Todd Rundgren's The Nazz (A Wizard, A True Star)!

Post by **danlo** » Thu May 17, 2007 5:58 am

Lucimay and I constitute two of the major Todd heads on the Watch-here are some of my favs (and some you may remember):
No World Order
Hello It's Me
Zen Archer
Something/Anything?
Just One Victory
Can We Still Be Friends?
I Saw the Light
We Got To Get You a Woman
Love is the Answer
Bang On the Drum all Day
Drive
A Dream Goes on Forever
...just to name a few!!!!

Here's a link to a pretty good bio. A groundbreaking visionary of the early 70s who achieved stardom with the albums Something/Anything? and A Wizard, A True Star and promptly abandoned the spotlight to produce a number of interesting and influential bands including Sparks, New York Dolls, Badfinger, Grand Funk Railroad, Hall & Oates, Ian and Sylvia, Meat Loaf, Patti Smith, The Tubes, Tom Robinson Band, XTC, Bad Religion, Cheap Trick, The Hello People, Hiroshi Takano, Bourgeois Tagg, The Psychedelic Furs, The Band, and many others. He's created some fairly amazing technical innovations, this guy can play almost any instrument, and his harmonies are so darn cool.

I included The Nazz in the title of the thread because that was Todd's first band that achieved a massive cult following, probably the only American band (with such hits as "Open My Eyes" and the original "Hello It's Me"), at the time, that could be ranked which such groups as The Move, The Nice, Rhinocerous, early King Crimson, Van Def Graff Generator and Gentle Giant as innovators of prog-rock. His only 'big band' after the Nazz was Utopia. I'll have alot more to say about Uptopia, which is probably an aquired taste. But the band is, actually, more listenable to today-with it's loud, experimental cresendos and so forth--I made the mistake of putting on the very intense Utopia album RA right after a Kansas LP at a college party in '75...needless to say it didn't go over very well. Some Utopia songs, like Real Man i.e. can be extremely good.

Post by **dANdeLION** » Fri May 18, 2007 5:59 pm

This is a thread about Todd Rundgren, for those of you under the age of 35. 'Hello It's Me' is still my favorite of his songs, though I also like what I've heard of the New Cars stuff.

Post by **danlo** » Fri May 18, 2007 6:29 pm

Here's Not Tonight again with Todd replacing Rik Ocasek's role in the New Cars. Thank's dAN-I think I'll retitle the thread and put up a bio and photos.

Post by **lucimay** » Fri May 18, 2007 6:57 pm

thanks danlo.

i just converted a Cars fan ("its not the Cars without Rik!!") into a TODD fan!!! ("wow, did he ALWAYS sing like that??" she said!! hahahhahaha)

i love that song. (not tonight)

Post by **danlo** » Fri May 18, 2007 7:18 pm

It's interesting that he produced Hall & Oates (some of their real early stuff is really good) because his harmonic range sounds alot like them. He does a version of Good Vibrations that almost blows the Beach Boys away, he can sound like alot of people as well as maintaining his true voice. He's a funny looking guy but truly one of the true rebels of Rock 'n Roll, in fact he and Bowie were the first rockers with multi-colored hair--something these kids nowadays would get a kick out of...

It's easy to be confused about Bang on the Drum All Day as Ringo had a big hit with it (and I think even Harry Nillson did a version)--anyway, I (of course) think Todd's is better.

Oh and more Todd trivia: He raised Liv Tyler (who's full name is Liv Rundgren Tyler) and his son, Rex, is a shortstop in the Florida Marlins farm system.

Post by **dANdeLION** » Fri May 18, 2007 7:38 pm

Todd also produced Meatloaf's "Bat Out Of Hell" album, much to the chagrin of Luci......

Post by **lucimay** » Fri May 18, 2007 8:34 pm

i don't know which luci you're referring to. i like meatloaf. always have.

Post by **danlo** » Fri May 18, 2007 9:01 pm

Suddenly has the urge to hear Don't Pay the Ferryman

Bat Out of Hell is a hell of a production-you may even want to put Todd up there with Phil Spector and Alan Parsons.

OK now you can start with the Phil Spector jokes...(he's funny looking too, and he has a gun!

). Todd must have a great sense of humor-cripes he even penned the PeeWee's Playhouse theme (image of Lawrence Fishburne pops up) and two members of The Nazz were sons of the famous old TV slapstick comic, Soupy Sales!

The first Todd I ever heard was A Wizard, A True Star in '74. While critics say the previous double LP, Something/Anything? was his best, his wild and crazy fans have to prefer this one. The beginning of the album is great; Never, Never Land floats you away and Zen Archer smacks you right between the eyes, but these later songs:
Sometimes I Don't Know What To Feel
Does Anybody Love You?
Medley: I'm So Proud, Ooh Baby Baby, La La... (Means I Love You), Cool Jerk
Hungry For Love
I Don't Want To Tie You Down
Is It My Name?
Just One Victory
fit together so well they're transcendant-you'll be dancing and feeling proud as hell to be human at the end!

Post by **danlo** » Fri May 25, 2007 5:59 am

If you want to pick how my mind really works here's Something to Fall Back On

Post by **A Gunslinger** » Fri May 25, 2007 1:28 pm

I truly love the album entitled "Todd" which has "An Elpees Worth of Tunes" on it. I also like Todd's work with Utopia, including the great songs "Crybaby" and "Winston Smith Takes it on the Jaw".

Post by **emotional leper** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 7:41 am

danlo wrote:It's interesting that he produced Hall & Oates (some of their real early stuff is really good) because his harmonic range sounds alot like them. He does a version of Good Vibrations that almost blows the Beach Boys away, but he can sound like alot of people as well as maintaining his true voice. He's a funny looking guy but truly one of the true rebels of Rock 'n Roll, in fact he and Bowie were the first rockers with multi-colored hair--something these kids nowadays would get a kick out of...

It's easy to be confused about Bang on the Drum All Day as Ringo had a big hit with it (and I think even Harry Nillson did a version)--anyway, I (of course) think Todd's is better.

Oh and more Todd trivia: He raised Liv Tyler (who's full name is Liv Rundgren Tyler) and his son, Rex, is a shortstop in the Florida Marlins farm system.

Rabid David Bowie fan here.

Post by **lucimay** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 3:42 pm

Ger (my mate) doesn't like Todd. Any time i brought up Todd or attempted to listen to Todd in the house, Ger would have a fit and rant and rail and dog on Todd. I finally stopped trying to play it whenever he was around. thing was, Ger's a musician and it's hard for me to figure out, knowing his taste in music, why in the world he'd so vehemently hate Todd Rundgren.

a year or so ago i FINALLY managed to drag out of him what his REAL objection to Todd is/was.

Ger loves John Lennon. This is a bit of Todd history i knew nothing about.
i probably would have, at some point, stopped listening to Todd too had i known about this all those years ago.

anyway, here's why Ger doesn't like Todd:
in an interview with Melody Maker in 1973, Todd dissed on Lennon!!

From Melody Maker 11/73:

Rundgren: all or nothing
by Ailan Jones

"John Lennon ain't no revolutionary. He's a f------- idiot, man. Shouting about revolution and acting like an a__. It just makes people feel uncomfortable.

"All he really wants to do is get attention for himself, and if revolution gets him that attention, he'll get attention through revolution. Hitting a waitress in the Troubador. What kind of revolution is that?

"He's an important figure, sure. But so was Richard Nixon. Nixon was just like another generation's John Lennon. Someone who represented all sorts of ideals, but was out for himself underneath it all."

No doubt about it, this kid is really heavy.

Todd Rundgren is fast becoming an anachronistic satellite burning through the stagnancy currently afflicting so much of rock.

And Lennon's reply:

John Lennon's letter to Todd

AN OPENED LETTUCE TO SODD RUNTLESTUNTLE. (from dr. winston o'boogie)
Couldn't resist adding a few "islands of truth" of my own, in answer to Turd Runtgreen's howl of hate (pain.)

Dear Todd,

I like you, and some of your work, including "I Saw The Light", which is not unlike "There's A Place" (Beatles), melody wise.

1) I have never claimed to be a revolutionary. But I am allowed to sing about anything I want! Right?

2) I never hit a waitress in the Troubador, I did act like an ass, I was too drunk. So shoot me!

3) I guess we're all looking for attention Rodd, do you really think I don't know how to get it, without "revolution?" I could dye my hair green and pink for a start!

4) I don't represent anyone but my SELF. It sounds like I represented something to you, or you wouldn't be so violent towards me. (Your dad perhaps?)

5) Yes Dodd, violence comes in mysterious ways it's wonders to perform, including verbal. But you'd know that kind of mind game, wouldn't you? Of course you would.

6) So the Nazz use to do "like heavy rock" then SUDDENLY a "light pretty ballad". How original!

7) Which gets me to the Beatles, "who had no other style than being the Beatles"!! That covers a lot of style man, including your own, TO DATE.....

Yes Godd, the one thing those Beatles did was to affect PEOPLES' MINDS. Maybe you need another fix?

Somebody played me your rock and roll pussy song, but I never noticed anything. i think that the real reason you're mad at me is cause I didn't know who you were at the Rainbow (L.A.) Remember that time you came in with Wolfman Jack? When I found out later, I was cursing cause I wanted to tell you how good you were. (I'd heard you on the radio.)

Anyway, However much you hurt me darling; I'll always love you,

J. L. <signature>

i LOVE Lennon's reply!!!

Post by **dANdeLION** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 4:03 pm

The best things Todd did were produce THIS ALBUM and join THIS BAND

Post by **danlo** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 10:05 pm

Lennon did have his moments of being a ass (such as the time he wore a tampon on his head in public), but then again he and McCartney did restrain Hendrix while he was trying to beat up his girlfriend (that offense did turn me off to Hendrix). That's interesting talk, but the music's (both Lennon's and Rundgren's) more important to me than banter. Ger really should get over it.

Post by **dANdeLION** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 3:47 pm

What? Did you like, tour with those guys or something?

Post by **danlo** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 6:38 pm

No, dude, it happened at a telephone booth outside Hendrix's apartment in London (and it's a well verified story-that I didn't confirm until '81 and I was a major Hendrix freak at the time)-remember I graduated HS in '74. Fortunately I never heard of the Lennon/Rundgren rift-alot of people said and did crazy things in the early '70s. And that happened 34 years ago, please Ger try to forgive-it's not like he's Chapman or something...

Post by **Relayer** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 7:46 pm

No sh*t. I love John too, but so what if Todd said some stuff about him. He has the right to his opinion.

BTW, I just noticed this thread... thanx for the reminder, I need to get some Todd to add to my ipod

Post by **lucimay** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 8:54 pm

well...i've been working on Ger for 20 years now.

he likes Lysistrata (and picked out the chords for me on guitar too!!)

and he likes Bang on the Drum and For the Want of a Nail.

and that's about it.

that's the best i can do. *shrug*

to each his own i reckon.

Post by **danlo** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 9:05 pm

da hair:

Post by **danlo** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 4:26 am

Here we go! Bang on the Drum All Day

Can We Still be Friends?

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

Todd Rundgren's The Nazz (A Wizard, A True Star)!

Todd Rundgren's The Nazz (A Wizard, A True Star)!