There are some musicians who although they have supreme talent, will never really get the recognition they deserve. One of these musicians has been Todd Rundgren. A songwriter, producer, artist and generally bit of a genius, should be up there with the very elite. He produced Bat Out Of Hell, for God's sake!
However, he has plied his trade on the peripheries of the musical world, only occasionally coming in from the cold with a brilliant track. He started his solo career way back in 1970 with his debut album Runt. By the time Hermit was released, he had already produced two career defining albums that any musician would have been grateful for - Something/Anything & A Wizard, A True Star.
Something/Anything from 1972 gave him his biggest hit single in I Saw The Light.
These two albums alone proved that he could write a killer tune right up there with the Motown Greats, whom he loves.
Songs such as Love of the Common Man only go to show what a great unheralded songwriter Todd actually was.
Hermit is his 8th solo album. Although very much a lone wolf who preferred the recording process as being his own domain, Todd had worked with other musicians on his previous albums. On Hermit however, he played, recorded and produced everything himself.
He split the album into two sides - remember sides? - The Easy Side & The Difficult Side - and the songs reflected this approach with side A being the more poppy Todd and side B being the more experimental and rockier Todd.
The album opens up with this one.
The album is a REAL solo album and showcases just how brilliant an artist Todd really is by Playing, Producing & Writing.
Side A concludes with Todd in more rockier mode and is more of an indication of where side 2 leads.
And from Side B
The album following this was also a brilliant album. One of the best live albums I have ever heard called Back to the Bars.
Todd is now at the forefront of electronic music.
Do yourself a favour and check out Todd :)
Great pop album; he was rivaling Macca as a writer in those days.
ReplyDeleteAt college I had a mate 'Gobster' who loved music but was deaf as a post. He was the first singer in my school band until we realised that it wasn't the guitars that were out of tune... Anyway, at college (Sheffield Poly) he and I were always so skint that we'd pool our money to buy agreed vinyl. 'Todd' was available as an import only and, at the college bar, drinking stolen beer, I asked him 'Do you know how much Todd is?". He replied "About 70 pence a pound I think"
Priceless (and true)!
Classic LOL :) Wonder what HE meant . what did you study? Let me guess, English???
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