Todd Rundgren "Runt" 1970

If you are even a casual music lover, then you have more than likely heard plenty of Todd’s music.  He is one of those artists that had a smattering of hits, however it’s his full albums that are really where it’s at.  On many of his records, Todd does it all (literally and figuratively in many cases.) He has been known to play guitar, keyboards, bass, saxophone, and sing.  He also produces and engineers many of the records himself. 

                On his first record, “The Ballad of Todd Rundgren”, Todd plays many but not all of the instruments.  He is joined by a drummer, bass player, and a few horns, but everything else is straight up Todd.  Sometimes you can tell that the people who make “one man band” records are more or less guitar and piano players with less than amazing abilities on other instruments.  Todd seems to shine on every instrument he plays though.  The guitar tone on “Devil’s Bite” is not only a stellar riff, but has originality to its tone and presentation.  It’s like a dog barking underwater, but with a much thicker sound.  His vocals are also interesting.  I would say that Todd has a “nice” voice, but he really knows how to push it.  He is at the top of his shouting range and he must know it, because he certainly doesn’t blow it.  He just hits that perfect rock and roll point of exhaustion. 

                My mother has always been a big fan of Todd Rundgren, and as a result, “We Gotta Get You a Woman” has been played way too loud in the car with her over the years.  My mom is the kind of person who listens to music at appropriate levels…for rock and roll that is.  She likes to feel it, so that makes her a fun person to listen to Todd with.  “We Gotta Get You a Woman” was the hit on this record and it’s clear why.  It’s catchy as all get out, and really excels at the quiet verse/loud chorus arrangement.  The last line of the song is great too.  “And when we’re through with you, we’ll get me one too.”  I always love it when artists make it worth your while to listen to the very end of the song. 

                It is safe to say that my wife does not like Todd Rundgren (or “Todd R” as she calls him) at all.  Believe me, I’ve tried hard to get her into his music, but it just does nothing for her.  One time I even made her an unlabeled mix of instrumental songs, and included one of Todd’s.  I remember being at a stoplight and hearing her say as Todd’s song came on, “This is the only song on here I don’t like.”  As I have said before, my wife listens to a lot of really great music, so I give her a pass when she really doesn’t dig something.  It looks like Todd and I have a date with some headphones.

                Which is fine because I get to hear the double tracked guitars that sound like fireworks exploding, and the lead vocals (some are thick and bassy, and others supremely dry) that sound like they were meticulously recorded using different microphones on different songs.  There is a real eye (ear) for detail on this record.  For instance, the guitar solo on “Who’s That Man” comes in like a samurai sword slicing through a wild running animal; it’s hot, buttery, and visceral.  He’s clearly put some time into the lyrics as well.  Check out these lines from “Broke Down and Busted”:

You know that I would go anywhere

That I could go in my old wheelchair

But I wouldn’t get far ‘till it fell apart

I’m a broke down man with a busted heart.   

            To casual listeners, Todd is mostly known for his softer numbers, and there are a few of those on here.  “Believe in Me” is probably the prettiest song on the album.  I love how soft and tender his singing is on this one.  It really shows his versatility, especially compared to the more rockin’ songs. 

My favorite song on the record is the suite called “Baby Let’s Swing/The Last Thing You Said/Don’t Tie My Hands.”  The “Baby Let’s Swing” section is especially fun because it appears to be a tribute to Laura Nyro.  He emulates her style while also singing directly to her.  The “How I love to shuffle” part is a dead ringer for many of the songs on her “Eli and the Thirteenth Confession” record.  This is a huge thrill for me, being a huge fan of both Rundgren and Nyro.  I have never had the guts to play this song for my wife though.  In addition to her…let’s say ambivalence for Todd Rundgren, she also is put on edge by Laura Nyro’s music (especially her voice).  A combination of both styles may just send her over the edge.  Like I said, this is a headphones record in my house. 

Tones:  What the heck is that weird sound at the beginning of “I’m in the Clique”?  It sounds like electronic wind.  It also comes back in during the drum solo.  The horns on this song are also bouncy in a sort of Frank Zappa kind of way.  The song (if you want to call it that) “There are No Words” creates a strange effect with vocals and reverb alone.  If this song was a painting it would not be a John Singer Sargent landscape.  It would be more like a Mark Rothko color swath.  

Cover Note:  Todd is so young on the cover, and also skinny as a rail.  The word “Runt” written on the manuscript paper on the floor looks sharp too.  I also can’t resist calling his belt an “Alphabelt.”  Make sure you check out the back for a very flashy old school cartoon.

Price paid:  $2.00 at a record show.  My copy is a little banged up, but still sounds nice.  You should be able to find this because it did have a hit on it.  I have seen “Runt” and the follow up, “The Ballad of Todd Rundgren” a few times, so you should be able to pick it up for under $6.00. 

Bottom Line:  Todd’s records are amazing, but only if you are the type of person who thinks Todd’s records are amazing.  If you are into song craft, music production, blazing guitar, or layered vocals you may love this.  If you are into music, and into it deep, Todd Rundgren’s record catalogue is a diamond mine of delights.  “Runt” is where Todd’s solo career started, and would be a good place for you to start too.

Frank Zappa "Roxy and Elseswhere" 1974

                It’s hard for me to not gush about this album.  When I was a young impressionable musician in high school, I dove head first into the music of Frank Zappa.  As a result, I have put a lot of hours in with his tunes, and they have had a profound effect on the way I view music in general.  Zappa approached his music from the standpoint of a composer playing rock and roll music.  Because he literally wrote the music on the front end of things, his attention to detail was stunning.  As a result, “Roxy & Elsewhere” has stayed interesting to me for over 15 years.  It would be cliché for me to say that, “Every time I play it, I hear new things.”  Seeing as I have been listening to it for so long, it also may be untrue.  A more accurate statement might be that I have been able to figure out, and have grown to appreciate what he was doing with his music, as I have grown as a musician and music lover myself.  Zappa’s mind saw each detail in his music, and each one was precise and perfect.  

                For example, the title of the record is “Roxy & Elsewhere,” which led me (as a 16 year old kid) to believe this was a live album.  This is only partly true.  Zappa completely blurred the line between live recording and studio recording.  By taking a live show and heavily recording overdubs to it in the studio, he was able to create something that wasn’t quite a live record, but wasn’t a regular studio recording either.  While the idea of “sweetening” a live record wasn’t new, Zappa took it to an entirely new level and created a new art form in the process.  The final product is a live recording with things like double tracked and sped up vocals, carefully placed reverb, studio effects which add depth and distance, as well as tape edits and other studio sounds.  “Roxy & Elsewhere” indeed!

                Take a song like “Pygmy Twilight.”  It starts off with some great marimba work and two drummers banging away.  The performance is excellent, but what makes the song for me are the deep croaking vocals in both the left and right channels.  It’s not even something I picked up when I first listened to the album.  It’s just a little touch that creates something you would have never heard in a live setting. 

                “Cheepnis” takes this even further.  It’s about a giant poodle destroying a city in a cheap monster movie.  The topic of the song is silly as hell, so the recording really gets the special treatment.  My favorite part is when the singer says (with sped up vocals mind you), “Keep it away! Don't let the poodle bite me! We can't let it reproduce! Oh! Somebody get out the pants!”  Frank then lays down some of the most nasty nasally guitar work I've ever heard.  It’s inspiring.         

                Frank Zappa was a guitar master, although his playing can be a bit overwhelming to me.  His playing is like walking into a beautiful butterfly garden.  There are so many beautiful flowers and exotic butterflies to see, that after a while you start to become numb to the amount of 'amazing' around you.  I always love what I hear, but sometimes there is just so much.  His solos were also known to be very long, stretching out to the 10-12 minute territory. Considering the fact that he would often play 4 or 5 of these extended solos a night, and also the fact that he played easily 5,000 to 10,000 notes in a solo, he could easily play over 50,000 notes in a given evening.  Compare that to someone like Eric Clapton. Jimmy Page, or Jeff Beck.  None of these guys could have been averaging even half the amount of notes per night that Zappa was.  Not that it's a contest or anything, I just want to give you an idea of what we are talking about here.  It was as if Zappa had so many ideas to express that he would allow himself massive amounts of space in which to express them.    

                With that being said, any overwhelmed feelings I have about Frank's playing are completely lost as I listen to "Roxy."  Every note, every tone, every intro, every length of his solos is perfect.  The guitar tones are varied as well.  There is a popping filter used in “Penguin in Bondage” that is mixed with a phased out wash.  I hear people make sounds like this more these days, but in the early 1970’s, these sounds were much rarer.  There are also some great vibrating tones and solos on “Son of Orange County.”  Listen to the solo on this song.  It’s got the perfect balance of attitude aloofness.  The lengths of Frank’s solos are much shorter than on his other albums.  He is extremely focused and direct.  Some of my favorite solos of his are on this album. 

                I am reminded of a few old memories as I listen to this album.  The week I bought the CD, I drove around (blaring this record) in my Silver Volvo station wagon and dropped off oatmeal cream pies to my high school girlfriend.  Now, every time I listen to this album I get a hankerin’ for one of those oatmeal cream pies.  I also learned how to play “Echidna’s Arf (Of You)” note for note one time.  I did it as part of an audition to a music school.  Let’s just say it’s not like learning to play a Beatles song.  I remember how hard the song was to play.  I have so much respect for the musicians who perform this music.  There is absolutely nothing like a Frank Zappa song.  

Tones:  There is a cornucopia of funky instrumental tones from the early 70's here.  It's all wood, tubes, and metal.  The bass is dark and rumbly.  The electric keyboard sound is at an apex.  By that I mean, keyboards started to become a bit slick and shimmery in the late 70's.  Here they distort, crackle, and chime like broken bells.  The marimba is also a wonderful addition.  Ruth Underwood plays unbelievably fast, and as a result, creates vast sheets of sound.  Marimbas thump on Exotica records, and swing on jazz records, but here they fly like crazy birds in a mating frenzy.  

Cover:  I never understood what exactly was going on with the cover of this record.  My guess was that it had something to do with the song "Be Bop Tango."  The girl in the bikini must be dancing to one of George Duke's "funny little notes."  I am sure that Zappa was very aware that his music was complex and hard for the average person to appreciate.  Having a girl dance in a bikini while the songs were performed surely couldn't hurt.  I also love the dark purple/black color or the border.  It really fits nicely with how warm the album sounds in general.  

Price paid:  I only have the CD version of this record and I think I bought it new in 1998 for something like $12 or $13.  I see the vinyl (it's a double album) all the time though.  For some reason the cover is always gnarred up.  The "ring wear" is usually really bad.  I guess I should have picked it up, but I'm always looking for a better copy.  The Zappa family has apparently re-issued this on vinyl, so maybe I will go that route.  If you find a nice old copy, I don't think $15.00 is too much to ask.  The new vinyl is about $35, and having a pristine copy would be great.   

Bottom Line:  Because I am such a big Zappa fan, I have gotten the question: "Where is the best place to start with his music?"  "Roxy and Elsewhere" would be a wonderful place.  It contains all of the elements that make Frank's music so special: complexity, humor, outstanding musicianship, weirdness, strange banter with the audience, and guitar solos.  You could do well starting with other records, but this one has it all.  It cannot be stressed enough how different and how groundbreaking this record is.  Frank was on a roll during this period and seemed to have a collection of musicians who were very supportive and interested in his music.  This is also a peak because it represents a time before synthesizers and digital recording practices made some of Frank's record sound sterile and lifeless.  Go get this right now.  Maybe Frank's music could change your life the way it did mine.