Todd Rundgren - A Wizard, A True Star

If there had been an option for it I would have just picked side 1 in its entirety. But there isn't, so I went for Zen Archer - TWANGGGGG!

Ooh toughie

between international feel, when the shit hits the fan and is it my name?, i'll choose the last one.
but ask me tommorow, and the answer might change.

Oh yeah, "Is It My Name" is a good choice

it's the best heavy metal song ever

Just One Victory -- by a nose. Tho I love do love International Feel and Sometimes I Don't Know What To Feel.

And of course Rock N' Roll Pussy...

Bastard hard choice. Inl'l Feel, though, although like matt#2 I'd have picked all of side1 if I'd had the option.

A patchy album, with several weird tracks and way too many stylistic attempts that failed.

And then, he ends it all with the magnificent "Just One Victory" - one of his best ever songs. So it's "Just One Victory" all the way here.

A patchy album?!...AWATS is one of the great artistic statements in any genre and Todd's crowning glory....It still blows me away....and "International Feel" is the greatest side one track one evah...so i'm choosing that

Can't pick won't pick

cover art only

this is indeed a great LP...(very similar in feel to an Ariel Pink LP, where even the nonsensical stuff works)...AWATS is pure Dada...having said that, my fave is the trad "Does Anybody Love You", as sweet a ballad as Rundgren ever wrote...

I always suspected "Just One Victory" was written to be sung by sports teams upon winning a championship...

My favorite Rundgren (but I have a soft spot for the first Runt LP), and coincidently I played it last Sunday. It is more impressive in its entirety, but I'll go with "International Feel."

(very similar in feel to an Ariel Pink LP, where even the nonsensical stuff works)

SO TRUE, and def one of my all-time favorite albums. i picked the soul medley, but really, everything on here is fucking incred.

FWIW, i agree with geir that the album is patchy, but i think its lack of balance makes it a really really brilliant thing obv?

Can't stand side two. Always thought Int'l Feel was the obvious standout on this one.

Can't stand side two.

u rong

"never never land"

"Hungry For Love" is the only sub-par song on here, I'd say.

I think he could've lost the soul medley actually. THEN it would be the greatest album ever.

Hungry for Love is ACE.

It's between that, International Feel and Zen Archer for me. Or the medley. Mm, You Don't Have to Camp Around is great too.

This is my favorite album ever and no way could he have lost the soul medley.

Sometimes I Don't Know What To Feel

Another "If I could vote for Side One..." lament here. As it is, although there are fragments that I like more, "Zen Archer" is my favourite song.

Impossible to choose really, not a bad song on it and I've had so many different favourites over the years. So I'll go for the one that was my first fave: 'Sometimes I Don't Know What to Feel'.

A patchy album?!...

Every single Todd album is patchy, but this is worse than most. Todd Rundgren is great when he does powerpop or those highly melodic pop songs. He is not great when experimenting with soul or R&B.

I don't know much but I do know bout music and I got say AWATS is probably the greatest album ever made...

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Todd Rundgren is great when he does powerpop or those highly melodic pop songs. He is not great when experimenting with soul or R&B.

A classically definitive Geir WTF.

By which I mean, have you even HEARD "The Last Ride"?

"The Last Ride" is one of the most beautiful songs ever recorded...the gtr solo kills me...

I voted for "Onion Head" just because it ought to have a vote.

I voted for Tic Tic Tic It Wears Off, or at least I think that's the one. I have it on vinyl and don't know where one thing ends and one begins, this is the instrumental with all the Esquivel noises right?

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

^^^that's right about Tic Tic Tic...reminds me of Sterolab in their wackier moments...

gah boring

results, i mean

Also, weird. As much as I think "International Feel" is an absolutely stunning opener, it's not the best "song" on there by a long shot.

Yeah, I voted for it but I'm not sure it's the best either. It was hard to choose, and that cut just seems to stand out a little in its anthemness. I saw a performance on TV back in the 70s where he comes on stage wrapped in aluminum foil, ripping it off as he performs that song, and that left a mark too.

Can we do Todd next?

Yeah could of gone with "Sometimes I don't know what to feel" or "Just One Victory" but "International Feel" gets me so psyched and when the 2nd verse kicks in...nirvana...I think it would be rude not to do "Todd" or "Hermit"...

"international feel" does have the best drum sound ever

i've listend to the whole album begining to end, no skipping in my car, and now,after seeing the results i ask:
where is the LOVE for "shit hits the fan"?

listening to it as a whole piece is the best way to appreciate it of course.

Every single Todd album is patchy, but this is worse than most. Todd Rundgren is great when he does powerpop or those highly melodic pop songs. He is not great when experimenting with soul or R&B.

-- Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 21 November 2007 16:30 (2 weeks ago) Link

geir, at least 3/4 of the soul medley is like the smoothest, most melodic soul ever! there's not a trace of RHYTHMIC EMPHASIS until "cool jerk"!

the answer is 'Zen Archer.'

also acceptable: 'Sometimes I Don't Know How I Feel'

Doing the whole album at the Hammersmith Apollo in Feb...can't frickin wait!!

Good luck with that. Who's in your band?

luv this album

Tickets for this seem to work out at about £60 including booking fees, transaction fees etc etc so fuck that. Anyone going?

Yeah I bit the bullet...it's a bit of pisstake but no more than when he played last year and just played the last album all night...at least this time he's giving what the fans want...hopefully...well it is Todd...

does he have an album that's like the proper songs (sometimes i dont know how to feel, ..onionhead etc) on this album but without all the interludes and whatnot?
currently being dazzled by the best bits of this on spotify.

http://img.maniadb.com/images/album/183/183503_1_f.jpg

otm. now what would be a good THIRD album to check from Rundgren? I only heard/have those 2 and never bothered for anything else.'

wait i forgot i have Liars which should probably best be forgotten. (it's actually in a sub-genre of new lo-fi, old men doing computers)

Hermit of Mink Hollow is solid song-oriented though I haven't played it in years & years. these days my go-to for Todd is Utopia's RA: touches on all his skills and styles - hard rock, power-pop, philly soul ballads, b-way showtunes and a side-long narrative prog epic. RA is an underrated classic in my book.

"Runt" and "The Ballad of Todd Rundgren" are probably his most conventional albums in a singer-songwiter vein. Big Carole King/Lauro Nyro influence.

Rundgren touring AWATS in December: http://www.awatslive.com/

always felt that the flaming lips ripped off this album for "soft bulletin". that drum sound, especially. there are passages on this album i can easily hear the lips playing (end of "zen archer" esp). anyone else hear it?

holy crap xp
this is exciting

lol shirt:

http://groupie-g.com/zen/images/categories/brickershirtawats.jpg

Review of LA show. Rundgren-heads invade the comments section.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2009/12/live-review-todd-rundgren-at-the-orpheum-theatre.html

O god not 45 minutes of Todd doing blues covers...Why can't he do 45 minutes of his greatest hits...yeah I know...because he's Todd Rundgren

It was bad-ass electrifying. Only Todd woud have the balls to shred some sacred "Robert Johnson Blues" before totally dropping a tab of acid on us.
-
that's not real is it? do they really talk like that in LA?

Well Rundgren 'Johnson' was fuckin awful...I paid £50 and didn't need to listen to power blues which sounded like something you'd hear coming out a pub on a wet Tuesday night in Wolverhampton but....the night's main event was awesome...jeez Todd even looked like he was enjoying himself...wore costumes circa 73...hey Todd how's it feel to give the crowd what they wantfor a change...that's how you sell out Hammersmith Odeon...get it

todd rundgren invented chillwave

oh noes

always felt that the flaming lips ripped off this album for "soft bulletin". that drum sound, especially. there are passages on this album i can easily hear the lips playing (end of "zen archer" esp). anyone else hear it?

― johnnyo, Thursday, October 15, 2009 1:51 PM (3 months ago) Bookmark

love this album

cosign

there's a dope postcard on my fridge right now of todd in a spacesuit from the AWATS tour

i agree that the johnson was pretty fucking dull, hope he doesn't put out an album of that shit

When The Shit Hits The Fan; Sunset Blvd (4:02) 0

Can we get a re-do of this poll??

srsly, that's a shame.

A ridiculously one sided result - all of this album is wonderful. So hard to pick a favourite.

http://devonrecordclub.wordpress.com/2012/04/16/todd-rungren-a-wizard-a-true-star-round-25-toms-selection/

I was just listening to this yesterday. So great.

i'm surprised Todd gets slagged off so much around here (the album, not the man) while this gets praised.

I think Todd is almost as good as AWATS but I prefer the way the songs flow on AWATS - Todd seems slightly less out of the ordinary as the songs are more defined. Last Ride is amazing though (probably my favourite song of his).

Never owned this, ordered the CD online a few weeks ago. On the whole, I don't like it nearly as much as Something/Anything or The Ballad of Todd Rundgren. The only original that stands with those albums' highlights for me is "I Don't Want to Tie You Down." (I'm starting to think Todd was the template for Keith Carradine's character in Nashville. Was there anyone more shameless when it came to "I promise not to complicate your life; I'll come over, we'll have sex, and then I'll leave you alone--you're lucky to have a friend like me" songs?) I do think four-fifths of the medley is great too--he does such a good job on the slow stuff--but why in the world did he stick "Cool Jerk" at the end? It doesn't even remotely fit.

I've thought that too. It's a very fragmented and herky-jerky record, though. Lots of parts don't fit up against other parts.

would love a decent remaster of this set. Has one happened officially?
THink the recent reissues have only compiled the 88 master onto another release, I say compiled since most of that series had a couple of lps together.

Is there a problem with the complexity of the tapes or something.

don't know why this is the case but Japanese remasters often exist years before a domestic release. I have a k2 hd remaster that I believe came out in 2008. same goes for welch era FM which just came out recently and I scored a few of those. blame goes to stupid labels I reckon

xp agreed about the really harsh sequence (kind of the opposite of the White Album). But I so love Zen Archer

clem - you may really like Side 2 of Faithful. Todd at his best has always been the balladry IMO but in this era his experimental stuff was equally ace.

Thanks--I'm not big on covers LPs, but I'll keep an eye open for it on vinyl.

side two of faithful is all original todd compositions

yeah and I like those songs even more than the ones he's covering

I think the jerkiness of the album is a big part of why I like it, I remember getting excited by how bonkers it was in places and I just wanted more of that. It isn't quite a Boredoms album, but I love the "one thing after another" aspect.

I like Rundgren when he just lets loose and goes silly.

The whole run bookended by the two versions of International Feel is amazing and wonderfully sequenced. Everything else is the typical Todd mishmash, but there are still alot of good tracks left at that point. I could do without the medley, but that's usually the case for me whenever he does those sorts of things.

I just listened to "Freak Parade" from Utopia, one of my favourite Rundgren songs. I hope the later Utopia albums are good, I've only seen small discussions on them.

Currently discovering this album. Played it a bunch last week on Youtube and now I have a vinyl and it is glorious!

I see most of you picked up on Ariel Pink and the Lips drum sound. The album cover is also a dead shot for something Of Montreal tries for and never gets.

Have a bunch of these songs been used in commercials or something? I feel like I've known some of these songs all my life. Maybe my parents jammed this out when I was a kid.

I would have voted "Never Never Land" btw.

Also, I got a big GBV vibe on the first half of this, with all the psych half-songs.

When The Shit Hits The Fan; Sunset Blvd (4:02) 0

Can we get a re-do of this poll??

― frogbs, Tuesday, August 2, 2011 1:05 PM (six years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Missed this poll back in "the day". Would've voted for this one if only because the synth solo is one of the most glorious/loopy ever put to tape. I find myself whistling it now and then.

Not one person voted for Dogfight Giggle

"Is It My Name?" was robbed.

great album. still my favorite Rundgren

Add 'Sometimes I Don't Know How to Feel' to the list of songs I can't seem to get through anymore without it fucking me all the way up, weepy ol' bastard that I am.

cant think of a better song than 'i dont want to die you down' at the moment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXr2zrnEJ6I

Add 'Sometimes I Don't Know How to Feel' to the list of songs I can't seem to get through anymore without it fucking me all the way up, weepy ol' bastard that I am.

― I really like the acting, dialogue and especially the scenes (Old Lunch), Sunday, May 27, 2018 1:48 PM (nine months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

altho this one comes close lol

a cool rendition of "International Feel" under his "TR-I" moniker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFXGDy1cFiE

the 90's were a hell of a time

Tic Tic Tic is the most played track ever in my whole music collection, by far. My clear favorite. I just wish it had a beginning and and end!

xpost Where the heck was that thing taped? Idaho?

you know I think no album replicates the psychedelic experience quite like this one, not just in the way it's structured but also in how it really captures that inside-your-own-head sound, which may in part just be because he tried to fit so much on one vinyl record

I was surprised how much I enjoyed it when I revisited it a few years ago. A few good singles but it really needs to be heard in its entirety to get that full, immersive psychedelic experience. Up there with Something/Anything? as my favorite Rundgren albums.

The piece in the book Stranded on this album is great, it really cuts to heart of why this album is so amazing and enraptures us so.

There's nothing about any Rundgren album in either Stranded or Marooned? Is it another book?

Oh sorry, you're correct! I can't remember exactly now but it was a similar anthology of "desert island" albums personally selected by the author. It may have been put out by The Wire?

argh i can't find it on the net but i swear it exists! It's called Unheralded or something. i read it in epub form around pandemic time.

I believe you may be referring to Unknown Pleasures, the little free book that Melody Maker appended to an issue in the 90's, that featured Paul Lester waxing on about AWATS.

Rediscovered Treasures? Hidden Treasures?? Something like that.

xp yes that's it!! thank you, henry :-)

That book opened the door (for me) to a number of records that have become part of my personal listening pantheon: AWATS, No Other, Liberty Belle, etc.

I kinda feel if 'A wizard, A True Star' is the coming up album that 'Todd' is the comedown

for sure, it also sounds like a trip through Todd's brain but in a different way. there's also a weird theme of finality running through it, there are probably six songs on it that sound like they were written to be closers. surely a conscious decision?

I believe you may be referring to Unknown Pleasures, the little free book that Melody Maker appended to an issue in the 90's, that featured Paul Lester waxing on about AWATS.

That book opened the door (for me) to a number of records that have become part of my personal listening pantheon: AWATS, No Other, Liberty Belle, etc.

This sounds awesome! Apparently not been digitized, but someone copy & pasted the Tusk article onto their blog, and it's fantastic.

7gp has put me in a "don't listen to much; but listen often" state of mind, been choosing five albums a week and not playing anything else. I'm keeping a slot in there for "an album I've never heard before" -- next week, I'll slot in AWATS.

I still remember hearing it for the first time, my Dad actually asked me to make him a burned CD copy of it once he found out I knew how to download and rip music online, I remember putting it on in the car and 5 minutes in I was thinking "oh shit my Dad has way better taste than I do", this album definitely deserves a dedicated listen, ideally as far out chemically as you're willing to get

xp I scanned the entire book and posted a link to it on the Unknown Pleasures thread. I think it’s still valid.

can confirm that the link still works, thanks Henry!

I kinda feel if 'A wizard, A True Star' is the coming up album that 'Todd' is the comedown

I feel like the emotional stakes are higher on Todd, though I finally had to admit I never again wanted to hear "In and Out the Chakras We Go".

lol

I've been playing "Don't You Ever Learn" a lot recently...fuck me it's soo gorgeous...when the synths come in at the end it goes so deep

yeah definitely, Todd is like the wizard descending from the heavens and telling humanity how it is

xxp

"Don't You Ever Learn" is one of the tunes I associate with playing the piano in breaks at school, before I had a keyboard of my own.

currently embarking on a remix of the entire first side of this record, sort of like a DJ set that flows kinda like the album does, but with the original tracks in there in some capacity. all I can say is "Zen Archer" might be the most unique track I've ever worked with, made even more difficult by the fact that he might've been on no sleep when he recorded it

oh god. i cant wait for yall to hear this

lol what exactly did you do?

everything he was too much of a coward to do the first time around

:)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjK_-yviwcc

Haha bravo, that was totally mental

I wonder how far folks will get into this before realizing it is not in fact an early cut

Spoiler alert:
I think my favorite part was David Lee Roth over rock n roll pussy but Soulja boy all over sunset blvd destroyed me over and over again.

crazy he did all those voices himself, the man was incredibly ahead of his time