Teasing the Korean Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 (edited) Funny how you outgrow certain styles and artists, and keep coming back to others. While I don't find myself listening to my TR records very often, I'm kind of amazed at how they affect me when I do play them. Anyone else share this experience? Edited August 21, 2021 by Teasing the Korean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 Wizard is a great, great album. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalo Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 Though I never bought into the "Godd" assessment, Todd was one of my earliest musical obsessions (after Gilbert and Sullivan and Tom Lehrer, for what that's worth). Born in 1961, I became a big Rundgren fan in high school, circa 1978, at the urging of a charismatic and talented guitarist, singer, and tennis player who was a year ahead of me. The current Todd album was The Hermit of Mink Hollow, and I have to admit that I fell for it, hard. I quickly acquired just about everything Rundgren had recorded, and continued to do so until about 1980. Whatever anyone thinks of the man today, Todd was then the proud possessor of some serious pop chops (just ask Sangrey... seriously!). In what I have long referred to as my "Draconian" period -- when I sold most of my rock and pop vinyl to fuel my growing obsession with jazz in the mid-80s -- I divested myself of my Rundgren holdings, save for my original copy of Something/Anything?, which I still listened to on semi-annual occasion to re-live the thrilling days of shame and glory that were my late-'70s. So, to answer your question, TtK, the other day, as I was cruising my local thrift store for bargains, I came upon a nearly mint-condition vinyl copy of The Hermit of Mink Hollow and I bought it. So, yeah, my Todd-olatry flares up now and again... But, seriously, just shoot me if you ever find me paying top-dollar for a first pressing of Utopia's RA . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalo Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 Wizard is a great, great album. Next one I'll buy again, for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Johnson Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 I saw the light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 This was the first one I heard, in fact the vinyl is probably somewhere in storage at my Grandmother's house. For the life of me I can't remember anything about it! I'll have to admit that I'm really not very familiar with Todd's music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen archer Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 Another pretty thing dead on the end of the shaft Of the zen archer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDK Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 Not a huge fan, but "I Saw the Light" is one great pop song. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 (edited) I think Todd has cranked out a lot of great songs over the years (great albums not so many). But he is very willing to experiment and has made a mark as a producer (XTC's Skylarking among others). He is much, much more than the handful of top 40 songs that he is known for. One album that is a sentimental favorite (but is completely lost in the early 80s soundwise) is Healing, particulary the Healing suite. One of my favorite all-time pop/rock songs is "Something to Fall Back On" from A Cappella (an album created entirely with his voice - synthesized and natural). PS - Never been a big Utopia fan - they are pleasant enough, but hardly "special". Edited June 15, 2007 by Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalo Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 This was the first one I heard, in fact the vinyl is probably somewhere in storage at my Grandmother's house. For the life of me I can't remember anything about it! I'll have to admit that I'm really not very familiar with Todd's music. Must not be very memorable, because I used to own it and can't recall a damn thing about it either, apart from the cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 Used to be into Wizard, Something/Anything, and Hermit back when Reagan was first runing for president. Much more recently, I've gotten into a few Nazz songs, and wondered if it would be worth it to get one of the CD reprints of one of their albums, but haven't taken the plunge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasing the Korean Posted June 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 Used to be into Wizard, Something/Anything, and Hermit back when Reagan was first runing for president. Much more recently, I've gotten into a few Nazz songs, and wondered if it would be worth it to get one of the CD reprints of one of their albums, but haven't taken the plunge. Nazz albums were very uneven. You may be better off with a "Best of." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundog Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 Still like Todd very much. I worked a summer job delivering pianos many years ago with a guy who was a Todd freak. That's all we would listen to as we made our rounds. I can still here his voice now, "...screw Eric Clapton. Todd is God!" A lot of great Todd/Utopia already mentioned. Initiation is a greatly overlooked album in my opinion. P.S. A lot of good Todd on youtube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasing the Korean Posted June 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 I don't think anyone's mentioned "The Ballad of Todd Rundgren," his second album. "The Wailing Wall" and "Be Nice to Me" are on that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 Used to be into Wizard, Something/Anything, and Hermit back when Reagan was first runing for president. Much more recently, I've gotten into a few Nazz songs, and wondered if it would be worth it to get one of the CD reprints of one of their albums, but haven't taken the plunge. Nazz albums were very uneven. You may be better off with a "Best of." My thought exactly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 Whatever anyone thinks of the man today, Todd was then the proud possessor of some serious pop chops (just ask Sangrey... seriously!). . Far be it from me to assert any mantle of Pop Presidentiality here or otherwise, but yeah, I always thought the guy had pop skills/chops/whatever in abundance, to the point, in fact, that I wish he had spent more time producing pop records for others and less making prog-rock ones for himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalo Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 I always thought the guy had pop skills/chops/whatever in abundance, to the point, in fact, that I wish he had spent more time producing pop records for others and less making prog-rock ones for himself. Good point. I wish that had happened, too. For what it's worth, I invoked your name above because I recalled a previous thread where you made that very assertion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 Quite possibly so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny E Posted July 21, 2007 Report Share Posted July 21, 2007 I love this record. We Gotta Get You a Woman still make me laugh. Philly boy like me. Some of my older sisters friends went school with. He's got that Philly sound for sure. Love ya' Todd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GA Russell Posted July 21, 2007 Report Share Posted July 21, 2007 There was an article in the paper a week ago about Rundgren's son, who is a minor league baseball player for the local team, the Carolina Mudcats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasing the Korean Posted August 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjazzg Posted August 21, 2021 Report Share Posted August 21, 2021 17 minutes ago, Teasing the Korean said: isn't this why The Clash existed? Will you please stop reliving my teenage years Todd, Utopia, oh yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasing the Korean Posted August 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2021 29 minutes ago, mjazzg said: isn't this why The Clash existed? Todd had cred in punk/new wave/alternative circles, at least in my experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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