TODD IS GOD!
Such claims have been dropped on Todd Rundgren for decades. Many have proclaimed his genius over the years, whether it be for his songwriting abilities, guitar & vocal skills, or mastery in the studio. Author Paul Myers takes an in-depth look at the career of Todd Rundgren as producer/engineer, from his days with Nazz, his many solo albums, Utopia, and of course producing legendary albums from acts such as Meat Loaf, Badfinger, The New York Dolls, Grand Funk Railroad, XTC, Cheap Trick, The Band, Sparks, Hall and Oates, The Tubes, Patti Smith, and many others.
Those into the more technical aspects of the music industry and wanting to read more about how albums are put together will find this book a revelation. Complete with quotes from Rundgren and many of the artists & musicians involved, you'll get first hand accounts of what went on in the studio during the recordings of Bat Out of Hell, We're An American Band, and Love Bomb, as well as some of Rundgren's landmark releases like Something, Anything, A Wizard, A True Star, RA, and A Cappella. If you're expecting a revealing diatribe on the life of Todd, you don't really get much of the gossip here, though some tidbits of his personal life are thrown in only if they add something to the time frame of what was going on professionally in his life at the time.
Through it all, many of the musicians recall having nothing but positive experiences dealing with Rundgren, though you get the impression that it was never easy at the time of the sessions, as Todd comes across as being somewhat of a perfectionist who had his own ideas of how a record was to sound, which often clashed with the ideas of the band he was producing.
A Wizard, A True Star-Todd Rundgren in the Studio is a thoroughly engaging read, whether you're a Todd Rundgren fan or a loyal follower of rock music in general.
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
