288. Todd Rundgren - A Wizard, A True Star (1973)

















Track Listing

1. International Feel
2. Never Never Land
3. Tic Tick Tick It Wears Off
4. You
5. Need Your Head
6. Rock 'n' Roll
7. Pussy
8. Dogfight Giggle
9. You Don't Have To Camp Around
10. Flamingo
11. Zen Archer
12. Just Another Onionhead
13. Da Da Dali
14. When The Shit Hits The Fan
15. Sunset Boulevard
16. Le Feel Internacionale
17. Sometimes I Don't Know What To Feel
18. Does Anybody Love You
19. I'm So Proud
20. Oh Baby Baby
21. La La Means I Love You
22. Cool Jerk
23. Hungry For Love
24. I Don't Want To Tie You Down
25. Is It My Name
26. Just One Victory

Review

Even if the track listing suggests otherwise this is a single album, about one hour long, but it is indeed a peculiar one. The best thing about this project on a personal level are all the discoveries of things I had never listened to or payed attention to, Todd Rundgren was one of them, I was mildly aware of him, both as Liv Tyler's supposed father and as an alternative 70's icon, I was not however, aware of how brilliant his much was. Actually it is very brilliant, and for a guy who has been many times described as a genius, the truth is he is not very far off.

The first half of this album is particularly impressive, it is a kind of Abbey Road medley but coming from a much more disturbed mind, with the use of all kinds of instruments which weren't really big in Beatles times. Still, the second half of the album has some of the most beautiful songs here. It is not an easy listen, but it is definitely one which more than rewards close listening.

Todd comes across as slightly schizoid throughout the album, but because he revels in this variety of sounds and the insanity of it all it just benefits the album. If you liked Something/Anything? you can probably like this after close listening. But don't for a second imagine it to be an easy listen, but a very, very rewarding one. I loved it. Get it from Amazon UK or US.

Track Highlights

1. Tic Tick Tick It Wears Off
2. Zen Archer
3. Is It My Name
4. Just One Victory

Final Grade

10/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

The album, and especially the first side of the vinyl recording, is an extended medley after the fashion of The Beatles' late recordings; brief songs segue into one another, and the lyrics are frequently humorous or hallucinatory. The first side features a cover version of "Never Never Land" from the Broadway version of Peter Pan; the second side features a much-applauded medley of covers of doo-wop and bubblegum soul hits. Its length (55:56) pushed the limits of just how much music could fit on a long-player record (LP); as a result, the sound quality of this LP is usually less-than-stellar. The compact disc version avoids these difficulties.

Just One Victory... but it can't replicate the amazing overdubbing on the album: