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

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Actually Ralph Schuckett credited here w/accordion, so maybe it's accordion: https://discordpod.com/listen/2018/10/2/008-feat-dave-weigel-todd-rundgren-a-wizard-a-true-star-1973

Not sure what the source of those credits are, because the original liner notes just list the musicians, not the instruments they play

J. Sam, Friday, 26 March 2021 14:48 (three years ago) link

Yeah, Myers talks in his book about how there was a band one some AWATS tracks and others were Todd solo -- he cites Moogy Klingman as playing the piano on "Never Never Land" and I'm assuming that's him on "I Don't Want to Tie You Down" as well.

Not sure if there was ever a reissue of the record that assigned credits properly or whether it was simply discussed with Todd directly.

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 14:58 (three years ago) link

Initiation is one I didn't really know until the poll. There's a piece of me that wishes he had done more prog supersession stuff like this with folks like Bernard Purdie and David Sanborn (who interviews Todd in the Parallel Lines performance linked upthread).

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 15:06 (three years ago) link

#27 - 100 points - 5 votes
Todd Rundgren - "Cliche" - from Faithful, 1976

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 15:21 (three years ago) link

#26 (tie) - 108 points - 5 votes
Todd Rundgren - "Don't You Ever Learn?" - from Todd, 1974

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 15:21 (three years ago) link

#26 (tie) - 108 points - 5 votes
Todd Rundgren - "One More Day (No Word)" - from Something/Anything?, 1972

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 15:21 (three years ago) link

I was so hung up on "Cliche" in 1991 that I tried to figure out how to play it: I think it may be in some open tuning, or maybe that harpsichord tripped me up… and I think the clavinet is second only to the backing vox arrangement in making "One More Day" the titanic achievement that it is…In one way Todd is Zappa with heart, in another, probly more significantly, he is the white Stevie…

veronica moser, Friday, 26 March 2021 15:33 (three years ago) link

“cliche” is incredible

“cold morning light” kinda brings back bad memories lol

“initiation” and “zen archer” both amazing, obv

brimstead, Friday, 26 March 2021 15:34 (three years ago) link

A lot of the last batch would be in my top 31 - 60 range, but I love "Don't You Ever Learn" as part of the amazing two-song climax to Todd.

Scott Miller, in his book Music: What Happened?, has a write-up on "Cliche":

"This perfectly delightful song unfortunately illustrates a certain creeping crumminess to the sound of many mid-seventies mainstream recordings. The FM radio era just brought an aesthetic requiring too many tracks too laboriously recorded: the industry had iron-poor blood. The emotional analog is the self-conscious and bloodless romantic encounter portrayed with a keen eye and ear by Todd: 'And if the very next words leaving her lips could decide/If he'd go or if he'd stay/She would play that old cliche'".

Halfway there but for you, Friday, 26 March 2021 15:35 (three years ago) link

#24 (tie) - 113 points - 6 votes
Todd Rundgren - "Be Nice to Me" - from Runt. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren, 1971

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 17:10 (three years ago) link

#24 (tie) - 113 points - 6 votes
Todd Rundgren - "Izzat Love?" - from Todd, 1974

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 17:11 (three years ago) link

#22 - 115 points - 6 votes
Todd Rundgren - "Real Man" - from Initiation, 1975
#83 on US Billboard

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 17:11 (three years ago) link

(FWIW, Real Man is WAY. TOO. LOW.)

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 17:11 (three years ago) link

Ha ha, "Real Man" was my #21. It was my token pick from Initiation, which has a lot of interesting music but is also a slog.

Halfway there but for you, Friday, 26 March 2021 17:30 (three years ago) link

My wife won't take Todd seriously because of the "way down inside me" bass vocal on this one.

Halfway there but for you, Friday, 26 March 2021 17:33 (three years ago) link

Such a huge song.

brimstead, Friday, 26 March 2021 17:41 (three years ago) link

It combines chord progressions reminiscent of some of his epics with the structure of his pop songs.

Halfway there but for you, Friday, 26 March 2021 17:44 (three years ago) link

Yep -- kind of the perfect fusion of his pop, soul and prog sides.

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 17:57 (three years ago) link

Also on my ballot

Running Wild in the 21st Century (Sund4r), Friday, 26 March 2021 17:58 (three years ago) link

#21 - 120 points - 6 votes
Todd Rundgren - "Wailing Wall" - from Runt. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren, 1971

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 18:01 (three years ago) link

^^ Just Gorgeous

X-Prince Protégé (sonnyboy), Friday, 26 March 2021 18:07 (three years ago) link

Ok, we are onto the top 20 ... and with a big one for me:

#20 - 125 points - 5 votes - 1 first place vote
Todd Rundgren - "Heavy Metal Kids" - from Todd, 1974
Hammersmith Odeon 1975 with Utopia and Luther Vandross on bgd vox:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUo_sI8QPzk

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 18:16 (three years ago) link

My #1 -- the unbelievable chorus to this transcends it being any proto-punk pastiche. It brings together so many things I love about Todd -- not least of which is his bratty side, which I think he found simpatico with groups like the Dolls. Just an absolute apex for him in so many ways.

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 18:17 (three years ago) link

the transition from "Izzat Love?" to this always gives me a good spookin'

frogbs, Friday, 26 March 2021 18:19 (three years ago) link

#19 - 133 points - 5 votes - 1 first place vote
Runt - "Baby Let’s Swing/The Last Thing You Said/Don’t Tie My Hands" - from Runt, 1970

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 18:33 (three years ago) link

(adore this one, BTW)

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 18:33 (three years ago) link

confession time: the reason "Wolfman Jack" made it so high on my ballot is because it always reminds me of this UCB sketch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XDeXfGHXfw

frogbs, Friday, 26 March 2021 18:38 (three years ago) link

So nice to see that medley on here, I had thought we passed it by.
"Heavy Metal Kids" is my favourite Todd rocker, raging and tongue-in-cheek at the same time.

Halfway there but for you, Friday, 26 March 2021 18:45 (three years ago) link

#18 - 149 points - 6 votes - 1 first place vote
Nazz - "Forget All About It" - from Nazz Nazz, 1969

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 19:04 (three years ago) link

(that Wolfman Jack sketch is pretty funny)

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 19:05 (three years ago) link

this was the song I had to resubmit my ballot for, somehow I forgot all about it

frogbs, Friday, 26 March 2021 19:07 (three years ago) link

I had "heavy Metal Kids" and "wailing Wall" on my ballot at one time, but they had to go……and "forget all about it" is the million dollar moment for Thom Mooney: the breakdown in the intro and before the solo sounds like Cape Cannaveral at launchtime…take a bow wherever you are Thim, sorry you couldn't fulfill your destiny as the American Keith Moon…

veronica moser, Friday, 26 March 2021 19:23 (three years ago) link

Dare I ask whether people think "Bang the Drum All Day" is coming?

Halfway there but for you, Friday, 26 March 2021 19:28 (three years ago) link

I doubt it. the only people who like that song are from Wisconsin, and even I didn't vote for it

frogbs, Friday, 26 March 2021 19:31 (three years ago) link

#17 - 156 points - 8 votes
Todd Rundgren - "The Verb 'To Love'" - from Faithful, 1976

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 20:16 (three years ago) link

#16 - 166 points - 6 votes - 2 first place votes
Todd Rundgren - "Healing" - from Healing, 1981


We decided to count any votes for Healing as a vote for all 3 parts. But the breakdown was:
4 vote for Healing or Healing Parts 1-3 (one was a first place vote)
1 vote for Healing Part 1
1 vote for Healing Part 3 (it was also a first place vote)

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 20:17 (three years ago) link

4pm EST is the soul power hour.

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 20:17 (three years ago) link

nice, very glad to see that place

frogbs, Friday, 26 March 2021 20:21 (three years ago) link

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.

frogbs, Friday, 26 March 2021 20:25 (three years ago) link

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

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 20:26 (three years ago) link

For me, this one is all about the bridge.

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 20:27 (three years ago) link

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.

Halfway there but for you, Friday, 26 March 2021 20:37 (three years ago) link

‘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

X-Prince Protégé (sonnyboy), Friday, 26 March 2021 20:43 (three years ago) link

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.

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 20:44 (three years ago) link

I bet...gives me goosebumps thinking about that

X-Prince Protégé (sonnyboy), Friday, 26 March 2021 20:48 (three years ago) link

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

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 26 March 2021 20:51 (three years ago) link

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.

henry s, Friday, 26 March 2021 20:56 (three years ago) link

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

Halfway there but for you, Friday, 26 March 2021 21:13 (three years ago) link

Yep. England Dan and John Ford Coley

Jeff W, Friday, 26 March 2021 21:14 (three years ago) link

xp

Jeff W, Friday, 26 March 2021 21:14 (three years ago) link


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