I first heard Rundgren in the early 1970s, I Saw The Light being a song I liked, and that seemed to be played only on pirate radio and Radio Luxembourg, without being a hit in UK.
I listened to his stuff quite a bit in my teens, and certainly owned this on vinyl, replacing it on CD when I saw it reasonably priced.
It's long been a firm favourite, and an old friend but on close listening, it's clear that its appeal isn't necessarily the individual songs / tracks, but the overall feel and variety of the album - the sense of wonder at Rundgren's diverse talents / exasperation at his clever-dickery and showing off (delete as appropriate).
The first half, is mostly very short pieces, under two minutes long. Opening with the grandiose International Feel, almost a statement of intent leads into a very straight and short version of Never-Never Land (from Peter Pan). But before you've had a chance to ask WTF? we bounce into Tic Tic Tic It Wears Off, a bouncy little instrumental (apart from the Tic Tic Tics) then blink and there's the very metal (with guitar solo) You Need Your Head.
And if you're looking for a celebrity spat, next comes Rock And Roll Pussy, allegedly about John Lennon, and straight into 65 seconds of squeaking animal noises (Dogfight Giggle). It's followed by the gentle little song with problematic lyrics You Don't Have To Camp Around, where it's hard to tell if Rundgren is being homophobic or ironic. Had irony been invented in 1973?
After that, the electronic instrumental Flamingo is a pleasant relief (but if you want to hear the finest version of it, here's The Ed Palermo Big Band, from their album The Adventures Of Zodd Zundgren). After all that, Zen Archer feels like the first fully formed song on the album, typically Rundgren over-the-top yet appealing, a likeable catchy little number, punctuated by arrows. It's back to the faux-operatic next with Just Another Onion Head / Da Da Dali, then the bombastic, yet fun When The Shit Hits The Fan - Sunset Boulevard, before we end the first half with a reprise of the opener in Le Feel Internationale. Thus ends a first half of twelve tracks, many of which feel like short undeveloped ideas, yet which hold together in an interesting way, and never give the listener the chance to get bored.
The second half is very much more conventional in the manner of previous albums. Opening with Sometimes I Don't Know What To Feel (his poor little dog...) a brass heavy Motown inspired ballad, while Does Anybody Love You follows in the same vein with the sting in the tail about "love between the ugly". And while we're in a Motown flavoured move, what does Rundgren do? A medley of four Motown covers from Curtis Mayfield, Smokey Robinson, The Delfonics and The Capitols. it's well done, and a gentle, if uninspiring, listen. After this, there's a bit of a lull, where it's not clear where Rundgren is going. The throwaway Hungry For Love is followed by the insipid I Don't Want To Tie You Down. But there's more to like at the end of the album, with the hard rocking (if self-absorbed) Is It My Name? and the final track, the glorious anthem Just One Victory.
This is a great album, ironically with very few great tracks on it, but put together in such a way that interest is maintained, and the better songs highlighted. The impact of A Wizard, A True Star is truly much greater than the sum of its parts.
4* - A superb album, worth a listen in full
Comments