Todd Rundgren - A Wizard A True Star (1973)

Todd Rundgren - A Wizard A True Star (1973)
rock | 1CD | EAC Rip | FLAC+CUE+LOG | cover | 385MB
Rhino | RAR +5% recovery

AMG:
Something/Anything? proved that Todd Rundgren could write a pop classic as gracefully as any of his peers, but buried beneath the surface were signs that he would never be satisfied as merely a pop singer-songwriter. A close listen to the album reveals the eccentricities and restless spirit that surges to the forefront on its follow-up, A Wizard, A True Star. Anyone expecting the third record of Something/Anything?, filled with variations on "I Saw the Light" and "Hello It's Me," will be shocked by A Wizard. As much a mindfuck as an album, A Wizard, A True Star rarely breaks down to full-fledged songs, especially on the first side, where songs and melodies float in and out of a hazy post-psychedelic mist.Stylistically, there may not be much new -- he touched on so many different bases on Something/Anything? that it's hard to expand to new territory -- but it's all synthesized and assembled in fresh, strange ways. Often, it's a jarring, disturbing listen, especially since Rundgren's humor has turned bizarre and insular. It's truly takes a concerted effort on the part of the listener to unravel the record, since Rundgren makes no concessions -- not only does the soul medley jerk in unpredictable ways, but the anthemic closer, "Just One Victory," is layered with so many overdubs that it's hard to hear its moving melody unless you pay attention. And that's the key to understanding A Wizard, A True Star -- it's one of those rare rock albums that demands full attention and, depending on your own vantage, it may even reward such close listening.

Tracks:
1. International Feel (Rundgren) - 2:50
2. Never Never Land (Comden/Green/Styne) - 1:34
3. Tic Tic Tic, It Wears Off (Rundgren) - 1:14
4. You Need Your Head (Rundgren) - 1:02
5. Rock and Roll Pussy (Rundgren) - 1:08
6. Dogfight Giggle (Rundgren) - 1:05
7. You Don't Have to Camp Around (Rundgren) - 1:03
8. Flamingo (Rundgren) - 2:34
9. Zen Archer (Rundgren) - 5:35
10. Just Another Onionhead; Da Da Dali (Rundgren) - 2:23
11. When the Shit Hits the Fan;Sunset Blvd. (Rundgren) - 4:02
12. Feel Internacionale (Rundgren) - 1:51
13. Sometimes I Don't Know What to Feel (Rundgren) - 4:16
14. Does Anybody Love You? (Rundgren) - 1:31
15. I'm So Proud (Medley): Ooh Baby Baby/La la (Benson/Cleveland/Mayfield/Robinson/Stroball) - 10:34
16. Hungry for Love (Rundgren) - 2:18
17. I Don't Want to Tie You Down (Rundgren) - 1:56
18. Is It My Name? (Rundgren) - 4:01
19. Just One Victory (Rundgren) - 4:59

Personnel:
Rick Derringer - Guitar
Todd Rundgren - Guitar, Composer, Vocals, Producer
Michael Brecker - Horn
David Sanborn - Horn, Saxophone
Randy Brecker - Horns
Tom Cosgrove
Bill Gelber
Mark "Moogy" Klingman - Keyboards
M. Frog Labat - Synthesizer
Barry Rogers - Trombone
Ralph Schuckett - Bass
John Siegler - Bass, Cello
John Siomos - Drums
John Sieger

Links:
download (Hotfile & Filefactory)
pass: zazzzazz

Todd Rundgren - Todd (1974)

Todd Rundgren - Todd (1974)
rock | 1CD | EAC Rip | FLAC+CUE+LOG | cover | 470MB
Castle Music | '99 remaster | RAR +5% recovery

AMG:
Maybe some listeners thought that the sonic trip A Wizard, A True Star was a necessary exercise in indulgence and that he would return to the sweet pop of Something/Anything? for its follow-up. Not a chance. As it turned out A Wizard was the launch pad for further dementia -- and, depending on your point-of-view, indulgence. Its follow-up was Todd, an impenetrable double album filled with detours, side roads, collisions and the occasional pop tune. That those pop tunes are among his best may come as little consolation to the lightweight fan who has stumbled upon Todd. Conceptually, A Wizard, A True Star may be the wilder record, but Todd is a more difficult listen, thanks to the layers of guitar solos and blind synth prog tunes, such as "In and Out the Chakras We Go."Large stretches of the album are purely instrumental, foreshadowing the years of synth experiments with Utopia that were just around the corner. The murk subsides every so often, revealing either exquisite ballads ("A Dream Goes on Forever"), blistering rock ("Heavy Metal Kids") or, more murk and dementia (particularly with how Gilbert & Sullivan rear their heads not only on the requisite novelty "An Elpee's Worth of Tunes," but an honest-to-goodness cover of "Lord Chancellor's Nightmare Song"). These are some major additions to his catalog, but the experiments and the excesses are too tedious to make Todd a necessary listen for anyone but the devoted. But for those listeners, the gems make the rough riding worthwhile.

This re-issue:
Sleeve notes - Paul Lester
Project co-ordinator - Steve Hammonds
Thanks to Michael Crombleholme,
Mary Lou Arnold & Sally Grossman
Mastered by Andy Pearce at Masterpiece
Imagery courtesy of Bearsville Records
Design - Sarah Southin @ Castle Music Ltd
Representation - Eric Gardner @ Panacea

Track list;
1. How About A Little Fanfare?
2. I Think You Know
3. The Spark Of Life
4. An Elpee's Worth Of Toons
5. A Dream Goes On Forever
6. Lord Chancellor's Nightmare Song
7. Drunken Blue Rooster
8. The Last Ride
9. Everybody's Going To Heaven/King Kong Reggae
10. Number 1 Lowest Common Denominator
11. Useless Begging
12. Sidewalk Cafe
13. Izzat Love?
14. Heavy Metal Kids
15. In And Out The Chakras We Go (Formerly: Shaft Goes To Outer Space)
16. Don't You Ever Learn?
17. Sons Of 1984

Links:
download (Hotfile & Filefactory)
pass: zazzzazz