Todd Rundgren - Liars Live (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)2004's Liars was a surprisingly grand record from Todd Rundgren, one so good that many of his loyal fans didn't see it coming. The subsequent tour essentially culminated in this performance, where Todd is captured with a talented and trusted band of musical collaborators. He's been working with this combo off and on since 1997; andhis connection with each of the musicians dates before that (bassist Sulton first joined him in Utopia in 1976.)
There are 18 songs on this DVD (the opening walk-on overture is included as a track), and fully 14 of them date from the 90s or later. For an artist who enjoyed so much of his success in the 70s and early 80s, this is a bold decision. (The four "old" songs are "Hello Its Me," Just One Victory," a wholly revamped "Born to Synthesize," and the Harrison/Beatles cover.)
For the true fan, though, this is a rare treat; the opportunity to see and hear Todd Rundgren performing new material with a hot band. And he doesn't disappoint. The appearance of Sulton, who has been back in Todd's musical universe since 1997, provides some real warmth on the harmony parts when they put their voices together, reminding the listener of some of Utopia's best vintage work. Jesse Gress does a lot of the guitar playing, handling the burden as Todd plays the rols of lead vocalist; he is fiery and yet coolly efficient (fire and ice may be a good description of this whole presentation.) When Todd does strap it on, though, his soloing is singular and spectacular; when he is at the top of his game, he is one of those rare guitarists who's ability to communicate feelings and emotions manages to surpass his actual technical prowess. At his most electrifying, Todd's guitar playing is reminiscent of Prince's best work (or perhaps more aptly, vice versa; the climax to "Just One Victory" is a hop skip and jump from the climax to "Purple Rain.") When Todd shreds here, it is a multi-colored revelation.
The new songs are great in the live context. Liars was an album that did not suggest live arrangements-it sounds quite electronic-and on several tracks here you'll see bassist Sulton, keyboardist John Ferenzik, and Gress playing collapsible white keyboards. Todd's voice is strong and emotive throughout, and the lighting and staging are hi-tech wonde4rs (although more impressive live than on the video.)
The show was presented in two halves (the segue portion-- 2 Todd solo acoustic tracks, and then the band without Todd, covering "Green Onions"-is not included here so the halves are less distinct.) The first half embraces themes of religion and cynicism, including his powerful "Fascist Christ" off No World Order (with some great playing by Todd); "Truth," "Mammon," and "God Said" off of Liars; and his Internet-released "Buffalo Grass," a lament on aging which rocks out, and which was included on One Long Year. The first portion ends with a scathing take on the title track of the album, "Liar."
The second half of the show is a soul revue, funk-meets-blue-eyed-soul. It begins aptly with the bottom-heavy Liars track "Soul Brother," reminiscent of Todd's Utopia tune "Rock Love," and includes two exquisite ballads from Liar, "Sweet" and "Past" (evocative of his classics "The Verb to Love" and "Fair Warning."). Other highlights are a soulful "Feel It," and a searing version of "Just One Victory," the old concert staple and traditional final encore.
This show and DVD are spectacular. That said, here are the things that might have pulled that fifth star out of me: (a) the inclusion of the transitional portion of the show, which helped frame it better as two distinct halves (you'll even notice the costume change); (b) more Todd on guitar (although what is here is gold); and, (c) if the band had chosen to emerge from the embers of "Just One Victory" with a slamming segue into the thrilling "Worldwide Epiphany," as they did when I saw the tour at New York's Webster Hall.
But keep in mind that I'm grading Todd as a current artist here, not a nostalgic one, and that might be all you need to know about this set.


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This DVD was shot in June 2005 in Albany, NY and features no less than 8 songs from the "Liars" album. Another 8 great songs from Todd's more recent history plus the classic "Hello It's Me" and a unique cover of The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."

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Healing Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this album in 1981. I was 15, and "Healing" was one of the very first albums I bought with my own money. That's how crazy I am! And I liked it then, just as I like it now. No matter how many times I hear it, I am still taken by surprise due to its uniqueness and originality. There is no other album quite like it. It does have something in common with its predessessor, the excellent "Hermit Of Mink Hollow", but it's also very different. I like to think of "Hermit" as DAY and "Healing" as NIGHT.
This album has atmosphere! It's loaded with synths and drum machines, but don't let that scare you. Just be aware that "Healing" is very personal, spiritual, and about as idiosyncratic as it's possible for a pop album to be. My favourite track is "Shine". This song means so much to me! It is, in my opinion, a good candidate for the definitive Todd Rundgren song. Mystical, futuristic, soulful and incredibly intense. The 20-minuite long "Healing"- suite is great, even if i sometimes think part II is a bit too long. But that depends on what mood I'm in.
Still, I agree with some other reviewers, that track number 4, "Golden Goose" is out of place somehow. As a vinyl release, "Time Heals" b/w "Tiny Demons" came as a free, additional single to the album. If I could choose, the single would have been "Time Heals" b/w "Golden Goose". And "Tiny Demons" would have been track number 4 on the actual album. I use to program my disc that way, since I think it makes a tremendous improvement. Try it yourself!
For me, "Healing" will remain an album I return to frequently. This is one I will play at the oldies house!

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Special 20bit K2 Japanese limited edition issue of the album classic in a deluxe, miniaturized LP sleeve replica of the original vinyl album artwork.--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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Todd Rundgren - Live in San Francisco (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)Something new for Todd fans. First off, all Todd fans will thoroughly enjoy seeing the Power Trio in concert on DVD....with great songs like Open My Eyes, Number One Lowest Common Denominator and the Ikon....great to finally get these songs live! Not that this title was a quicky (well maybe it was), but there are several things that bothered me about it, especially when comparing it to earlier releases. There are no liner notes or anything like that. There is nothing that takes advantage of the DVD format (no special features short of an index and a way to adjust the sound)....this point is a little upsetting because of Todd's love for anything digital. The camera angles are sometimes akward....can't explain it, but with 80% shot from a crane looking down at Todd, it just seems kind of wierd. Shots of Kasim are often fuzzy. As far as the music, sometimes its amazing, sometimes its tentative. There's also no chit-chat from Todd and with a very sparse stage and Kasim often stepping back during Todd's solos, it seems empty. Please understand that these are not complaints, just comments. I love the DVD and am going to watchi it over and over and over. Would I show it to my non-Todd friends (that's what us Todd fanatics do...try to convert people), I might lean towards some of the other titles. OK, so where is the Ringo Tour and the Abbey Road tour...we're all waiting for those!

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Rock's original Renaissance man brings his vast array of musical styles to the stage in this raucous live concert at Maritime Hall in San Francisco, California. Producer extraordinaire, writer of such hits as "I Saw the Light," "Hello, It's Me" and "Bang the Drum All Day," founder of the band Utopia and general music maverick, Todd Rundgren performs many of his greatest hits and a wealth of new tunes in this video capturing his live stage show. Songs: I Hate My Frickin ISP, Yer Fast, Black and White, Number 1 Lowest Common Denominator, Open My Eyes, Trapped, Love in Action, Bang the Drum All Day, Temporary Insanity, Medley: Mystified/Broke Down and Busted, Buffalo Grass, One World, The Ikon, Hammer in My Heart, World Wide Epiphany.

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Carpe Diem Review

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(More customer reviews)I think that this is the best cd Belinda has produce because it mix slow songs with exiting sons like egoista her new single with Pitbull.

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Belinda, A 20-year old beautiful singer, composer, actress has earned major roles in 3 successful novelas in Mexico garnering celebrity status in Latin America for past 10-years. Also stars Poncho (ex-RBD)and Major hip-hop recording artist Pitbull on "Egoista" track. Music from Carpe Diem album heavily featured in Camaleones novela. Belinda is fully bi-lingual (Spanish/English) and has performed/recorded songs in both languages

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Ra Review

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(More customer reviews)Preceding Adventures In Utopia, which is perhaps Utopia's most commercially accessible album, Ra is for me the best album the band produced. Todd Rundgren is very creative and playful here, free from the suffering that seems to undermine a lot of his later work. I get the feeling that the band had fun making this record, and it rocks. Todd and Roger Powell create hypnotic synth and guitar interplay, trading licks in Jealousy, Sunburst Finish, Hiroshima and Singring and the Glass Guitar. Utopia's signature four-part vocal harmonies are right on throughout, and Todd, Kasim Sultan, Roger, Pand Willie Wilcox are uniquely showcased both as vocalists and musicians in Singring.
This is one to have... and listen to.

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Limited Edition Japanese pressing of this album comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve. 2008.--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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A Wizard, A True Star Review

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(More customer reviews)Try to imagine: the year is 1973, you're already well on yourway to being a die-hard Todd fan (a lifer), you were thrilled by hislast album, "Something/Anything", and you buy his next one (this one) the very day it comes out. You put the record on your turntable and for the next 59 minutes or so you sit transfixed at the sound of what you are hearing. It's Todd all right, but like you've never heard him before.
"A Wizard, A True Star" is one of the most revolutionary albums ever recorded - Todd's 'Sgt. Pepper' if you will - and in the 27 years since it came out I have yet to hear anything that remotely resembles it, not even from Zappa (80's band Game Theory's "Lolita Nation" begins to approach). Revolutionary in both the personal sense and recording industry sense, AWATS almost single-handedly created the Todd persona that his fans know and love. Listening to this album now is still the same mind-bending/altering experience it was then...and that's good. Peter Pan ("Never Never Land") mixes with Motown (the "Ooh Baby Baby" medley), touches of punk ("You Need Your Head"), Todd's own perfect pop ("Sometimes I Don't Know What to Feel"), and the just plain bizarre ("Da da Dali"). The man could literally do just about anything and has never been afraid to followed his creative impulses, wherever they've taken him. A true original. Personal favorite: "When the ( ) Hits the Fan/Sunset Blvd." - but that's just me.
There's a lot to love here in the soundscape, not the least of which is Todd's musical risk-taking - experimental pop music at its best. There just aren't enough superlatives for this album or its creator. END

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Digitally remastered reissue of his 1973 album for Bearsville. Contains the original cover art & all 19 of the cuts that first graced it, including the hit 'Sometimes I Don't KnowWhat To Feel'. 1999 release.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Arena Review

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(More customer reviews)While some guys go through their mid-life crisis by indulging themselves with a fast, two-door convertible, Todd has had no apparent crisis. In his 40s, Todd simply announced to his fans that he'd found his second wind by releasing an album of the same name. Todd has done it again. In a career that is full of twists and turns, he has taken the logical next turn. Having recently turned 60, Todd Rundgren's new album Arena could alternately have been called Third Wind. At 60, some musicians are content with having found a niche and continuing along that path for the remainder of their career, but not Todd. His fascination with music and its many intricacies is quite obvious to anyone who knows Todd's varied musical catalog. Those of us fortunate enough to have been following his career for many years, have seen Todd evolve and move forward in ways that would make any other musician's head spin. The ultimate irony here is that the new album finds Todd taking a musical step backward while simultaneously moving forward. And the idea works like a charm!
In the late `60s, Todd's band The Nazz had him front and center as a guitar wielding army of one. Showering the musical landscape with guitar licks straight out of the British invasion with a touch of American-based Paul Butterfield Blues Band, teenager Todd made it look easy. Since then his career has included pop music (Something/Anything?, Hermit Of Mink Hollow, Nearly Human, Second Wind), synthesizer rock (Initiation, Todd), guitar extravaganzas (Todd Rundgren's Utopia, Adventures In Utopia), identical recreations of classic Hendrix, Beatles, Bob Dylan and Beach Boys songs (Faithful) and rap (No World Order, The Individualist). However, it would be difficult to generalize these albums into the afore-mentioned categories simply because each has a smattering of other music styles scattered around for good measure. Suffice to say, Todd has shown that he can master any music genre he chooses to delve into, much to the joy of his diehard fan base and much to the confusion of the general population who just don't "get it". We, the lucky few who get it, are rewarded with musical gems at every turn, while at the same time we are left scratching our collectives heads and wondering why the rest of the world just doesn't get it. Here's hoping that this new album will change all of that.
Todd celebrated his 60th birthday by writing, recording and, of course, producing this new album of original music that pulls together the music styles of Jeff Beck, AC/DC, Robin Trower, Queen, Jimi Hendrix, and ZZ Top, with a little bit of Burt Bacharach and Sade thrown in to balance things out. The result is a masterpiece, a journey through rock's finest moments as interpreted by Todd. Catchy guitar hooks and excellent solos abound everywhere on this album. It's amazing how many cool guitar riffs there are on this album. Some musicians would have to wait to release a "best of" album to collect this many brilliant songs. For Todd this is simply par for the course. Infectious melodies draw listeners in and keep us paying attention to every nuance. The catchiest in the bunch is easily "Courage", a song that recalls the album Faithful (Todd's 1976 solo album) and many songs from the pop side of the Utopia catalog. Beautiful harmonies and a guitar solo that could have fallen right out of "I Saw The Light" (from Something/Anything?) or "Love Of The Common Man" (from Faithful). Another new song that stands out is "Weakness" which alternates between two different styles, one employing a nicely distorted guitar sound and the other featuring lush background harmonies and a vocal that reminds me of "The Last Ride" (from his 1974 solo album named Todd).
There are several songs on Arena in which the source inspiration is painfully obvious. One is "Strike", a nod to AC/DC, complete with the signature vocal style that band is best known for. Another song is "Bardo", which recalls Robin Trower's song Bridge Of Sighs.....only Bardo is even better! And then there's the ZZ top inspired "Pissin'" with its twangy guitar riff and Texas-style vocal. This entire album is full of music that brings us back to a place we all know well and yet also takes us somewhere we've never been. Nicely done!
But let us not forget the lyrics. Todd has always had a way with words and although this album does emulate the styles of other bands, it's in the lyrics where Todd reminds us that it is still Todd and not someone else at the controls here. His ability to turn a phrase and make the listener perk up is unrivaled. No one even comes close. There is the soul searching in "Courage" ("Humbly pretending to be brave and strong, inside I'm wondering, what if I'm wrong"), or "Mad" ("Crowded world, how can I find peace of mind, with so many small agendas pushing at me all the time"). There is the call to arms in "Manup" ("Listen to me my friend, what you will not defend, somebody else will end up takin'"), or "Strike" ("Time to strike while the iron is hot") from the AC/DC sound-alike song. I bet AC/DC is smacking their foreheads wondering how they missed using a perfect phrase like that in one of their songs.
This is an album that should be spinning in everyone's CD player. Anyone who has ever liked rock anthems and classic guitar-driven rock music should immediately proceed to checkout and add this to their collection. This is yet another brilliant album by an icon in the music business. And what makes it yet more amazing is that there's no band playing here, it's Todd on all of the instruments, as he has done before on other albums. The difference here (as was on the previous Todd album Liars) is that this album was recorded entirely in Reason, a computer-based recording program. The sound on this album is outstanding, especially the guitars. On some tracks it's obvious the drums are programmed but they sound fine and fit in the context of the track quite well. On other tracks the programmed drums sound more real than a live drummer. His vocals excellent as always and the backing vocal harmonies are superb. Todd has captured the feel and essence of Arena rock, while in the process making us want to jump out of our seats and sing along. After you buy this CD, you might want to complete the experience by going to see Todd and his band on tour. You'll be glad you did.
For more information and tour dates, check out:
http://www.myspace.com/toddrundgrenmusic
and
http://www.trconnection.com/
For an excellent Todd interview (done by Jesse Gress) about the album Arena, pick up the October 2008 issue of Guitar Player magazine. The interview includes guitar tabs done by Jesse for several of the songs on Arena.
For information about Jesse Gress, check out:
http://www.jessegress.com/

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Recorded in Todd's current home state of Hawaii, 'Arena' is yet another notable addition to Rundgren's remarkable career as a performer, songwriter, and producer. The album showcases his unique songwriting style and sonically captures the essence and energy of arena rock with bombastic, guitar-driven tunes like 'Mountaintop', 'Strike' and 'Mad', while the anthemic song 'Mercenary', transports you to a stadium with its epic chorus, with 'How Do You Like Me Now?' resounding to every seat in the house.

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Nearly Human Tour Japan 90 Review

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(More customer reviews)This is an outstanding live recording capturing one of Todd's most inspired outings. The nearly human "album" remains one of Todd's most soulful and high-energy recordings, and those who caught this tour, played out in smaller venues, experienced Todd at the top of his performing abilities, which is to say, second to none. With the backing of one incredible band, Todd the soulman and rock star took charge and electried the room, elevating "rock concert" to a higher level. From the opening measures of "Real Man", the blistering guitar leads in "I can't stop running", to the down on your knees passion of "hawking", you're reminded of the Todd you know and love. If you're a Todd fan, buy this recording, you'll be glad you did!

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Recorded in Japan during his 1990 'Nearly Human' tour, these CDs run through songs from his whole career. 17 tracks. Slipcase. Castle. 2003.--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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Oops Wrong Planet Tour Review

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(More customer reviews)Nevermind what the other guys said... The sound quality is rough, but not nearly bad enough to not be able to listen to. Keep in mind - this album is labeled and sold as part of the BOOTLEG SERIES, so you can't expect wonderful sound. Trust me - I'm a composer with perfect pitch, and extremely attuned to sound of all types, so this review is not coming from a bad set of ears.
I rocked just as hard to this album as I do with Utopia's studio records. After the first couple tracks, you get used to the sound, and the sound quality does actually improve some throughout the album. The energy in Utopia's performance alone makes the album well worth hearing and having. On top of that, so many of their best songs are here, whose live versions are not available anywhere else.
To my fellow Utopia fans - Don't let the bad reviews sway you :)
LONG LIVE UTOPIA!!!

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Vol. 5 of the Todd Archive Series. Japanese original compilation featuring 21 tracks recorded live in Chicago on Oct 20 1977. Tracks include, 'Trapped', 'The Marriage Of Heaven & Hell', 'Love Of The Common Man', 'Back On The Street', 'Black & White', 'Crazy Lady Blue', 'Love In Action', 'The Death Of Rock 'N' Roll', 'Communion With The Sun' , 'Gangrene', 'My Angel', 'The Seven Rays', 'Heavy Metal Kids', 'Singring & The Glass Guitar-Utopia Theme', 'Love Is The Answer', 'Couldn't I Just Tell You', 'Just One Victory'. 2001 release. Slimline double jewel case.

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Deface the Music Tour Review

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(More customer reviews)Yet another in a long line a live cds from Nippon Crown, and you'd be forgiven for wanting such an odd tour cd. However, the sound quality is poor for most of the show. It sounds like it was recorded off the radio during a thunderstorm! There is little depth of sound, and there is a general muddiness to the sound. I couldn't hear the usually excellant harmonies, and I felt a bit cheated. Didn't anyone listen to this release prior to it being released?
The songs are unusual in the fact it's an odd period in Utopia's catalogue (Beatle pastiche) and most of the time they work. However, I wouldn't have thought that the other songs that have become the staple diet of a Todd set list were churned out, but reworked using the new approach. Sadly, this is not a must for anyone, a curiosity at best, and an expensive one to boot.
I've got this crazy idea that Todd should release a new album of songs where he's bothered about the end result. 'One Long Year' sounded like something he knocked out in the afternoon when he could think of nothing better to do! Is the issuing of these old live concerts a symptom of Todd losing touch with his creative muse? I hope not, but it's been so long since we had a serious offering from probably one of the only surviving musical geniuses of the twentieth century.
One of Todd's strengths has always been his ability to surprise his audience, and do the unexpected. There has always been the feeling that Todd never takes the path of least resitance, sadly this seems to be the case with the 'Deface The Music Tour' cd.

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Vol. 6 of the Todd Archive Series. Japanese original compilation featuring 25 tracks recorded live in New Jersey on Oct 31, 1980. Tracks include, 'I Just Want To Touch You', 'Where Does The World Go To Hide', 'Silly Boy', 'Feel Too Good', 'Road To Utopia'

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