Todd Rundgren
Runt. The Ballad Of Todd Rundgren

THE REVIEW

In the world of music, there are artists who "feel the album," and while composing, playing, and recording it, they realize what they have in their hands. Then there are artists who, even before a single note is born, already know that what is to come will be, must be, the masterpiece of their career. They isolate themselves, apply themselves, concentrate, throw themselves into it body and soul, squeeze themselves like citrus fruits, and once they bring forth the fruits of such immense sacrifices, you find them bearing the marks of their effort, perhaps with much less weight or hair, or with dark circles that truckloads of foundation can hardly cover... And then there are those like Todd Rundgren, who from '69 to '71 churned out five albums, each better than the last, and he doesn’t have a wrinkle on his face; in fact, he becomes more handsome... "But how the devil does he do it," the "ordinary artist" might wonder... Maybe the devil has something to do with it...

An immense variety of styles... All mixed together... With soul reigning supreme... A flair that surprises you... And a wisdom you can't explain.

"Long Flying Robe" is better than "Saturday In The Park" by Chicago. This cheerful little march has echoes of the Beach Boys, a typical ingredient in Rundgren's recipes, widely used in this ballad album. And to think that, in America, but also here, when a few years ago, an album by those Five For Fighting made the rounds, someone had the barbaric audacity to shout a miracle! "A Long Time, A Long Way To Go" is soul in falsetto, very delicate. Michael Bolton, in the presence of the melodic line and interpretation of these two and a half minutes of diamond, should consider his artistic depth akin to that of a cheese slice, then write a letter in his own hand declaring the uselessness of his existence, and put an end to it. But instead the noose is around Todd's neck...

Alternates blues verses with gentle gospel choruses in "Hope I'm Around". Gavin DeWho? "DeGrOw" (!)? "Grow"? "Grow up"? The one singing calls himself "Runt", "Dwarf"... The cool jazz, Burt Bacharach, and the autumn leaves: "Be Nice To Me" is one of those melodies that make you feel euphoric and melancholy at the same time, sad and happy, lively and sleepy... These are the melodies that make you want to throw away cigarettes (or joints, for those who like them) and light a nice vanilla aromatic cigar, to take off your spiked leather jacket and wear a beige trench coat in the style of Dick Tracy, to put a vintage Borsalino on your mohawk. Which damn Michael Bubblégum! From autumn straight to the spring of "Chain Letter"; Todd starts with only an acoustic guitar, but soon the song electrifies and layers up, filling with sounds, pulses, echoes, counter-songs, and becomes a frenzy of vibrations... The cool jazz of "Boat On The Charles" becomes chill out, between bongos and xylophones; then his falsettos and choirs give life to a watercolor that would not have looked out of place inside "Pet Sounds."

The rock n' roll of "Parole" and the pop blues played by surfers in "Bleeding" may not add much, but remain four more pearls of absolute beauty, on the piano... "The Ballad (Denny & Jean)" is accompanied by a delicate mellotron and little bells: an absolutely clean melody. "Wailing Wall" is piano, voice, and a noose: more delicate than Carole King, truer than the first (and the second) Elton John, reaching the divine peaks of Burt and the one Todd idolized as muse and teacher, Laura Nyro. With "The Range War", the (so to speak) Dwarf shows he not only knows how to write delicate love songs on the piano, but also excellent pop music. "Remember Me" is the final farewell, among liquid notes... "Please remember me" Todd invokes, bidding us goodbye... Forget him? But whenever thinking of him, the "ordinary artist" can't sleep at night! Forget him? There's going mad over it, and perhaps that would be the only way not to think about it anymore...

Todd Rundgren, with the ease and nonchalance of someone not aware of it at all, makes one album more beautiful than the next... Year in and year out. And he doesn't have a wrinkle. And he is not a dwarf. He is a giant.