Sometimes I Don't Know What to Poll: ILM Artist Poll #107 - Todd Rundgren - RESULTS

nice, very glad to see that place

btw I did crank Something/Anything today and noticed a few things. for one, it's maybe the only double album I can think of that's frontloaded on BOTH LPs - the first three songs on both Side 1 and 3 are amazing and tower over everything else. two, the liner notes are actually pretty extensive - it's got a bunch of documents from the studio, you can see the different drum charts, how many takes were done, when each song was recorded, etc. not only does it have all the lyrics but also a little explainer for each song AND they transcribed the studio banter on Side 4...he kinda comes off arrogant in all this, on the other hand he was what 23 when he made this? wild.

#15 - 169 points - 9 votes
Utopia - "Love Is the Answer" - from Oops! Wrong Planet, 1977

For me, this one is all about the bridge.

I made the decision not to vote for any Utopia in the songs poll, there were too many solo songs that I felt needed a place; but this is worthy.

‘Love Is The Answer’-Todd at his most Todd like...not many artists could get away with a song that could’ve been grade A schmaltz but actually ends up being just utterly profound...so so great

This song was super cathartic at the benefit w Utopia backing him that he played I saw in NYC a few years back. And he sang the shit out of it.

I bet...gives me goosebumps thinking about that

Speaking of goosebumps ...

#13 - 175 points - 10 votes - 1 first place vote
Todd Rundgren - "Long Flowing Robe" - from Runt. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren, 1971
At Live from Daryl’s House:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDhF-OF7zQ0

Did somebody else have a hit with "Love Is The Answer?" Seems like there's a version out there that I'm subconsciously more familiar with.

The only Nazz song I know I suspect is yet to come... "Forget All About It" is a great discovery though.

Yep. England Dan and John Ford Coley

xp

Of "You are the Woman" fame.

Ah, thanks! I knew there was a soft-rock version that I was more aware of, if only as aural wallpaper.

Did we miss #14?

Wei did! Which is why Long Flowing Robe had that Last Ride performance.

Let’s try this again:

#14 - 174 points - 7 votes - 1 first place vote
Todd Rundgren - "The Last Ride" - from Todd, 1974
Live from Daryl’s House:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDhF-OF7zQ0


#13 - 175 points - 10 votes - 1 first place vote
Todd Rundgren - "Long Flowing Robe" - from Runt. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren, 1971

Note that there is a huge jump from here on out where in point totals-- where the consensus tracks really start to take shape.

#12 - 264 points - 11 votes - 1 first place vote
Nazz - "Open My Eyes" - from Nazz, 1968
#112 on US Billboard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apW-fj11T_k

My favorite version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-bZtOTUbSU

that '75 show very much worth seeking out btw

Shine on us all <3

Re: something/anything it was perverse of him to throw Hello It’s Me in the middle of the wtf-ness of side 4

Typical Todd.

Re. the Hammersmith Odeon show in '75, there are some videos of that lineup with Luther Vandross from that tour. The story Myers tells behind how Vandross ended up on the tour is interesting. Basically, two keyboardists from the first iteration of Utopia left -- partly bc Todd made the decision around this time to to relocate his main studio from NYC to upstate New York (Mink Hollow) and Moogy Klingman wanted to stay in the city. He apparently made Roger Powell audition for the band again because he had only done the weird synth stuff, not any of the keyboard or organ parts. Even tho he passed, Todd apparently wasn't sure the new version of the band could hack the vocal arrangements of these songs as a four piece, so he brought two of the guys from Another Live and added Luther.

#11 - 266 points - 12 votes
Runt - "We Gotta Get You a Woman" - from Runt, 1970
#20 on US Billboard

#10 -  266 points - 15 votes - 3 first place votes
Todd Rundgren - "Love of the Common Man" - from Faithful, 1976

Is Love in Action going to make the top 10? I think I have the rest figured out, but not sure if Love in Action will make it?

I guess Bang on the Drum All Day is another possibility too.

Probably not "Drunken Blue Rooster".

PISS AARON #1

#9 - 280 points - 15 votes
Todd Rundgren - "Can We Still Be Friends?" - from Hermit of Mink Hollow, 1978
#29 on US Billboard


I love the live version of this on the A Cappella tour with the chorus, but I can't find it on YouTube anywhere.

how did I forget to vote for Piss Aaron?

"Forget All About It" and Nazz Nazz were my #1s. I felt like they needed some love.

Also that Cheap Trick album has "I Can't Take It" which is my favorite of theirs.

“love of the common” man was my number 1, pure perfection

uh misplaced quotation mark

#8 - 280 points - 13 votes
Todd Rundgren - "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference" - from Something/Anything?, 1972

#7 - 300 points - 15 votes - 1 first place vote
Todd Rundgren - "Sometimes I Don’t Know What To Feel" - from A Wizard, a True Star, 1973

This song is all about the line in which the car runs over his dog.

^^ absolutely and when he says about not wanting to admit to his friends about feeling confused...so devastating

I want to say something like this is the weirdest poll ever, maybe that's not the way to phrase it.

Like much more diverse results throughout, than the few other polls I've participated in.

such a great song

so dramatic when he goes from the optimistic “keep on keepin on” part back into the darkness of the chorus

my favorite part of “difference” is the swoopy synth arpeggio right before the last chorus

Sometimes I Don’t Know What to Feel was the one I forgot about, which is funny since it’s the poll title. That dog line has always bothered me - Todd’s a bit too intrinsically goofy to pull it off for me.

Yeah but it’s him in a nutshell again: this beautiful soulful tune about heartbreak ... over his dog getting flattened by a car.

my favorite part of “difference” is the swoopy synth arpeggio right before the last chorus

#6  371 points - 16 votes - 1 first place vote
Todd Rundgren - "A Dream Goes On Forever" - from Todd, 1974
#69 on US Billboard

The best-known song from what I think is his masterpiece – subtle little drum box and keyboard work, great background vocals and overall a nice refraction of his Nyro/King songwriting style.

Not on my ballot.

I really can’t think of another songwriter who absolutely expresses himself so eloquently and beautifully in a song...it’s that mixture of sadness and joy that always gets me in the pit of my stomach...I’ll shut up now