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Thread: Todd Rundgren 101

  1. #1

    Todd Rundgren 101

    I've been procrastinating on Todd for some years, I've only explored Utopia and A Wizard, A True Star beyond that I know nothing, what else do you recommend, I'm partial to the more rocking, art rock, power pop stuff. Thanks!
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  2. #2
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    Just as a start, I'd go with Todd, Initiation and Utopia-RA. I am a fan of pretty much everything he's done, so there is much to explore.

  3. #3
    Second RA. Also, Another Live.
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  4. #4
    Moderator Sean's Avatar
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    Another Live, Initiation, and RA are the other ones in that ballpark. After RA it gets very pop very quick. Some great stuff there but the progger in you will dig what I mentioned above first, I think.

  5. #5
    Geriatric Anomaly progeezer's Avatar
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    To really understand Todd's music, get the debut Nazz album. Imo one of the most underexposed great bands of the late 60s, with TR as the songwriter, lead guitarist and producer, but not the lead singer. He was only 18, and the other 3 band members were younger than that. An amazing album imo.

    BTW, I've always thought Stewkey's "Hello It's Me" was better than TR's later version.
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  6. #6
    I think you would like Hermit of Mink Hollow if you like power pop stuff

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    Quote Originally Posted by progeezer View Post
    To really understand Todd's music, get the debut Nazz album. Imo one of the most underexposed great bands of the late 60s, with TR as the songwriter, lead guitarist and producer, but not the lead singer. He was only 18, and the other 3 band members were younger than that. An amazing album imo.

    BTW, I've always thought Stewkey's "Hello It's Me" was better than TR's later version.
    The second Nazz LP, Nazz Nazz was as good if not better, and Nazz III had some good material ("Magic Me")as well. I would also get Todd(double LP)

  9. #9
    Member Plasmatopia's Avatar
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    I was a huge Todd fan for ages, but couldn't get into the Nazz at all. About a week ago a Nazz tune came up while shuffling tunes and I liked it pretty well...but I still find much more to like about solo Todd and Utopia albums than Nazz. If I wasn't supposed to be learning a crap-load of new tunes for a gig this weekend I'd go listen to some more Nazz, lol...

    Of Todd's solo stuff I like (almost) everything from "Something/Anything" up through "2nd Wind"...I know a lot of people like the album "Todd", but for some reason it never resonated. I think that's probably because Todd is/was very much associated with a certain time of my life and I came to the "Todd" album too late.

    As far as Utopia goes...just get all the albums. I wouldn't bother with a lot of the Utopia live video stuff...just a bit to rough around the edges most of the time.

    I go forward in life proudly infused with a Todd aesthetic/philosophy even if I sort of burned out on his music years ago and don't seem to enjoy most of his recent output.
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  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Dave View Post
    I think you would like Hermit of Mink Hollow if you like power pop stuff
    I know lots of Todd fans love this one, but I thought it was overall pretty mediocre, with few real highlights. Todd’s heart is in the right place but he seemed to be in a songwriting slump; tunes like “Out of Control” and “You Cried Wolf” in particular strike me as uninspired and half-assed. And when Todd gets all preachy (“Bag Lady” and “Bread”), it never fails to make me cringe (see also Swing to the Right and some of Oops! Wrong Planet).

    Get Something/Anything? first/instead, the hit-to-miss ratio on that one is strongly in favour of the “hit” side (“Piss Aaron” is the only song I generally skip), and it’s a double album!
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  11. #11
    Geriatric Anomaly progeezer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Calabasas_Trafalgar View Post
    The second Nazz LP, Nazz Nazz was as good if not better, and Nazz III had some good material ("Magic Me")as well. I would also get Todd(double LP)
    I almost mentioned Nazz Nazz in my post, and while I don't think its material is as strong as the debut, there is much to like. I was pretty disappointed when Nazz III came out. I think by that time TR was already thinking about Runt when he was writing for III and was giving short shrift to the band he knew he was going to leave imminently, even though Runt was released prior to III.
    "My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician, and to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference"

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  12. #12
    Another Live, Todd, Ra, and Something?Anything.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by progeezer View Post
    I almost mentioned Nazz Nazz in my post, and while I don't think its material is as strong as the debut, there is much to like. I was pretty disappointed when Nazz III came out. I think by that time TR was already thinking about Runt when he was writing for III and was giving short shrift to the band he knew he was going to leave imminently, even though Runt was released prior to III.
    Actually, Nazz Nazz was originally conceived as a double album called Fungo Bat. But SGC balked at releasing a double LP, and only released a disc's worth of recordings. As I understand it: Nazz III is comprised of the B-material that didn't make it onto the second album, released posthumously to cash in on Todd having a solo hit in the top 20 at the time.
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  14. #14
    Geriatric Anomaly progeezer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Progbear View Post
    Actually, Nazz Nazz was originally conceived as a double album called Fungo Bat. But SGC balked at releasing a double LP, and only released a disc's worth of recordings. As I understand it: Nazz III is comprised of the B-material that didn't make it onto the second album, released posthumously to cash in on Todd having a solo hit in the top 20 at the time.
    I had forgotten all about that, but you're absolutely right. IMO, "Christopher Columbus" is the only song on III that should have been on Nazz Nazz.
    "My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician, and to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference"

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rufus View Post
    RA
    This one has a lot of fans on here. Personally I find it so over the top, it's almost like a prog parody. I'm sure there's a certain degree of humour on there, but it's a bit too much for my taste.

    Seeing as you liked 'A Wizard...'- one of the most inventive albums of the 70s, I think- the obvious next port of call for his solo albums is 'Todd', which is almost of the same standard. 'The Last Ride' is particularly stunning. And although it's not in the same vein really, 'Something/Anything' is another classic- the first side is one of the best sides of any album of the period. 'I Saw The Night', 'It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference', 'Cold Morning Light'...three songs that most people would have killed for, and all one side of a double album. I like the heavy 'Black Maria' on there too.

    The thing with Todd, he can be terribly indulgent but also brilliant on the same album. 'Faithful' springs to mind- it has that whole side of recreations of 60s songs which is in the 'very clever but what's the point' category. And the second side has gorgeous stuff like 'The Verb To Love' on it.

    Nazz, I'm sorry to say, I only know the obvious 'Open My Eyes' offhand. But it's amazing!

  16. #16
    Something/Anything was my introduction to Todd. I bought Wizard after seeing that bizarre ad in Rolling Stone. As far as double albums go, S/A beats out Todd.

    I first heard Open My Eyes on the Nuggets album compiled by Lenny Kaye. Found Nazz and Nazz Nazz in cutout bins for 50 cents and dug them (It's a nugget if you dug it!) I like the song Under the Ice from the second as it has a real Who vibe to it.

  17. #17
    Aside from RA, I would rate Liars as his best work!

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Progbear View Post
    I know lots of Todd fans love this one, but I thought it was overall pretty mediocre, with few real highlights. Todd’s heart is in the right place but he seemed to be in a songwriting slump; tunes like “Out of Control” and “You Cried Wolf” in particular strike me as uninspired and half-assed. And when Todd gets all preachy (“Bag Lady” and “Bread”), it never fails to make me cringe (see also Swing to the Right and some of Oops! Wrong Planet).

    Get Something/Anything? first/instead, the hit-to-miss ratio on that one is strongly in favour of the “hit” side (“Piss Aaron” is the only song I generally skip), and it’s a double album!
    I mostly listen to it for Lucky Guy, Too Far Gone, Determination. Go figure...

  19. #19
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    Side one of initiation is Todd's best album side IMO. Hermit of Mink Hollow is also very well crafted.

  20. #20
    For me, A Wizard, Something / Anything, Initiation, Todd, Hermit of Mink Hollow. As several other people mentioned, the first couple of Nazz albums, plus from Utopia I'd highly recommend the s/t debut. Todd is probably my biggest all-round musical influence.

  21. #21
    Todd's all over the place. He makes a prog album with some pop ditties, then a full pop album, then a rap album, then an acapella album....I wish he'd make a total career retrospective but the closest there is is the Rhino 70-85 double CD which is quite good and is what I used to get myself into Todd with in the early late 80's.

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