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

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

Also on my ballot

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

^^ Just Gorgeous

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

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.

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

#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

(adore this one, BTW)

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

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.

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

(that Wolfman Jack sketch is pretty funny)

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

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…

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

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

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

#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)

4pm EST is the soul power hour.

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