A Wizard A True Star Todd Rundgren In The Studio [Paperback]

Paul Myers (Author), Todd Rundgren (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2010

Few record producers possess the musical facility to back up such a bold promise but in over 40 years behind the glass Todd Rundgren has willed himself into becoming a not only a rock guitar virtuoso an accomplished lead vocalist and a serviceable drummer vocal arranger and keyboard player but also a master of perhaps his greatest instrument of all the recording studio.ÞThroughout his career Rundgren has ping-ponged between the worlds of producer and recording artist with varying degrees of critical and commercial success. After learning his craft as a songwriter and arranger with Nazz Rundgren gained attention by engineering recordings by The Band. His reputation was cemented by a string of noteworthy productions beginning in 1971 with Sparks and continuing with classic albums for Grand Funk The New York Dolls Badfinger Hall & Oates Meat Loaf Patti Smith Group Psychedelic Furs and XTC. All of this alongside his own solo albums ä including ÊSomething/AnythingÊ; ÊA Wizard A True StarÊ; and ÊHermit of Mink HollowÊ ä on which he played and sang virtually everything and a series of albums by his band Utopia.ÞResearched and written with the cooperation of Rundgren himself ÊA Wizard A True StarÊ is a fascinating authoritative account of four decades of making magic in the recording studio.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Jawbone Press (October 15, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1906002339
• ISBN-13: 978-1906002336
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #78,936 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even longtime fans can learn a thing or two...or three, November 11, 2010

By 

Jack Criss (Brandon, MS) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Wizard A True Star Todd Rundgren In The Studio (Paperback)

Kudos to author Paul Myers for his incisive and informative new work, "A Wizard, A True Star," which, as the subtitle indicates, focuses primarily on Rundgren's production career. This is no techno-garbled, casual-fans-not-apply book, however: interspersed within the production stories (all fascinating and non-technical) are biographical snippets which will come as revelations to fans. As a 30-year follower myself, I discovered facts about Rundgren which I had not known up until reading this book.

Myers' style is succinct and to the point which makes for a quick and entertaining read. Moreover, the book is esthetically well-made with quality binding and excellent photographs prefacing the text which, again, are new to me as a bona fide Rundgren fanatic and will be welcome viewing to all TR fans.

My only complaint---and it is a minor one---is the speed with which Myers seems to close the book: the last few years of Rundgren's career are dashed off rapidly with little emphasis put on his production efforts with Jill Sobule, Splender, 12 Rods and Bad Religion or his own solo works. Also noticeably absent is any reference to the aborted TR-produced project by Julie Christensen. These are small quibbles, however. The coverage of more well-known TR productions (Meat Loaf, Badfinger, Psychedelic Furs, Grand Funk, Patti Smith) are well worth the price of the book alone.

"A Wizard, A True Star" is quite excellent and informative. If you are a Todd Rundgren fan---or a rock music buff---this work belongs in your collection.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for Todd fans!, October 22, 2010

By 

ken sharp (Encino, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Wizard A True Star Todd Rundgren In The Studio (Paperback)

Kudos to Paul Myers for his incisive and well-written portrait chronicling Todd Rundgren's seminal work in the studio, as a solo artist and with Utopia. Impeccably researched, Myers garnered hands-on participation from "The Runt" himself along with a wealth of other Rundgren related folks, from XTC to Grand Funk, Hall & Oates to Cheap Trick, The Band's Robbie Robertson to Joey Molland of Badfinger, all adding to the grand and expansive tapestry of rememberances to create this must read.

One of music's most criminally underrated artists, Todd Rundgren is a national treasure. "A Wizard, A True Star: Todd Rundgren in the Studio" is a grand slam, and succeeds in honoring the artist's sweeping musical achievements. Highly recommended.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Satisfyingly informative., November 12, 2010

By 

B. Thompson (IN, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Wizard A True Star Todd Rundgren In The Studio (Paperback)

This book is wonderfully informative regarding Todd Rundgren's historic (can I say mind-boggling?) recording career, very often quoting Todd himself in addition to so many other legends that have had the privilege of working with him. It even includes several equipment lists for all those tech-head fans.

Myers fills in a lot of blind spots and missing puzzle pieces in Todd's career that I always wondered about. For instance, the details of his days in L.A. on Astral Drive during the "Something/Anything" recordings, and the time he lived and worked in Sausalito during the "Nearly Human" days, are both satisfactorily covered here -- among many more classic eras. The entire book is an enjoyable read no matter what your favorite Todd "era" happens to be. Overall it's well-written, professional, revealing and smartly designed with a nice, rugged cover. Just what a legend like Todd Rundgren deserves.