TODD RUNDGREN – At The BBC 1972-1982
December 19, 2023, 11 months ago
(Cherry Red)
To some, Todd Rundgren is a pop tunesmith (best known for such radio hits as “Hello It's Me,” “Love Is The Answer,” and “Bang The Drum All Day”), as well as the producer of one of the best-selling rock records of all-time (Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell). But as longtime fans can verify, Rundgren is really a ROCKER – and this claim is showcased throughout much of the new 3CD/DVD box set, At The BBC 1972-1982 (which contains selections from both his solo career and with Utopia).
Case in point, such tunes as “Heavy Metal Kids,” “Black Maria,” “Open My Eyes,” “Couldn't I Just Tell You,” and a cover of ELO's “Do Ya” rock as hard as just about any other artist at the time. While tunes such as “The Seven Rays” and “Singring And The Glass Guitar” prove that Utopia remains one of the more underrated prog rock bands of the time. However, such tuneful tunes as “It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference,” “I Saw The Light,” and “The Wheel” prove it wasn't all riffing, stomping, and hollering.
Although Rundgren and Utopia probably experienced their greatest triumphs in the recording studio (give a listen to the Queen-meets-Cars-like production of 1977's Oops! Wrong Planet and 1979's Adventures in Utopia to catch my drift), they could also certainly deliver the goods live – as evidenced throughout At The BBC 1972-1982.
