 |
|
Amazon:
Boy, is this an improvement over the debut, and in every way. The songs are better to start with, and as if to acknowledge that the Toddster's self-production is richer and deeper all around. Where RUNT had a rushed and rag-tag feel to it, BALLAD has a tightly crafted cohesion. It also contains quite a few of Rundgren's best compositions. 'I Hope I'm Around' and the hushed 'Wailing Wall' are incredibly mature (ahem) ballads, and the shimmering 'Boat On The Charles' is about as lovely a suicide note as you are likely ever to hear. There are throwaways too, but in Rundgren's case they manage to transcend anyone else's toss-offs: the opener, 'Long Flowing Robe' and the almost-closer 'Parole' are clever enough rockers, but compared to the other tracks these sound like Todd is underachieving. Most of these songs would not be out place on the follow-up SOMETHING/ANYTHING. And what a triple-album that would have made. I'm not sure who Todd is addressing in the closer, 'Remember Me'- -could be a friend, could be a lover, or the listener, could be Godd- -but it sounds personal and a more apt closer there couldn't be. Not that he needs to ask.
Amazon:
Whereas "Runt" was a little disjointed and experimental at times, "The Ballad of Todd Rundgren" is pure pop. Although its not as stylistically diverse as its follow-up "Something/Anything?", the songwriting is just as strong.
"Long Flowing Robe" is a great Carole King styled pop song to open things up. It's just catchy hook after catchy hook until you can't figure out what the *actual* hook is. The country-tinged "Range War" is also deliciously catchy.
As the title suggests, there's lots of ballads too. "The Ballad (Denny & Jean)" and "Wailing Wall" are both lush, gorgeous, and heartbreaking. And "Hope I'm Around" is pure blue eyed soul with one of Todd's most soaring choruses.
There's some guitars to be found, don't worry. "Bleeding" is a catchy rocker, "Parole" is just rowdy fun, and "Chain Letter" is a tempo-shifting number that culminates in a euphoric "Hey Jude" like outro.
Other highlights include the majestic jazz sweep of "Boat on the Charles" and the sweet pop of "A Long Time, a Long Way to Go".
This is one of Todd's cleanest, most accessible albums. Mostly straightforward piano pop/ballads, a few rockers thrown in for good measure. Everything is beyond good, with no filler in sight. Essential Todd.
Best Songs: Boat on the Charles, Long Flowing Robe, Wailing Wall, Chain Letter, Hope I'm Around.
Amg: Upon its release, Rolling Stone called The Ballad of Todd Rundgren "the best album Paul McCartney" never made, and even if the album doesn't sound particularly McCartney-esque, it does share the homespun, melodic charm of the best of his early albums. Arguably, it's better than Paul's solo work, since it is focused and subtle, never drawing attention to Rundgren's considerable skills as a writer and producer. He tones down the hard rock and his impish wit, lending the album a sense of direction missing on Runt. That's not to say he abandoned his sense of humor -- as if the cover shot of Rundgren sitting at a piano with a noose around his neck left any doubt. This time around, it takes some careful listening to hear the jokes, such as the opening Floyd Cramer piano lick on "Range War." On such clever in-jokes as "Chain Letter," as well as ballads like "Hope I'm Around," the artist reveals himself as an exceptional craftsman and songsmith. In fact, Ballad is considerably more song-oriented than its predecessor, with very little of the jams and instrumental sections that occasionally bogged down Runt. Here, even propulsive pop tunes such as "Bleeding" and "Long Flowing Robe," along with the hard rocker "Parole," are as much about the song as the performance, which is probably appropriate for an album called The Ballad of Todd Rundgren. Another thing about that title -- it may be a joke, but the album inarguably offers a glimpse into Rundgren's inner world through a combination of introspective ballads, off-hand jokes, musical virtuosity, outright weirdness, and unabashed showmanship. And that's the charm of The Ballad -- it's the slyly sardonic masterwork of a loner who may be sensitive, but is certainly not shy.
01. Long Flowing Robe [0:03:26.00]
02. The Ballad (Denny & Jean) [0:03:05.00]
03. Bleeding [0:04:01.70]
04. Wailing Wall [0:03:05.23]
05. The Range War [0:02:36.55]
06. Chain Letter [0:05:05.72]
07. A Long Time, A Long Way To Go [0:02:13.43]
08. Boat On The Charles [0:04:25.62]
09. Be Nice To Me [0:03:25.00]
10. Hope I'm Around [0:04:54.25]
11. Parole [0:04:18.68]
12. Remember Me [0:00:52.60]
| SPOILER! |
:music: