Todd Rundgren has been performing, recording, and producing for almost 33 years now. I started to get into Rundgren and his band Utopia back in the early 80's when he was churning out an album or two almost yearly. His music was inventive, pioneering, and you never knew quite what to expect with every release. His output over the course of the 90's was sporadic, at best, and I really started to lose touch in what he was doing. Rundgren currently spends much of his time composing and releasing his music through his own website. Having lost faith in the traditional method of getting his music released, he pretty much "patched" together the music on "One Long Year" and released this to members of his website. What I found with this new release is a cd that holds up very coherently, and his playing is as energized and inspired as it was 20 years ago.
Rundgren runs the risk of dating himself some 5 to 10 years from now with the opener "I Hate My Frickin' I.S.P". I.S.P., of course, stands for internet service provider. He writes this song like it's some sort of love gone bad premise, yet he means it when he's singing: "It rained cd roms that gave me twenty hours free. I let my service provider make a junky out of me. And then he cut me off from my online community... and now I hate it!" Crashing drums and double-tracked guitar gives this tune plenty of power. Even more impressive is the fact that Rundgren plays all instruments on this song, as well as most of the other tracks on the cd. I'm even more impressed with "Buffalo Grass". Electric piano, drum machines, and an amazing guitar solo makes this the premier track on this release. Rungren also re-recorded two of his classic hits for this release. "Bang on the Ukulele Daily" is a newer take on 1982's "Band on the Drum all Day". Recorded live, he first discusses his move to Hawaii. He then starts singing with his best Don Ho impersonation! A little bit silly in nature, but Rundgren pulls it off. He even throws in a verse from "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" for good measure. It's refreshing to hear this particular song re-done the way he wants to since it is starting to be over-played at all the major sporting arenas in America. Another tune that was retouched is "Love of the Common Man". Staying in the tropical theme here, this version sounds more like it was recorded in a cocktail lounge! Regardless, the smooth style is enhanced by deep bass and keyboards that would make Burt Bacharach proud. Just when the tone starts to mellow out a bit, Rundgren throws "Yer Fast, and I Like It" at you. Similarities to Nine Inch Nails here comes to mind with its techno guitar sound. The release finishes with "The Surf Talks". I actually downloaded the mp3 of this before I received the cd. I believe the song deals more as an analogy to exploring the world community through the internet; "She will place the world inside my hand, she will touch the soul of every man.". Rundgrens synthesizer mimics the sound of Indian sitars to create a nice world music effect. He's very much entralled with the online community, and many of these songs prove it.
It's nice to know that you can go to cdnow.com to purchase this cd. I originally though that this could only be found through his website. Todd Rungren is a great find for any serious music fan. He is always changing his style to fit in with the current popular trends in progressive music, but his sincere songwriting is what makes him stand out. His fans are extrememly loyal, and it is a great pleasure to re-discover this under-appreciated performer.
