Todd Rundgren Classic Or Dud?(And Nazz/Utopia)

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For 'A Wizard A True Star' alone CLASSIC! Not familiar with Nazz at all.
So Classic Or Dud for Todd Rundgren/Nazz/Utopia?

― Dan Brain, Saturday, 22 February 2003 03:31 (twenty-three years ago)

The american bowie they say, loads of cool people rate him but I don't know where to start - can we make this a search and destroy thread as well?

― chris sallis, Saturday, 22 February 2003 04:17 (twenty-three years ago)

"Open My Eyes" by the Nazz = C L A S S I C
Todd Rundgren solo? ......feh.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 22 February 2003 04:30 (twenty-three years ago)

Chris if you wish.

― Dan Brain, Saturday, 22 February 2003 04:38 (twenty-three years ago)

i got all the nazz albums, 1st 2 are great & the 3rd's pretty good. "runt", "ballad of t.r.", "something/anything", "todd" & "wizard/true star" are all choice but after that i dunno (heard a utopia album 1x, it was boring)

― duane, Saturday, 22 February 2003 04:50 (twenty-three years ago)

"hermit of mink hollow" is a lost classic that seems to rarely be mentioned. definitely one his most consistent albums.

― juice (juice), Saturday, 22 February 2003 05:25 (twenty-three years ago)

Always avoided Utopia as its always called Prog. Call me blinkered if you wish ,its the same for me with roxy music or even Can.

― Dan Brain, Saturday, 22 February 2003 05:28 (twenty-three years ago)

ALSO "A Wizard A True Star" is the best album ever made. I have yet to hear anything that even remotely approaches its grandeur.

― juice (juice), Saturday, 22 February 2003 05:30 (twenty-three years ago)

Actually only the first 3 Utopia LPs are prog, the rest is all POP music.
It's a shame because there are some truly classic Todd tunes on those later Utopia albums that were ruined by awful slick 80s production.

― juice (juice), Saturday, 22 February 2003 05:33 (twenty-three years ago)

I want to start exploring all these records. I had "The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect" on CD a while ago, but I lost it...

What is it with all the self-aggrandizing/self-aware album titles though? Jesus.

Actually only the first 3 Utopia LPs are prog, the rest is all POP music.

POP MUSIC??? Get a rope.

― donut bitch (donut), Saturday, 22 February 2003 05:34 (twenty-three years ago)

yes pop.

pop as in verse/chorus/verse structure... catchy melodies.. etc.

what do you think i mean?

― juice (juice), Saturday, 22 February 2003 05:38 (twenty-three years ago)

I knew what you meant.. but I just wanted to know...

IF THIS STUFF WAS MADE IN NEW YORK CITY!

― donut bitch (donut), Saturday, 22 February 2003 05:41 (twenty-three years ago)

It's the Merlot talkin... darling

― donut bitch (donut), Saturday, 22 February 2003 05:41 (twenty-three years ago)

oh... and

ANDY PARTRIDGE TO THREAD!

― donut bitch (donut), Saturday, 22 February 2003 05:43 (twenty-three years ago)

oh, Happy Birthday, jess

― donut bitch (donut), Saturday, 22 February 2003 05:52 (twenty-three years ago)

Drunk.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 22 February 2003 06:34 (twenty-three years ago)

no mention of something/anything yet? after wizard its THE Todd disc(s)

― gaz (gaz), Sunday, 23 February 2003 09:04 (twenty-three years ago)

I lOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE "Wolfman Jack"

― James Blount (James Blount), Sunday, 23 February 2003 09:09 (twenty-three years ago)

Tiny demons anyone?

― gaz (gaz), Sunday, 23 February 2003 09:10 (twenty-three years ago)

Nazz, Runt, all good. "Something/Anything" is a classic, "Wizard/True Star" half-assed, "International Feel" is nice, Utopia mainly prog shit, the "Utopia" album sounded good at the time but now it doesn't. So, Todd, semi-classic.

― frank p. jones (frank p. jones), Sunday, 23 February 2003 18:48 (twenty-three years ago)

classic:
NAZZ: first two Nazz albums, about half of the third
TODD SOLO: Runt, The Ballad of Todd Rundgren, Something/Anything?, Wizard/True Star, Hermit of Mink Hollow (yes), side B of Faithless, "Time Heals"
UTOPIA: Utopia album+EP (dated production, good tunes), Deface The Music, Adventures In Utopia (guilty pleasure: total Boston/Journey arena-space rock)

dud:
* most of the other Utopia albums, particularly the early ones
* the jokey stuff on Todd ("An Elpee's Worth of Toons," etc.)
* side A of Faithless (wow, you can recreate Good Vibrations; who cares?)
* probably a lot more I'm forgetting

― mike a (mike a), Sunday, 23 February 2003 21:11 (twenty-three years ago)

INCREDIBLE, UNIMPEACHABLE classic, even about half of Utopia's stuff is classic. He inspired me to learn to multi-track just by putting the gatefold photo in SOMETHING/ANYTHING. That, WIZARD, TODD, HERMIT, ACAPELLA, DEFACE THE MUSIC, FAITHFUL, all damn near flawless records, and even his lesser efforts are pretty much worthwhile.....thanks for asking!

― matt riedl (veal), Monday, 24 February 2003 22:21 (twenty-three years ago)

seven months pass...

Nazz=classic.

― adaml (adaml), Saturday, 27 September 2003 12:29 (twenty-two years ago)

The production he did on XTC's "English Settlement" deserves a mention, don't know the Nazz stuff but for that alone Classic

― mentalist (mentalist), Saturday, 27 September 2003 12:34 (twenty-two years ago)

of course that was for XTC's "Skylarking". Jason & The Argonauts from English Settlement, now that's great guitar and groove

― mentalist (mentalist), Saturday, 27 September 2003 12:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Some truly classic albums during the early to mid 70s. Mostly dud after that (apart from Utopia's brilliant "Face The Music" album)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 27 September 2003 14:12 (twenty-two years ago)

2nd blount's choice of Wolfman Jack...his howls sound sooo sincere.

whats up with that song thats supposed to be played while looking into a mirror?...does it make more sense? i also love the Pine song.

― thomas de'aguirre (biteylove), Saturday, 27 September 2003 15:11 (twenty-two years ago)

...sorry "Torch Song"

― thomas de'aguirre (biteylove), Saturday, 27 September 2003 15:11 (twenty-two years ago)

"Sunset Blvd." on WIZARD is what I'm all about. Classic just for that.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Sunday, 28 September 2003 02:43 (twenty-two years ago)

The guy's A Genius, A True Stud -- and thus you must take the good with the bad. Of which there's plenty of both.

Something/Anything has some brilliant Laura Nyro rips and a few great power pop nuggets. Wizard the hints of the prog virus attacking, but still fairly great in its way. Hermit's a nice return to yore, and Utopia's Deface the Music should be required listening for every pretender to songcraft -- the Beatles pastiches from every era are both hilarious and legitimately rewarding (unlike, say, the note-for-note recreations of Faithful).

But Todd is the stone-cold classic meistropiece-- Ian MacD (RIP) nailed it in Uncut a few months ago. His read on the record, how it encapsulates the guy's vision completely, from the title on down, the 60s idealism and masterful tunage was dead-on. Hell, even "An Elpee's Worth Of Tunes" is great in that context (pace, mike a). When you're this full of energy (and ritalin, as was the case w/ Wizard), the mistakes are eminently forgivable...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Sunday, 28 September 2003 04:10 (twenty-two years ago)

eight months pass...

Man, Todd is one heavy awesome mother of an album.

― fizzcaraldo (Justin M), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 00:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Love has come
Love has come
Inside outside
It shall be revealed

― Joe (Joe), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 00:40 (twenty-two years ago)

What a musician. Do I like all of his stuff? Nope. But I totally get off on just about everything between 67-90. His live performances in the 70's and 80's were among the best I've ever seen.

― jim wentworth (wench), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 02:11 (twenty-two years ago)

I just finished a little Todd kick. Back to the Bars, Faithful & Hermit of Mink Hollow .. I had forgotten how good the song "Bread" was.

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 11:21 (twenty-two years ago)

I've been picking up a bunch of remastered albums by TR and Utopia, b/c they are £4.99 in HMV's sale bin. Rally great stuff, for the most part. High points = "todd", "a wizard, a true star".

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 11:26 (twenty-two years ago)

"Todd" is frickin' great. Is "Something/Anything" available for £4.99? I'm guessing not.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 11:32 (twenty-two years ago)

No, but I had that one anyway. They had:
Todd
Hermit of Mink Hollow
A Wizard, a True Star
Todd Rundgren's Utopia
Adventures in Utopia
"Nearly Human" tour 2xCD

All for £4,99 ea. I picked them all up to replace my older issues. The reissues (on castle/essential) are excellent, w/good packaging, sleevenotes, and high-quality mastering. I wish Virgin wd let Castle/Essential handle their reissues & mastering, after buying these!

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 11:37 (twenty-two years ago)

I have crappy vinyl reissues of both "Wizard" and "Something/ Anything" so I wouldn't mind being able to hear those albums for a change.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 11:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, they also had the first 2 solos as well, "runt" and er whatever the second one's called, I forget. NB that the remstering on "wizard" does reveal that the apparent "highest paid producer in the world" at that time preumably forgot abt correct gain-structuring when on organic psychedelics ie it's a bit fuzzy and distorted in places.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 11:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Def. classic. I only have a 2-disc Hits comp but it's great.

Hello It's Me
Just One Victory
Love is the Answer
Real Man
The Want of a Nail
Bang on the Drum All Day!

― Minion of Ozzy (fedo), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 12:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I wish those UK Castle/Essential issues were easier to find here in the States — the Rhino versions have terrible sound.

The new record is his best since Todd...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 13:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Classic for the Nazz, Classic for his solo work, and Classic even for Utopia's excesses, but let's not forget the other aspects of Todd Classicness: laid the template for Hall & Oates, introduced Bebe Buell to the scene, was the Prince of his day, turned Grand Funk into pop monsters, was the first green-haired man in rock.

― briania (briania), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 13:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Aye, "Something/Anything" has been available £4.99 HMV; indeed I bought a copy at that price (had heard it through my brother previously).

― Tom May (Tom May), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 22:00 (twenty-two years ago)

"Feet Don't Fail Me Now" was more-or-less the song that introduced me to Todd, and for that I am truly grateful. Definitely a classic. No matter from which direction one comes at Todd -- via Nazz, via his solo stuff, via Utopia, via his production work -- there's something to love all over.

On the other hand, John Lennon's "Open Lettuce to Sodd Runtlestuntle" in Melody Maker is a classic in its own right.

― phil dennison, Wednesday, 9 June 2004 00:25 (twenty-two years ago)

"Forget All About It" is amazing - ridiculous and amazing.

― billstevejim, Wednesday, 9 June 2004 00:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I like Something/Anything, of course...
parts of Wizard/True Star
Faithful
Mink Hollow

I do like Deface the Music, Swing to the Right and the black-and-white Utopia albums. The latter has great tunes but it sounds funny to me, too trebly or something. I love "Take it Home" from "Deface," friend put it on a mixed CD for me recently, what a cool song!

Overall, though, I find him a bit second-hand. Not to deny how great he can be when he tries (I do like the new LP pretty well, what I've heard). So, classic, but hugely inconsistent...

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 01:12 (twenty-two years ago)

*Parts* of "Wizard, A True Star"...? My dear fellow, I can't imagine parts and then not the whole! It's possibly the more consistent for me than S/A, lacking the slight tapering of that record's second CD in later parts. "Wizard" is truly a blinding record on all fronts... "Todd" and "Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren" are close too, in their various and varied ways. "Something/Anything"'s first CD and most else from it, is undeniably good, also.

― Tom May (Tom May), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 02:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah but AWaTSis indeed the fucking weirdass album to end all fucking weirdass albums. I love it to death all the way through but it's asking a lot to expect more than 1% of ILM to love it start to finish.

― fizzcaraldo (Justin M), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 02:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I have never been able to listen to Dogfight/Giggle without laughing hysterically. Who wouldn't love that?

― jim wentworth (wench), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 02:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah but AWaTSis indeed the fucking weirdass album to end all fucking weirdass albums. I love it to death all the way through but it's asking a lot to expect more than 1% of ILM to love it start to finish.

I'm glad Todd is getting weirder as the years go by, instead of being a nostalgia act in Las Vegas.

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 11:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Kind of weird, actually. I had all but given up expecting anything interesting from Mr. Rundgren, and then, along comes his best album in 30 years or something.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 12:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Re. AWaTS, I get a chuckle out of "Rock n' Roll Pussy" myself.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 14:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Geir: really? That surprises me. Have you heard Nearly Human, 2nd Wind or A Cappella? They're all fantastic records. The new LP certainly has its moments, but not on a par with those three.

Certainly better than any of that TR-i nonsense though...

― harveyw (harveyw), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 14:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Harveyw, I like Nearly Human but no way. No, no way.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 14:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I do like "Wizard" OK and individual tracks like "International Feel" are simply awesome. Maybe it's my ears, but as I say I do find the production there somewhat offputting. I dunno, call me old-fashioned, but there's a winsomeness to "Something/" I find appealing.

Listened to what is basically a Todd album, Hall and Oates' "War Babies," recently. Interesting stuff.

Opinions seem to vary, too, on TR's abilities as producer. Been reading this sorta-lame but OK power-pop book of interviews with Badfinger, the Rubinoos, etc., and some of those guys maintain that TR wasn't quite the producer I'd always believed him to be--good musical instincts for sure, but not so great at the board. Took me a long time to get past the Todd-ness of XTC's "Skylarking," which I now appreciate...

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 17:48 (twenty-two years ago)

The Tubes "Remote Control" has its share of Todd-ness, as well, including backing vocals and writing credits on two of the albums finer songs. (TV Is King, Love's A Mystery). But I think this one was a good fit.

― jim wentworth (wench), Thursday, 10 June 2004 01:08 (twenty-two years ago)

"Forget All About It" is amazing - ridiculous and amazing.

ABSOLUTELY OTM: The most instantly unforgettable title-hook I ever heard! One of only 3-4 songs that blew me away so utterly that I had to play it a second time IMMEDIATELY after my first hearing.

The Nazz: Whatta band! No other group of the era was able to combine hard rock/metal with Angloid hooks & harmonies like these guys did. (Well, maybe; but The Nazz did it better.) Todd Rundgren's sophisticated chord changes and guitar heroics pointed to the future - to HIS future, anyways. And, (as his surname might suggest!), drummer Thom Mooney was an obvious Keith Moon disciple, and was nearly as good as his idol. ('Specially on "Under The Ice" from Nazz Nazz, which also contains "Forget All About It.")

As for Todd solo and Utopia, I like some, am indifferent to some, and unfamiliar with the rest.

Classic for The Nazz stuff alone. (Not that his post-Nazz music isn't worth listening to.)

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Thursday, 10 June 2004 04:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I love The Nazz, but I've never heard any of his solo stuff. Did he do Motor City Madhouse? No, that was Teg Nugent, wasn't it? That's a good song.

― AdamL :') (nordicskilla), Thursday, 10 June 2004 04:54 (twenty-two years ago)

seven months pass...

God bless "Deface the Music"

― Andrew Blood Thames (Andrew Thames), Tuesday, 18 January 2005 13:03 (twenty-one years ago)

...and discovering the Sparks!
Todd is just classic.

― Marco Damiani (Marco D.), Tuesday, 18 January 2005 15:31 (twenty-one years ago)

three months pass...

"Forget All About It" is amazing - ridiculous and amazing.

Weird, I have no recollection of writing that, but it's so right on.

― billstevejim (billstevejim), Saturday, 30 April 2005 13:01 (twenty-one years ago)

That's the jewel of the Nazz catalog, surpassing even "Open My Eyes" or the original "Hello It's Me."

― mike a, Sunday, 1 May 2005 00:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I would name a son of mine after Todd Rundgren. My favourite album would probably be Todd - if Something/Anything? is like watching the studio wizard through a console window, the Todd album is more like being inside his brain, possibly on drugs.

― Deluxe (Damian), Sunday, 1 May 2005 10:28 (twenty-one years ago)

eight months pass...

BEAT IT BEAT IT BEAT YOUR GUITAR
SMASH IT SMASH IT TIL IT SEES STARS

― fizzcaraldo (Justin M), Monday, 2 January 2006 09:44 (twenty years ago)

Who else besides Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti has chanelled this shit?

― fizzcaraldo (Justin M), Monday, 2 January 2006 09:45 (twenty years ago)

SHINING STILL
GIVE US THE WIND

― fizzcaraldo (Justin M), Monday, 2 January 2006 10:49 (twenty years ago)

"open my eyes" is SO classic. the riff! the phasing!!

― waldo jeffers scenario (haitch), Monday, 2 January 2006 10:58 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

I've been listening to the tracks from Nearly Human which I recalled enjoying as a kid and as slick as this stuff is, it's pure classic Todd songwriting and arrangements. And lately I've been feeling his voice has only gotten better with time. This could be the mysterious power of nostalgia overwhelming me... but wow!

― fizzcaraldo (Justin M), Saturday, 11 February 2006 11:38 (twenty years ago)

Todd goes in that hackneyed "wasted talent" bag with Rod Stewart. For every five star album he released, he put out five zero-stars.

That said I was briefly deeply into Utopia in my teens after renting the "An Evening with Utopia" video. Mostly stuff from the 1982 self-titled album with some Todd classics thrown in: clean, power-poppy rock. The production on those albums has dated so badly that I find the albums difficult to listen to now, but I imagine the live stuff still sounds okay.

― Mitya (mitya), Saturday, 11 February 2006 17:44 (twenty years ago)

Rod Stewart? Ouch! Personally I'd forgive Todd almost any musical transgressions because I love all the albums from Something/Anything? through to the first Utopia album that much.

― Deluxe (Damian), Saturday, 11 February 2006 20:08 (twenty years ago)

Done lots of classic stuff, but also done lots of stuff the "Something/Anything" album is great though.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 11 February 2006 23:11 (twenty years ago)

this thread revival inspired me to listen to Runt again. sweet.

― W i l l (common_person), Sunday, 12 February 2006 07:34 (twenty years ago)

i just discovered "i saw the light " love it.

― retroboy, Sunday, 12 February 2006 12:30 (twenty years ago)

I think a Todd Rundgren re-issue programme is well overdue - all the Castle remasters are out of print, the Rhino ones don't sound too hot, and The Ballad Of Todd Rundgren is no longer available - what the fuck is up with that? The guy's worth a 4 or 5CD box set, surely.

― Deluxe (Damian), Sunday, 12 February 2006 14:25 (twenty years ago)

Tiny demons anyone?

How 'bout this?

― avery keen-gardner (avery keen-gardner), Sunday, 12 February 2006 14:47 (twenty years ago)

four years pass...

Never realized that he was influenced by Laura Nyro. You can really hear it on later Nazz tracks like "Letters Don't Count" and "Only One Winner."

― timellison, Sunday, 4 July 2010 22:30 (fifteen years ago)

eleven months pass...

The Nuggets thread made me want to post this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykPWwQF94pY

― billstevejim, Friday, 1 July 2011 18:01 (fourteen years ago)

one month passes...

^^that. Nazz Nazz totally hitting the spot tonight.

― Mucho! Macho! Honcho!: Turn Off The Dark (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 27 August 2011 01:45 (fourteen years ago)

one year passes...

woah, never really listened to this properly until now. crazy arrangements!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsvCVmUzx10

― Jamie_ATP, Thursday, 18 July 2013 11:15 (twelve years ago)

four years pass...

One of the fancier local vinyl emporiums is having a blowout sale on a lot of their more obscure used stock. Apparently the Nazz falls under this umbrella because for $10 (instead of the marked $55) I got the Rhino versions of Nazz Nazz and a sealed Nazz III.

― Making Plans For Sturgill (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, 16 July 2018 00:10 (seven years ago)

three years pass...

"Open My Eyes" by the Nazz playing on the radio in this shlocky 1969 horror movie ("The Mad Room") that's just started on Talking Pictures.

― Doodles Diamond (Tom D.), Friday, 24 June 2022 20:12 (four years ago)

two years pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3ymGNrittY

― brimstead, Saturday, 1 March 2025 00:29 (one year ago)

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