When Todd Rundgren left the band Nazz to embark on a solo career, he moved with all the confidence of a seasoned artist. He immediately established himself as both a creative songwriter and producer, sometimes even deciding to play all the instruments and synthesizers on an album. His 1972 classic, Something/Anything? was his first great early work that showcased the multiple styles and instruments he was mastering, culminating with the hits “Hello, It’s Me,” and “I Saw The Light.”
Todd’s genius comes out in full flower on 1976’s Faithful. It’s a tale of two sides, the first side being a set of jaw-dropping covers – not just covers, but brilliant attempts to “faithfully” sound exactly like the original artists. Rundgren covers The Yardbirds, The Beach Boys, The Beatles (twice), Bob Dylan, and Jimi Hendrix. He pulls off the effort so well that these are not novelty songs, rather they allow Rundgren to show how good an artist he really is. His rendition of “Good Vibrations” could be played on the radio, and I sincerely doubt anyone would doubt it was The Beach Boys.
Side two is no slouch. In fact, Todd seems to be determined to show the listener that he is a great songwriter as well, and he succeeds. Mixing styles from ballads, reggae, anthems, and straight-ahead rock, this is a tight set of well-crafted songs that have held up solidly over the years. Todd uses members of his side-band, Utopia, to play on the album, and their three years of playing together makes this a great effort. If “Hello, It’s Me” is a favorite or yours, try “Love Of The Common Man” or “Cliche” from this disc. “Black And White” is one of my favorite Rundgren rockers.
He has never stopped innovating. In a 1992 concert he walked out on stage and said, “Let me introduce you to the band,” and placed a laptop on a stool. He has invited fans to critique songs in progress on his website. He has toured playing nothing but Robert Johnson blues classics. Todd Rundgren is still cranking out very good music, touring regularly, and getting involved in interesting projects like playing as a member of The Cars and joining Ringo Starr’s touring band this summer. If he comes to town, check him out. And definitely check out his catalogue of very fine albums.
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