I would say I mostly agree -- tho I think a big part of that is that he has a very, very large catalogue.
― It Is Dangerous to Meme Inside (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 27 March 2021 03:08 (three years ago) link
I kind of want to compare with a few other polls with reasonably large catalogues but too tired right now.
― It Is Dangerous to Meme Inside (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 27 March 2021 03:13 (three years ago) link
Busy week--sorry I wasn't able to comment, but I followed along. Thanks for doing this.
1. “Long Flowing Robe” (40)2. “Hello It’s Me” (36)3. “We Gotta Get You a Woman” (33)4. “I Saw the Light” (30)5. “Hope I’m Around” (28)6. “Open My Eyes” (26)7. “If That’s the Way You Feel” (25)8. “Couldn’t I Just Tell You” (24)9. “Forget All About It” (23)10. “I Don’t Want to Tie You Down” (22)
One of those ballots that are brief but intense for me. Any of the top four is now and again my favourite song ever. I did forget to check the rest of 1970's Runt--forgot I had the vinyl.
― clemenza, Saturday, 27 March 2021 03:38 (three years ago) link
Communion with the Sun was robbed
― Adoration of the Mogwai (Deflatormouse), Saturday, 27 March 2021 06:43 (three years ago) link
Good morning! Thanks so much to NTI for running this.
It allowed me to explore Todd's world in far greater depth than I'd done previously. The Utopia albums post-1977 in particular. As mentioned in the voting thread, I compiled a chronological playlist as I went, no more than 2 songs per LP, and my tracks ballot was largely pulled from that. Otherwise it could easily have been 50% AWATS. As it is, there are 3 from Wizard but no more than 2 from other LPs. I'm surprised how many of my picks I was the sole voter for but, heigh ho, it's a rich canon. My LPs ballot is a bit more hivemindy.
Tracks1. Just One Victory2. Freak Parade (Todd Rundgren’s Utopia)3. In and Out the Chakras We Go [formerly Shaft Goes To Outer Space]4. Initiation5. Caravan (Utopia)6. I Love My Life7. The Wheel (Todd Rundgren's Utopia)8. It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference9. Pulse10. Drive11. Love Is The Answer (Utopia)12. Quiet Place to Live (Lindstrøm, Todd Rundgren Remix)13. I’m in the Clique14. Miracle in the Bazaar15. International Feel16. Pretending to Care17. Space War (Todd Rundgren’s Utopia)18. Welcome to My Revolution (Utopia)19. Flamingo20. Trapped (Utopia)21. Freedom Fighters (Todd Rundgren’s Utopia)22. Love of the Common Man23. Bag Lady24. Bleeding25. Monument (Utopia)26. That’s Not Right (Utopia)27. Some Folks Is Even Whiter Than Others28. Shinola (Utopia)29. I’m Looking at You but I’m Talking to Myself (Utopia)30. A Treatise on Cosmic Fire
Albums1. A Wizard, A True Star2. A Cappella3. Live At Hammersmith Odeon ‘754. Initiation5. Todd Rundgren’s Utopia6. Disco Jets7. Adventures in Utopia8. Runt. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren9. Swing to the Right10. Faithful
― Jeff W, Saturday, 27 March 2021 10:03 (three years ago) link
A couple of observations looking at the complete list of songs:
- if some obscure band or singer/songwriter had released a single album in the 70s where the best songs were "Broke Down and Busted” and "Birthday Carol", the record would be reissued and reviewed as lost work of genius. Todd's oeuvre is so rich that in this poll, they got no votes.- no songs from Ra got any votes at all! Perhaps too prog for the pop fans, too pop for the prog fans?
― Halfway there but for you, Saturday, 27 March 2021 15:04 (three years ago) link
Birthday Carol probably suffers a bit from its placement after the awesome medley (which placed pretty high! – and also kind of feels like it should end the album). But agree. If we had gotten 5 more ballots, I have no doubt that we’d have reached close to 200 songs. I was really struck by RA getting shutout too. I probably gave it more listens than any other Utopia record prior to voting as it was a record I only knew by reputation and because of Xgau’s devastating review. Upon closer examination, while there are def. parts where they stretch out I was actually surprised to discover how song-oriented it is – Jealousy is a sneering burner, and Magic Dragon Theatre could be late period 10cc, that was actually a late cut for me. In retrospect, RA is not only the last purely prog effort from Utopia but also the last one that doesn’t make an obvious corporate rock play for the charts.
― Naive Teen Idol, Saturday, 27 March 2021 15:52 (three years ago) link
I didn't vote but Communion With The Sun would have been my #1
― Bastard Lakes (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Saturday, 27 March 2021 15:56 (three years ago) link
Yes, I get the feeling that, compared to other artist polls, this one had a lot of songs that got single votes. I'm planning to listen to all 24 songs that people voted for that I don't know.
― Halfway there but for you, Saturday, 27 March 2021 16:32 (three years ago) link
I’ll post my ballot later, big thanks to NTI and all the participants, it was a blast to virtually celebrate Todd with other big fans <3
― brimstead, Saturday, 27 March 2021 16:38 (three years ago) link
― Bastard Lakes (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Saturday, March 27, 2021 11:56 AM (two hours ago) bookmarkflaglink
omg same
― Adoration of the Mogwai (Deflatormouse), Saturday, 27 March 2021 18:17 (three years ago) link
It would have placed at #41 on those two votes alone!
― Halfway there but for you, Saturday, 27 March 2021 18:19 (three years ago) link
Here’s my ballot...Todd Is God!!!
1. The Last Ride2. A Dream Goes On Forever 3. International Feel4. Sometimes I Don’t Know What To Feel5. Just One Victory 6. Love Is The Answer7. Can We Still Be Friends8. Mated9. Hawking10. Zen Archer11. Wailing Wall12. All The Children Sing13. Flamingo14. Tiny Demons15. Parallel Lines16. The ‘Verb’ To Love17. Time Heals18. One World19. Fair Warning20. No 1 Lowest Common Denominator21. The Waiting Game22. Hello It’s Me23. Second Nature24. I Saw The Light25. Too Far Gone26. Hurting For You27. The Wheel28. The Seven Rays29. It Wouldn’t Of Made Any Difference 30. A Long Time, A Long Way To Go
Albums
1. A Wizard A True Star2. Todd 3. The Ballad Of Todd Rundgren 4. Hermit Of Mink Hollow 5. Something/Anything 6. Nearly Human7. Runt8. Healing9. Another Live10. Faithful
Productions (sorry only 5)
1. Xtc-Skylarking 2. Hall And Oates-War Babies3. Bourgeois Tagg-Yoyo 4. Laura Nyro-Mother’s Spiritual 5. The Tubes-Remote Control
― X-Prince Protégé (sonnyboy), Saturday, 27 March 2021 23:49 (three years ago) link
Wasn’t really a fan before and don’t know if I would describe myself as one now -yet!- but got a lot of food for thought out of this poll so thanks a lot for running it, NTI, and thanks to everyone else for participating.
― It Is Dangerous to Meme Inside (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 28 March 2021 15:13 (three years ago) link
Food for thought and topics for further research/listening
― It Is Dangerous to Meme Inside (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 28 March 2021 15:14 (three years ago) link
What’s with this “twisted” remake of “Bang the Drum All Day”?
― It Is Dangerous to Meme Inside (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 28 March 2021 15:51 (three years ago) link
Is that from that Greatest Classics: With a Twist album? That thing is super confusing, and I have no idea what it is.
My ballot:
Toons
1. Heavy Metal Kids2. The Last Ride3. Real Man4. Parallel Lines5. Healing6. I Don't Want to Tie You Down7. Afterlife8. Baby Let’s Swing/The Last Thing You Said/Don’t Tie My Hands9. God Said10. International Feel11. The Verb "To Love"12. Long Flowing Robe13. Marlene14. Love Is the Answer15. Love of the Common Man16. Onomatopoeia17. Hurting for You18. One More Day (No Word)19. Black and White20. Too Far Gone21. The Night the Carousel Burned Down22. Determination23. Sometimes I Don’t Know What to Feel24. Just One Victory25. Tiny Demons26. We Gotta Get You a Woman27. Couldn't I Just Tell You28. Born to Synthesize29. Believe in Me30. A Beautiful Song
Elpees1. Todd2. Liars3. A Wizard/A True Star4. Something/Anything?5. Faithful6. Hermit of Mink Hollow7. Runt8. Runddans9. Healing10. Runt: Ballad of Todd Rundgren
Productions
1. XTC - Skylarking2. Badfinger - Straight Up3. Hall & Oates - War Babies4. Patti Smith Group - Wave5. Cheap Trick - Next Position Please6. Sparks/Halfnelson - Sparks/Halfnelson7. Steve Hillage - L 8. Utopia - Deface the Music
― Naive Teen Idol, Monday, 29 March 2021 00:18 (three years ago) link
SONGS (ranked):Love of the Common ManInternational FeelJust One VictoryLove Is the AnswerHello It's MeReal ManTime HealsTiny DemonsSometimes I Don't Know What to FeelDon't You Ever Learn?HealingInitiationSweeter MemoriesClichéWhen the Shit Hits the Fan / Sunset Blvd.The Verb "To Love"The Range WarThe Night the Carousel Burned DownA Dream Goes on ForeverFlamingoBlack MariaCompassionLost HorizonInfluenzaThere Are No WordsDust in the WindAll the Children SingSons of 1984Blue OrpheusBlack and White
ALBUMS (ranked):A Wizard.. A True StarSomething / AnythingToddHealingTodd Rundgren's UtopiaFaithfulInitiationRunt: The Ballad of Todd RundgrenRuntAcapella
― brimstead, Monday, 29 March 2021 00:23 (three years ago) link
(NTI convinced me to weigh in here; long time lurker, first time poster. It would be Todd who dragged me out, and this may have been the hardest list I’ve had to make.)
What I love about Todd’s music is that it’s so incredibly broad that people can come at it from a million different directions. I may be the only one here who ranks the 80s stuff way higher than the 70s; and while it took me a while to get there, I value some of the later Utopia stuff as some of my favorite compositions, and it’s why POV made my album list, but I acknowledge that my entry point and tastes can be completely different from everyone else’s.
Another factor that completely affected my list was having experienced multiple of these songs as live performances; it changed how I felt about his songs. Seeing Todd do “Hawking” live on some of his best days made it rise higher and higher in my list, whereas you’d be hard-pressed to find Todd enjoying performing “Hello It’s Me” almost ever. As a result I far prefer the former. Same goes for seeing the emotion and power behind “Cliché,” “Feel It,” “Black Maria,” and “Fair Warning” when done live. (I’ve seen 23 shows in the 12 years since I really started listening to Todd, but you don’t have to go to the shows to see this: here’s Hawking live in Japan in ‘90, followed a few songs later by HIM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgNSwUmio_s)
Additionally the albums that were conceived of more as live performance albums (Nearly Human, 2nd Wind) are the ones that thrill me the most, whereas I see that others latch on to the more experimental outings or straight up power pop reflected in these poll results. But either way: Todd has a million different facets, and god do I love him for it. A Todd for every season.
I loved seeing the (No. 1 Lowest) Common Denominator cross-list popularity of “Love of the Common Man”: 10 votes and 3 number ones, and to my mind the quintessential representation of Todd‘s chord structures (all those maj7s and “T-chords”).
Thanks NTI for putting this one up and letting me think about it so hard.
Here’s my ballot:
Top 30 Todd Tracks:1. Love of the Common Man2. Feel It3. Lysistrata (Utopia)4. A Dream Goes on Forever5. Pretending to Care6. Cliché7. Hawking8. Change Myself9. Couldn't I Just Tell You10. Compassion11. Can't Stop Running12. Fair Warning13. Parallel Lines14. Love Is the Answer (Utopia)15. Crybaby (Utopia)16. Black Maria17. The Seven Rays (Utopia)18. Drive19. Style (Utopia)20. Second Wind21. V.H.F. (Utopia)22. Open My Eyes (Nazz)23. Lucky Guy24. Just One Victory25. Healing, Pt. 126. The Very Last Time (Utopia) 27. Long Flowing Robe28. Can We Still Be Friends?29. Hello It's Me30. Determination
Albums:1. Nearly Human2. Something/Anything?3. Hermit of Mink Hollow4. A Wizard, a True Star5. 2nd Wind6. A Cappella7. POV (Utopia)8. Todd9. Adventures in Utopia (Utopia)10. The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect
Production: 1. Skylarking - XTC2. Wave - The Patti Smith Group3. Forever Now - Psychedelic Furs4. Next Position Please - Cheap Trick5. Bat Out Of Hell - Meat Loaf6. Remote Control - The Tubes7. Straight Up - Badfinger8. s/t - New York Dolls9. Things Here Are Different - Jill Sobule10. Wasp - Shaun Cassidy
― Love of the Common Zan, Wednesday, 31 March 2021 21:16 (three years ago) link
Awesome, welcome <3
― brimstead, Wednesday, 31 March 2021 21:42 (three years ago) link
Seconded
― It Is Dangerous to Meme Inside (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 31 March 2021 21:51 (three years ago) link
I was unusually touched by some of the obscurities people highlighted on their ballots (that I hadn't voted for). It's nice to think that "Style" from POV isn't entirely forgotten.
― Halfway there but for you, Thursday, 1 April 2021 00:03 (three years ago) link
Wow. Range War at 119? That would’ve been my number one.
― Muswell Hillbilly Elegy (President Keyes), Thursday, 1 April 2021 00:24 (three years ago) link
That performance of “Hawking” is incredible, Zan. I now understand why you had Nearly Human at #1 – you can really see here what he was going for with it, with these long swinging tracks where everything is kind of floating in space with lots of out of time fills, tons of backgrounds and, of course, these perfectly ecstatic Todd vocal performances. Great find.
― Naive Teen Idol, Thursday, 1 April 2021 04:38 (three years ago) link
‘Hawking’ was in my top 10 too...It wasn’t on my radar until I saw him play it live and it absolutely blew me away too...it’s just beautiful...I’m guessing the title refers to Stephen Hawking?
― X-Prince Protégé (sonnyboy), Thursday, 1 April 2021 04:55 (three years ago) link
NTI - Todd’s recent virtual “Clearly Human” tour was essentially a revisit of the Japan ‘90 tour, and it was just superb. I hope it takes it on full tour again eventually, but it’s expensive so who knows.
XPP - yes, fairly certain the title is Stephen Hawking. Todd‘s religious themes are always tinged with science - a fascination with physics and metaphysics. I’m terrible at paying close attention to lyrics but this song I read over and over like a poem.
HTBFY, re: Style - god I love that song. Jesse Gress, Todd’s touring guitarist, once said Todd’s songs are all about suspensions - he goes from suspension to suspension to suspension without resolve, and so the listener is living in that constant tension. Then when you finally get a full on major chord - if you do at all - you’re like AHHHH. Style is a good example of that. Also Roger Powell’s keys are damn tricky - he takes what you expect and adds something weird to it, adding to Todd’s tension. So it’s like a pop song, but not at all.
― Love of the Common Zan, Thursday, 1 April 2021 12:39 (three years ago) link
Also to everyone talking about Communion with the Sun: YES. I’m surprised it didn’t make more lists, including my own. Those 4-part golden harmonies singing “Ra! Holy synthesizer”? My god! The best.
― Love of the Common Zan, Thursday, 1 April 2021 13:42 (three years ago) link
Style is great, I didn’t consider any Kasim-fronted stuff, though (to make compiling the ballot easier)
― brimstead, Thursday, 1 April 2021 14:45 (three years ago) link
I'm glad that you guys haven't moved on from this, as last weekend I had chirrun to look after and could not comment… to wit…
1. "The Last Ride" is paramount to me in terms of his prog-philly opuses and is key to what he means to me… I love that he was aware of and was lovestruck by Gamble and Huff and Thom bell, and one has to assume that a lot of what inspired him to do that song and its stylistic kin was hometown pride… man does he ever grasp the essence of philly soul…from what I have found, it seems like the rock press typically didn't ask him about his immersion in the R&B of his hometown, so if anyone knows of him talking about this, let us know…
2, I think its pretty evident that much of the reason that he has toured ceaselessly for as long as he has is because he has to…I get the sense that over time he was not advised well as to his finances, or maybe he was heedless? or unlucky? He's not super famous and his income from his catalog/publishing probably is not what it would have been were the music marketplace had been upended two or three times in the past two decades…he has a lot of bravado re: playing live, taunting Andy Partridge a la "if you're a real musician, you play live," but his touring regimen is much much much more strenuous than other artists his age who have prepared for their dotage effectively…
― veronica moser, Thursday, 1 April 2021 18:48 (three years ago) link
‘The Last Ride’ was my no 1...every time I hear it, it never fails to slay me...there’s a live version from ‘75 with Luther Vandross on BV’s and I always wonder what a great soul voice ( Marvin?, Donny? Luther) would of done with it...the duet with Daryl Hall is lovely
― X-Prince Protégé (sonnyboy), Thursday, 1 April 2021 19:08 (three years ago) link
One of the things I learned from the Myers book mentioned earlier was that, after making most of his money in production royalties from GFR and Meat Loaf, he lost a lot on various creative schemes, like a video studio he tried to set up. The creation of the New Cars, which was conceived as a quick cash infusion, actually lost him hundreds of thousands of dollars.
― Halfway there but for you, Thursday, 1 April 2021 20:03 (three years ago) link
you could say it was a lemon
― frogbs, Thursday, 1 April 2021 20:24 (three years ago) link
given the number of people he has onstage during each of his tours I kinda doubt he's just doing it for the money. he's old but seems to be in decent shape, his voice & chops are still there, and he's still doing new albums regularly, so why not?
I read a pretty interesting post the other day about how Todd's career is full of near misses, he always seems to be backing the wrong technology or winds up being *too* early an adopter
― frogbs, Thursday, 1 April 2021 20:31 (three years ago) link
Oh man, I forgot that that shit was in the book… I watched a video of some ted-talkish thing he did where he was completely all in for streaming, to the point of parroting tech bro cant…along the lines of "music should be like running water in your house": like I understand that he's been into the komputah as long as the oldest tech big shots have, he's a true believer, having moved to SF in the 80s to be around ground zero of tech, but I would almost expect him to be a bit less sanguine, in that the environment for him as a lifelong, very well known musician sustaining his livelihood in his late 40s through the beginning of his twilight years has unquestionably been made much more difficult…
― veronica moser, Thursday, 1 April 2021 20:41 (three years ago) link
He wants you to buy his t-shirt if you're going to stream his records.
― Halfway there but for you, Thursday, 1 April 2021 21:01 (three years ago) link
his attitude on the subject was definitely better than a lot of 70s megastars who responded with some form of "downloading is literally stealing and I'm going to die if you don't quit it"
― frogbs, Thursday, 1 April 2021 21:33 (three years ago) link
A lot of 70s megastars have died, however... coincidence?
― Halfway there but for you, Thursday, 1 April 2021 21:36 (three years ago) link
Posting this little old thing I threw together before I forget:The Official Runtian Ballot of James Redd and the BlecchsCouldn't I Just Tell YouI Saw the LightOpen My EyesHello It's MeCan We Still Be Friends?We Gotta Get You a WomanBe Nice To MeIt Wouldn't Have Made Any DifferenceA Dream Goes on ForeverI Went to the MirrorCold Morning LightMarleneLove Is the AnswerHideawayAll The Children SingLove of the Common ManA Treatise on Cosmic FireBlack MariaInitiationWailing WallDriveYou Cried WolfBag LadyInternational FeelTic Tic Tic, It Wears OffZen ArcherSometimes I Don’t Know What To FeelJust One VictoryLove in ActionLong Flowing RobeAlbumsA Wizard / A True StarSomething / Anything?Runt. The Ballad of Todd RundgrenThe Hermit of Mink HollowInitiationProduction New York Dolls s/tStraight UpForever NowStage FrightWaveSkylarking
― It Is Dangerous to Meme Inside (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 2 April 2021 18:26 (three years ago) link
Formatting got a little messed up in pasting but not gonna sweat it.
― It Is Dangerous to Meme Inside (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 2 April 2021 18:32 (three years ago) link
just gonna leave this here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFXGDy1cFiE
― frogbs, Friday, 2 April 2021 23:04 (three years ago) link
Good guitar solo!
― Halfway there but for you, Friday, 2 April 2021 23:25 (three years ago) link
KILT PERIOD
― "what are you DOING to fleetwood mac??" (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 2 April 2021 23:29 (three years ago) link
24 year-old Patti Smith comparing Todd Rundgren to Mozart, Smokey Robinson, Ronnie Spector, Ravel, and Crazy Horse in her August 1971 Rolling Stone review of Runt pic.twitter.com/0F7U7b4zjR— Eric Harvey (@ericdharvey) April 4, 2021
― Naive Teen Idol, Sunday, 4 April 2021 20:44 (three years ago) link
Because they are Runts too?The only way I remember the spelling of this Paul Myers is because of the jazz guitarist who spells it Paul Meyers. Then there is yet another Paul Myers associated with Leopold Stokowski.
― It Is Dangerous to Meme Inside (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 6 April 2021 15:18 (three years ago) link
In Woodstock now, but no sign of the hermit yet.
― It Is Dangerous to Meme Inside (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 18 April 2021 16:17 (three years ago) link
Not at the Glen Ford, I mean Glenford Dike.
― It Is Dangerous to Meme Inside (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 18 April 2021 19:31 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZERNLvgboT4
― A Stop at Quilloughby (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 4 May 2021 02:15 (three years ago) link
Couldn’t I just tell you I’m a Heavy Metal Kid?
― Naive Teen Idol, Thursday, 6 May 2021 11:01 (three years ago) link
Heh
― A Stop at Quilloughby (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 6 May 2021 11:01 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF8IoZowV4k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VL4pGazRA8
― Naive Teen Idol, Thursday, 6 May 2021 15:23 (three years ago) link