http://thequietus.com/articles/03686-news-todd-rundgren-british-premiere-of-a-wizard-a-true-star-february-6-hmv-hammersmith-apollo
Todd Rundgren: A Wizard, A True Star Preview
The Quietus , February 5th, 2010 11:11
Dino Gollnick catches up with Todd Rundgren to talk about the UK premiere of his A Wizard, A True Star show
Tomorrow’s a very special day indeed – Todd Rundgren, one of the world’s finest and most underrated musicians, will premiere his seminal masterpiece A Wizard, A True Star to a UK audience in its entirety. The album that arguably forever destroyed Rundgren’s chances of mainstream success was light years ahead of the record buying public’s tastes in 1973 and initially sold poorly. Fast forward 37 years and Wizard’s intensely amusing and sometimes confusing mixture of totally out there tunes sits easily next to all time classics like Pet Sounds and The White Album, and continues to inspire legions of contemporaries from Hot Chip via Daft Punk to Simian Mobile Disco.
Prior to his London engagement, Rundgren’s been kind enough to answer some pressing questions...
What can we expect from the British premier of A Wizard, A True Star at the Hammersmith Apollo tomorrow?
Todd Rundgren: Well, actually the Hammersmith gig was supposed to be the world premiere as opposed to the British premiere. We’ve done the show, which is a theatricalisation rather than a note-perfect performance of the show, 11 times already in various cities in the US which works out to British fans’ benefit because we’re pretty confident in our ability to put it on now.
So did things go wrong initially?
TR: Oh, of course [laughs]! During our first seven shows there wasn’t a single night that went without any kinks - I remember the first night we got a little over-excited and swapped a couple of costume changes and I’m standing on the side of the stage ready to go on and suddenly realise I’m wearing the wrong thing. Fortunately the band is professional enough to vamp for the next two minutes so I can change into the costume I’m supposed to wear.
How did your US audiences generally react to the show?
TR: For me it’s a little hard to describe. I know that they’re paying attention to the music but there’s this other thing happening – many of them haven’t seen each other in decades and so it’s more than just a concert presentation, it takes on a quality of a reunion in a way.
Who’s in the band right now?
TR: We were fortunate enough to get Ralph Schuckett on keyboards; he played on the original album. We also have an incredible line-up of musicians on all of the other positions. The second keyboard player is Greg Hawkes, who of course was in The Cars. The reason why he fits in so well is that he actually owns a lot of the instruments that we used on the record, rare old synthesizers and things that would’ve been difficult to track down. But he just happens to have them and knows how to play them so he’s covered a lot of the textural stuff.
And then I’ve got my rhythm section, Prairie Prince on drums who originally played with The Tubes and nearly everyone else, and Kasim Sulton from Utopia. Jessie Gress is on guitar; he’s someone I’ve played with for probably 25 years now. And then we have our jack-of-all-trades, Bobby Strickland, who’s played with me during my big band revue era. He plays all the wind instruments and additional keyboards and sings and riles up the audience. He’s an incredible asset because I’m only on stage for half the show; for the other half I’m off-stage changing into another costume for the next song.
Who’s opening the show for you?
TR: The opening act will be me in some configuration or another. I’m my own opening act [laughs].
Why should anyone that doesn’t yet have a ticket for tomorrow's show rush out and get one?
TR: It’s probably too damn late now [laughs]. If you rush out tomorrow there won’t be a ticket. But maybe if you rush out in the next five minutes there will be a few left. Otherwise you’ll have to prepare for the next time we might possibly bring the show around.
The "almost" official blog for everything Todd Rundgren Related........................................................................................................................................................................... Please visit the sister facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Ma4utopia?ref=hl
Friday, February 5, 2010
Interview: BBC Danny Baker show
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0065x8j/Danny_Baker_04_02_2010/
The radio genius with great guests, calls and music from the "Radio DJ of the Year". Broadcast on:BBC London, 3:00pm
Thursday 4th February 2010
Duration: 120 minutes
Available until: 5:02pm Thursday 11th February 2010
The radio genius with great guests, calls and music from the "Radio DJ of the Year". Broadcast on:BBC London, 3:00pm
Thursday 4th February 2010
Duration: 120 minutes
Available until: 5:02pm Thursday 11th February 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
leaving on a jet plane
members of the AWATS band are taking a very early flight tomorrow morning to europe.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
listen to a mp 3 studio version of todd new song crossroad from Tr's Johnson album
http://blogger.xs4all.nl/werksman/archive/2010/02/02/538019.aspx
Here Comes The Flood proudly presents Crossroads, a track from the forthcoming new Todd Rundgen album Todd Rundgren's Johnson, reinterpretating the songs of legendary blues man Robert Johnson (1911-1938).
MP3: Todd Rundgren's Johnson - Crossroads
The world premiere of Todd Rundgren's Johnson was at the Palace of Fine Arts Theater, San Francisco, December 1, 2009. Rundgren played a 45 minute set of Robert Johnson songs, with Prairie Prince on drums, Jesse Gress on guitar, and Kasim Sulton on bass. It was the opener for a complete rendition of his A Wizard, A True Star album, Rundgren doing a Pink Floyd thing by playing two albums in full. It will be done again at the final (for now) AWATS shows in London (Feb 6) and Amsterdam (Feb 8).
Todd Rundgren's Johnson will be released later this year. Release date to be decided. He mentioned the album in an interview with The Examiner in November 2009:
I'm currently finishing up an album of Robert Johnson's songs. Delivering them to my label in about a week. Little difficult because everyone's covered him, so I'm trying to make sure my take isn't pedantic. I'm not a blues singer, I've done R&B. There's a difference. Blues is straight ahead. I do tend to move straight ahead, though, in the way that I work, and try not to run into a wall!
Tentative setlist for Todd Rundgen's Johnson:
Dust My Broom
Stop Breakin' Down
Walkin' Blues
Love in Vain
Sweet Home Chicago
(Hot Tamales) They're Red Hot
Come On in My Kitchen
Hellhound On My Trail
Traveling Riverside Blues
Crossroads
Video: Todd Rundgren - Crossroads
Video: Todd Rundgren - Hellhound On My Trail
Video: Todd Rundgren - Love in Vain
(live at the Orpheum Theater, Los Angeles, CA - 2009/12/04)
A Todd Rundgren's Johnson tour is currently planned. Confirmed dates:
04/02 Engelwood, NJ @ Bergen County PAC
04/03 Salisbury, MA @ Tupelo Music Hall
04/07 Newark, OH @ Midland Theater
04/09 Pittsburgh, PA @ Palace Theater
04/10 Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun - Wolf Den
04/11 Ridgefield, CT @ Ridgefield Playhouse
04/13 Alexandria, VA @ The Birchmere
04/14 Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Tavern
» todd-rundgren.com
» myspace.com/toddrundgrenmusic
» awatslive.com
Here Comes The Flood proudly presents Crossroads, a track from the forthcoming new Todd Rundgen album Todd Rundgren's Johnson, reinterpretating the songs of legendary blues man Robert Johnson (1911-1938).
MP3: Todd Rundgren's Johnson - Crossroads
The world premiere of Todd Rundgren's Johnson was at the Palace of Fine Arts Theater, San Francisco, December 1, 2009. Rundgren played a 45 minute set of Robert Johnson songs, with Prairie Prince on drums, Jesse Gress on guitar, and Kasim Sulton on bass. It was the opener for a complete rendition of his A Wizard, A True Star album, Rundgren doing a Pink Floyd thing by playing two albums in full. It will be done again at the final (for now) AWATS shows in London (Feb 6) and Amsterdam (Feb 8).
Todd Rundgren's Johnson will be released later this year. Release date to be decided. He mentioned the album in an interview with The Examiner in November 2009:
I'm currently finishing up an album of Robert Johnson's songs. Delivering them to my label in about a week. Little difficult because everyone's covered him, so I'm trying to make sure my take isn't pedantic. I'm not a blues singer, I've done R&B. There's a difference. Blues is straight ahead. I do tend to move straight ahead, though, in the way that I work, and try not to run into a wall!
Tentative setlist for Todd Rundgen's Johnson:
Dust My Broom
Stop Breakin' Down
Walkin' Blues
Love in Vain
Sweet Home Chicago
(Hot Tamales) They're Red Hot
Come On in My Kitchen
Hellhound On My Trail
Traveling Riverside Blues
Crossroads
Video: Todd Rundgren - Crossroads
Video: Todd Rundgren - Hellhound On My Trail
Video: Todd Rundgren - Love in Vain
(live at the Orpheum Theater, Los Angeles, CA - 2009/12/04)
A Todd Rundgren's Johnson tour is currently planned. Confirmed dates:
04/02 Engelwood, NJ @ Bergen County PAC
04/03 Salisbury, MA @ Tupelo Music Hall
04/07 Newark, OH @ Midland Theater
04/09 Pittsburgh, PA @ Palace Theater
04/10 Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun - Wolf Den
04/11 Ridgefield, CT @ Ridgefield Playhouse
04/13 Alexandria, VA @ The Birchmere
04/14 Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Tavern
» todd-rundgren.com
» myspace.com/toddrundgrenmusic
» awatslive.com
Saturday, January 30, 2010
REVIEW : BILLY JAMES BOOK FROM MUSOSCRIBE.COM
http://www.musoscribe.com/essays/a_dream_goes_on_forever2.shtml
Review by Bill Kopp
Covering the life and career of Todd Rundgren is a serious, sprawling undertaking (trust me!). The prolific multi-instrumentalist has recorded and released several dozens albums, first as a member of proto-powerpop sixties group Nazz, then as both a solo artist and member of Utopia. He's been at the forefront of technology (sometimes too far out in front) and has made important contributions in the fields of recording, internet content delivery, interactive media, video and computer software. As a producer for hire, he's worked the boards on some of the most popular and/or critically acclaimed recordings of the rock era.
Along the way, he's had some hits and some misses, but his career has never made for less than a compelling story. His legion of fans (relatively small in number, but as dedicated in their own way as Deadheads) follow his every move. Past age sixty, Rundgren is still turning out new and interesting material.
That said, and despite a few high-profile hits ("We Gotta Get you a Woman" in 1970, "Hello, It's Me" in 1972 and "Bang the Drum All Day" in 1983) Rundgren's iconoclastic approach guarantees that he'll remain a cult artist. He's revered by those who know his work, but unknown to most in the mainstream.
For the former, Billy James' work is a gift. Musician/author James has tackled musician bios before: he has written books about Captain Beefheart, Grand Funk (Railroad) and others. But Rundgren's oeuvre requires a detailed and lengthy approach. So it was that James published the first volume of A Dream Goes on Forever: The Continuing Story of Todd Rundgren in 2002. That book covered Rundgren's life and career up to 1976. The thick volume was full of interviews with many who had worked with Todd over the years; review and article reprints; and the author's own perspective.
In the mid 1990s, Rundgren himself was reported to have begun work on an autobiography; there's been no update since then. And no autobiography has appeared. So those interested in delving deeper into Rundgren's history are left with James' books (Rundgren was not involved on any level with the project).
The second volume was published in late 2009. Subtitled The Utopia Years, Volume 2 picks up where the previous volume left off and runs through the group's dissolution in 1988.
James uses the same approach (interview quotes, article and review reprints etc.) in this latest volume. In many ways it's a superior book; perhaps because it covers a more recent time period than the first volume, many of the quotes are first-hand (rather than sourced from the previous work of other writers). The book charts the rise and fall of the four-piece version of Utopia, with equal weight given to coverage and discussion of Rundgren's solo work during that period.
Plenty of ink is used covering the internal and external tensions that ultimately derailed the band, but while Volume 1 relied greatly on interviews with personalities who, shall we say, had an axe to grind (Moogy Klingman, for example), most of those involved in the period covered by Volume 2 have, on balance, a positive outlook about the period.
Some of the book's extensive research was conducted by noted Rundgren collector Tony Rogers; in Rogers' afterword, he makes slightly petulant remarks in response to reader complaints about the first volume. Specficially he dismisses concerns about editing and binding of the volume. In truth, both were serious issues in Volume One; while well-written and organized, the book was rife with errors. And the binding did fall apart readily. But neither of those kept that book from being an essential read for anyone with more than a passing interest in Rundgren's career.
Both of those problems have been addressed (to some degree) in Volume Two, and the result is an even better book. Those hardcore fans will want both, but since James helpfully starts out Vol. 2 with a capsule summary of the first book, Vol. 2 is the one to get.
At the rate he's going, James will likely need two more books to bring the story up to date. And since Todd's as busy as ever, depending on how long that takes, who knows -- we may some day see Volume 5.
Review by Bill Kopp
Covering the life and career of Todd Rundgren is a serious, sprawling undertaking (trust me!). The prolific multi-instrumentalist has recorded and released several dozens albums, first as a member of proto-powerpop sixties group Nazz, then as both a solo artist and member of Utopia. He's been at the forefront of technology (sometimes too far out in front) and has made important contributions in the fields of recording, internet content delivery, interactive media, video and computer software. As a producer for hire, he's worked the boards on some of the most popular and/or critically acclaimed recordings of the rock era.
Along the way, he's had some hits and some misses, but his career has never made for less than a compelling story. His legion of fans (relatively small in number, but as dedicated in their own way as Deadheads) follow his every move. Past age sixty, Rundgren is still turning out new and interesting material.
That said, and despite a few high-profile hits ("We Gotta Get you a Woman" in 1970, "Hello, It's Me" in 1972 and "Bang the Drum All Day" in 1983) Rundgren's iconoclastic approach guarantees that he'll remain a cult artist. He's revered by those who know his work, but unknown to most in the mainstream.
For the former, Billy James' work is a gift. Musician/author James has tackled musician bios before: he has written books about Captain Beefheart, Grand Funk (Railroad) and others. But Rundgren's oeuvre requires a detailed and lengthy approach. So it was that James published the first volume of A Dream Goes on Forever: The Continuing Story of Todd Rundgren in 2002. That book covered Rundgren's life and career up to 1976. The thick volume was full of interviews with many who had worked with Todd over the years; review and article reprints; and the author's own perspective.
In the mid 1990s, Rundgren himself was reported to have begun work on an autobiography; there's been no update since then. And no autobiography has appeared. So those interested in delving deeper into Rundgren's history are left with James' books (Rundgren was not involved on any level with the project).
The second volume was published in late 2009. Subtitled The Utopia Years, Volume 2 picks up where the previous volume left off and runs through the group's dissolution in 1988.
James uses the same approach (interview quotes, article and review reprints etc.) in this latest volume. In many ways it's a superior book; perhaps because it covers a more recent time period than the first volume, many of the quotes are first-hand (rather than sourced from the previous work of other writers). The book charts the rise and fall of the four-piece version of Utopia, with equal weight given to coverage and discussion of Rundgren's solo work during that period.
Plenty of ink is used covering the internal and external tensions that ultimately derailed the band, but while Volume 1 relied greatly on interviews with personalities who, shall we say, had an axe to grind (Moogy Klingman, for example), most of those involved in the period covered by Volume 2 have, on balance, a positive outlook about the period.
Some of the book's extensive research was conducted by noted Rundgren collector Tony Rogers; in Rogers' afterword, he makes slightly petulant remarks in response to reader complaints about the first volume. Specficially he dismisses concerns about editing and binding of the volume. In truth, both were serious issues in Volume One; while well-written and organized, the book was rife with errors. And the binding did fall apart readily. But neither of those kept that book from being an essential read for anyone with more than a passing interest in Rundgren's career.
Both of those problems have been addressed (to some degree) in Volume Two, and the result is an even better book. Those hardcore fans will want both, but since James helpfully starts out Vol. 2 with a capsule summary of the first book, Vol. 2 is the one to get.
At the rate he's going, James will likely need two more books to bring the story up to date. And since Todd's as busy as ever, depending on how long that takes, who knows -- we may some day see Volume 5.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Todd Rundgrens' Johnson tour dates
FRI 4/2/10 Engelwood, NJ Bergen County PAC
SAT 4/3/10 Salisbury, MA Tupelo Music Hall
WED 4/7/10 Newark, OH Midland Theater
FRI 4/9/10 Pittsburgh, PA Palace Theater
SAT 4/10/10 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun - Wolf Den
SUN 4/11/10 Ridgefield, CT Ridgefield Playhouse presale 2/1 onsale 2/5
TUE 4/13/10 Alexandria,VA The Birchmere
WED 4/14/10 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Tavern
more to come
SAT 4/3/10 Salisbury, MA Tupelo Music Hall
WED 4/7/10 Newark, OH Midland Theater
FRI 4/9/10 Pittsburgh, PA Palace Theater
SAT 4/10/10 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun - Wolf Den
SUN 4/11/10 Ridgefield, CT Ridgefield Playhouse presale 2/1 onsale 2/5
TUE 4/13/10 Alexandria,VA The Birchmere
WED 4/14/10 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Tavern
more to come
Thursday, January 28, 2010
rumors has it .............
April might just be the beginning of the tour for the Todd Rundgren's Johnson material
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
News on Todd and The Rogue's Gallery in Sydney >rehearsal
Kings of the Rogue - TODD RUNDGREN..Peter Garrett and Tim Robbins steal the show in rehearsals with Marianne Faithfull and the stellar line-up of Rogue's Gallery - a concert tribute to songs of the sea
http://player.video.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/#6qI8UWWN7al3mIjVTm7OI3sTQwIoKuXJ
http://player.video.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/#6qI8UWWN7al3mIjVTm7OI3sTQwIoKuXJ
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Q&A: musicradar.com >Todd Rundgren on recreating A Wizard, A True Star
http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/qa-todd-rundgren-on-recreating-a-wizard-a-true-star-234318
Q&A: Todd Rundgren on recreating A Wizard, A True Star
How his 1973 prog opus returned to stage
Terry Staunton, Tue 26 Jan 2010, 8:50 am UTC
As well as touring with the likes of Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band, producing just about every rock staple from New York Dolls to Meat Loaf and being name-dropped and sampled by today's geeky hipsters Simian Mobile Disco and Hot Chip, Todd Rundgren's solo records remain among his most celebrated works. None so more than 1973's seminal A Wizard, A True Star.
As Rundgren prepares to bring his prog opus in its entirety to London's Hammersmith Apollo on 6 February, we caught up with him about what it takes to recreate a classic on stage.
Have you played the whole of the album live before?
TR: "I've never attempted to do the whole thing, although I had done segments of it with backing tapes. But it was never an option to do the entire record until now. The genesis for this idea came from a promoter who had noticed the record was getting a lot of name checks from younger artists, most noticeably Hot Chip, but it seemed it was generally getting discovered by a much wider and younger audience."
"The London show was gonna be the first time we did it, but word got through to my American fans and we thought it wouldn't be right to make them go all the way to England for the premier. So we did about 10 days worth of shows in the US last September, which was probably a good thing."
"[A Wizard, A True Star] was getting a lot of name checks from younger artists, most noticeably Hot Chip, but it seemed it was generally getting discovered by a much wider and younger audience""If I'd had to mount the show for the first time in a town in another country that I wasn't so familiar with, I might not have had the support mechanism in place that I would have in America."
Did the US run help iron out any problems you might have had? The whole undertaking seems quite a challenge.
TR: "Well, it was a challenge, but that was fairly soluble by making sure I had the right group of musicians. I had to get the right band around me, but we also had the advantage of technological evolutions over the last 30 years or so."
"There was no way I could have played the whole record live around the time it first came out. There are so many sounds that would have been difficult to reproduce back in the day."
Can you give any specific examples of that?
TR: "Not really, because I kind of cheated along the way. We have samplers nowadays, so it was easy for me to go back to the original master tape and lift any sound I wanted off it. We did that a bit, here and there, but not too extensively. We were able to get fairly close to most of the instruments without recourse to that."
"In some cases there are sounds or treatments to instruments where we no longer have access to the original devices, but I don't what to give too much away. I don't want to dissect what we've done before the London audience has a chance to hear it."
Next: recruiting the band and "anti-conceptual and neo-Dadaism
How did you recruit the band for these shows?
TR: "I think one of my most astute decisions was to get Greg Hawkes from The Cars to play a lot of the synthesizer parts, because he actually owns a lot of the same instruments I used in the studio back in 1973. I don't have them any more, I parted company with most of them over the years, but Greg is more than capable of reproducing most of the peculiar noises!"
"The concept of the album was actually anti-conceptual, a kind of neo-Dadaism. There weren't supposed to be a lot of standard rules, and if there were you were free to break them""It was also great to get Kasim Sulton on bass and Prairie Prince on drums, because although they weren't on the record it kind of gives the fans a little Utopia reunion, a little added bonus. We've also got Ralph Schuckett on keyboards, which is a nice link to the original record."
You've said in the past that you don't like the record being described as a concept album. Why is that?
TR: "The concept of the album was actually anti-conceptual, a kind of neo-Dadaism. There weren't supposed to be a lot of standard rules, and if there were you were free to break them. There was a method to the madness, in a way. I'd made Something/Anything? the year before and had got three hit singles from it, but I didn't want to be an artist who'd found a formula for success and just carried on mining it."
"I was already making more money as a producer. It was never in my mind to build myself and comfortable and commercial base, to become a household name. Critics were starting to refer to me as the male Carole King, and as much as I love Carole King I didn't want to be marginalised in such a way."
"Aside from that, I was just thinking differently about the possibilities of the studio and what habits I'd developed as a songwriter - and if it was possible for me to escape those habits. The studio shouldn't be a place where you go to just record your songs, it should be approached as a musical instrument itself and you owe it to yourself to explore the possibilities it holds."
"Making A Wizard... helped me realise that there doesn't have to be a standard song format, that the music you make doesn't have to even be musical in the traditional sense. I just wanted to utilise the sounds of my own environment, like the sounds of my dogs fighting with each other, for example."
"To continue recording standard songs would have been like filling in a form. There's more to life than a verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus about a relationship that went bad. I'd done that, it was time to do something different."
Next: something for the "hardcore fans"
Have you been to see other artists recreating complex albums, such as Brian Wilson with Pet Sounds or Smile, or The Zombies with Odessey And Oracle?
TR: "I didn't catch any of the Wilson shows, but I saw The Zombies not long ago and it struck me as being a little lounge-y. It maybe wasn't altogether their fault, because they were playing in a casino and I think a lot of the audience just wanted some background music while they ate their dinner."
"I'm not sure those kind of shows are meant for anyone but hardcore fans, so it was kind of a waste of their expertise. Everyone was sat still in their seats for the whole thing. You come and see me and I'll get you on your feet right at the start and keep you there!"
Todd Rundgren performs the British Premiere of A Wizard, A True Star at the HMV London Hammersmith Apollo on Saturday 6 February 2010. Box Office: 08700 603 777. Book Online: www.seetickets.com.
Q&A: Todd Rundgren on recreating A Wizard, A True Star
How his 1973 prog opus returned to stage
Terry Staunton, Tue 26 Jan 2010, 8:50 am UTC
As well as touring with the likes of Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band, producing just about every rock staple from New York Dolls to Meat Loaf and being name-dropped and sampled by today's geeky hipsters Simian Mobile Disco and Hot Chip, Todd Rundgren's solo records remain among his most celebrated works. None so more than 1973's seminal A Wizard, A True Star.
As Rundgren prepares to bring his prog opus in its entirety to London's Hammersmith Apollo on 6 February, we caught up with him about what it takes to recreate a classic on stage.
Have you played the whole of the album live before?
TR: "I've never attempted to do the whole thing, although I had done segments of it with backing tapes. But it was never an option to do the entire record until now. The genesis for this idea came from a promoter who had noticed the record was getting a lot of name checks from younger artists, most noticeably Hot Chip, but it seemed it was generally getting discovered by a much wider and younger audience."
"The London show was gonna be the first time we did it, but word got through to my American fans and we thought it wouldn't be right to make them go all the way to England for the premier. So we did about 10 days worth of shows in the US last September, which was probably a good thing."
"[A Wizard, A True Star] was getting a lot of name checks from younger artists, most noticeably Hot Chip, but it seemed it was generally getting discovered by a much wider and younger audience""If I'd had to mount the show for the first time in a town in another country that I wasn't so familiar with, I might not have had the support mechanism in place that I would have in America."
Did the US run help iron out any problems you might have had? The whole undertaking seems quite a challenge.
TR: "Well, it was a challenge, but that was fairly soluble by making sure I had the right group of musicians. I had to get the right band around me, but we also had the advantage of technological evolutions over the last 30 years or so."
"There was no way I could have played the whole record live around the time it first came out. There are so many sounds that would have been difficult to reproduce back in the day."
Can you give any specific examples of that?
TR: "Not really, because I kind of cheated along the way. We have samplers nowadays, so it was easy for me to go back to the original master tape and lift any sound I wanted off it. We did that a bit, here and there, but not too extensively. We were able to get fairly close to most of the instruments without recourse to that."
"In some cases there are sounds or treatments to instruments where we no longer have access to the original devices, but I don't what to give too much away. I don't want to dissect what we've done before the London audience has a chance to hear it."
Next: recruiting the band and "anti-conceptual and neo-Dadaism
How did you recruit the band for these shows?
TR: "I think one of my most astute decisions was to get Greg Hawkes from The Cars to play a lot of the synthesizer parts, because he actually owns a lot of the same instruments I used in the studio back in 1973. I don't have them any more, I parted company with most of them over the years, but Greg is more than capable of reproducing most of the peculiar noises!"
"The concept of the album was actually anti-conceptual, a kind of neo-Dadaism. There weren't supposed to be a lot of standard rules, and if there were you were free to break them""It was also great to get Kasim Sulton on bass and Prairie Prince on drums, because although they weren't on the record it kind of gives the fans a little Utopia reunion, a little added bonus. We've also got Ralph Schuckett on keyboards, which is a nice link to the original record."
You've said in the past that you don't like the record being described as a concept album. Why is that?
TR: "The concept of the album was actually anti-conceptual, a kind of neo-Dadaism. There weren't supposed to be a lot of standard rules, and if there were you were free to break them. There was a method to the madness, in a way. I'd made Something/Anything? the year before and had got three hit singles from it, but I didn't want to be an artist who'd found a formula for success and just carried on mining it."
"I was already making more money as a producer. It was never in my mind to build myself and comfortable and commercial base, to become a household name. Critics were starting to refer to me as the male Carole King, and as much as I love Carole King I didn't want to be marginalised in such a way."
"Aside from that, I was just thinking differently about the possibilities of the studio and what habits I'd developed as a songwriter - and if it was possible for me to escape those habits. The studio shouldn't be a place where you go to just record your songs, it should be approached as a musical instrument itself and you owe it to yourself to explore the possibilities it holds."
"Making A Wizard... helped me realise that there doesn't have to be a standard song format, that the music you make doesn't have to even be musical in the traditional sense. I just wanted to utilise the sounds of my own environment, like the sounds of my dogs fighting with each other, for example."
"To continue recording standard songs would have been like filling in a form. There's more to life than a verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus about a relationship that went bad. I'd done that, it was time to do something different."
Next: something for the "hardcore fans"
Have you been to see other artists recreating complex albums, such as Brian Wilson with Pet Sounds or Smile, or The Zombies with Odessey And Oracle?
TR: "I didn't catch any of the Wilson shows, but I saw The Zombies not long ago and it struck me as being a little lounge-y. It maybe wasn't altogether their fault, because they were playing in a casino and I think a lot of the audience just wanted some background music while they ate their dinner."
"I'm not sure those kind of shows are meant for anyone but hardcore fans, so it was kind of a waste of their expertise. Everyone was sat still in their seats for the whole thing. You come and see me and I'll get you on your feet right at the start and keep you there!"
Todd Rundgren performs the British Premiere of A Wizard, A True Star at the HMV London Hammersmith Apollo on Saturday 6 February 2010. Box Office: 08700 603 777. Book Online: www.seetickets.com.
RundgrenRadio tonight
RundgrenRadio.com airs this Tuesday night at 8:30pmET with a special show featuring the entire "Forum's Worth of Toons" fan tribute CD including the artists comments about their particular song(s)! It's gonna be a good one folks so don't miss it!
www.rundgrenradio.com
www.rundgrenradio.com
Monday, January 25, 2010
Todd article from the Dec '09 issue of Classic Rock magazine
click on each picture to see full size
thanks chelababy for scan
thanks chelababy for scan
Saturday, January 23, 2010
the producers replay link... this is a must listen
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00qbzqv/Record_Producers_The_Extended_Cut_Todd_Rundgren/
one of the best segements on todd rundgren in years
Thursday, January 21, 2010
todd PR trailer
Hello There,
Please find the official BBC 6 Music Radio trailer for the “Record Producers: Todd Rundgren” documentary that will air on BBC 6 Music Radio in England on January 23rd at 22:00 GMT. Please feel free to upload the attached MP3 of the trailer or stream it on your website, blog or forum.
Please link visitors to your site to the BBC 6 Music Todd Rundgren page here for further info about the documentary – http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qbzqv
The documentary will be available on demand online from Sunday January 24th from BBC i.Player.
Click here to visit the BBC i-Player page – http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/radio/bbc_6music
Please find the official BBC 6 Music Radio trailer for the “Record Producers: Todd Rundgren” documentary that will air on BBC 6 Music Radio in England on January 23rd at 22:00 GMT. Please feel free to upload the attached MP3 of the trailer or stream it on your website, blog or forum.
Please link visitors to your site to the BBC 6 Music Todd Rundgren page here for further info about the documentary – http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qbzqv
The documentary will be available on demand online from Sunday January 24th from BBC i.Player.
Click here to visit the BBC i-Player page – http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/radio/bbc_6music
Interview: TR a wizard reborn in london
http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/todd-rundgren-a-wizard-reborn-in-london/
Todd Rundgren will make a dozen costume changes when he showcases the celebrated album A Wizard, A True Star in London next month – and he’ll do them all on stage!
“When I decided to do the whole of this record live, I thought about the best way to make it really theatrical,” Rundgren told Classic Rock.
“At first I was gonna bring in acrobats, clowns and animals – to make it something of a circus. But that just wasn’t practical. But I knew that this couldn’t just be about the music. I needed a striking visual element. So what I’ve done is create a dressing room on stage.
“During the gig, I make about 12 changes, in a dressing room mocked up behind a curtain. This gives everything a certain magic feel, because I am effectively changing right in front of the fans! And there’s the tension of wondering whether I can get it done in time to make my musical cue.
“So, I’ll be relaxed and singing something like Never Never Land, then have to dash and change while the band carry on. I hope the audience find it interesting.”
Although Rundgren has so far performed the iconic 1973 album at four shows in America last December, the original idea was to do it solely in London.
“The suggestion was first made when I toured the UK in November 2008. The promoter told me that the record had become really popular with electronic artists and DJs. There was a real buzz about it. He felt that if I performed the whole album at a gig in London, and got some of these talents involved, then I could reach a younger audience.
“Then people in America got to hear about the idea and, not wanting to be left out, sorted out some dates at the end of last year. So the London one, instead of starting it all off, has come a lot later.”
Rundgren is remaining virtually faithful to the style and running order of the album, although there is one major shift.
“The song International Feel is now at the end of the set. Because it sits a lot better there. When the album came out, I had to split the music into two ‘acts’, really. Which were the two sides of the vinyl. So I had to make some arbitrary decisions. Now, I can visualise it as one continuous piece, which was the idea in the first place. So far, the reaction to this from fans has been fine – it hasn’t shocked them too much!”
Rundgren has admitted that he wanted to do the whole of this album when it first came out. What stopped him?
“Technology wasn’t up to it. I’d have had to get so many musicians involved to make it work, and that just wasn’t practical. Now, I can use samples if necessary. It all makes more economic sense.”
Right now, the plan is to do A Wizard, A True Star in London at the Hammersmith Apollo on February 6 (for tickets go here) and then in Amsterdam, at the Paradiso two nights later. But that’s not the end… only the end of the beginning.
“I will also take it out to other cities, where my popularity is still such that I know I can sell tickets. That’ll happen in the spring. So, this will carry on for a while.”
And there’s a DVD in the works, which Rundgren is currently putting together.
“We filmed all of the US dates, and right now I’m going through all of the footage on my laptop. The idea will be not only to put out a live DVD, but also a box set with all of those shows in their entirety. That’ll be one thing, I assume, only dedicated fans would want.
“What we did was video simulcast all of the gigs, and then specifically shoot one concert. So, we’ve multi-camera angles for it all. It means I’ve got so much to go through, but it’s worthwhile, and these days it’s so much easier to edit.”
Rundgren doubts that he will ever take a similar approach with any of his other albums, believing that none really lend themselves to such exposure.
“One thing with A Wizard, A True Star is that it’s nearly an hour long. It represents that period when I looked beyond the pop song, and started to invest in sounds and experimenting with what you could do with music. I’d had enough of writing songs about the same subject over and over again – the girl with whom I’d split up eight years earlier. So, it was time to move on.
“Why was it such a long record in an era when most were about 40 minutes in length? Because I lost track of how it was turning out, to be honest – which I regularly did! Fortunately, we managed to get away with it, even though there was some loss of frequencies at the bottom end on the vinyl format back then.
“The problem is that none of my other records are long enough to turn into self-contained shows. Hermit Of Mink Hollow (1978) has been mentioned. But how would that work? Just me on stage… as it was on the record.”
One final thing: Rundgren doesn’t want this to be viewed as a nostalgia trip and nothing more…
“No artist likes to be seen that way. I believe that I’m bringing something new and fresh to what I did in 1973. Come along and see for yourself.”
Todd Rundgren performs the British premiere of A Wizard, A True Star at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo in London on Saturday, February 6. Box office: 08700 603 777. Book online: http://www.seetickets.com/
Todd Rundgren will make a dozen costume changes when he showcases the celebrated album A Wizard, A True Star in London next month – and he’ll do them all on stage!
“When I decided to do the whole of this record live, I thought about the best way to make it really theatrical,” Rundgren told Classic Rock.
“At first I was gonna bring in acrobats, clowns and animals – to make it something of a circus. But that just wasn’t practical. But I knew that this couldn’t just be about the music. I needed a striking visual element. So what I’ve done is create a dressing room on stage.
“During the gig, I make about 12 changes, in a dressing room mocked up behind a curtain. This gives everything a certain magic feel, because I am effectively changing right in front of the fans! And there’s the tension of wondering whether I can get it done in time to make my musical cue.
“So, I’ll be relaxed and singing something like Never Never Land, then have to dash and change while the band carry on. I hope the audience find it interesting.”
Although Rundgren has so far performed the iconic 1973 album at four shows in America last December, the original idea was to do it solely in London.
“The suggestion was first made when I toured the UK in November 2008. The promoter told me that the record had become really popular with electronic artists and DJs. There was a real buzz about it. He felt that if I performed the whole album at a gig in London, and got some of these talents involved, then I could reach a younger audience.
“Then people in America got to hear about the idea and, not wanting to be left out, sorted out some dates at the end of last year. So the London one, instead of starting it all off, has come a lot later.”
Rundgren is remaining virtually faithful to the style and running order of the album, although there is one major shift.
“The song International Feel is now at the end of the set. Because it sits a lot better there. When the album came out, I had to split the music into two ‘acts’, really. Which were the two sides of the vinyl. So I had to make some arbitrary decisions. Now, I can visualise it as one continuous piece, which was the idea in the first place. So far, the reaction to this from fans has been fine – it hasn’t shocked them too much!”
Rundgren has admitted that he wanted to do the whole of this album when it first came out. What stopped him?
“Technology wasn’t up to it. I’d have had to get so many musicians involved to make it work, and that just wasn’t practical. Now, I can use samples if necessary. It all makes more economic sense.”
Right now, the plan is to do A Wizard, A True Star in London at the Hammersmith Apollo on February 6 (for tickets go here) and then in Amsterdam, at the Paradiso two nights later. But that’s not the end… only the end of the beginning.
“I will also take it out to other cities, where my popularity is still such that I know I can sell tickets. That’ll happen in the spring. So, this will carry on for a while.”
And there’s a DVD in the works, which Rundgren is currently putting together.
“We filmed all of the US dates, and right now I’m going through all of the footage on my laptop. The idea will be not only to put out a live DVD, but also a box set with all of those shows in their entirety. That’ll be one thing, I assume, only dedicated fans would want.
“What we did was video simulcast all of the gigs, and then specifically shoot one concert. So, we’ve multi-camera angles for it all. It means I’ve got so much to go through, but it’s worthwhile, and these days it’s so much easier to edit.”
Rundgren doubts that he will ever take a similar approach with any of his other albums, believing that none really lend themselves to such exposure.
“One thing with A Wizard, A True Star is that it’s nearly an hour long. It represents that period when I looked beyond the pop song, and started to invest in sounds and experimenting with what you could do with music. I’d had enough of writing songs about the same subject over and over again – the girl with whom I’d split up eight years earlier. So, it was time to move on.
“Why was it such a long record in an era when most were about 40 minutes in length? Because I lost track of how it was turning out, to be honest – which I regularly did! Fortunately, we managed to get away with it, even though there was some loss of frequencies at the bottom end on the vinyl format back then.
“The problem is that none of my other records are long enough to turn into self-contained shows. Hermit Of Mink Hollow (1978) has been mentioned. But how would that work? Just me on stage… as it was on the record.”
One final thing: Rundgren doesn’t want this to be viewed as a nostalgia trip and nothing more…
“No artist likes to be seen that way. I believe that I’m bringing something new and fresh to what I did in 1973. Come along and see for yourself.”
Todd Rundgren performs the British premiere of A Wizard, A True Star at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo in London on Saturday, February 6. Box office: 08700 603 777. Book online: http://www.seetickets.com/
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
interview; todd rundgren the producer BBC
BBC 6 Music radio will air a fascinating 90-minute documentary on
"The Record Producers: Todd Rundgren" on Saturday January 23rd
at 22:00. As part of BBC Radio's critically acclaimed "Record
Producers" documentary series, the 90-minute special will air on
BBC 6 Music two weeks before Rundgren performs the British concert
premiere of his psychedelic 1973 album "A Wizard, A True Star"
at the HMV London Hammersmith Apollo on Saturday February 6th (Box
Office: 08700 603 777 / Book Online: www.seetickets.com).
Read the official BBC 6 Music Todd Rundgren documentary page here -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qbzqv
The Record Producers documentary will also include dialogue of Rundgren
discussing some of his most popular albums including A Wizard, A True
Star and Something/Anything, and will give listeners exclusive access to
the original multi-track tapes of two songs from Rundgren's most
successful production as a record producer – Meat Loaf's
multi-million selling "Bat Out Of Hell".
The documentary will be followed by a 30-minute companion programme
"The Producer's Playlist" where, Record Producer Steve
Levine will present a selection prime cuts from Patti Smith, New York
Dolls, Hall & Oats and Utopia, all produced by Rundgren, whose own solo
recordings also feature on the show.
Click here to access further information about the "The
Producer's Playlist" - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qcjyv.
Visitors to the BBC 6 Music website can listen live or play the show via
BBC i-Player - http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/radio/bbc_6music.
A 60-minute edition of the Rundgren documentary will be aired on BBC
Radio 2 on February 27th at 22:00 - (5 PM EST)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0072fbv.
Don't miss the British concert premiere of Todd Rundgren's
"A Wizard, A True Star" live at the HMV London Hammersmith
Apollo on Saturday February 6th.
For further details about the Hammersmith Apollo concert -
www.noblepr.co.uk/Press_Releases/meanfiddler/Todd_Rundgren_wizard.htm
"The Record Producers: Todd Rundgren" on Saturday January 23rd
at 22:00. As part of BBC Radio's critically acclaimed "Record
Producers" documentary series, the 90-minute special will air on
BBC 6 Music two weeks before Rundgren performs the British concert
premiere of his psychedelic 1973 album "A Wizard, A True Star"
at the HMV London Hammersmith Apollo on Saturday February 6th (Box
Office: 08700 603 777 / Book Online: www.seetickets.com).
Read the official BBC 6 Music Todd Rundgren documentary page here -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qbzqv
The Record Producers documentary will also include dialogue of Rundgren
discussing some of his most popular albums including A Wizard, A True
Star and Something/Anything, and will give listeners exclusive access to
the original multi-track tapes of two songs from Rundgren's most
successful production as a record producer – Meat Loaf's
multi-million selling "Bat Out Of Hell".
The documentary will be followed by a 30-minute companion programme
"The Producer's Playlist" where, Record Producer Steve
Levine will present a selection prime cuts from Patti Smith, New York
Dolls, Hall & Oats and Utopia, all produced by Rundgren, whose own solo
recordings also feature on the show.
Click here to access further information about the "The
Producer's Playlist" - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qcjyv.
Visitors to the BBC 6 Music website can listen live or play the show via
BBC i-Player - http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/radio/bbc_6music.
A 60-minute edition of the Rundgren documentary will be aired on BBC
Radio 2 on February 27th at 22:00 - (5 PM EST)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0072fbv.
Don't miss the British concert premiere of Todd Rundgren's
"A Wizard, A True Star" live at the HMV London Hammersmith
Apollo on Saturday February 6th.
For further details about the Hammersmith Apollo concert -
www.noblepr.co.uk/Press_Releases/meanfiddler/Todd_Rundgren_wizard.htm
Monday, January 18, 2010
Interview :quicktime audio>> Billy James new book about todd
copy and paste this link to hear interview
http://webtalkradio.net/index.php/show-podcasts/71-the-pop-culture-road-trip
-with-chris-epting/4829
Legendary manager, producer, and rock and roll impresario Marty Thau shares stories from his incredible life in the business featuring the New York Dolls, The Ramones and more - and his Red Star Records is still going strong today as Red Star Digital Music. Then, Billy James discusses his new book, "A Dream Goes on Forever - The Continuing Story of Todd Rundgren - The Utopia Years." It's the second book James has written on the Wizard and this is a must listen for any Todd fan.
http://webtalkradio.net/index.php/show-podcasts/71-the-pop-culture-road-trip
-with-chris-epting/4829
Legendary manager, producer, and rock and roll impresario Marty Thau shares stories from his incredible life in the business featuring the New York Dolls, The Ramones and more - and his Red Star Records is still going strong today as Red Star Digital Music. Then, Billy James discusses his new book, "A Dream Goes on Forever - The Continuing Story of Todd Rundgren - The Utopia Years." It's the second book James has written on the Wizard and this is a must listen for any Todd fan.
youtube interview: KASIM 12/2/09 capital chaos
KASIM SULTON (interview) on CAPITAL CHAOS 2009 @ The Crest Theater~Sacramento, California 12-2-09
Kasim Sulton is an American bass guitarist, keyboardist, and singer. Best known for his work with Utopia, Sulton sang lead on 1980's "Set Me Free", Utopia's only top 40 hit in the US. As a solo artist, Sulton hit the Canadian top 40 in 1982 with "Don't Break My Heart".
http://www.kasimsulton.com/
Sulton has been a frequent collaborator, bassist and singer on many of Todd Rundgren's projects and solo tours.
http://www.kasiminfo.com/
Sulton started his musical career playing piano for Cherry Vanilla before gaining a place in Todd Rundgren's Utopia in 1976. During his time with Utopia they recorded nine albums and toured extensively.
http://www.kasimstore.com/
He has toured with Meat Loaf, Hall & Oates, Cheap Trick, Blue Öyster Cult, Richie Sambora, Patti Smith and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. As a studio musician, he has played on albums by Patti Smith, The Indigo Girls and Steve Stevens, and appeared on an album of traditional Irish music by Eileen Ivers. He was a member of Joan Jett's backing band, The Blackhearts, touring with them and playing on Jett's album Up Your Alley (1988) as well as contributing a number of tracks to her compilation album The Hit List (1990).
http://www.youtube.com/user/kasimsulton
Sulton was the bassist on the Meat Loaf album Bat Out of Hell. He and Thommy Price collaborated on an album, Lights On, which Sulton co-wrote. The song "No T.V. No Phone" was featured in the 1987 film The Allnighter, starring Susanna Hoffs.
http://www.myspace.com/kasimsulton
Sulton sang background vocals on Meat Loaf's album Bat out of Hell II: Back Into Hell, joining his backing band, The Neverland Express, and touring for three years on the Everything Louder Tour. He also recorded on Meat Loafs album Welcome to the Neighborhood, arranging and singing background vocals on most of the tracks. He went on to become Musical Director for Meat Loaf, rehearsing Meat Loaf's band, Neverland Express, in preparation for touring. The Very Best of Meat Loaf album was released with three new tracks, one of which, "Is Nothing Sacred", was later re-recorded as a duet with Patti Russo and produced by Sulton, with the track reaching #15 on the UK charts. Sulton also produced the Meat Loaf StoryTellers album, and toured with the band on the Night Of The Proms Tour in Europe and the "Meat Loaf Just Havin' Fun for the Summer" and "Winter" Tour in the US and Europe, where he and Patti Russo both served as opening acts. He also toured on Meat Loaf's "Couldn't Have Said It Better" tour where he played a short solo acoustic set to open the concert at most venues. One of Meat Loaf's shows on this tour was filmed for the dvd Bat out of Hell: Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Kasim also toured on the 2005 "Hair of the Dog" Tour and the 2006-2007 "Bat Out of Hell III" tour, and he is featured as bassist/backing vocalist on the album. In summer 2008, he will rejoin Meat Loaf for the Casa de Carne tour.
Article: CRAWDADDY
http://www.crawdaddy.com/index.php/2010/01/18/todd-rundgren-a-wizard-a-true-star/
Todd Rundgren: A Wizard, A True Star
by: Ric Hickey
Todd Rundren’s
A Wizard, A True Star
(Bearsville, 1973)
At the time of its release in 1973, Todd Rundgren’s sprawling art-pop masterpiece A Wizard, A True Star ascended no higher than number 86 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart. But in the intervening years, the record has enjoyed a cult-favorite status like few other albums of the classic rock era. Though it garnered no hit singles, the album does boast a handful of Rundgren fan favorites, like “Zen Archer” and “Just One Victory”, songs that have been staples of Todd’s ever-evolving live show for over three decades.
Unlike any other record of its time, A Wizard, A True Star blended the Beatles’ Abbey Road medley mentality with the ambition of Zappa, the unbridled energy of fusion, and of course Rundgren’s own explosive imagination. The result was a sparkling pop record that, though it enjoyed success among Reungren’s small fanbase at the time of its release, would languish in relative obscurity for several years before it began to get the recognition it deserved. A Wizard, A True Star: Was the title alone perhaps an indication of an advanced sense of self-deprecating humor that would forever be lost on the general public and well beyond the comprehension of the masses? Even in an era when Zappa’s oddities and the prog-rock freak-outs of many others were quite common, it seemed both critics and the record-buying public needed time to soak up the subtleties of A Wizard, A True Star before its greatness began to become apparent. Almost as if it took a few years to properly digest.
For sure, many variants of rock music became simpler, less demanding to the listener, and almost watered-down sounding as the ’70s wore on. Whether it was the soft rock “California sound” that first blossomed in the early ’70s or the angry punk of just a few short years later, it all aimed for a gut-level target. To his never-ending credit, Rundgren never stooped to that level. He has, throughout his career, made brainy rock music for brainy people, and his reward is a devoted cult following of hardcore fanatics that trail his every move and support his every musical whim even as he has pursued his muse down some unexpected avenues.
The album opens with an ominous synthesizer line, as “International Feel” eerily unfolds like a sonic snake turning itself inside out, only to reveal a shimmering sheath of diamond melodies. Originally from the Broadway production of Peter Pan, the placement of “Never Never Land” in the number two slot always struck me as a brilliantly far-reaching gesture. So early in the proceedings! To croon with aching sincerity this long-lost Broadway ballad full of flowery chords and sappy sentiment, as a launching pad for the maze of maniacal self-examination to follow?
This is the listener’s first clue of the rapidly dawning revelation that this album is comprised of many short little ditties that segue seamlessly and continuously throughout. Side one in particular has long since been considered both the prototype and the Gold Standard of Pop Collage, blending sparkling segments into the blindingly brilliant sum of its perfect parts. Among the stream of gems that follow is “Flamingo”, one of this writer’s favorite tunes on the record. A clever and playful instrumental, a tiny symphony for synthesizers, “Flamingo” is reminiscent of some of Zappa’s Hot Rats era stuff.
Later, we hear Rundgren’s elastic and electric voice stretch and soar in an unlikely medley of ’60s cover tunes, beginning with the soft and sentimental trilogy of “I’m So Proud”, “Ooh, Baby Baby”, and “La La Means I Love You.” (For such a goofball, apparently he can really nail a ballad when he wants to.) Rundgren shifts gears for the medley’s final segment, a crazed remake of the frenetic ’60s dance pop track “Cool Jerk.” Employing some unexpected rhythm shifts to dizzying effect, Rundgren’s frantic performance seems to skip and jump and fold over on its perky, patchwork self. Other highlights of the album include “Is It My Name?”, a climactic outburst of guitar histrionics, and the album’s anthemic closer “Just One Victory.”
Though the album was released 36 years ago, A Wizard, A True Star could well be seen as something of a career retrospective. Considered by many to be his magnum opus, it’s got all the hallmarks of Rundgren’s music: Humor of both the cerebral and cornball varieties, advanced musicianship, beautifully crafted pop songs and ballads, a couple of ironic rockers, a handful of covers, and perhaps most poignantly, some surprisingly insightful lyrics that reveal a vulnerability and yearning for truth and love and understanding. The meditative “Zen Archer”, the melancholy lamentations of “I Don’t Want to Tie You Down”, and the bittersweet “Sometimes I Don’t Know What to Feel” are all perfect examples of Todd Rundgren’s soul-searching lyrics, echoing introspection, and self-administered “rock therapy” as prayer.
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