...My bad phone camera shot.

One of those "older artists" that has the talent and vision to maintain a career since the late 60s (*The Nazz), and based on the packed house Saturday night, to the present.



...Better shot from a different show

Probably the first name artist to embrace the internet as a marketing tool and video production as an art form.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
* An edited repost of something I wrote regarding The Nazz some time ago...

"So long ago and so far away..." (late '60s), there was Pop and there was Guitar Rock and never the twain was supposed to meet. As a matter of fact during this time, the Guitar Rock crowd looked down upon the Pop people like they were pond scum.

Then I heard "Open My Eyes" by this group called Nazz on FM Free Form radio (Guitar Rock land) which combined a not necessarily heavy but cool distored guitar riff, Pop style harmonies and psychedelic flanging.

Upon searching out the album...



...I noticed some the cover imgagery was being used to remind you of another foursome...




The tracks that pulled me in, along with Open My Eyes, See What You Can Be, If That's the Way You Feel, When I Get My Plane, She's Goin' Down and nice little ballad called Hello It's Me.

The vocal harmonies are pure pop, reminding me at times of The Association.
Crowded (from the 1st album) could have been written for them and tell me you don't hear melodic and harmonic strains of Along Comes Mary within the verses of Forget All About It (from the 2nd album, Nazz Nazz).

So that was my first brush with the "Runt" that would eventually find Utopia and more.
Regardless of his many eclectic musical adventures, with tunes like...

We Gotta Get You A Woman
I Saw the Light
Real Man
Love of the Common Man
Can We Still Be Friends
Time Heals
Bang The Drum All Day
Love Is The Answer
A Dream Goes On Forever
Something to Fall Back On
The Want Of A Nail

(among others)

...one thing's for sure. TODD knows POP (the melodic, well written kind).

Even long ago.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The first time I saw Todd Rundgren perform live was with Utopia (RA tour?) on 4/24/77 at Florida State University in Tallahassee FL.

Todd Rundgren - guitar
Kasim Sulton - bass
Roger Powell - keys
Willie Wilcox - drums



Very good show with a rather elaborate stage presentation which included Todd playing a custom made Veleno Ankh guitar, Willie Wilcox using an electronic drum kit built onto a motorcycle frame, a Sphinx and a pyramid-like prop. And one point, Todd smashes a guitar made of ice.



I hadn't seen him perform live again until last year's NAMM show...



...when he did a gig with bassist Tony Levin.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

With the absence of any keyboards, the setup made it clear that Todd came to ROCK!

Todd Rundgren - guitar/vocals
Kasim Sulton - bass/vocals
Prairie Prince - drums
Jesse Gress - guitar/vocals

The set covered 30 years of material from his early solo period, through Utopia and his later solo material.

Buffalo Grass - One Year Long (2000)
I Hate My Frickin? I.S.P. - One Year Long (2000)
Black Maria - Something/Anything? (1972)
Soul Brother - Liars (2004)
Mammon - Liars (2004)
Fascist Christ - No World Order (1993)
I Saw The Light - Something/Anything? (1972)
Black and White - Faithful (1976)
Lunatic Fringe - Red Rider cover
No. 1 Lowest Common Denominator - Todd (1974)
Drive - The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect (1983)
Tiny Demons - Healing (1981)
Mystified/Broke Down and Busted - (Utopia) POV (1985)/Runt (1970)
Slut - Something/Anything? (1972)
The Walls Came Down - The Call cover
One World - (Utopia) Swing To The Right (1982)

Encore:
Trapped - (Utopia) Oops!Wrong Planet (1977)
Hawking - Nearly Human (1989)
Worldwide Epiphany - No World Order (1993)

This was the last show of this tour.
A great performance with superb arrangements of these tunes in a guitar-only format.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

Cool, he covered Lunatic Fringe, I love that tune. A friend of mine turned me on to Todd Rundgren, I don't think people really know him but what an amazing body of work. This friend also turned me on to Fripp which is another story for another thread.

wow, interesting set list. i only know the big hits, so i only recognized one song. i think i'd love seeing that show, though - todd's a super interesting artist, and i think i'd rather see him play fan favorites and the stuff he likes than to hear him trot out "love is the answer" for the billionth time (though i DO love that song...).

Excellent .

He seems to have played a wide range of material from his large catalogue. Interesting, especially considering his prog-ish Utopia years, that he came keyboard-less, with just a rock band line-up, but he seems pretty capable of pulling off most things pop/rock wise to me.

He must have had a long association with bass player Kasim Sultan, playing with him with Utopia in '77 and still in '07.

I'm not well-versed on Todd other than 'Something/ Anything' and 'A Wizard - A True Star'. Anymore good Todd album recommendations for an open-mind music fan who dug 'Something/Anything' and most of 'A Wizard'?

Anxiety said:

Co-sign. When a musician performs live the songs they feel from the heart, the more powerful and memorable the performance. Damn, I would've like to have been there.
[Edited 9/24/07 11:02am]

Miles said:

...

Man, I would Love to have seen him do "Hawking" Live!!! That might be my alltime favorite Tune From Todd!!!!

"...When God Kissed me...and I Lost it when I fainted in her arms...."








....

Slave2daGroove said:

He made a comment something like he'll occasionally do a song like this when the (original) band refuses or can't do it any more, at times like these when they're most needed.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

paligap said:

With the exception of I Saw The Light (where he jokingly warned that this was the only "hit" you were gonna get) and Trapped (which according to Todd was a tune they partially played during sound check and a spur of the moment add), he never really formally announced any of the tunes.

However when he launched into the vocal intro of Hawking, I immediately thought of you.

He killed it btw.



tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

Kooolllll.....


...

Anxiety said:

Too bad for anybody that stayed up the night before practising their LA,LA LA-LAs expecting to hear Can We Still Be Friends.


That for me is a very good performance trait to have.
I prefer artists that have enough confidence in their catalog to go below the surface.
Those that expect a Greatest Hits concert should stay home and play the CDs.
His thoughts were A)His fans that have seen his shows before knew better, B)He prefers to play tunes that inspire him.
Hence "the audience" gets a more inspired performance.

I really enjoy that element of surprise.
And every tune in the set Todd was in great voice and the band just nailed 'em.
Also, the background harmonies (and essential element of all his tunes) Kasim and Jesse were spot on.



tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

Miles said:

He had the crowd (obviously hardcore fans) from the minute he came on stage through the encore. A very well paced set.
Yes, he and Kasim have been bandmates on and off for decades. That includes The New Cars stint also.

Their voices really blend well together.

Regarding some suggestions.
That's a tough question as Something/Anything? contains so many Todds.
Which Todd are you the most partial to? Prog/Rock Todd, Power/Pop Todd, Pop/Soul Todd, Experimental Todd, etc.?


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

Very cool - sounds like this was quite similar to the show I saw him play with Tony Levin last year. Same stripped down no-keyboards format, and quite a few of the songs you listed were played there as well. He still sounds great, doesn't he? I couldn't hear any age in his voice at all.

damosuzuki said:

theAudience said:

y'gotta love the public service Todd...

Slave2daGroove said:

He's going for the Love of The Common Man...


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

Yes, Todd seems to have many moods and personalities.

Judging from the two Todd records I know -

I like 'Pop/Soul' Todd and 'Warm, Harmonic Todd' (eg. piano-led songs like 'I Saw the Light', 'It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference' and also 'Rock Todd' ('Black Maria', 'Little Red Lights').

'Experimental Todd' - Some of 'A Wizard' is a bit experimental, with mixed results imo - but that's experimentation by definition, I suppose. Some work, some don't. From my experience so far, the tracks when he's using wierd voices and randomly fooling around a lot (other than in the intros) aren't really to my taste, but most other stuff I've heard, I like. I like sonic experimentation tho, so it's hard to say .

I'm curious about Utopia proggy Todd, as I like a little prog every now and then. Was Utopia anything like Yes or King Crimson, as Todd's worked with Tony Levin who's played with both these bands?

So, I suppose what are generally reckoned to be his best/ most diverse albums, with good songs well-played after 'Something/Anything?' and 'Wizard', really. And maybe his most well-liked Utopia record and 'experimental' record.

Hope that helps .

Miles said:

damosuzuki said:

He certainly does.

I think his voice has matured over the years.
It's not the boyish We Gotta Get You A Woman innocence but more of a Real Man edge.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

DiminutiveRocker said:

Don't feel bad.
There's a new album in the works.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

Hello, it's me
I've thought about us for a long, long time
Maybe I think too much but something's wrong
There's something here that doesn't last too long
Maybe I shouldn't think of you as mine

Yeah, I heard that he was playing on the day of the show. Would have liked to seen him solo. I did get to see him with the New Cars though. That was kinda weird. Wish he would have played "International Feel". That's my favorite song by him although I like many of his songs. I've always dug Todd in the same way I dug Shuggie. He's underrated as a guitarist.

Would have loved to have heard him play his cover of Strawberry Fields Forever and If 6 Was 9. Those are the best cover versions I have ever heard.

blackguitaristz said:

Dig it.

Miles said:

Some of the Prog material sounds like ELP (if they had multiple keyboards) combined with Styx-like vocal harmonies...


These are some that I like.

In the Prog/Rock category, we'll kill two birds with one stone by suggesting some Todd within Utopia picks...



...Todd Rundgren's Utopia (1974) & RA (1977)


For a Pop/Rock Utopia album, I like the simply titled...



...Utopia (1982)


For Pop/Soul Todd...



...Nearly Human
I think he gives some of his best vocal performances on this album.
This may partially be due to the fact that he doesn't really play any instruments. Just guitar on one tune.
The album is basically done live.
There's one tune that seems out of place. A cover of Elvis Costello's Two Little Hitlers.
But as Todd's way, every album seems to have some musical hairpin turns to navigate.


This one I just like. It's a combination of excellent Pop/Rock/Soul compositions...



...The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect (1983)
But again there's a Todd twist with the inclusion of a Small Faces cover, Tin Soldier.
If you remember the original version of this 60s Pop gem, this cover doesn't stand up.

Hope this helps.

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

blackguitaristz said:

From the album...



...Faithful (1976)

An album, in its LP incarnation, was one side covers and the other side originals.

The covers were quite good.
Along with the ones you already mentioned were Happenings Ten Years Time Ago - The Yardbirds, Rain - The Beatles, Most Likely You Go Your way - Bob Dylan and scary good version of Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

Thanks for the suggestions, tA!

Todd seems to have a diverse and interesting catalogue. I shall certainly look into getting the 'Tortured Artist' album, as this sounds good. With the Utopia stuff, I suppose it's more a case of 'suck it and see' . The ELP meets Styx sound is certainly ... interesting .

The 'Faithful' album looks quite intriguing, with its brave choices for covers. You've got be either a genius or a fool to attempt to cover such familiar, established classics as 'Strawberry Fields' and 'Good Vibrations'. And I always find the success or otherwise of such covers is on the eye of the beholder. Some might hate them, others may love them.

Interesting

Miles said: