Todd Rundgren and Utopia
Runt
Runt: The Ballad Of Todd Rundgren
Something/Anything?
A Wizard, A True Star
Todd
Todd Rundgren's Utopia (with Utopia)
Initiation
Faithful
RA (with Utopia)
Oops! Wrong Planet (with Utopia)
Hermit Of Mink Hollow
Back To The Bars
Liars
Runt (Bearsville, Rhino ’70) Rating: B+
After three power pop albums leading The Nazz (recommended listening: Open Our Eyes: The Anthology), Todd Rundgren began his long and idiosyncratic solo career as a highly respected but often deliberately difficult cult artist with Runt. Not to slight the contributions of the rhythm section of Hunt and Tony Sales (sons of comedian Soupy Sales who later joined David Bowie in Tin Machine), but, despite the appearance of this being an actual band named Runt, this was a true solo album in that many of the instruments were performed by Todd, an accomplished multi-instrumentalist and skilled producer (he later would compile notable production credits for a variety of artists, including the New York Dolls, Grand Funk Railroad, Meat Loaf, the Psychedelic Furs, and XTC) who was able to seamlessly integrate multiple instruments into a mix that sounded like they were being played at the same time. All of which is extremely impressive, but as with most albums this one is only as good as its songs, most of which are impressive as well. A simple overview could divide this album into piano-based ballads and guitar driven rockers, with several additional left turns along the way. Though as always his honey dipped voice is better on the ballads, two-minute efforts such as "Believe In Me" and "Once Burned" seem underdeveloped, arriving and leaving without making much of an impression, though the former in particular sounds pretty while it sticks around. The more straightforward rocking efforts are all good if not quite great, with Rundgren's underrated guitar heroics highlighting tracks such as the surprisingly bluesy and atmospheric first track, "Broke Down and Busted," as well as the agreeably melodic and hard-hitting "Devil's Bite." Neither song is truly a standout, but they are enjoyable, as is "Who's That Man?" (later the inspiration for Bowie's "Watch That Man"?), an energetic barrelhouse rocker that perhaps is a bit on the simplistic side. As for those left turns I previously mentioned, the appropriately titled "There Are No Words" is a boring ambient filler, but the Zappa-esque "I'm In The Clique" is much better. Featuring metallic riffs, bustling percussion, blaring trumpets, and Todd's strangely repetitive vocals, this fast-paced song has a jazzy, jam-based vibe that's very unique and interesting, as are its biting record industry baiting lyrics. The 9-minute "Birthday Carol" takes the jam-based aesthetic to an extreme, alternating pretty ballad sections with more rocking parts, the meandering end result of which shows Todd's everything-but-the-kitchen-sink capabilities as well as his tendency to be inconsistent. That word definitely describes this solo debut, which was a strong first step but which more than anything served as a warm-up for better things to follow. Yet in general Runt is reliably entertaining despite its inconsistency, and certainly the "Baby Let's Swing/The Last Thing You Said/Don't Tie My Hands" medley saw Todd the pop maestro at or near his very best. Still, the album's absolute highlight is "We Gotta Get You a Woman," a breezy, upbeat, and memorable song that could've come straight from the Brill Building several years back.
Runt: The Ballad Of Todd Rundgren (Bearsville, Rhino ’71) Rating: A-
After showing off a bit on his debut, Todd got back to basics on this aptly titled second album, which keeps the focus on Todd's stellar songwriting. Truth be told, ballads are always what Rundgren has done best, as they provide a suitable format for Todd's fragile voice. This album has a bunch of fine ballads, though oddly enough the very best songs here are non-ballads, beginning with "Long Flowing Robe," which showcases Rundgren's storytelling skills and has a great pop melody, including a chorus that's all but impossible not to sing along to. Elsewhere, I'd say that the album ranges from merely decent (the humorous, hard rocking "Parole") to very good (most of the album) to outstanding, as this is probably the most consistent, filler-free album in the entire Rundgren catalogue. Plus, in addition to the aforementioned track there are several others that would be slam dunks for my own personal “best of Todd Rundgren” mix tape. "Bleeding," a riff-based rocker whose lyrics provided a cynical look at the Vietnam conflict, is the least great of these, though it certainly is really good, in large part due to some genuinely exciting guitar playing from Todd. Better yet is "Chain Letter," primarily due to its gloriously anthemic “carry on” ending and great lines like “there are precious few things worth hating nowadays, and none of them are me,” while "Be Nice To Me," the album's best known song along with "Long Flowing Robe," is a modest pop ballad that's all the more effective for its fragile simplicity. Another absolute winner is "Hope I'm Around," which delivers more singable (in this case multi-tracked) pop; I love the way the vocals are mixed just ever so slightly back, as Todd the production maestro shows why he's able to obtain those lucrative production fees. As for the rest of the album, you get a pair of soft, lovely piano ballads ("The Ballad (Denny & Jean)," "Wailing Wall"), a very Neil Young-ish number with another nice melody ("The Range War"), a "soft soul" ballad with a nice falsetto from Todd ("A Long Time, A Long Way To Go"), and surprising lyrics like "I can't spend another day without hearing from you" ("Boat On The Charles"). Yes, the lyrics are generally angst-filled, if often in a humorous way, and the "nice" melodies sometimes veer into pleasant adult contemporary blandness, but by and large this was a consistently enjoyable collection with some real standouts. The end result was a marked improvement over Runt as Todd began in earnest a remarkable run of albums on which his reputation primarily rests.
Something/Anything? (Bearsville, Rhino ’72) Rating: A-
I've always loved the ever-so-fitting photo insert for this album, which shows Todd striking a rock star pose alone in a dimly lit room, surrounded by musical instruments and a general mess. It's fitting because Todd plays and sings every note on the first 17 songs (or the first three sides) of this ambitious double album, and also because it demonstrates how humor has always been an integral part of Todd's music. As such, many of these whopping 25 songs have a bit of whimsy to them or are tongue in cheek. It's not all fun and games, of course, as clearly this was Todd's bid at stardom, which he briefly achieved due to a couple of brilliantly slick yet soulful pop ballads ("I Saw The Light" and "Hello It's Me," the latter a remake of an earlier Nazz song). Other major highlights include "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference," a deeply affecting, heartbroken ballad, and "Couldn't I Just Tell You," an early power pop gem that has rarely been bettered. This song has all the trademarks of classic power pop: high-pitched, yearning vocals, a rocking yet melodic energy, an earnest innocence, and most of all a gorgeous guitar tone that countless future power popsters would emulate. Todd unleashes his ever-underrated guitar heroics elsewhere as well, most obviously on "Black Maria," a Santana-esque showcase, and "Little Red Lights" and "Some Folks Is Even Whiter Than Me," both of which bring forth some serious guitar heat. Of course, Todd's bread and butter remains singable pop songs ("It Takes Two To Tango (This Is For The Girls)," "Saving Grace," "Dust In The Wind") and airy soul ballads ("Cold Morning Light," "Marlene," "One More Day (No Word)"), sometimes with a moody twist ("Sweeter Memories") or unembellished ("Torch Song"), with those famous left turns all over the place as well. For example, though it's not especially strong from a compositional standpoint, "Breathless" is a tour de force of Todd's all around musical abilities (as is the album itself), and it also shows how these songs are almost always winningly melodic even when Todd is showing off or they're overly filler-ish. Alas, as with most double albums, there are several songs here that could be called filler ("Song Of The Viking," "I Went To The Mirror," "Overture - My Roots: Money (That's What I Want)/Messin' With The Kid)," "Piss Aaron"), and the loose, more spontaneous songs performed with a studio band (songs 6-12 on disc 2) can be quite a contrast to the rest of the album. Some of these songs are too silly for their own good (I already mentioned "Piss Aaron," but other none too subtle song titles include "You Left Me Sore" and "Slut"), and "Hello It's Me" and the less obviously glorious "Dust In The Wind" stick out like sore thumbs sequenced where they are. Still, though hardly highlights, most of these jam-based songs have a good energy and a scruffy "boys will be boys" charm going for them, and the album as a whole is so impressive and fun that it's easy to forgive its flaws. Then again, a case could be made that less would've been more and that this should've been a stellar single cd (then maybe it would live up to the "masterpiece" tag that some have attached to it), but that's what programmable cd players are for, and Something/Anything? is a major artistic statement regardless of what angle you're looking at it from.
A Wizard, A True Star (Bearsville, Rhino ’73) Rating: A
For those of you who were disappointed that Something/Anything wasn't quite the masterpiece you thought it would be, fear not, for this is Todd's true masterpiece. Keep in mind that you probably won't think so at first, and you may not even like it the first few times you hear it. I know that I didn't, or at least I didn't like the first half of the album (songs 1-12), which is comprised of the "International Feel" suite/song cycle. Containing short songs that seamlessly segue into one another, many lasting little over a minute long, I've certainly never heard anything remotely like it. Adventurous in the extreme, Todd throws together psychedelia, prog (my beloved Moog is all over the place!), ballads, soul, show tunes, opera, children's music, and metal, while an absurdly grandiose and elaborately overstuffed production alternately hampers and enriches the experience, ultimately proving an asset by revealing hidden details with each successive listen. Really, this album sounds as fresh and ahead of it's time today as the day it was released, and even the silly filler-ish songs (for example, "You Need Your Head," "Rock And Roll Pussy," "Dogfight Giggle") come and go fast enough and usually contain choice bits (i.e. Todd's guitar playing). On the first song Todd says "here we are again, the start of the end, I only want to see, if you'll give up on me," and indeed the album asks a lot of its listeners, many of whom jumped ship once it became obvious that Something/Anything Part 2 wasn't in the cards. Then again, the fans who stuck around formed a hardcore cult that exists to this day, and had his previous fans stuck around they would've found that the far more straightforward second half of the album could actually pass for a continuation of the previous album. Highlights on this superior second side abound, starting with "Sometimes I Don't Know What To Feel," which sees Todd singing straight from the heart, accompanied by a magnificent soul melody. Speaking of soul, the obvious high point of the album is song 15, a sumptuous 10-minute soul medley of songs by The Impressions, Smokey Robinson, The Delfonics, and The Captiols. OK, the last part of it is as wacky and over the top as the rest of the album, but in a good way, and most of the medley works as a delightfully sincere homage. "I Don't Want To Tie You Down" is exactly the type of pretty piano ballad that Todd excels at, while "Just One Victory" ends the album with a classic anthem. Back to side one, I'd pick out the two versions of "International Feel," his cover of "Never Never Land" (originally from Peter Pan), which segues perfectly into the upbeat piano melody "Tic Tic Tic It Wears Off," as additional highlights along with "Zen Archer," which starts as an operatic show tune before expanding into an epic, highlighted by David Sanbourn's spectacular saxophone wailing and some airy vocal harmonies. Yet naming songs is almost pointless, for A Wizard, A True Star was conceived as a complete entity, where the cumulative whole is what makes it so special. Rumor has it that chemical ingestion would further enhance your enjoyment of this album as well (Todd was certainly influenced by illegal substances while making it), but I really wouldn't know since I don't do drugs. Besides, being out of ones head might cause you to miss aspects of Todd's complete mastery of the studio as instrument, and though this one-of-a-kind album forever hurt Todd at the box office and was poorly received upon its release, it has since won belated acclaim, as Todd's decision to follow his own eclectic vision proved to be the correct course.
Todd (Bearsville, Rhino ’74) Rating: A-
I can see why this album is often written off as a pretentious mess by certain close-minded critics. It is a pretentious mess, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t really good in a White Album kind of way. No, it’s not that good, but this album likewise has a dizzying array of styles, from futuristic electronica, trippy psychedelia, hard rocking glam, jokey show tunes, and of course well crafted pop and many more points in between. Todd doesn’t pull everything off, and I can especially live without the cartoonish “An Elpee’s Worth Of Toons” (which recalls Queen and Frank Zappa at their silliest) and the Gilbert and Sullivan cover (“Lord Chancellor’s Nightmare Song”), though in the latter case perhaps that’s because it brings back bad memories of when I played the captain of the H.M.S. Pinafore in 5th grade. But I digress; this album is extremely long and challenging and is therefore more for hardcore Rundgren fans than beginners, but Todd takes you on a real trip that's worth persevering through if you’re a patient listener with adventurous tastes. After a short, futuristic intro, the album begins in earnest with “I Think You Know,” a Bee Gees-like ballad but with a guitar solo. In fact, one of the album’s primary attributes is what a good guitar record it is, as several longer songs let Todd stretch out and flex his guitar chops, which are not inconsiderable. Continuing, “The Spark Of Life” is a moody, spacey instrumental that’s occasionally quite rocking and features loads of electronics, while “A Dream Goes On Forever” is the type of modest pop song that’s always been Todd’s best style, with heartbroken lyrics like “you’re so far away and so long ago, but my dream goes on forever” being an added selling point. “Drunken Blue Rooster” is one of several solid instrumentals interspersed throughout the album, only one of which (“In And Out The Chakras”) really misfires, while the excellent “The Last Ride” starts as a spare ballad but gets more expansive and intense as it goes along, culminating with a terrific guitar solo. The hard charging fusion chug of the two-part “Everybody’s Going To Heaven/King Kong Reggae” (echoes of Edgar Winter’s “Frankenstein”) reaches a metallic fervor, that is until it’s silly but fun reggaefied fadeout, while Hendrix’s ghost in omnipresent on the slowly grinding “Number 1 Lowest Common Denominator,” and “Heavy Metal Kids” is another mid-album hard rocker that somewhat successfully nods to Ted Nugent (“Cat Scratch Fever”) and glam rock. In between, “Useless Begging” is a soft ballad and “Izzat Love?” is a short but extremely catchy up tempo pop tune, while Todd later ends the album with two of its best tracks. “Don’t You Ever Learn” is another pop gem that features a long intro and is far from straightforward, while “Sons Of 1984” is really different, with a huge chorus featuring not one but two choirs integrated from two different locations. But that’s Todd, who's willing to try anything once, and for all its patchy faults most of this album ranks as a successfully enjoyable experiment. I also like how, after song upon song of often angry, bitter, and quite sarcastic (and often sex-obsessed) lyrics, “Sons Of 1984” provides an epic, upbeat ending to the album, leaving me with positive feelings about the whole experience. That said, Todd is an experience that isn’t for everybody, but if you do decide to open up your mind and take the plunge I’m sure that you’ll find at least a few songs here that'll tickle your fancy. The wary among you should start with “I Think You Know,” “A Dream Goes On Forever,” “The Last Ride,” “Useless Begging,” “Izzat Love?,” “Don’t You Ever Learn,” and “Sons Of 1984” if you must, but eventually try to dig into Todd in its gloriously messy entirety, as no two songs here sound the same and there’s no other album quite like it.
Todd Rundgren's Utopia (Bearsville, Rhino ’74) Rating: B+
In addition to Todd, 1974 saw Rundgren forming the progressive rock band Utopia, which for this album consisted of drummer Kevin Ellman, bassist John Siegler, and three (!!!) keyboard players: Moogy Klingman, M. Frog Labat, and Rralph Schuckett. Part of it was probably that prog was trendy at the time, part of it was likely that Todd was attracted to playing challenging, complex music and wanted to be part of an actual band again, but regardless of his motives, Todd Rundgren's Utopia, the first and arguably best Utopia album, is a first class progressive rock album. Containing a mere four songs, three of which top 10 minutes and one of which runs on for a whopping 30, the album offers lots of "look at me" flash and genuinely innovative and exciting playing, though you have to put up with some pointless noodling and some stuck in the '70s cheesiness as well. Seemingly cut live, "Utopia's Theme" (14:30) is probably my favorite track, as it contains loads of fiery guitar leads from Todd, plenty of percussive fireworks, and assorted flurries from their arsenal of keyboardists. Although largely instrumental like much of the album, the song contains some poppy vocal sections as well, and it's always melodic despite its showiness and amazingly enough doesn't seem too long. I'm less enamored with the Zappa influenced "Freak Parade" (10:14), which has more of a jazzy feel and is a bit slow going at times. The funky section in particular seems forced, but the song still has its moments, and "Freedom Fighers" (4:03) is far more manageable, being a moody, melodic progressive pop number whose harmonies hit the spot. Of course, it could be argued that all three of those songs were mere warm-ups for "The Ikon" (30:24), which has more sections than I can count. It's pretentious as hell (what 30 minute song isn't?) and its length isn't quite justified, but it has its fair share of spectacular moments as well; for example, a glorious pop song appears from out of nowhere at around the 17-minute mark. True, the song doesn't know when to end, but by and large it's a lot of fun, and the same could be said for most of this album on the whole, though the three-keyboard version of Utopia would only last for one more live album, Another Live.
Initiation (Bearsville, Rhino ’75) Rating: C+
Todd Rundgren's Utopia paved the way towards Initiation, easily the most proggy of Todd’s solo albums to date. Unfortunately, if you thought Todd was a mess wait until you get a load of this one, as words such as “overblown,” “pretentious,” “eccentric,” “egocentric,” and “indulgent” were created seemingly to describe this album, which lacks the stellar songs of Todd as well. This is the album where Todd really started getting into synthesizers (at the expense of the guitars, alas), and clearly this album is a case of an ego run amok, as Todd’s lack of discipline and self-restraint sabotages what could’ve been a decent album. Certainly “Real Man,” a catchy, synth-laden soft rocker, and “Initiation,” a briskly paced and upbeat rocker with a rare memorable melody, are extremely solid, and the energy on the hard rocking “Death of Rock 'N' Roll” is likewise highly admirable. However, I’ve listened to “Eastern Intrigue” several times now and I still can’t think of anything to say about it, while “Born To Synthesize” is a gimmicky, show off-y a capella effort that’s all about Todd showing everyone what a “talented genius” he is. That may well be the case, but the song is still a patience testing annoyance, and “Fair Warning” (great Van Halen album!) is better but is much longer than it needs to be, though the ballad isn’t bad by any means, bolstered as it is by Edgar Winter’s stellar saxophone work. Which brings us to “Treatise on Cosmic Fire,” the 36-minute instrumental that will either cause you to claim that this album is a masterpiece (raise your hand you Tales From Topographic Oceans loving freaks!) or make you throw up your arms in exasperated frustration. If you noticed the C+ rating I gave this album you probably already know which position I’m going to take, though I admittedly like the song’s intro and outro. Alas, the endlessly meandering wankery in between is the problem, as Todd first plays with his synthesizer toys, repeatedly hits repeat, multi-tracks additional layers, and generally bores the living shit out of me. Don’t get me wrong, parts of it are perfectly listenable, and he does add some guitar and eerie keyboards at the 16-minute mark, which makes things interesting if only for a brief moment. But then it’s wank, wank, wank all over again, this time on guitar and (synth-based) percussion, as things get too busy, in direct contrast to earlier when not enough was happening. Anyway, do I really need to go on? Suffice it to say that the song is an ambitious failure, as is the majority of Initiation on the whole, which was somewhat of a head scratcher as Todd had been on such a roll. After losing himself so completely in Todd-land, clearly it was time for Todd to come back down to Earth.
Faithful (Bearsville, Rhino ’76) Rating: B+
And what better way to return to Earth than to ever-so-faithfully revisit classics by the likes of The Yardbirds (“Happenings Ten Years Time Ago”), The Beach Boys (“Good Vibrations”), The Beatles (“Rain,” “Strawberry Fields Forever”), Bob Dylan (“Most Likely You Go Your Way and I’ll Go Mine”), and Jimi Hendrix (“If Six Was Nine”)? Strangely, the first half of this album showcases Todd the one-man-band’s talents at recreating said classics, and though the results of this exercise are undeniably impressive (not many bands could recreate the complex studio magic of “Good Vibrations” and “Strawberry Fields Forever”) and generally enjoyable, these note-for-note recreations (aside from Todd’s vocals, of course) fail to live up to the inspired originals. As such, side one seems rather unnecessary; after all, isn’t the whole point of cover versions to improve upon the originals and make them your own? Todd fails at the former and doesn’t even attempt the latter, yet props are still due I suppose for being able to so faithfully pull it off, though in truth I rarely play side one. Side two is another story altogether, though, as Todd and a pared-down Utopia (Roger Powell, keyboards; John Siegler, bass; John Wilcox, drums) deliver one of Todd’s very best sides, on which the band’s obvious chemistry (dig those four-part harmonies) and Todd’s strong songwriting step to the fore. “Black and White” and “Boogies (Hamburger Hell)” bookend side two with two very good riff rockers, with the latter boogie-based tune being especially eccentric, while “When I Pray” is an early foray into World Music, with catchy “ya ya yo”’s framed around Wilcox’s insistent beat. Elsewhere, “Cliché” is a breezy acoustic number with other choice musical embellishments throughout (xylophone, falsetto lead vocals, harmonies), but the highlights of side two are easily “Love Of The Common Man,” a melodic pop gem, and especially “The Verb “To Love”,” a brightly epic (7:25) pop ballad with passionate vocals and wondrous harmonies. So there you have it, a strangely constructed album that’s more like 2 EPs than a cohesive whole. Still, flawed concept aside, Faithful is something of a sleeper album within the Todd Rundgren catalogue, as its two extremes do make for a rather fascinating contrast and side two contains some of Todd and Utopia’s most infallible material.
RA (Bearsville, Rhino ’77) Rating: B
The band’s signature 4-piece lineup from Faithful returned for the second Utopia studio album, RA, on which poppier tendencies begin to be integrated within the band’s more “out there” ambitions. “Overture: Mountaintop and Sunrise/Communion With the Sun” is a good example of the way the band mixes prog with a pop friendly tunefulness; they simply don’t make music like this anymore (not that I’m aware of, anyway), and fans of Queen or Yes should be mighty pleased, though the rest of you will likely complain about how overblown, dated, and corny it all sounds. Both sides would have a point, but I believe the band’s considerable talent and chemistry largely wins out over their pretentious faults. After all, “Magic Dragon Theatre” is an enjoyably playful pop song, and Todd’s ferocious guitar solo salvages the otherwise cheesy rocker, “Jealousy.” “Eternal Love,” a slow ballad with a unique a cappella mid-section (which obviously nods to The Beach Boys) and passionate singing by all involved (the boys sing their hearts out), is probably the album’s best song, but the Queen-like “Sunburst Finish” is also entertaining, especially when it evolves into an explosive fusion-based jam along with the band’s ever-present harmonies. Alas, “Hiroshima,” a moody power ballad that’s overbearing in its over-the-top preachiness, is a misfire, and “Singring and the Glass Guitar (An Electrified Fairytale),” an 18-minute (still only half of “Treatise on Cosmic Fire”!) “electric fairy tale,” is sure to test all but the most dedicated prog listener’s patience at times, starting with those annoying spoken word sections, the indulgent soloing, and of course the silly concept itself. Still, some of the solo sections smoke, the melodies and harmonies often soar, and overall I can’t help but be won over by the song’s (and the album’s) tuneful strengths. Don’t get me wrong, RA is ridiculously flawed and is primarily recommended to you pothead types who worship Peter Gabriel-era Genesis and seek the “deeper meaning” behind each Neil Peart lyric. The rest of you will likely enjoy only some of this stuff, and parts of this album will probably make you cringe. Me? I rather enjoy RA as a guilty pleasure from a bygone era, though I don’t expect I’ll ever play it much.
Oops! Wrong Planet (Bearsville, Rhino ’77) Rating: B+
This far more accessible Utopia collection features 12 relatively concise songs, some of which would've seemed to have had considerable commercial potential. However, the album sank like a stone for whatever reason, the silly album title likely being a big part of the problem marketing-wise. One of the reasons Utopia was able to produce at such a prolific pace was due to the band's democratic nature, as unlike Runt Utopia was a true band whose four members could all write and sing, and many of these songs feature lead vocals from members other than Todd (as did some of the songs on RA, which I probably should've mentioned in the last review). Anyway, Oops! Wrong Planet is something of a loosely based concept album about feeling displaced, with love being the guiding light to a better life. None of which really matters when listening to these songs, starting with "Trapped," an explosive rocker with biting lyrics ("trapped in a world we never made"). Powell's "Windows" is a somewhat bland but perfectly pleasant soft rocker, while "Love In Action" is a catchy, upbeat anthem that's a definite album highlight. The Powell sung "Crazy Lady Blue" is a generic ballad that too obviously nods to The Beatles' "Because," while ELO is the likely influence on "Back On The Street," which could be a bit hookier but which is still solid. Much better is "The Marriage Of Heaven and Hell," a catchy, extremely creative multi-sectioned should've been classic that's highlighted by its sing along sections, and "The Martyr," an excellent Sulton-sung big ballad. Yet the album's best song is probably the Powell sung (a co-write with Rundgren, as are several songs) "Abandon City," an oddly catchy and busily funky number featuring twitchy rhythms, an improbable trumpet solo from Powell, and a Todd guitar solo to cap it off. After hitting that impressive mid-album groove comes Wilcox/Rundgren's comparatively weak "Gangrene," a silly rocker, and Powell/Rungren's (as sung by Sulton) so-so "My Angel," a straighforward, heartfelt ballad with a sax solo from Todd, but I suppose a letdown was inevitable. Besides, the album finishes strongly, starting with "Rape Of The Young," a boogie-based rocker, and though I wish their voices were a bit grittier to better fit this hard-charging stomper (this is a weakness of their rockers in general), it's still a really good effort on which each band members' abilities are really showcased. Saving the most popular song for last, "Love Is The Answer" ends this often angry and quite cynical album with a melodic, optimistic ballad with a universal theme ("we got to love one another"). Which was smart, actually, as my lingering thoughts about this somewhat patchy but sometimes superlative album are likewise positive, and certainly I would recommend Oops! Wrong Planet to any open-minded fan of adventurous pop music.
Hermit Of Mink Hollow (Bearsville, Rhino ’78) Rating: B+
Todd the one man pop band returns on the fine Hermit Of Mink Hollow, which features a few missteps but is otherwise another welcome addition to Todd’s impressive (and prolific) ‘70s catalogue. On the downside, the album is a bit vanilla flavored, and the vocals are mixed too far back at times. However, a bunch of airy choruses and sumptuously arranged melodies largely make up for the album’s wimpy (aside from the out of place riff rocker, “Out Of Control”) shortcomings. Sad (“Hurting For You”), questioning (“Can We Still Be Friends”) breakup ballads and lovers with commitment issues (“Determination,” “You Cried Wolf”) are among the album’s dominant themes, while the upbeat, catchy “All The Children Sing” and the sighing finale “Fade Away” bookend the album with perfectly placed opening and closing statements, as Hermit Of Mink Hollow really holds together as a cohesive whole. Elsewhere, “Too Far Gone” features interesting self-lacerating lyrics and another airy chorus, “Determination” is Todd at his most ELO-ish, and “Lucky Guy” is one of several piano ballads, this one being particularly bittersweet (I wonder who the lucky guy was that Todd was so jealous of). Anyway, on the lesser side, the short but mindlessly fun “Onomatopoeia” is a catchy, goofy song that The Beatles would’ve slated for Ringo back in the day, and “You Cried Wolf” is Todd at his cheesiest, but the album’s two biggest misfires are “Bread” and “Bag Lady,” which appear back-to-back in the middle of the album. These two songs, neither of which are especially distinguished musically, see Todd clumsily attempting social commentary, but perhaps a hermetic, rich studio bound rock star isn’t the best speaker for the impoverished. Fortunately, much of the album is first rate pop, especially side one which is among his best, and “Can We Still Be Friends” would seem to be a slam dunk to appear on any “best of” compilation. So, long story short, Hermit Of Mink Hollow is a strong soft rock showcase with but a few minor misfires.
Back To The Bars (Bearsville, Rhino ’78) Rating: B+
Recorded at three separate venues (the Bottom Line in New York, The Roxy in Los Angeles, and the Agora in Cleveland) with both Utopia and a solo backing band in support of Hermit Of Mink Hollow, Back To The Bars works as an idiosyncratic "best of" the previous decade. Curiously, the album contains no songs from Hermit Of Mink Hollow, as Todd instead appears to be partial towards Faithful (5 songs), Something/Anything? (5 songs), and A Wizard, A True Star (4 songs including the long soul medley), with scattered songs throughout the rest of his discography, including the Utopia track "Love In Action." The performances are accomplished and energetic, and the light-hearted banter shows the strong connection Todd has with his fans. Also of note is guest appearances from Rick Derringer, Hall and Oates, Spencer Davis, and Stevie Nicks, but good luck in spotting them or any of the other 10 musicians credited for that matter. After all, this is Todd's show, and he seems quite comfortable in front of his adoring fans. Sure, songs such as "I Saw The Light" and "Hello It's Me" lack that perfect studio glisten, and the layers of studio wizardry that make his best albums listening "experiences" is also lacking. But Todd is an excellent songwriter and musician as well as studio alchemist, and those strengths shine through. Plus, people who feel that his "overproduction" leaves his music sounding sterile should especially appreciate this strong if at times somewhat sloppy and long-winded live album. Personally, I prefer most of the studio versions but can still readily enjoy these renditions, though as is often the case my song selection would've been different (more songs from Initiation than Ballad or Todd?). Still, by and large the song selection is solid and this lively live album should please if not necessarily thrill all possible audiences, including newcomers, casual fans, and fanatics alike.
Liars (Sanctuary ’04) Rating: B-
Todd's first album in ten years, during which time he seemed more interested in being a multi-media pioneer (among many other firsts, his 1993 recording, New World Order, was the first interactive album) than in making music, is a concept album about (yep, you guessed it) liars. As Rundgren himself states "all of these songs are about a paucity of truth. At first they may seem to be about other things, but that is just a reflection of how much dishonesty we have accepted in our daily lives. We are raised from birth to believe things that cannot be proven or that are plainly not true (Scott: weapons of mass destruction, anyone?). People will often brag of their honesty, when there is so much they have simply chosen to ignore or leave unexamined. The fact is, we are terrified of the truth." Well, I suppose he has a point (just ask Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, or the arrogant blowhards who run the players "union"), but over the course of 14 songs spread out over 74 minutes this interesting-at-first concept grows somewhat stale, and the overly synthesized music, though always highly polished and professional, rarely rises above mere pleasantness. Todd goes overboard on the electronics, with programmed beats being all too prominent, and even some of the better melodies ("Sweet," "Future") go on for too long or are overly repetitive. There are some sweetly soulful numbers here ("Past," for example), as well as interesting experiments such as the late night Zombies-esque mood established by "Soul Brother" and the psychedelic soul of "Stood Up." I also appreciate the seamless transitions from one song to the next, as Todd, after years of wandering focus, is clearly trying hard to re-find his musical muse. However, the end results are rarely as inspired as his best work, and there are some serious misfires ("Happy Anniversary," "Mammon," "Liar") along the way. All of which adds up to a "decent" album (hence the B- rating); I'm glad he's back, and I admire his dogged determination with regards to the cynical (and at times humorous, as per usual) lyrics and the out-of-time-music (one gets the impression that Todd doesn't pay too much attention to current trends, and I admire that as well, actually). However, with so many superior Rundgren albums to choose from I'd be lying if I said I expected to play this one much now that this review has been written. Note: Oddly, presumably to pay some bills, Todd then replaced Ric Ocasek in a regrouped version of The Cars called The New Cars, who in 2006 toured and released a live album called It's Alive!.
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