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Surf's Up For Todd
Rundgren
by
Midnight Jones 6-30-99
Todd
Rundgren
is a pioneer. In addition to more than three decades as an entertainer,
including 15 records and production credits with numerous other
hit artists--like Carole King and Patti Smith, to name a few--he
has also been at the forefront of many of the music industry's
technological advances.
Under his credit belt
lies the first live interactive television concert (Warner CUBE
System), the second music video to appear on MTV ("Time Heals"),
the first tablet-based digital paintbox for personal computers
(Utopia Graphics Tablet System), the first fully computer-animated
music video produced on a desktop system ("Change Myself"), the
development/release of the first-ever interactive music CD-ROM
("No World Order") and the first title to be exclusively released
as an Enhanced CD ("The Individualist").
With all of these accomplishments
on his resume, he obviously couldn't let the innovation of MP3
pass him by without testing out the waters, which is why you can
find his latest songwriting effort, "The Surf Talks"--a punchy
effects-heavy rock tune about the draw of the deep blue sea--on
MP3.com.
"As CEO and founder
of Waking Dreams, [I] continue trailblazing efforts in untapped
arenas surrounding the convergence of entertainment and technology
across new media," Rundgren says on his site. "[I am] currently
in the process of re-defining the relationship between the performer
and audience (and how creative content is distributed) with PatroNet,
an online subscription model that allows consumers to directly
underwrite an artist's works and download them as they are created,
for an annual fee."
But fans, money and
the desire to go where no musician has gone before weren't the
inspiration behind "The Surf Talks." In fact, it was the artist's
recent move to Hawaii, which he deems the "far West coast."
"[I moved] to a remote
tropical setting and got a yellow dog from the pound who, as it
turns out, has severely reduced cranial capacity," the guitar-slinging
Rundgren writes at http://www.tr-i.com. "It was the first song I wrote
after moving."
Island life is a far
cry from Rundgren's upbringing in Upper Darby, Penn., where he
survived miserable preschool years (his first major dental accident),
miserable early school years (building strong patterns of animosity
toward authority) and pathetic high-school years (he learned how
to play guitar, though no sex was forthcoming). Inspired by the
likes of the Beatles and Marvin Gaye, he went on to form Nazz,
a power-pop flash in the pan that recorded two albums, before
he went solo in 1971 with "Runt."
After gaining attention
with his No. 29 album, "Something/Anything?" in 1973, Rundgren
tried his hand at production. His first project behind the scenes
was Badfinger's "Straight Up." Jobs for XTC ("Skylarking"), The
Tubes ("Love Bomb"), Grand Funk Railroad, Rick Derringer ("Guitars
& Women"), Psychedelic Furs ("Forever Now"), Cheap Trick ("Next
Position Please"), Jill Sobule ("Things Here Are Different"),
and Meat Loaf ("Bat Out Of Hell") kept him busy over time, while
he also garnered a Number Five hit single in "Hello, It's Me"
and a Number 16 winner with "I Saw The Light."
After a recent five-year
lull, Rundgren has lined up a diverse list of production projects
including albums for 12 Rods, Bad Religion, and Michael Gallagher.
"It's my perception
that the market has cyclically swung back to my way; i.e. it's
more song- and producer-oriented, where it seemed any budget over
$15,000 was considered wasteful and counter productive," he recently
told Billboard Magazine. Which may explain the allure of MP3.com
to Rundgren: how many places allow for the distribution of music
with a minimal budget?
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