TODD RUNDGREN / RUNT, THE BALLAD OF TODD RUNDGREN

Digitized from the original vinyl, released in 1971 on Bearsville / Ampex Records.
Format: Mp3
Bit Rate: 192 kbps
ALBUM INFO:
Produced By: Todd Rundgren
Recorded At: I.D. Sound Studios, L.A. Ca.
Mixed At: Bearsville Sound Studios Bearsville, N.Y.
Engineer: James Lowe
Cover: Milton Glaser & Carl Fisher
TRACK LISTING:
Long Flowing Robe
The Ballad ( Denny & Jean)
Bleeding
Wailing Wall
The Range War
Chain Letter
A Long Time, A Long Way To Go
Boat On The Charles
Be Nice To Me
Hope I'm Around
Parole
Remember Me
THE PLAYERS:
Todd Rundgren - Production, Arrangements, Mixdown, and all Voices and Instruments except where indicated
Tony Sales - Bass, Percussion
Jerry Sheff - Bass
N.D. Smart - Drums, Timbales
John Guerin - Drums
WEBSITE(S):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_Rundgren
http://www.tr-i.com/
http://trconnection.com/
http://www.seahaas.com/toddrundgren/videovault.html
REVIEW:

Lo-fi, but very intimate and rich, January 27, 2000
By Frank Lynch "frank_lynch" (Brooklyn, NY USA) - (Amazon Customer Review)

It is a commonplace for music critics to talk about Todd Rundgren's "Something/Anything?" as one of the finest albums of all time. They are justified in doing that, because the music is very inventive, and it truly is splendid. Once someone buys "Something/Anything?" and digests it, they find themselves at a fork in the road (what to listen to next?). Often, they will proceed with later material, starting with "A Wizard, A True Star" (not that there's anything wrong with that!) and not look back (something wrong with that!)
"Ballad of Todd Rundgren" is the album which immediately preceeded Something/Anything, and it is worth more attention than it gets. I believe that you can hear the inventiveness of "Something/Anything" in development on this album, and with a great clarity due to the smaller forces which Rundgren has employed. Many of the songs are just as melodic and infectious as those found on Something/Anything. I also find the music inventive (IIRC "Chain Letter" is in mixed meter; "Boat on the Charles" has the right hand working in a blues scale while the bass remains standard diatonic). Instrumentation is great (a very early talk box -- earlier than Frampton or Jeff Beck [maybe even earlier than Joe Walsh]). Lyrics are sweet, hilarious ("The Range War" is a Romeo and Juliet waltz about the son and daughter of feuding families -- "If I haaaad my way, we would be together back in Pittsburgh; it's the only town east of the river I know..."; "Boat on the Charles" is a poignant song of unrequited love, filled with great images about pending departure, and ultimately suicide).
I think there are songs on this album which Todd never surpassed in his career.
All those who take the later fork in the road and never hear this earlier effort are making a big mistake.

CONTACT:
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