FITE; Todd Rundgren -vs- Daryl Hall

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I remembered the song 'Time Heals' this morning and couldn't get more than two lines before 'Kiss on My List' crept in.

I own zero Hall & Oates records, and two copies of Robert Fripp's "Exposure". I own most of Todd's earlier records and zero interest in the New Cars.

But I'm just Don King here, with a side-bet on Daryl Hall.

― DAVE, for #1 Hits of yesterday and today! (dave225.3), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 11:04 (nineteen years ago)

philadelphia death match! wonder if these guys knew each other back in the day?

i like daryl hall but Todd is a God in my universe so 1 vote for him.

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 11:30 (nineteen years ago)

it's not even close...DH is no slouch, but Todd practically wins this one on his production work alone...

― hank (hank s), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 11:40 (nineteen years ago)

I said on another thread that I saw Hall and Oates as Todd Rundgren's less cosmic brothers, and I meant that in a nice way. Hall is very good, but Todd is gooder yet. I guess in a sense Daryl Hall did a lot of the things that Todd Rundgren might have done had he been keener to play the mainstream more, not to deny that Hall and Oates made some fine, fine singles (and their Rundgren-produced album isn't bad either). The Something/Anything?/Wizard/Todd trilogy decides it for me - then again, on the basis of those three albums I'd be inclined to declare Rundgren the winner of most fites.

― LC (Damian), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 14:19 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, it's Todd for me too. He really is a wizard. Didn't he used to date a 70's playmate?

― jim wentworth (wench), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 15:16 (nineteen years ago)

for a split second i thought this was Todd Rundgren vs Darryl Hannah

http://www.gorillapants.com/images/kb2_daryl.jpg
http://www.onlineseats.com/upload/concerts/979_con_Todd-Rundgren3.jpg

― the splash of latebloomer's napkin falling onto an ego in the sea (latebloomer), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 15:21 (nineteen years ago)

I side with Hall, but...I guess I just like Hall & Oates more. I like Rundgren's production work, but his own records (except for those with the Nazz) have always left me feeling incredibly bored. Whereas Hall & Oates caress my skull in a pleasing way.

― trees (treesessplode), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 15:23 (nineteen years ago)

This. Is. Too. Hard.

Rundgren should win, because he's such a multi-talent. And LC OTM about the trilogy.

But I'm a Hall diehard. That voice.

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 15:27 (nineteen years ago)

Nazz were so much better than Gulliver.

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 15:28 (nineteen years ago)

Rundgren as producer (special thanks for the P-Furs' Forever Now and XTC's Skylarking), Daryl Hall for everything else – without hesitation.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 15:33 (nineteen years ago)

todd for the classic '70s run, although day by day H&O are inching closer to victory.

todd's later albums are UTTER UTTER SHIT though.

― jacques lu c on t (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 15:41 (nineteen years ago)

Rundgren as producer = vastly overrated, save for the two albums Alf cites (though admittedly I might need to spend more time with his work). As a solo artist, I need to hear nothing of his except for the lovely "Hello It's Me."

Oh, and Hall & Oates are one of the greatest acts of all time, so that kinda settles it for me. It'll be Daryl, then.

― Thomas Inskeep (submeat), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 15:44 (nineteen years ago)

They toured together last year! I had third row seats! In the encore Todd came out and sang with Hall & Oates! Including a wonderful version of "I Saw The Light!"

― zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 15:46 (nineteen years ago)

"Rundgren as producer = vastly overrated, save for the two albums Alf cites"

forget not the New York Dolls debut, Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell and Straight Up by Badfinger...

also, Todd's comeback LP Liars of 2 years ago is vastly superior to the Starbucks/VH-1 crap Hall & Oates are currently spewing forth...

― hank (hank s), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 16:02 (nineteen years ago)

H&O is still making records?!

― DAVE, for #1 Hits of yesterday and today! (dave225.3), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 16:03 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, I'd save the Dolls album too.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 16:05 (nineteen years ago)

Todd's comeback LP Liars of 2 years ago is vastly superior

no, sorry. couldn't make it through the whole thing.

forget not the New York Dolls debut, Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell and Straight Up by Badfinger...

didn't he also produce patti smith's wave?

― jacques lu c on t (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 16:06 (nineteen years ago)

H&O is still making records?!
This is the most recent one. It looks a good idea, anyway.

I'd say there are maybe three songs on Liars that suffer only slightly in comparison to Rundgren's very best stuff. "Truth", "Future" and "God Said" are all fantastic.

― LC (Damian), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 16:19 (nineteen years ago)

x-post

Yes, he did.

― LC (Damian), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 16:20 (nineteen years ago)

forget not the New York Dolls debut, Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell and Straight Up by Badfinger...

Okay, I'll give some truck to the Dolls' debut, but the other two make me unapologetically hurl.

This is the most recent one. It looks a good idea, anyway.

It's a great idea, if only so-so on the execution. About half of it's pretty good, though.

― Thomas Inskeep (submeat), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 16:22 (nineteen years ago)

I think I like a bigger percentage of Daryl Hall's stuff. This is a pig to call though, what with my name and all.

― Toad Roundgrin (noodle vague), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 16:25 (nineteen years ago)

mentioned in passing above: Todd's production work on H & O's War Babies...their great "lost" record, and it couldn't sound more Rundgrenesque...

see "God Said" (also mentioned above) for a glimpse at what Hall & Oates could have sounded like in a parallel universe...

― hank (hank s), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 16:26 (nineteen years ago)

todd played on one of the last hall & oates albums.

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 16:31 (nineteen years ago)

To my ears the closest that Hall ever attempted a Rundgren-esque arrangement was on 1986's solo "Dreamtime," produced by David Stewart.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 16:50 (nineteen years ago)

Todd wins any matches related to "coolness" and/or "talent."

Daryll has to content himself with merely having written better songs.

― fuckfuckingfuckedfucker (fuckfuckingfuckedfucker), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 16:56 (nineteen years ago)

xpost: does John Oates (and/or Sara Allen) get co-writing credits on those better songs?

Todd Rundgren = apples
Daryl Hall = oranges

...when you think about it

― hank (hank s), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 17:03 (nineteen years ago)

xpost: does John Oates (and/or Sara Allen) get co-writing credits on those better songs?

One or both gets credit on most of their bigger numbers (and lots of their smaller ones).

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 17:09 (nineteen years ago)

Todd wins any matches related to "coolness" and/or "talent."
Daryll has to content himself with merely having written better songs.

Some might call writing "better songs" a talent in and of itself.

If it comes down to being "cool" vs. "I Can't Go For That," I'll take Daryl (& John) any damn day.

― Thomas Inskeep (submeat), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 17:22 (nineteen years ago)

Todd Rundgren = apples
Daryl Hall = oranges
...when you think about it

TS: Apples -vs- Oranges.

TS: Celery -vs- Mopeds.

― DAVE, for #1 Hits of yesterday and today! (dave225.3), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 17:30 (nineteen years ago)

this is by no means apples and oranges, given that the two voices in question are very similar, and doubly so when you consider that as singers they are influenced by the soul pantheon.

can't decide; too hard.

― veronica moser (veronica moser), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 17:36 (nineteen years ago)

say no go.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 17:53 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, Hall only gets a co-writer's credit on most of the stuff I rate him for. So what? Half credit on a great song is a million times more honorable than full credit on a "cool" or "creative" one.

― fuckfuckingfuckedfucker (fuckfuckingfuckedfucker), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 18:02 (nineteen years ago)

tough one, but probably Hall. Todd cared too much about being weird for too much of his career.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 18:27 (nineteen years ago)

alright, I didn't want to play my trump card, but you guys leave me no choice:

Todd raised Liv Tyler as if she were his own, asking for nothing but love in return...stand-up guy, is all I'm saying...

― hank (hank s), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 19:09 (nineteen years ago)

I fail to see how living with Rundgren as opposed to Steven Tyler made Liv any more normal.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 20:13 (nineteen years ago)

"dad, i don't wanna do homework! i wanna bang on the drum all day!"

― jacques lu c on t (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 20:16 (nineteen years ago)

Worst song ever.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 20:19 (nineteen years ago)

that's one of those "take this job and shove it" type songs that always get played on fridays around 5pm by wacky drive-time djs.

― jacques lu c on t (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 20:23 (nineteen years ago)

Tim Ellison and Jacques lu c on t OTM!

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 20:41 (nineteen years ago)

"take this job and shove it">>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>"bang on the drum"

there's a hilarious/hideous live clip vh1 classicks would show of it for awhile.

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 20:43 (nineteen years ago)

i like 'em both, but as a singer, todd isn't fit to brush daryl's teeth.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 20:52 (nineteen years ago)

the fact that Todd, by all accounts, was not a hideously unreliable, destitute and pathetic heroin addict in the late '70s and early '80s tends to suggest that he would be just slightly a better parent at the time than Tyler. or would at least provide a more stabel home life.

― veronica moser (veronica moser), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 21:15 (nineteen years ago)

right, but when she grew up she went back to tyler, who it was easier for her to share clothes with.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 21:18 (nineteen years ago)

And Rundgren does NOT have a thrill ride at Disney MGM Studios named after his employment firm.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 21:36 (nineteen years ago)

maybe being busy w/parenting is why Todd started making awful albums after Hermit of Mink Hollow? God knows its a distraction.

I've been cherry-picking his 70s albums prior to that, such great stuff, even some of the Utopia albums are cool. RA is like Nazz doing prog, with a sidelong theatrical concept song. Now I notice the Bway influence in his stuff. He was the American Bowie, sorta.

I haven't listened to Hall & Oates since forever. But I vaguely remember them going downhill after Big Bam Boom. Daryl had a better voice, more consistent, but Todd is the all-around talent.

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 21:37 (nineteen years ago)

now now, EmCo! time to give Nearly Human another chance! from top to bottom Todd's most soulful rekkid. and the Ever Popular Blah Blah was pretty good.

I have heard none of his rekkids since 1991, and feel no compulsion to do so.

― veronica moser (veronica moser), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 22:03 (nineteen years ago)

Image of the year: Todd Rundgren attempting to brush Darryl Hall's teeth ... anf failing miserably!

― O'Connor (OConnorScribe), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 22:07 (nineteen years ago)

I haven't listened to Hall & Oates since forever. But I vaguely remember them going downhill after Big Bam Boom

This is largely true, and not to be held against them.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 22:21 (nineteen years ago)

I forgot abt Nearly Human. A mild but nice return to form. "parallel lines" is classic

Perversely, i could see him doing a bang up job w/the Cars.

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 23:00 (nineteen years ago)

Todd Rundgren. Wider range of genres, more creative control. I always admire singer/songwriter/producer/multi-instrumentalists.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 6 July 2006 07:24 (nineteen years ago)

"Perversely, i could see him doing a bang up job w/the Cars."

so could I, for some strange reason...

― hank (hank s), Thursday, 6 July 2006 11:23 (nineteen years ago)

six years pass...

You could have both of them together:

http://www.livefromdarylshouse.com/currentep.html?ep_id=55

I haven't watched this yet. I just discovered this Daryl's House series (which is normally shot at Daryl Hall's place), via the episode featuring Company of Thieves (who I guess I will have to start a thread about sooner or later if no one else does), but I hope to watch a lot more of these episodes. I'm somewhat surprised an ILX search on "Daryl's House" doesn't turn up anything.

http://www.livefromdarylshouse.com/

― _Rudipherous_, Sunday, 5 August 2012 21:56 (thirteen years ago)

I watched the episodes that revolved around last fall's Hall solo record. I'm amazed he remains such a strong singer.

― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 5 August 2012 21:58 (thirteen years ago)

rundgren's house is awesome

― Listen to this, dad (President Keyes), Sunday, 5 August 2012 22:14 (thirteen years ago)

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