Customer Reviews

Runt-the Ballad of Todd...

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It is a commonplace for music critics to talk about Todd Rundgren's "Something/Anything?" as one of the finest albums of all time. They are justified in doing that, because the music is very inventive, and it truly is splendid. Once someone buys "Something/Anything?" and digests it, they find themselves at a fork in the road (what to listen to next?). Often, they will proceed with later material, starting with "A Wizard, A True Star" (not that there's anything wrong with that!) and not look back (something wrong with that!)

"Ballad of Todd Rundgren" is the album which immediately preceeded Something/Anything, and it is worth more attention than it gets. I believe that you can hear the inventiveness of "Something/Anything" in development on this album, and with a great clarity due to the smaller forces which Rundgren has employed. Many of the songs are just as melodic and infectious as those found on Something/Anything. I also find the music inventive (IIRC "Chain Letter" is in mixed meter; "Boat on the Charles" has the right hand working in a blues scale while the bass remains standard diatonic). Instrumentation is great (a very early talk box -- earlier than Frampton or Jeff Beck [maybe even earlier than Joe Walsh]). Lyrics are sweet, hilarious ("The Range War" is a Romeo and Juliet waltz about the son and daughter of feuding families -- "If I haaaad my way, we would be together back in Pittsburgh; it's the only town east of the river I know..."; "Boat on the Charles" is a poignant song of unrequited love, filled with great images about pending departure, and ultimately suicide).

I think there are songs on this album which Todd never surpassed in his career.

All those who take the later fork in the road and never hear this earlier effort are making a big mistake.

Boy, is this an improvement over the debut, and in every way. The songs are better to start with, and as if to acknowledge that the Toddster's self-production is richer and deeper all around. Where RUNT had a rushed and rag-tag feel to it, BALLAD has a tightly crafted cohesion. It also contains quite a few of Rundgren's best compositions. 'I Hope I'm Around' and the hushed 'Wailing Wall' are incredibly mature (ahem) ballads, and the shimmering 'Boat On The Charles' is about as lovely a suicide note as you are likely ever to hear. There are throwaways too, but in Rundgren's case they manage to transcend anyone else's toss-offs: the opener, 'Long Flowing Robe' and the almost-closer 'Parole' are clever enough rockers, but compared to the other tracks these sound like Todd is underachieving. Most of these songs would not be out place on the follow-up SOMETHING/ANYTHING. And what a triple-album that would have made. I'm not sure who Todd is addressing in the closer, 'Remember Me'- -could be a friend, could be a lover, or the listener, could be Godd- -but it sounds personal and a more apt closer there couldn't be. Not that he needs to ask.

I think the [EXTRA TRACKS] in the title may be misleading. But "Ballad" is a great album, especially if you prefer the quieter, "sensitive singer/songwriter" side of TR.

Whereas "Runt" was a little disjointed and experimental at times, "The Ballad of Todd Rundgren" is pure pop. Although its not as stylistically diverse as its follow-up "Something/Anything?", the songwriting is just as strong.

"Long Flowing Robe" is a great Carole King styled pop song to open things up. It's just catchy hook after catchy hook until you can't figure out what the *actual* hook is. The country-tinged "Range War" is also deliciously catchy.

As the title suggests, there's lots of ballads too. "The Ballad (Denny & Jean)" and "Wailing Wall" are both lush, gorgeous, and heartbreaking. And "Hope I'm Around" is pure blue eyed soul with one of Todd's most soaring choruses.

There's some guitars to be found, don't worry. "Bleeding" is a catchy rocker, "Parole" is just rowdy fun, and "Chain Letter" is a tempo-shifting number that culminates in a euphoric "Hey Jude" like outro.

Other highlights include the majestic jazz sweep of "Boat on the Charles" and the sweet pop of "A Long Time, a Long Way to Go".

This is one of Todd's cleanest, most accessible albums. Mostly straightforward piano pop/ballads, a few rockers thrown in for good measure. Everything is beyond good, with no filler in sight. Essential Todd.

Best Songs: Boat on the Charles, Long Flowing Robe, Wailing Wall, Chain Letter, Hope I'm Around.

People. As you know, your beloved Metamorpho spends a lot of time in his wine cellar looking for wine (of course) but also looking through my vast musical archive to give you the very best selections for spiritual growth. Yes. I realize that I am doing all this for free. Be glad. Because, if you were in Japan (where they know me as Meta-San ItchyKu) I command as much as $1,000 plus for a lecture or musical referral. I do admit for having a yen for money. Too bad I can't get back there often because I spend it all on wide-screen HD t.v.s,digital surround systems, and blu-ray players. I tell ya, the money flys out of my hands faster than a Toyota recall. Yes. I really should learn to put the brakes on.

I am sure all my fans remember my famous quote from long ago when I went to Mt. Fuji, with a bottle of Sake to write a review. "Why do you do that Meta-San ItchyKu"?, they asked. "Kore wa soko ni aru", I responded. And the rest, as samurai say, is history. ;)

So, here I am reviewing this excellent album/c.d. Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren. My fans ask me why it took almost 40 years to get to it? Well, first off, Seers don't adhere to human timelines. And, the other thing is, that it takes awhile for Mt. Fuji frostbite to wear off. So sad. How rude.

But onwards to discuss Todd and this masterful proffering. This selection absolutely defies age. Plus, it's just a straight on lovely collection of tunes whose dynamics reveal a comfortable warmth of ballads and pop. It was made at a time whereby engineers weren't obsessed with digital, sterile, clinical producing. All the instruments sound real and not contrived in the least. Everything fits together like Seer's head in wizard cap (fooled you! You thought I was going to say hand in glove. How banal! Give me more credit than that!).

If you look at the cover, Todd is at the piano with a noose around his neck. Such a strange picture. What does it mean? To me, it's vulnerability. And the songs inside reflect that theme in so many ways. Not that it's morose. He's genius enough to balance this throughout. Some tunes are confessional, some are heartfelt, and the more pop influenced tunes convey sly humour. Listening to this in it's totality is one of the most satisying journeys you could make. Yes. It's that good.

I will hit on a few songs here to illustrate but they ALL are good. Todd conveys shades of emotions here, and none greater than on the balld "Wailing Wall". It is so beautiful, so lovely, that hearing it stirs deep emotion within the soul. The sadness of The Ballad (Denny and Jean) convey that extenuating circumstances sometimes ruin our inner feelings of love. Sad that other things take precedence in our lives and not the things that really matter. "Boat On the Charles" examines doing away with oneself because of a lost love. But, interesting here, because Todd offers a sprightly, loose melody, perfectly juxtaposed against the message. Brilliant!

Within the tracks, you get a sense of longing, of wanting life to be what it could be. The sense that it's not that way most of the time, reveals a humanity that we all feel. Todd affirms, on one of my favorite tracks "Chain Letter", that we take so much in life on a personal level. "Don't take yourself so seriously, there are precious things worth hating nowadays, and none of them are me". How true. But, what I'm really enamoured with is that the lyrics are written like he's talking to you. And, this selection, as many others, are in multiple ways, just like that. Personal, beautiful and encompassing the wide range of human emotion. The struggle that each of us must go through in life, and in love, is so fully realized with this album/c.d. So many gems make up this total gem. To go without it is a sin. Do so at your peril or risk your name being written into Metamorpho's heretic book. And, you all know who I give that to - don't you?

Now I must go and get back to Japan (money is tight now). Unfortunately, I had to change my plane in West Africa and all my belongings were stolen. I did wire a friend for money, but they have problems of their own. Stuck on an iceberg in the Pacific Northwest. Who ever said life was easy? I suppose we all have our own trials. But, Todd makes it a little easier.........

Another thoughtful and extremely generous review by - Meta-San ItchyKu

Todd Rundgren dispalys a superb mastery of styles on this his second solo lp.

The overall feel of this music not dissimilar to Carole Kings's tapestry with the beatles thrown in. Rundgren moves effortlessly from pop to soul ballards and country rock and he is also an acomplished musician playing guitars, pianio, precussion and sax and produces some really nice harmonies.

The stand out track 'Wailing Wall' is a stunning piano vocal miniture, but I also particularly like 'Boat on the Charles' with it's evocative piano and sax.

For me this is Todd's finest moment. Something Anything is a classic, but this is more even and perfectly paced.

This one isn't as good as some of Todd's other albums but certainly has some good songs on it. Much of the feel is a laid back early 70's feel to it. For me, the highlights are: The Ballad, The Range War, Be Nice To Me and Hope I'm Around(first heard on first pressings of Runt but not listed on the cover). The rest of this album is okay nothing bad but nothing that really sticks in your head either. I guess that the Rhino version has gone out of print sometime in the last couple of years. It's unfortunate that since Warner Bros. bought out Rhino at the end of the 90's, Warner has basically turned it into their oldies label and dropped alot of the cool Rhino stuff. This is currently available as a JVC Japan import and the sound, as usual, is great

If you don't already have some of the better compilations (e.g.,"Go Ahead Ignore Me") and you like TR, this album is an absolute must to own. "Long Flowing Robe" is a great opening song. His most enchanting song ever, in my opinion, "Wailing Wall" is included on this album along with "Boat on the Charles" another big favorite that's not typically going to be included for some reason on compilations. "Boat" should have been a major hit single. "Be Nice to Me" has been a song I've particularly liked for years as well as "A Long Time, A Long Way to Go". The ending song, a stunning 52 second prayer "Remember Me" brings this wonderful album to a close. Perhaps no other album showcases the variety of styles TR mastered as well as "Runt" - his work on the keyboards was never more impressive and his guitar work really rocks. I actually like this album, taken as a whole, slightly better tha S/A or AWATS, and I say that with a great appreciation for those other fine records. If I could make a bit of a comparison, I'd compare AWATS to the Beatles' White Album and I'd compare "Runt" to "Rubber Soul" - "Something/Anything" just can't be compared to, well, anything.

Wailing Wall by itself is worth the cost. A True Genius.

That after years of knowing about it and being just into S/A? and A.W.A.T.S way too much for my own good I would make the realization that this is the RUNT`s best album....by far! It took a few listens and then all of a sudden it hit.. you know that feeling of knowledge that one gets once in awhile... This was it! From the classic power pop of LONG FLOWING ROBE to the gorgeous REMEMBER ME this has it all and then some and also it has the small advantage of having the greatest TODD song of all time CHAIN LETTER. All I can say is you are most definetly in for a treat. This the kind of album that guys like McCartney and Davies should have made in the 70`s they couldn`t.. a young upstart from Philly beat them to the punch.