Todd Rundgren is an American singer-songwriter who began his artistic career in 1966 with a group from Philadelphia called Woody’s Truck Shop, a group that allowed him to cut his teeth and start making people talk about him.
Then we find him in 1967 in a new group called Nazz. Group with which he will experience some major successes, first in 1968 with the title "Open my eyes". But also and above all "Hello it’s me" in 1969.
We find him solo from the year 1970, when he released his first album called "Runt", an album which was to meet with great esteem success thanks to the Single "We gotta get you a woman".
Success confirmed but not amplified a year later in 1971 with the release of the album "Runt. The ballad of Todd Rundgren ”, album which will mainly produce the Single “Be nice to me".
It is the next album, "Something/Anything", which will allow the artist in 1972 to pass the stage of recognition, the real one. The album is a huge success and allows the artist to land his biggest Single hit with "I saw the light". But also with the revisited version of "Hello it’s me", title which he had created with Nazz a few years before.
A dynamic of success that did not prevent the album "A wizard, a true star" from passing "through" as they say in 1973. More than disappointing results in the Charts Album and no Single ranked.
The only highlight of the album, the quarrel which will oppose him to John Lennon via the title "Rock 'N' Pussy", a title which follows a settling of scores between the 2 artists following Lundgren's remarks concerning Lennon in the Melody Maker review. Indeed, Lundgren accuses Lennon of having hit a waitress in a Hollywood restaurant and takes the opportunity to call him a "fucking idiot" ...
It was not until the next album "Todd" that the artist returned to the race for a little while in 1974, notably thanks to the greater use of synthesizers. Album carried at arm's length by the Single "A dream goes on forever".
At the same time, the artist started the group Utopia and released a debut album "Todd Rundgren's Utopia" the same year. The album is a great success but paradoxically struggles to produce any large-caliber Single ...
Back in solo in 1976 with the album "Faithful", album of which the only remarkable Single will be an almost literal cover of the mythical "Good vibrations" of the Beach Boys, a gamble to say the least daring ...
On the Utopia side, two albums were released the following year in 1977 : "Ra" and "Oops! Wrong planet”. The two albums will not go unnoticed, especially the second. But still no notorious hit in sight…
On the solo side, the album "Hermit of mink hollow" which came out in 1978 will bring the artist his biggest personal success on the albums side. Album that will produce one of his biggest Singles with the title "Can we still be friends".
On the Utopia side, 1979 would prove to be the band's Big Year with the release of the album "Adventures in Utopia". Album which will remain as their best opus on the Charts side and which will also produce their biggest success on the Single side with the title "Set me free".
We find Utopia again at the start of the 1980s with the release of the album "Deface the music", an album which is a direct reference to the Beatles. Album where one of the songs "Everybody else is wrong" targets Lennon again. The same Lennon who will be assassinated that year by a certain Mark Shapman, unconditional and above all obsessive fan of…Rundgren !
The artist returned solo in 1981 with the album "Healing", one of the highest ranked album of all his discography but which unfortunately failed to produce a major Single. "Time heals" which will be the flagship song of the album will still have the merit of being one of the first songs to be broadcast on MTV ...
A year 1981 which will not be remembered as the best of the artist because he also made the headlines that year following the burglary of his residence. Burglary by armed men who do not hesitate to tie him and his girlfriend while they ransack the house ...
The year 1982 will be much more favorable with the release of 3 albums, just that ! Utopia will release 2 albums “Swing to the right” and “Utopia” and Rundgren for his part will release “The ever popular tortured artist effect”. Utopia's albums will not produce notorious hits again, however, his solo album will produce one with the title "Bang the drum all day".
Surprisingly, not much will happen in 1984 on the solo side and it is Utopia who will save the year with the release of the album "Oblivion". The album will perform relatively well like all the others but will not do any better than its predecessor on the high caliber Single.
Change of label from 1985 and move to Warner Bros. Records, label with which he released his first solo album called "A cappella". Disappointing album that will not produce any major Single. Ditto for the album "P.O.V." which will be released the same year for Utopia. Album which will be the last opus of the group ...
There followed a big air hole hat would last 4 years before he returned in 1989 with the album "Nearly human", an album of average success.
All the albums that will be released subsequently, and there will be more than a significant number of them, will also experience only a mixed level of success. And this despite a quality that is still omnipresent ...
To discover or rediscover...
Discography (among others ...) :
60s Decade :
Open my eyes (Nazz) 1968
Hello it’s me (Nazz) 1969
Not wrong long (Nazz) 1969
70s Decade :
We gotta get you a woman 1970
Be nice to me 1971
A long time, a long way to go 1971
I saw the light 1972
Hello it’s me 1973
A dream goes on forever 1974
Wolfman Jack 1974
Real man 1975
Good vibrations 1976
Love is the answer (Utopia) 1977
Can we still be friends 1978
80s Decade :
Set me free (Utopia) 1980
The very last time (Utopia) 1980
Time heals 1981
Compassion 1981
Hideaway 1982
One world (Utopia) 1982
Hammer in my heart (Utopia) 1982
Feel don’t fail me now (Utopia) 1983
Bang the drum all day 1983
Crybaby (Utopia) 1984
Something to fall back on 1985
Loving you’s a dirty job but somebody’s gotta do it 1986
The want of a nail 1989
90s Decade :
Change myself 1991
Property 1.0 1993
World epiphany 1.2 1993
Day job 1993
Beloved infidel 1995
Love is the answer 1997
2000s Decade :
Love of the common man 2000
Future 2004
Afterlife 2004
Afraid 2008
Weakness 2008
2010s Decade :
Dancing barefoot 2011
Nothing to lose 2011
Take it all 2011
Something from nothing 2013
Party liquor 2013
Sir reality 2013
Flesh and blood 2015
Rise 2015
Holyland 2015
Come 2017
Fiction 2017
Beginning of the end 2017
Tracks :
1968 ... beginnings which are combined with several within the group Nazz. A successful group adventure since it will produce several high-caliber titles ...
1969 ... which will undoubtedly remain as the group's finest achievement. And that the young Todd will cover a few years later in a brilliant way ...
1969... the Nazz adventure will at least have allowed him to do his classes and start to make talking about him. It's already that...
1970 ... the first solo steps. The young singer decides to free himself from his playing colleagues and he will take it into account given what will happen to him later ...
1971 ... very quickly, he will display talents of composition more than certain. This young man is gifted and he will prove it again and again in the years, even decades to come ...
1972 ... starting with this title. He will win his first planetary star here and find himself projected onto the front of the international stage in a way that is spectacular to say the least. HU-GE !
1973 ... then comes his resumption of the title of Nazz achieved a few years earlier. His version will go far beyond the original and remains to this day one of his most emblematic titles. MAS-TER-FUL !
1974 ... the dynamic of success is now firmly in place even if this title will be a little lower than its predecessor. It must be said that the bar has been set so high that it is difficult to compete in these conditions...
1974 ... a title that will be declined in 2 with the Dj Wolfman Jack. In the end, a year 1974 which will not remain as the best vintage of the singer but which will have produced at least 2 interesting titles. It's already that...
1975 ... only one title on the clock for this year 1975 but a good job once again. The level of success is not optimum but largely sufficient to keep the singer in the leading pack ...
1976...daring to tackle the cult title of the Beach Boys released 10 years earlier is a bet that is audacious to say the least, even very audacious. And yet, the copy is so close to the original that he will manage to come out with flying colors on this one. Even if his version does not bring much more...
1978 ... on the other hand on this one he owes nothing to anyone because this title is his. And the success that goes with it too. Like what, when he wants, he does very well on his own...
1980...he will have hatched during the 60s and then reached its highest level during the 70s. What the 80s have in store for him, the future will tell us...
1980...for now, it's off to a good start with a level of success that's more than enough to keep him in contact with the best. Hope it lasts ...
1981...we're not going to lie to each other, the best years are now behind him. The quality level remains high, however, which makes it possible to avoid a too brutal stall with the young generation pushing hard behind...
1981... the decline in the Charts is accentuated title after title, year after year. He will still have to be careful not to lose too much ground because he will never be able to get back in the race...
1982...a title which will pass somewhat 'through' despite a certain quality. A basic trend that will not improve in future years...
1982... it will happen to him to know all the same some successes on the right and on the left. But for the top hits, it's well and truly over...
1982... so he tries the adventure again with several people. It comes from a good feeling to say that unity is strength but that won't change much in terms of success in the Charts...
1983... whatever it is, it allows him at least to believe in it a little bit. A desire to believe in it always and again that we can only salute...
1983...and history will prove him right since he will get an unexpected top hit here. But who will be the last one this time...
1984...a Utopia adventure that constantly intertwines with other more personal titles. A beautiful hodgepodge that ends up making you dizzy as they say...
1985...when more than one could have been discouraged by the ups and downs of results in the Charts, he continued his adventure as he saw fit. Rightly or wrongly, that's something else ...
1986... here he is in shock but above all charming duo mode with one of the female stars of the moment. A nice title that at least has the merit of varying the pleasures...
1989...nearly 20 years after his debut, the singer is still there. Still just as motivated, still determined to move forward at all costs. It remains to be seen what the next decade has in store for him...
1991...a new decade that started gently and with finesse. What is certain is that on the inspiration side, there are still reasons to hope concerning him...
1993... it is clear that he will no longer do extras from now on, but at least luxury extras. Because what he continues to offer largely holds up...
1993...you still have to remember that he started his career in 1968, that is to say 25 years ago ! And he's still there, which is already a great performance...
1993...where most of his early 'colleagues' have already disappeared from the music scene a long time ago, he at least has the merit of still being active. Just for that, respect as they say !
1995...another nice title which literally floats in the air and which shows once again that we will still have to count on him in the years to come. And who would complain...?
1997...a decade of the 90s placed definitely under the sign of softness and lightness. It won't bring him more than that but we take it, that's clear !
2000...he will have gone through the 60s, then the 70s, then the 80s, then the 90s and here he is, quietly, but above all surely, beginning the 2000s. Mighty performance !
2004... he will have known all eras and especially all styles. And he will have known how to adapt each time. The brand of the Greatest necessarily...
2004...rarely will artists from the 60s have maintained a level of inspiration worthy of the name for so long. Who would have thought that possible when he started his career in 1968...?
2008...and the adventure is far from over, which is incredible to say the least. Nothing is able to stop him, neither the absence of success in the Charts nor the weight of the years. What talent !
2008...40 years of career on the clock, this time, the account is there. One could say that the circle is now complete and that it is time for the singer to retire. Except that he doesn't see things the same way at all...
2011...a new decade in sight ! When we remember what the artist produced in his early days, the difference in style with today is, to say the least, mind-blowing. But that's also the magic of music, knowing how to constantly adapt...
2011...it's really hard to imagine that it's the same guy who started his career with Nazz a few decades ago. The metamorphosis is stunning, to say the least !
2011...not to mention that he varies styles and tempos with more than certain mastery. Frankly a pity that the general public left to see elsewhere for a long time...
2013... the albums follow each other but are hardly alike. He explores all possible and imaginable musical tracks hoping to find the right one. At least find the one who could possibly bring him back to the front of the stage...
2013...at 65, he even allows himself the luxury of trying to compete on the Dance side with little youngsters who are on average 40 years younger than him. Extremely daring and above all almost impossible to achieve...
2013...how could he disappear from radar like this ? When we see what he continues to offer, he would frankly have deserved a much wider attention from the younger generations...
2015...unstoppable ! He firmly believes in it and still does not intend to throw in the towel. A desire to move forward against all odds that commands respect in an undeniable way
2015...an album a little less in tune with the times and which also shows the limits of a possible return to the front of the stage. It's not easy to constantly reinvent yourself...
2015...this one would already be a bit trendier. He will surprise us until the end and we can only encourage him to continue like this...
2017...a production of albums during this decade which stands out with no less than 4 opuses. A remarkable performance for an artist from the 60s, it's clear...
2017... after, we suspect that it's more personal satisfaction than anything else. Because very few will be the artists of the 60s to make a resounding comeback during this decade 2010...
2017...an end to the adventure - provisional - which is done with finesse. But he is sure that with him nothing is ever finished. To be continued...
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