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Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren

Todd Rundgren

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iTunes Review

Where Todd Rundgren’s 1970 solo debut had been a three-person collaboration with bassist Tony Sales and drummer Hunt Sales, 1971’s Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren is when the artist came into his own as the all-seeing, all-knowing studio wizard. Although Tony Sales plays bass throughout the album, Rundgren handles all the other instruments himself (except for “Parole,” on which Hunt Sales drums). Rundgren had consolidated his control over his music, but The Ballad of Todd Rundgren generally follows the blueprint of its predecessor. It alternates between lovely piano-driven power pop (“Long Flowing Robe,” “Parole”) and gentle balladry in the mold of Carole King and Laura Nyro (“The Ballad (Denny & Jean,” “The Range War,” “Boat On the Charles,” “Be Nice To Me”). A few songs presage the bold studio experiments Rundgren would undertake in the years to come. “Wailing Wall” is fragile and nearly acapella, as Rundgren duets with a chorus consisting of his own doubled voice. Meanwhile, “Bleeding” and “Chain Letter” are shapeshifting pop songs that suggest prog rock even as they exude the energy of early Who.

Customer Reviews

Early Todd = Beautiful Balladry

You probably think of Todd Rundgren as a shredding guitarist, but the piano ballads on 1971's Ballad of Todd Rundgren are simply devastating. These sensative and mature songs pick up where Laura Nyro's first album left off and have all the earmarkings of what would later solidify Rundgren as one of the most coveted producers of the '70s; perfectly pitched and placed harmonies, gracefully oscillating Hammonds and pumping Clavs as well as several other idiosyncratic instrumentations that date well to modern ears. "The Ballad," "Be Nice to Me," "Range War," "Wailing Wall" and "Hope I'm Around" are all moving, intricately crafted ballads that form the crux of the album. For those who are ballad wary (an irrational fear if you've ever heard a Rundgren ballad), there is a variation of material here as well. "Long Flowing Robe" will have you singing along after the second chorus and "Parole" rocks hard. Unexplainably, this album (once an Ampex cutout along with the underrated "Runt") has seen periods of being out of print. Todd Rundgren's growing legacy is sure to see that this won't happen again and hopefully "The Ballad" will rightfully secure its place in the pop annals.

One of Todd's Best

You really can't go wrong with the completeness of this series of songs. Though I pick out my favorites, you can really enjoy listening in sequence start to end. There is a song cycle here. Boat on the Charles, Wailing Wall, are so sad and beautiful. And you can't get a more bitter break-up song than Hope I'm Around! This is a great album.

A musical gem.

This is an amazing album. The year here is 1970 and the freshness of the tunes rings true today. Rundgren is an often forgotten musical master, from producer to writer to guitarist. This album is even more interesting as it rests in the Rundgren canon. Elegant and subtle, it really sounds like nothing else he has created. Worth every pennie!

Biography

Born: June 22, 1948 in Upper Darby, PA

Genre: Rock

Years Active: '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, '00s, '10s

Todd Rundgren's best-known songs — the Carole King pastiche "I Saw the Light," the ballads "Hello, It's Me" and "Can We Still Be Friends," and the goofy novelty "Bang on the Drum All Day" — suggest that he is a talented pop craftsman, but nothing more than that. On one level, that perception is true since he is undoubtedly a gifted pop songwriter, but at his core, Rundgren is a rock & roll maverick. Once he had a taste of success with his 1972 masterwork Something/Anything?, Rundgren...
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