Todd Rundgren - Solo, with Utopia, and selected productions.*

I have found over the last couple of years a great amount of enjoyment listening to Todd. I had not paid him much heed years ago, but that changed when I picked up a couple of Utopia albums and a solo album. I think he is a very witty writer who is a genius of sorts in his own right.

Has any discussion on his catalog ever been started, from his first album to the most recent?

 

Can't remember ever seeing a thread. It could be fun. Why not add the Nazz as well?

 

Excellent idea. It would be good to span his career. I think his body of work deserves some attention.

 

Todd

We should do an album by album thread. There are many Todd fans here.

Scott

 

I think it's a great idea and well deserving. Should we have someone who solid with T.R.'s releases to lead?

 

An album by album thread about him would be really fun. I am missing a lot of his output but I have a feeling some of the more knowledgable folks on here would have some interesting tales to tell. I probably would wind up spending some money playing catch up with many of his albums!

 

Let's do it!

Todd is the single greatest artist in the history of mankind.

 

Great idea, and also include his 3 albums with The Nazz.

 

And important productions?

Meat Loaf
XTC
Hall & Oates
Grand Funk

Maybe lesser productions like Steve Hillage and Fanny too?

 

I believe he also produced the Tubes Love Bomb record. I'm sure he leaves that one off his resume though.

 

I Like the Love Bomb album ,he also co wrote a few of those songs.

 

Also most of Badfinger Straight Up - Baby Blue!

Engineer and mixer The Band Stage Fright

 

He probably leaves out Shawn Cassidy's "Wasp" album too.

And I enjoy "Love Bomb".. "Piece By Piece" was a great single, too bad the rest of it is a mess.

 

He also produced The Tubes--Remote Control. He covered the song "Feel it" on Nearly Human. If you go to his website, he has produced lots of acts. Remember "There ain't no Love Defense Department" I like the Love Bomb cd also. FYI, The Tubes are playing at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on New Year's Eve. Already have tickets. Todd is A Wizard A True Star!!!

 

But but but...

Love Bomb is one of my favourite albums! It's an really amazing production for the time. You're not allowed to not like it! No-one's allowed to disagree with me! Not fair!!!

Joking aside - you're still wrong!

Bring on the Todd album thread. I'm ready, willing and able to comment the hell out of such a thread!

 

FYI - there's a possible 6-man Utopia reunion show being organized for a date in the near future as a fundraiser for Moogy Klingman. Moogy is suffering with terminal cancer, and will not likely live throughout 2011. Todd has been asked to participate.

As for the album-by-album thread, go for it. I'll chime in when I see fit.

 

That's awful, I didn't realize Moogy Klingman was ill.

And yes, Todd album by album is a great idea.

 

I'm all for it, as well.

 

...and Pursuit of Happiness?

 

I have all the albums (and videos etc) so I'm in. I think it would be fun to include the productions. I have been slowly acquiring those as well. There's a great new book out on Todd's production work called ""A Wizard A True Star. Todd Rundgren In The Studio".

 

I'm a big fan and would like to see an album by album thread.

 

I'm a huge fan of Todd's; to me, he'll always be a superstar.

 

Okay then, we should start with The Nazz, and their first album.

First, the Wiki description of the group:
Career
Nazz was marketed by their manager, Michael Friedman, as a teenybopper band along the lines of The Beatles or The Monkees. The group signed with SGC Records, releasing Nazz in October 1968. The album was not commercially successful and neither was the first single, "Open My Eyes" of which the flip side was "Hello It's Me" (#41 Canada). "Open My Eyes" was the side SGC Records was promoting, but in Boston WMEX Music Director and DJ Ron Robin accidentally played the flip side. He was impressed and added it to the station's playlist. Reaction was strong and "Hello It's Me" became a number one hit at WMEX in 1968. Several weeks later it was on the playlist of Boston's other Top 40 radio station WRKO and eventually at other stations across the country. SGC Records presented Ron Robin with a Silver Record which reads "WMEX, Where it All Began. Thanks!".

After a brief trip to England in October 1968, cut short by visa problems, Nazz recorded their second album, originally entitled Fungo Bat in Los Angeles in late 1968 and early 1969. (A fungo bat is a special baseball bat used only for practice; it is not intended to hit pitched balls.) The album was originally intended as a double album but was shortened to a single LP before being released as Nazz Nazz in May 1969. Much of what was cut was experimental, piano-based Rundgren material, heavily influenced by singer/songwriter Laura Nyro - a far cry from the group's original Beatles-Who-Yardbirds-Cream derived sound. Disillusioned, Rundgren departed the group, along with Van Osten, soon after.

I'll end Nazz's history here, as Todd departed the group.



Their first album:

Nazz is the 1968 (see 1968 in music) debut album by American psychedelic rockers Nazz. Though sometimes mistakenly called "The Nazz", the group's official name on all records and press materials is simply, "Nazz", without the definite article. Nazz never became mainstream rock stars, but they did achieve a measure of cult popularity among some listeners, especially future glam rockers and power pop bands like David Bowie and Big Star, in whom Nazz's hard psychedelic influences can be heard. The song "Back of Your Mind" is considered an underground classic.

The track "Open My Eyes" has been said to be the inspiration behind one of the earliest songs written by KISS, "Love Her All I Can", a song originally intended for the pre-KISS band Wicked Lester. The song would appear on the 1975 KISS album Dressed to Kill. The song "Open My Eyes" was also accompanied by a promo video. The album cover is also rumored to have inspired that of KISS' debut as well as Queen's Queen II.

The album also featured the original version of what would become frontman Todd Rundgren's signature song, "Hello It's Me", which Rundgren himself would re-record several years later as a solo single for his concept album, Something/Anything?.

Nazz peaked at #118 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart, while the original "Hello It's Me" single peaked at #66 on the Pop Singles chart.

The album was remastered and rereleased in 2006 with Bonus Tracks by Sanctuary Records Group.

[edit] Track listing
1."Open My Eyes" (Rundgren) – 2:48
2."Back of Your Mind" (Rundgren) – 3:48
3."See What You Can Be" (Rundgren) – 3:00
4."Hello It's Me" (Rundgren) – 3:57
5."Wildwood Blues" (Mooney/Rundgren/Stewkey/Van Osten) – 4:39
6."If That's the Way You Feel" (Rundgren) – 4:49
7."When I Get My Plane" (Rundgren) – 3:08
8."Lemming Song" (Rundgren) – 4:26
9."Crowded" (Mooney/Stewkey) – 2:20
10."She's Goin' Down" (Rundgren) – 4:58
11."Nazz Radio Commercials" 2006 Reissue Bonus Track
12."Train Kept A' Rollin'" (album out-take) 2006 Reissue Bonus Track
13."Magic Me" (pre-LP audition tape) 2006 Reissue Bonus Track
14."See What You Can Be" (pre-LP audition tape) 2006 Reissue Bonus Track
15."Hello It's Me" (demo) 2006 Reissue Bonus Track
16."Crowded" (demo) 2006 Reissue Bonus Track
17."Open My Eyes" (non-phased demo) 2006 Reissue Bonus Track
18."Lemming Song" (demo) 2006 Reissue Bonus Track
19."The Nazz Are Blue" (live) 2006 Reissue Bonus Track
20."Why Is It Me?" (early version of "Lemming Song" by Woody's Truck Stop) 2006 Reissue Bonus Track
21."Hello It's Me" (mono single mix) 2006 Reissue Bonus Track
22."Open My Eyes" (mono single) 2006 Reissue Bonus Track


I don't have any Nazz albums. Please chime in if you have knowledge.

 

I'm still taking in the Nazz stuff, but I think any rock fan would have to agree that "Open My Eyes" is a stone cold classic.

 

I thought that the Nazz ,Kiss and Queen album covers were inspired by the Meet The Beatles cover?