Todd (album)

Todd
Studio album by Todd Rundgren
Released February 1974
Venue Wollman Rink, Central Park ("Sons of 1984")
Studio Secret Sound Studio
Length 66:28
Label Bearsville 2BR-6952
Producer Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren chronology
A Wizard, a True Star
(1973)A Wizard, a True Star1973		 Todd
(1974)		 Initiation
(1975)Initiation1975
Singles from Todd
  1. "A Dream Goes On Forever"
    Released: March 1974
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Robert ChristgauC[2]

Todd is the fifth album and second double album by Todd Rundgren, released in February 1974. The album is ranked number 1000 in All-Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd. edition, 2000) [3].

Background

The album was an expansion of Rundgren's experimentation on his previous album, A Wizard, a True Star. It showed his growing interest in the synthesizer, and its ability to expand the textures of rock music. Much of the album is intensely experimental. However, it is not without its share of pop songs. Rundgren also tinkers with the synth-heavy progressive sound he would take further with his later band Utopia. First issues of this LP included a large wall poster; all the lyrics, track-by-track personnel credits, publication information, and a large photo of Rundgren appeared on one side, while the other was Todd's cover portrait in shades of fine print, consisting of the names of 10,000 fans who had sent in the postcard included with A Wizard, a True Star.

Release of the album, originally conceived as (but too long for) a single disc, was delayed by a vinyl shortage caused by the 1973 oil crisis. This was further compounded by reluctance from the record label, Bearsville, to release a new album when his song "Hello It's Me" from Something/Anything? remained strong on the singles charts.

The closing track "Sons of 1984" was recorded live in Central Park and includes singing from the audience on the chorus. Rundgren also overdubbed another audience in San Francisco singing the chorus, humorously crediting the combined vocal group as "First United Church of the Cosmic Smorgasbord."

"Lord Chancellor's Nightmare Song" is an interpretation of "Love, Unrequited", a Gilbert & Sullivan song from their 1882 opera Iolanthe.

Live performances

In September 2010, Rundgren performed his Todd and Healing albums live for the first time in Akron, Ohio, followed by concerts in Muskegon MI, Indianapolis IN, St. Louis MO, Glenside PA, and Morristown NJ. A large LED display and lasers were on display throughout the shows with Rundgren and the band dressed in extravagant costumes. Rundgren's band consisted of Jesse Gress, Greg Hawkes, Prairie Prince, Bobby Strickland, and Kasim Sulton. The shows have been released on DVD.

Track listing

All songs written by Todd Rundgren except "Lord Chancellor's Nightmare Song", written by Gilbert and Sullivan.

Side one
  1. "How About a Little Fanfare?" (1:03)
  2. "I Think You Know" (3:04)
  3. "The Spark of Life" (6:23)
  4. "An Elpee's Worth of Toons" (2:09)
  5. "A Dream Goes On Forever" (2:21)
  6. "Lord Chancellor's Nightmare Song" (3:32)
Side two
  1. "Drunken Blue Rooster" (3:00)
  2. "The Last Ride" (4:48)
  3. "Everybody's Going to Heaven / King Kong Reggae" (6:38)
Side three
  1. "No. 1 Lowest Common Denominator" (5:12)
  2. "Useless Begging" (3:40)
  3. "Sidewalk Cafe" (2:15)
  4. "Izzat Love?" (1:55)
  5. "Heavy Metal Kids" (4:16)
Side four
  1. "In and Out the Chakras We Go (Formerly: Shaft Goes to Outer Space)" (5:47)
  2. "Don't You Ever Learn?" (6:04)
  3. "Sons of 1984" (4:34)

Personnel

Performers
Other credits
  • Steve Hammonds – project coordination [uncredited]
  • Paul Lester – sleeve notes [uncredited]
  • Alen MacWeeney – cover photo
  • Bill Klein, Jr. - photography
  • Joel Shapiro - photography
  • Andrew Pearce – mastering [uncredited]
  • Sarah Southin – design [uncredited]

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1974 Canada RPM Album Chart 33
1974 Billboard Pop Albums[4] 54

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1974 "A Dream Goes on Forever" Canada RPM Singles Chart 45
1974 "A Dream Goes on Forever" Billboard Hot 100[5] 69

References

  1. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thoma. Todd at AllMusic. Retrieved 21 April 2005.
  2. ↑ Christgau, Robert (August 1974). "The Christgau Consumer Guide: Todd Rundgren: Todd". Creem. Retrieved 29 November 2011. Revised version posted at "Todd Rundgren: Todd > Consumer Album Guide". robertchristgau.com. Robert Christgau. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  3. ↑ "Rocklist". Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  4. ↑ Todd - Todd Rundgren > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums at AllMusic
  5. ↑ "allmusic ((( Todd Rundgren > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
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