The O-town Scene

Todd, the Music God “My wife and I probably conceived at least one kid to his music (maybe more).” I’m not a music critic; but I am the father of one*. I was motivated to compose this brief overview of Todd Rundgren’s career by the urge to offer a modest thank you to a musical hero of mine. The labels writer, singer, com- poser, musician, producer and innovator do not adequately describe the depths of his bril- liance. His show in Oneonta on July 3 will be the seventh time I’ve seen him. My wife and I prob- ably conceived at least one kid to his music (maybe more). I’m aware that this sounds like hyperbole, but, trust me, Todd’s the man. From the first time I heard “Hello It’s Me” on the juke box in 1972 at a bar (where I was underage drinking) until today, I’ve been enraptured by the skill, virtuosity and sheer pro- lific output of Todd. He’s still amazing 39 years later at 62 years old, having just released “Todd Rundgren’s Johnson.” This incredible rocking ar- rangement of blues guitar hero Robert Johnson shows Todd’s guitar virtuosity as he updates classic blues songs. Deeply influence by both his native Philly soul and the overwhelming aural presence of the Beatles, Rung- dren embarked on a career of astounding breadth. In his 20s, Todd was churning out beautiful pop concoc- tions at an amazing rate. His Magnus opus “Some- thing/Anything?” released in 1972 featured stunning ballads such as “Marlene,” “It Wouldn’t have Made Any Difference” and “Torch Song” while also rocking hard with “Couldn’t I Just Tell You” and “Black Maria.” It also spawned the hits “I Saw the Light” and “Hello It’s Me” and is widely considered to be his master- piece. Showing his versatility, he played all the instru- 18 O-Town Scene June 30, 2011 TODD RUNGREN’S ESSENTIAL ALBUMS 1. “Something/Anything?” 1972 2. “Hermit of Mink Hollow” 1978 3. “Adventures in Utopia/UTOPIA” 1980 4. “Ballad of Todd Rundgren” 1971 5. “A Cappella” 1985 6. “Swing to the Right/UTOPIA” 1982 7. “Liars” 2004 Contributed Todd Rungren will play at the Oneonta Theatre on Sunday, July 3. For ticket info, visit www.oneontatheatre.com. 8. “The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect” 1983 9. “Todd Rundgren’s Johnson” 2010 10. “Healing” 1981 ments and provided all the voices on the first three sides. Few musicians have the material or chops to release their fourth solo album by age 24, and fewer still would have the audacity to title it “A Wizard, A True Star.” Done as a song cycle and employing every audio trick known to man, it was interesting and diverse. “Wizard” veered into new musical territory from elec- tronic noodling, avant garde electronica, his renowned blue-eyed soul ballads and a medley of Motown clas- sics. Though intended as tongue in cheek, Todd man- aged to earn the title with daring and aplomb. By his early 20s, Todd was also building an outstand- ing reputation as a producer. He’d already produced the Band’s clas- sic “Stage Fright,” and would go on to produce the New York Dolls, Grand Funk Railroad, XTC, Hall & Oates, Meatloaf, the Tubes and others. Todd’s long-time group, Utopia, which was set up as a standard rock band (bass, rhythm, lead and drums), satisfied Todd’s com- pulsion to create his trademark 3-minute mini-pop classics. As all the members contributed music and sang, you might say they were heavily Beatles influenced. Uto- pia even overtly paid homage to the Fab Four with “Deface the Music,” an album of songs that sound remarkably as if they could have been early Beatles gems. Other notable ef- forts have been “A Cappella,” recorded with Todd’s voice only, no instruments, and “2nd Wind,” which was new songs he recorded live and undubbed in front of an audience. As an aside, he was a music video pioneer. His music video “Time Heals” was the eighth song ever aired on MTV on Aug. 21, 1981.Who else has done cool stuff like that? You might also want to watch and listen to “Pretend- ing to Care” on YouTube. It was recorded with a string quartet and is one of the most heartfelt and emotional performances that I have ever seen. I’m psyched to see him this weekend. * James Derek Sapienza writes Vinyl Vault columns for the O-Town Scene _ James Frazier Sapienza

• Cover