieve transcendence. Dense, complex, thrillingly intricate yet sweepingly emotional, here the original laptop kid and the Norwegian electronicists capture a long-lost time while also managing to sound utterly future-perfect [Paul Lester]



Can't wait!

[JKL2000]

Does this include actual new input from Todd or did they just work with existing material?

Thanks for letting us know in any case!

[HONDO]

Love me some Todd. This sounds like it is going to be a good one indeed. The guy is constantly exploring and expanding. Say what you will, I know that Prog Heads consider some of his outputs to be duds but that is what the man does, never sticking to just one sound or format, always going forward. In this case maybe backwards Thanks for the heads up Luckie.

[trurl]

I generally like his forays into electronica, even if they're a little cheesy sometimes. It should be cool to hear what he does with someone with actual creed in that regard.

[Luckie]

Does this include actual new input from Todd or did they just work with existing material?

It's new material as far as I know - they've been working on it off and on for over 2 years, and recorded together in Norway and Hawaii. (There are some examples of the music in the youtube video in my opening post.)

[JKL2000]

Todd's bi-color do is tied with Mike Portnoy's blue beard and Jordan Rudess' beard handle for most annoying hair thing.

[Luckie]

Todd's bi-color do is tied with Mike Portnoy's blue beard and Jordan Rudess' beard handle for most annoying hair thing.

I'll accept anything but his 1985 Star Trek extra with ponytail look, thanks.

[JKL2000]

I'll accept anything but his 1985 Star Trek extra with ponytail look, thanks.

LOL I remember his tail from the cover of POV.

[Luckie]

Come to think of it, it might have been two bunches.

I think I've ruined my own thread.

[JKL2000]

^^ Oh, I think you're right. The Cabin Boy look.

[Firth]

Interview is interesting.

[Luckie]

Two long samples from the album. Can't wait to hear the whole thing.

http://chirb.it/N5t9Jm

http://chirb.it/b9cLBw

[Luckie]

It's officially released next week, but the whole album is currently streaming here: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...social_twitter

It's brilliant.

[Firth]

It's officially released next week, but the whole album is currently streaming here: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...social_twitter

It's brilliant.

Is this what he is doing live?

[Luckie]

Is this what he is doing live?

No, he's promoting Global live, a far cry from this.

There's an interesting interview with Rundgren in the new Mojo magazine that also talks with his two collaborators. They say it was a deliberate attempt to recreate something that was redolent of Initiation-era Todd, and there are a few meta-references hidden in the album. Will listen in depth when the CD arrives. ("Now if you have a pair of headphones, you better get 'em on, get 'em cranked up, 'cos they're really gonna help you on this one.")

[aith01]

No, he's promoting Global live, a far cry from this.

There's an interesting interview with Rundgren in the new Mojo magazine that also talks with his two collaborators. They say it was a deliberate attempt to recreate something that was redolent of Initiation-era Todd, and there are a few meta-references hidden in the album. Will listen in depth when the CD arrives. ("Now if you have a pair of headphones, you better get 'em on, get 'em cranked up, 'cos they're really gonna help you on this one.")

Nice. Was always one of my favorite moments on Something/Anything?.

This sounds very exciting. I'm looking forward to it even more now. Will probably wait until I have the physical release before hearing it.

[100423]

I've been in a bit of a Todd mood this morning so it's time to check this out. Thanks!

[Luckie]

Have been listening to this almost daily for 3 weeks now. Beautiful album. Positive review in Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/al...ddans-20150518

[gpeccary]

Todd's bi-color do is tied with Mike Portnoy's blue beard and Jordan Rudess' beard handle for most annoying hair thing.

...but not nearly as in your face and hardly as annoying as the other two! He's had weird hair for ages. Hair aside, the guy is amazing, never one to rest on his laurels or afraid to jump in and try something new. The album is out, just bought it.

[gpeccary]

The album is wonderful!