Anthology 1968-85 [Compilation]

Todd Rundgren | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: May 30, 1989
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Compilation
• Label: Rhino / Wea
• ASIN: B00000334I
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #127,722 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Open My Eyes

2. We Gotta Get You A Woman

3. Wailing Wall

4. Be Nice To Me

5. Hello It's Me

6. I Saw The Light

7. It Wouldn't Have Made A Differnce

8. Couldn't I Just Tell You

9. Sometimes I Don't Know What To Feel

10. Just One Victory

See all 13 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Real Man

2. Black And White

3. Love Of The Common Man

4. Cliche

5. All The Children Sing

6. Can We Still Be Friends

7. You Cried Wolf

8. Time Heals

9. Compassion

10. Hideaway

See all 14 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Best investment yet.., November 7, 2004

By 

Ed "Ed" (Calif) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anthology 1968-85 (Audio CD)

I got this CD set because I loved the songs "Hello it's me" and "I saw the Light". Typical pop fan of 70's music. What I got with this CD set was more than I had hoped.

After just 2 listens to the 2 CDs I was hooked. I fell in love with about 10 new songs I never heard before. I wont ramble on. What I will say is this..

GET THIS SET if you only know a couple of Todd's hits. I promise you will NOT be disappointed.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Off To Hear The Wizard On Two "Ceedees Worth of Tunes", April 3, 2000

By 

Anthony G Pizza "trivialtony" (FL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Anthology 1968-85 (Audio CD)

Only a Philadelphia-born artist could've made the music Todd Rundgren has the last 30 years. Whether solo, with his group Utopia or producing acts from Grand Funk to XTC, Todd is among few - perhaps the only artist - who reconciled the Beatles' sonic wizardry with the classic romanticism of Philadelphia/Chicago/Motown soul.

The proof lies in these two CDs. You can argue with song choices (Would've liked to hear his live soul medley from "Back To The Bars," or Nazz' "Hello It's Me," for example.) But what's here is fun and fascinating listening.

Rundgren wrote (and mostly self-recorded) empathetic songs about teen angst ("Be Nice To Me," the moving "Sometimes I Don't Know What To Feel,") relationship politics (the solo Top 5 "Hello It's Me" the majestic "Can We Still Be Friends"), minor rebellion ("All The Children Sing," 1983's overplayed "Bang On The Drum All Day") even a friend's, um, deflowering ("We Gotta Get You A Woman," features the lines "Woman who has been around/and who knows better than to let you down/let's hope there's still one left in this whole town...")

Todd delighted hardcore fans and confounded his record company with experiments like 1985's "A Capella" album or 1973's then remarkably long "A Wizard/A True Star." The good news for casual fans is that this collection gathers the songs Rundgren used to lure casual fans into his web (or, more fittingly now, Web site). Thus, "Anthology," plus the Utopia best-of and his greatest production hits on Rhino Records, serves as a wonderful introduction to an always intriguing artist. Highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Todd Rundgren: The American Bowie, May 31, 2009

By 

Mike B. - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Anthology 1968-85 (Audio CD)

Rock chameleons come and go, but Todd Rundgren and David Bowie have outlasted them all. Both started with failed bands (though Nazz was somewhat successful), entered a phase of being singer/songwriters, went glam, recorded Philly soul and R&B, and produced other important acts (more on that later).

The main reason to buy a "best of" is when any given single album by an artist isn't representative enough of their output. Forced to name my favorite Todd outings, I'd have to choose the 2-disc "Todd" and his band Utopia's "Swing To The Right". But there's so much great stuff before and after! You'll hear a good cross-section of his work on this 2-CD set, and even more if you supplement it with Utopia's single-disc "Anthology". It's all here - gorgeous ballads, the radio pop hits, some psychedelia, and many guitar-driven rockers.

For me, Todd's golden era was the 12 years between 1970 and 1982. His band The Nazz had issued 3 albums prior to then, and they were good - but perhaps too indebted to their musical heroes The Yardbirds and The Who. It wasn't until "Runt" (1970) that Todd started to find his own voice. He's the most "soulful" of the 70's rock stars, frequently incorporating his Philly soul roots (and Motown influences) into his singing and his rock. As time went on, he'd alternate solo and Utopia releases. Early Utopia sounded a lot like Mahavishnu Orchestra. Todd's scorching guitar playing was very reminiscent of John McLaughlin. I like it, but prefer the second, more pop/rock/new wave version of the band featuring Roger Powell, Kasim Sulton, and John "Willie" Wilcox.

Favorite solo Todd (on which he often played all the instruments himself): "Runt", "Something/Anything?", "A Wizard/A True Star", "Todd", "Faithful", "Hermit Of Mink Hollow", and "Healing". Favorite Utopia: "Another Live" (early band), "Oops! Wrong Planet", "Adventures In Utopia", the Beatlesque "Deface The Music", "Swing To The Right", and "Utopia" (1982). Personally, I feel his efforts since then have been good, but less consistent track-for-track. As with later-period Bowie, however, there's always enough good stuff on them to make a purchase worthwhile. Favorites of the later years: "The Individualist" and "Liars".

I can't conclude a Todd review without mentioning his production career. Todd's produced great records over the years by a host of rock luminaries, including New York Dolls, Patti Smith, Meat Loaf, Badfinger, and XTC. That's another way he resembles Bowie, who did the same for Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, and Mott the Hoople. Both were also pioneers in the fields of music videos and computers, though Rundgren is much more technically involved than his British counterpart.

Todd Rundgren: a renaissance "man for all seasons".