Customer Reviews

Todd

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Rundgren returned in 1974 with another head-trip - this time, even more difficult, challenging and a little darker than his previous monster _A Wizard, A True Star_. However, given it's lengthy and highly experimental nature, the album is not without a large dosage of variety. Some styles include: neo-proto-electronica (I made that up), show tunes, rock, proto-punk and even some pop can be found amongst all the chaos.

This album in some ways reminds me of Hendrix's _Electric Ladyland_, in that they both were sprawling double LP's opening with a short, spacy/galactic track, then seguing into a trippy ballad, followed by a large serving of variety - and not without the main material being spaced-out and mind-expanding. Both albums were also centered around love, soul-searching, and a degree of spirituality.

"How About A Little Fanfare" starts out with a German-esque voice (Todd's) saying the name of the track. It then turns into a frenzied cornucopia of spiralling synths. At just over a minute, I wish that Todd would have extended this number for at least another thirty seconds, as the build-up didn't seem to last long enough. But, there's always the repeat button, right? "I Think You Know" is a reflective, melodic and somewhat trippy ballad. "The Spark Of Life" (like the opening track) is an electronica piece. This time, the tempo is slowed down considerably, and the sonic intensity continually builds until reaching the final few seconds. "An Elpee's Worth Of Tunes" is a short, quirky and humorous number with Todd possibly sneering at critics and/or fans alike who weren't pleased with his direction following _Something/Anything?_ (with the line "No, no, no, a little more humanity please?") Actually, that line comes from the ending of "Spark," but, it's pretty much relevant. "A Dream Goes On Forever" is one of the few pop gems on here. A very melodic number, with moving vocals from Todd.

Fans of show tunes, and/or British whimsy (e.g. Queen, Jethro Tull, Gentle Giant and the non-British, but equally whimsical Frank Zappa) will probably soak up the Gilbert & Sullivan cover "Lord Chancellor's Nightmare Song." Todd does an excellent job on his roadrunner-speed and jingle-like vocals. Moogy Klingman of Todd's future band, Utopia, is playing the elegant and virtuosic keyboard work. Moogy also appears in other places on this disc (as well as earlier Todd albums.) "Drunken Blue Rooster" is another show tune-like number. A short instrumental with Todd playing some odd, but elegant and fancy chords. "The Last Ride" is an excellent ballad. A slow, minor-key number, it's really almost painful to listen to this, due to Todd's plaintive vocals, the sad instrumentation and other factors. There's a nice sax section, as well as a blistering, fiery and passionate guitar solo from Todd at the end. Devastatingly moving. "Everybody's Going To Heaven/King Kong Reggae" changes up the pace, as a fiery rocker, with Todd pulling out a punchy riff revolving around a (near, but not quite) C major pentatonic scale, before the rough and ready vocals kick in. His guitar playing overall is impressive on here. "No. 1 Lowest Common Denominator" is literally the only track on this smorgasbord that doesn't do too much for me. But, it's considerably Hendrix-like in tone. Features a sci-fi-esque vocal in the middle from Todd, which brings reminiscence to Hendrix's "Third Stone From The Sun" (from _Are You Experienced_.)

"Useless Begging" (in a perfect world) could have become a hit. It's show tunes-like in atmosphere, but the vocals and melodies are quite catchy and hummable. Quirky, but lovable and charming. "Sidewalk Cafe" is a hard number to describe. It's a short instrumental that bridges r&b-soul, show tune, symphonic and rock flavors, but on a more electronic level. Pretty inventive stuff. "Izzat Love?" is an up-tempo r&b number, but way too short - at least this is what fans of this track would say. "Heavy Metal Kids" is a blistering rocker with punk-esque verses. The lyrics are quite sarcastic and sinister (and arguably hilarious.) There's some blistering heavy metal soloing near the end. "In And Out The Chakras We Go" is another electronica piece. This time, there's a section in the middle featuring some chant-like vocals, which give the track a new age-esque and ethereal feel. There's another vocal section before the track closes out on an explosively intense note. "Don't You Ever Learn" starts out with some fairly spooky piano lines, before kicking into a melodic and moving ballad. I especially like how Todd sings along to those opening spooky piano lines. He does this somewhere in the middle of the track. "Sons Of 1984" features a recording of two different audiences (reminding many of choirs), which gives this track a weird kind of feel - mostly one with high reverberation. This can either be seen as appealingly adventurous, or it will annoy listeners who feel like this detracts something from an otherwise fine track.

Overall, this album is best recommended to the diehard Todd Rundgren fan, as the casual fan (of Todd's pop tune) will probably be frustrated with all the adventurousness and experimentation crammed throughout the disc. But, for the diehard, and/or listener who wants something out of the ordinary, my thumbs go up.

The British magazine Uncut recently ran an appreciation of "Todd" that persuaded me to find a copy and play it again for the first time in about 20 years. It was most rewarding. I like this album a lot better now than I did when I first purchased it on my 18th birthday. Back then, I tended to skip over the heavily synthesized instrumental tracks and focus on what seemed to be the good stuff--the tuneful songs like "The Last Ride," "Izzat Love," "A Dream Goes on Forever," and "Sons of 1984." The format of the original album, four sides of a double album, tended to interrupt the flow of what, on a single-disc CD, is clearly a singular artistic statement best enjoyed at one sitting.

What's Todd up to on this? He's trying very hard to articulate it in words, and doesn't quite get there, but the music says it all. This album most reminds me of "Pet Sounds," the Beach Boys' classic that not only discussed love lyrically, but conveyed love through every track. Compared with Brian Wilson, Todd Rundgren is more contradictory--way out there beyond the moon sometimes, other times wise-cracking, ironic and self-deprecating. Rundgren is a like a streetwise, east coast kid who stumbled across a religious vision. He can't quite give up the smart-(aleck) side of himself, but also can't avoid talking about the cosmos that has just opened up to him and that he wants to share with everyone.

Musically, this album takes you on quite a ride. It is synthesizer-drenched, but short of Stevie Wonder, no one has ever had a warmer feel for how to make these 70s-era electronic instruments play music. Some of the cuts feature a full band, but the mix is highly eccentric. I love the suite "Everyone's Gone to Heaven/King Kong Reggae," in part because it mixes the drums way up front, and the guy plays with unbelievable fury. Some of the best cuts are slow ballads that begin like songs off his earlier, more pop albums, but then develop into extended instrumental pieces--most notably "The Last Ride" and "Don't You Ever Listen." His guitar solos are extraordinary flights. but just about every cut also features Rundgren's great feel for pop melody and harmony, no matter how spacey the instrumentation or subject matter of the lyrics.

Later in his career, especially with his band Utopia, Rundgren seemed to make an effort to shed all traces of his trademark pop inventiveness in favor of even more strenuous efforts to convey the cosmos. But on "Todd," he balances the two strains beautifully. In retrospect, this may be Rundgren's greatest album, even though it was hardly regarded so at the time it came out.

Taken together with its two predecessors, "Something/Anything?" and "A Wizard, A True Star", "Todd" is the last third of a potent trilogy of albums that established him as THE pop genius of the 70s. These are three of the most ambitious albums ever made during any era of pop and like the two that came before it, "Todd" is mostly successful.

The opening salvo of "How About a Little Fanfare", "I Think You Know" and "The Spark of Life" document Todd's growing involvement with synthesizers and give an indication of things to come. He pokes fun at himself on "An Elpee's Worth of Toons" before giving you a slice of pure pop heaven - "A Dream Goes on Forever". But the real standout is the guitar ballad "The Last Ride", one of the finest and most haunting songs Rundgren has ever penned. The guitar solo climax is powerful and affecting - some of the best guitar work he's ever done. "No. 1 Lowest Common Denominator" sounds like it was taken straight out of the Jimi Hendrix songbook. Also excellent is the segue from the bubblegum-tinged "Izzat Love?" into "Heavy Metal Kids" which sounds just like its title would indicate. Very few artists can incorporate those kinds of influences and make albums this seamless (Prince comes to mind). And yes, the synthesizer doodling of "In and Out the Chakras We Go" is still annoying after 26 years and I mean that in a good way. It's the only real blemish here.

This is Todd's last pre-Utopia album when the songs became somewhat pretentious and bloated for a time. As such it is a must-have for any Rundgren fan or any music lover who wants to know what this guy is all about. A portrait of the artist/genius at play...

The VERY PROLIFIC Todd Rundgren had too many directions he wanted to go in in the early 70's. And by 1974 he had created his group Utopia to help with this problem. His solo stuff started to become as main stream as he would let his music become while Utopia became his outlet to spread his experimental wings.

"Todd" was his last solo record that enveloped both styles. Coming on the heals of A Wizard, A True Star, "Todd" was looked at as simply an extention of the former and not taken as seriously as it should have.

I for one, feel this was not fair. In fact I find "Todd" much more satisfying than Wizard. I am a huge fan of "modern" classical music, that is Steve Reich, Harry Partch, Philip Glass, Gavan Bryers, Todd Machover, Edgar Varess and of course the late great Frank Zappa and his NON rock music. But I am equally in love with a MELODY!LOL So "Todd" is of all of Rundgren's records my favorite. It seamlessly weaves in and out of beautiful lush pop straight into outragously odd solo experiments in sound!

An earlier review of "Todd" by a fellow fan here at Amazon pointed out what I think is the most important aspect of why the original release of "Todd" wasn't as popular as it should have been. The original was a two record/four side release. This was the best Rundgren could do in 1974. He successfully shoe-horned 30 minutes onto one side of his first Utopia record, but that was a minor miracle in 1974. The records didn't flow well. A problem that couldn't be fixed due to the technology of the time. But now with the advent of cd "Todd" can be listened to as it should, without pause. Think "Dark Side of the Moon" and you get the picture! Both are better without having to take off the headphones and flip the record. And in "Todd's" case even better! One less flip than "Dark Side..."

I won't bother with a track by track review. Others have done a nice job of that here at Amazon. What I will do is STRESS to potential buyers of this record of the brilliance of this disc! "Todd" isn't for everybody. In fact it isn't for every Rundgren fan! But is IS for anyone who likes their music composed with large doses of intellegence, humor, honesty, intimacy and virtuosity.

Two last notes...1)if you're not familiar with this disc Rundgren recorded the final track on "Todd" - "Sons of 1984" - live in NYC and San Francisco. He taught the assembled audiences the chorus of the song and over-dubbed the two performances creating one of rock and roll's most creative experiences! What I wouldn't have given to have been a fan at one of those performances! and 2) If you had purchased "Wizard" in 1973 the record came with a postcard asking you to fill in your name and mail it to Todd. He took all the names returned to him and created a poster. The poster, included in the original record release of "Todd", was a head shot of Rundgren himself, but the cool thing was it was made with the names of all the folks who sent in their postcard! I knew a buddy in college who had highlighted his name in Todd's nose!

Of all of Todd Rundgren's records, many of them absolute classics, "Todd" is without question my favorite. I have three copies (at home, at work and in my car) of "Todd" because I often need to hear this record. It's just that good to me. I LOVE music, in fact I'm a Music Director at a classical music radio station, and this is how much I love this disc! My sincere hope is you'll love it as much as I do.

Go buy this disc!

Yeah, this album is a sloppy, disorienting, excessive, overdone, occasionally pretentious musical trainwreck. Yes, it's true, Todd might have been better served by trimming it down a bit and perhaps releasing it as a single LP. Yes, there are some fine songs buried here that nobody noticed way back then because they didn't feel like treading thru the dense musical foliage. And yes, it's fairly obvious in hindsight that Todd already was thinking Utopia and was more than ready to put his dadaistic Hendrix pop song phase behind him. You can knock this album seven ways to Sunday, but it doesnt matter...Todd's "Todd" remains a thrilling explosion of madness and sheer genius that he's never topped since! From the Hendrix-ish I Think You Know, with one of the Runt's best solos, to the In-A-Perfect-World-It-Would-Have-Been-One-Of-The-Biggest-Smash-Hits-Of-All-Time A Dream Goes On Forever, the nyah-nyah of Useless Begging and the "I Can Be Just As Heavy As Anybody" Number One Lowest Common Denominator, to the melancholy Last Ride, surrealistic shuffle Don't You Ever Learn and the world's biggest singalong Sons of 1984, this album contains some of the weirdest and wildest songs ol' TR-1 ever recorded. Even the goofy knocked-off stuff like An Elpee's Worth Of Tunes is insanely catchy;one will go around singing Lord Chancellor's Nightmare Song for days if one is not careful... Although I freely admit that this CD is not for everyone, and actually prefer A Wizard/A True Star because it's a bit leaner and succinct in its insanity, you'll be doing yourself a huge injustice if you don't check out Todd's last salvo of uninhibited genius.

"Todd" is the height of Todd Rundgren's druggy period; like "A Wizard, a True Star", it's a lengthy, sonic audio acid trip throughout, with a couple pop gems here and there.

"How About a Little Fanfare" is a brief synthesizer intro to "I Think You Know", a nice ballad with a psychedelic sheen over it. It flows into "The Spark of Life", which is a lengthy (almost 7 minutes) instrumental. It's a cool chord progression that repeats, as new layers are added. I can see this being hard on the ears for some; for me, it's really entrancing!

"An Elpee's Worth of Tunes" is a tongue-in-cheek, Gilbert & Sullivan styled novelty pop song. It's short, but really catchy. Never count out Todd's ability to be quirky. Speaking of Gilbert & Sullivan, Todd covers them with "Lord Chancellor's Nightmare Song". I actually prefer G&S put through a Todd prism (the former) than Todd actually covering G&S!

"Drunken Blue Rooster" is another instrumental, on the piano. The title is perfect; the chords are hazy and stumbling. It's like classical music soaked in LSD. The superb "Last Ride" follows; it's a heartbreaking ballad with a show stopping saxophone solo AND a show stopping guitar solo from Todd at the end.

"No. 1 Lowest Common Denominator" is a Hendrix pastiche; the lyrics are very sexual but seem to be more of a parody than anything. Musically, it's really great; I love how bluesey guitar licks are mixed with rich major 9th chords.

"Useless Begging", "Sidewalk Cafe", and "Izzat Love?" are a pop trio of sorts. The former is sort of a pop song, sort of a ballad; not far removed from "Something/Anything?"-era Todd. "Sidewalk Cafe" is a catchy, upbeat synthesizer based instrumental. The latter also sounds like early 70's Todd. It's another great pop song, albeit very short.

"Don't You Ever Learn?" is arguably Todd's best song. It opens with eerie piano before merging onto an orchestra of synthesizers. The song is chock full of lush major 9th chords that just melt in your ears. It's challenging, yet blissfully catchy at the same time. Prog-pop perhaps? Whatever it is, it's incredible.

Other highlights include the shimmering pop/ballad masterpiece, "A Dream Goes On Forver", the blistering "Everybody's Going to Heaven", the hard rock fun of "Heavy Metal Kids", and the anthematic pop/gospel-ish closer "Sons of 1984".

"Todd" is a fantastic album, hitting all ends of the spectrum. Much of it is challenging and complex, yet there's lots and lots of pop tendencies as well. Give it a few listens and you'll be hooked.

This disc (originally a double LP of 66+ minutes of music)(Rundgren thought it should've been able to fit on one LP) runs the gamut of musical genres. This has some of the sweetest pop music you'll ever hear, and it has some of the hardest rock riffs and the wildest electronica---but that's why we love Todd.

The original liner notes read: "Now, more than ever, turn it up!"

Todd opens with a short crescendo of "synthesizer noise" (in "Fanfare"), goes into a kind of trippy Broadway showtune ("I Think You Know"), and seques into the best headphone music I'd ever heard as of 1974.
Then you learn the man overdubbed himself to create this symphony of sound (impressive by 1974 standards).

Self-awareness and humor follows in the form of "An Elpees Worth of Tunes" and then Rundgren drops a pop-tune masterpiece: "A Dream Goes On Forever." Beautiful and sweet!

There are other crooning delights on the disc, but the song selection really runs through an array of musical stylings. It's a smorgasbord of sonic delight.

"The Last Ride" is a great "breakup" song--and i LOVE the interplay between the saxophone & guitar on this.
"Lowest #1 Common Denominator" is a pure Hendrix homage.
I love "Izzat Love" -- even with its interuptus "fast-forwarding the tape" seque into (then pre-punk) "Heavy Metal Kids."

Buy it. You'll understand why the Rundgren has been tagged divine, a wizard, a true star. You may even find yourself doin' the King Kong Reggae.

"Todd", more than any other of his albums to that date, put Rundgren in the "progressive rock" category that so many of us loved and cherished back then. Many seeking just another pop set from the hit maker were probably overwhelmed by such experimentalism. What amazed about Rundgren was his American suburban wonderland aura--complete with whatever impossible to express irony American suburbia experiment entails. While Peter Gabriel-led Genesis attempted to package the grand Anglican mystique, Rundgren packaged the American Space Age for me--just as well as, say, Miles Davis added sound to all the sleek, brainy, minimalist Western 20th century art and design achievements. I grew up with Tang, Formica tops, 2001, and strictly utopian sci-fi. Rundgren too. If he had been a German, he would have been a far more dour Tangerine Dreamer or Popol Vuer, but the sheer innocent bombast of the American '60's Mod placed a crazy absurdism to us and Rundgren's sound--best expressed in this wonderful album, "Todd".

The first five tracks alone are enough reason to invest in this double album. The Beatles had their masterpiece, Sgt. Pepper; the Led Zeppelin had their Stairway to Heaven; Todd Rundgren has this album - Todd. There is no musician or music group that has ever put together such original, gripping, commanding songs of every possible type in quite this way. In a sea of mind blowing multi-tracked synthesizers and guitars you will enjoy psychedelic mind-warping fanfares, hysterically funny parody songs,and peaceful mesmerizing ballads. One thing about this album - it can make you feel exhilarated, nostalgic, enlightened, and both heavy and light as a feather. Todd Rundgren is literally a one-man band. He wrote, produced, recorded, arranged, engineered, and played almost every instrument on this album. You will miss an incredible experience by not buying it.

with his two previous albums todd had done 'pop'("something/anything") and psychedelic brainstorm ("a wizard, a true star"). for me the 'todd' album beats those as he achieves a mixture of both styles but with a depth that showed what they call 'artistic maturity.'

i heard the album in 1975 and was immediately smitten by it's strange beauty.

lucious melodies ("useless begging"), pop gems ("a dream goes on forever"), various acid noodles ("drunken blue rooster") and gonzoid rock ("#1 lowest common denominator") make for a demanding but transcendental visit into the mind of todd in '74.

it certainly has little of the so-called 'easy' side of todd (ie.'i saw the light').it's visionary,dramatic,bold,romantic and nuts.

this dream is magic.