Todd is God

Not the usual kind of post for this site, but here are my top 10 list of the things that have occupied me this year .. Albums of the Year Picking my favourite 10 albums of the year was actually very hard this year, whilst 7 jumped straight in, there were then about another 10 that were all worthy of taking one of the final 3 spots in my list, so a pretty good year on that evidence. However, to keep things to 10, my list (in no particular order) is: 1. Bruce Springsteen - The Seeger Sessions Who would have thought that an album of Pete Seeger covers would result in one of the finest albums of Springsteen's career? This album is just a joy. It really is impossible to play this and not end up singing along with the likes of 'Oh Mary don't you weep' and to do so with a big smile on your face. Quite probably my album of 2006. 2.The Flaming Lips - At War with the Mystics From the sing-a-long joy of 'The Yeah Yeah Yeah song', 'It Overtakes Me' and 'Race for...

Q. Here's a strange thing. Did you see that Todd Rundgren, whom you fought with so much when he produced "Skylarking," is touring around as the lead singer of the Cars? A. I always thought the Cars were frighteningly bland. I thought they were like the food that people serve in old people's retirement homes, the stuff where there's somebody behind the screen chewing up the food before they serve it. From an interview with Andy Partridge in the Boston Globe last week.

In no particular order - although the first 5 are are those that would be in my top 5. 1. Christina Aquilera - 'Aint No Other Man' 2. Union of Knives - 'Operated On' EP 3. The Lemonheads - 'Become the Enemy' 4. The Killers - 'When We Were Young' 5. Amy Winehouse - 'Rehab' 6. Pearl Jam - 'World Wide Suicide' 7. Nerina Pallot - 'Everybody's Gone to War' 8. The Dresden Dolls - 'Backstabber' 9. Kasabian - 'Shoot the Runner' 10. Depeche Mode - 'Suffer Well'

Well, it is almost time for my favourite albums of 2006 list, but before that I feel that a post covering some of the worst records of the year and maybe one on old classics re-discovered too maybe. So. Worst/Most Disappointing records of the year? Paul Stanley - Live to Win Oh no, tears are falling ... and alas Paul these are not tears of joy. This really isn't a very a good album. A collection of very average pop rock tunes, which thankfully only lasts just over 30 minutes. Panic at the Disco - A Fever you can't sweat out Too clever by half - or at least they think they are. Some amusing lyrics, but the album is just too samey musically. I reckon they have a great album in them, this just isn't it. The Ordinary Boys - How to Get Everything You Ever Wanted in Ten Easy Steps A few years ago the Ordinary boy's debut album ' Over the counter culture' filled me with great hope. A nice mix between the Jam and Ska, blended into jolly pop tunes (good live too). Now ...

There is a vintage Fairlight CMI keyboard up on eBay signed by 44 legendary artists include Lindsey Buckingham, Nick Rhodes, Stuart Copeland, Elvis Costello, Mike Oldfield, Hans Zimmer, Roland Orzabal, Barry Gibb, Steve Winwood, Kate Bush, Laurie Anderson, JJ Jeczalik, Joni Mitchell, Annie Lennox, Boris Blank, Midge Ure, Alan Parsons, Geoff Downes, Brian Wilson, David Gilmour, Mark Knopfler, Sir George Martin, John Paul Jones, Trevor Horn, Jim Kerr, Brian Eno, Jean Michel Jarre, Howard Jones, Herbie Hancock, Thomas Dolby, Keith Emerson, Mark Mothersbaugh, Bono, Jan Hammer, Todd Rundgren, Stevie Wonder, Iva Davies, David Hirschfelder, Chick Corea, Daryl Hall, Mike Rutherford, Billy Gibbons, Peter Gabriel and David Bowie. All used the Fairlight during the Eighties. The Fairlight will be auctioned online up until a live auction at the WITNESS Benefit Dinner and Concert in New York City on December 11, 2006. WITNESS is a human rights organisation set up by Peter Gabriel. Starting bid is $...

You find mentions of Todd in strange places, none stranger that a report on last Sunday's Man Utd v Chelsea game at football365.com where John Nicolson's thought's suddenly go back to Knebworth 1979 and Todd and Led Zep.

On Milwaulkee has a good interview with Todd speaking about The New Cars. On the question of a possible album of new material he says: "It's one of those things where there has to be a legitimate business foundation to this," he says. "You can't do it on a whim. The audience has a lot to say about the longetivity of the idea. If they come out and buy tickets, there's life. If they do not, then the audience has spoken. If we can't leverage a brand that's already famous to so many people, it doesn't make sense to start over." Meanwhile Elliot told the Detroit Free Press "We're still developing our own chemistry. As this thing solidifies and grows, we're all hoping that Todd will be inspired to write new material specifically for this group. It's great to play the old songs and reconnect with the audience, but the goal of any musician with a pulse is to make new music ...Todd Rundgren's not only a fantastic musician and s...

For some reason I ended up going to both nights of the Flaming Lips' London gigs, and had a ball at both (First night on my own, second with a group of friends - Hi Debs, Pete, Sally). Here are a band that like to make the whole concert experience fun and - as it should be - like a big party. They accomplish this with the help of giant ballons thrown into the audience and lots of confeti and streamers shot into the audience at various stages during the night. Thankfully, it is not all about the Gimmick (did I mention the santas on one side ofthe dtage and the aliens on the other? or the people in superhero costumes?) because the Lips are also a exceptionally good band. Take Todd of AWATS stage and bring him into the 21st Century and I think a lot of what you'd get the Flaming Lips have (Just listen to WAND off current album). The 105 minute set (inc encoures) featured a good mix of material from their albums with musical highlights for me being: Do You Realise; Spoonful Weigh...

It's time for part two of my round up of some of the things that I have been listening to over the past months, and those records that are trying to break into my yearly top 10. The Lemonheads - The Lemonheads Evan Dando is back doing what he does best - pleasing power pop - and back doing it under the name of The Lemonheads. This album is liking meeting a old friend who you have not seen for a while, and thankfully, you still like them. I would stop short of calling this classic, but when this record is good it is very good - Become the Enemy is pound for pound as good as anything dando has written; No Backbone; In Passing; Black Gown and many more hit the spot nicely. A welcome return. Union of Knives - Violence and Birdsong One of the true surprises of 2006, this Glasgow band are well worth checking out. Described by NME as "Quivering Big Rock songs being circled by tribal electro-drums with guitars of solid glacier" there is a lot going on. Operated On i...

I promised a review of the new album so here it is. First off, I have to say that I was surprised to find myself enjoying this record more than I expected. It is - in my mind at least - better than Bat Part II. Having said that, the pseudo new metal opening of Monster's Loose is rather ropey (with Meat sounding a bit crap), and that's before we get near anything like In the land of the pig ... which is frankly just fucking dreadful. So what do I like? Well, some of the cheesy badness works very well with me, so I have found myself won over by the likes of Blind as a Bat (the title alone is just so bloody stupid, it is impossible not to love it), What about the Love, and Bad for Good (with Brian May noodling away on guitar) . Cry to Me, If God could talk, and The future ain't what it used to be are also passable in a naff kind of way. What about It's all coming back to me now you say? Dig out the Pandora's Box version and hear how this song should sound in fu...

I promised a review of the new album so here it is. First off, I have to say that I was surprised to find myself enjoying this record more than I expected. It is - in my mind at least - better than Bat Part II. Having said that, the pseudo new metal opening of Monster's Loose is rather ropey (with Meat sounding a bit crap), and that's before we get near anything like In the land of the pig ... which is frankly just fucking dreadful. So what do I like? Well, some of the cheesy badness works very well with me, so I have found myself won over by the likes of Blind as a Bat (the title alone is just so bloody stupid, it is impossible not to love it), What about the Love, and Bad for Good (with Brian May noodling away on guitar) . Cry to Me, If God could talk, and The future ain't what it used to be are also passable in a naff kind of way. What about It's all coming back to me now you say? Dig out the Pandora's Box version and hear how this song should sound in fu...

Two interviews with Ric Ocasek touch on his feelings about the New Cars. In a interview with AV Club he says on the question of - Any lingering hard feelings over the Rundgren affair? "I don't know, you know? Why make trouble? That will stand or fall on its own. People can decide for themselves". While over at the Rocky Mountain News when asked - Approve of the New Cars? Disapprove?, says "It's somewhere in the middle." But honestly, wouldn't you have liked to tour? "I have this reputation for not liking to tour, and I can't say I do love it. I certainly didn't want to do a reunion tour. There were different factors why I didn't want to do that. I don't feel like I need to be revived. I've got things to do."

Fuck the rock and roll circus, this is the punk cabaret ... is how the Dresden Dolls were selling their two night stint at the Roundhouse in Camden. And, they were not kidding. Doors opened at 7pm and the entertainment started immediately. From the moment you walked in the door and up the stairs to the main hall, bubbles were falling down on you - being blown from people on stilts at the top of the stairs, women were dressed as harlots, men looking like outcasts from Moulin Rouge and music coming at you from the main hall - a guy on the accordion as I arrived at 7.25. I must add that many of the audience had also dressed up for the show too, and very fine many of them looked too. Yes, when the Dolls hit town they do so with a cast of thousands (well, about 30 anyway) including weird musical turns, comedians, and performance artists. The shows in london were lead by their mistress of ceremonies, Margaret Cho . The lay out of the venue suited the performance with a main stage and then a...

In the News has a review of the new Meatloaf Album. My own views will be posted here soon, after I have had a chance for a couple more listens.

It's time for one of my more random posts. Basically with todd news short at the moment it is a good time to list some of the other things that i have been listening to over the past months, and those records that are trying to break into my yearly top 10. The Killers - Sam's Town: Ah, the difficult second album. A bit less Duran Duran influenced that their debut 'Hot Fuss' this second album - playing as I write this - is a grower. It still has too much filler, but the title track, "This river is wild" and "When you were young" all hit the spot. Bob Dylan - Modern Times: Well if you paid any attention to reviewers you'd have thought this album marked the second coming or something. This is not to say that this is not a fine record, but what itamounts to is an old fashioned blues album filed with needlesssly overlong songs. Theres vert few of th track here that would not benifit from being trimmed down. All that aside: "Nettie More", ...

The Sunday Times had an article on Martin Strong, author of the very entertaining The Essential Rock Discography. "When pressed he’ll recite a personal all-time top five (descending) of Captain Beefheart, Pink Floyd, the Fall, Genesis (“until Peter Gabriel left”) and Todd Rundgren"

According to Rockradio.com Todd seems comfortable playing with the New Cars "I think nothing, you know, would have moved anywhere unless there was a, you know, a foundation of mutual musical respect. Success isn't what gets us together -- it's the fact that when you pick up your instrument and you suddenly get into sync with somebody else, there's a feeling there that is the essence of what a band tries to convey to the audience." Eliot Easton also stressed that Kasim will always have a spot in the band

It seems that Kasim has 'left' the New Cars (or at least will not be part of the band when they hit the road again) due to his participating in the Bat out of Hell III tour. Kasim has a blog here

Todd at the Royston gig as reported by Fox News As for Rundgren, we did talk about his exclusion so far from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. "I wouldn't go even if they inducted me," he insisted. "I loved what the Sex Pistols did this year." Rundgren has every right to be bitter. Apart from hits like "Hello It's Me" and "I Saw the Light," he has also been a seminal producer for Grand Funk Railroad, Badfinger, XTC and other groups. After a while he said, "Let me know if I get in. I could come and not be happy about it."

Todd showed up - along with Bebe Buell, Stephen Tyler, and Liv Tyler to the performance by Arckid, Liv's husband Royston's (ex Spacehog) latest band. David Bowie was also at the gig in New york for the Hugo Boss and Interview Private Rooftop Concert.

So, went to see the Weakerthans on Wednesday evening at the mean fiddler. This was the same place I saw them for the first time back in 2004. There were a few more people in the audience this time around I must say. They had two support acts, but only arrived in time to see Tomte, a German band (who perform in German - aside from links to the songs in English). It seems they and the Weakerthans are sharing headline staus on this European tour, swapping to suit popularity in a given country. As such both played for around an hour. Tomte weren't too bad actually, can see why they have supported Cold Play in the past. But to the main event. John K Samson walked on his own and got things rolling with One Great City (aka I hate Winnepeg) It was good to see John K is still parting with money when he fucks up songs - this time it was £7.20 (i think) for forgetting a couple of words during a rip-rawing rendition of Aside . Surprisngly the set was quite light on the quieter more intro...

Harp has a review of It's Alive . Generally the reviewer seem to think it sound pretty good, although he's not as keen on the new tracks Warm and More

Meatloaf's Bat Out of Hell III is due out in the next couple of months. This time around it is produced by Desmond Child but as with BOOH II Todd once again maintains his connection with the original project by once again providing additional vocal arrangements. Interestingly, the new album contains songs penned by both Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue) and John 5 (Marilyn Manson/Rob Zombie) as well as the usual Steinman numbers

A few weeks back I set myself a challenge to come up with 101 tracks - classic tracks - that don't get played endlessly on the radio, MTV, and the like, but in my mind should do. I didn't sit down with pen and paper but instead posted off the top nof my head in 10 posts on a family and friends blog. As such some of these probably shouldn't be in here, and some of the links to youtube are to versions that in some cases plane suck, but ... I still like to think I've put a few interesting and overlooked gems in here (also I tried not to put too mant todd/utopia tracks in - only 4 ... maybe the 101 todd tunes is next??? 1. The Dream Academy - Life in a Northern Town . 2. The Swimming Pool Q's - Some New Highway. 3. Guadalcanal Diary - Always Saturday. 4. Lucinda Williams - Essence. 5. Bob Dylan - Not Dark Yet. 6. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - The Ship Song. 7. Kathyrn Tickell - Mr Nelson's Birthday Waltz. 8. Frank Zappa - Whippin' Post. 9. Liz Phai...

Interesting interview with Todd on Amazon, where Todd talks of some things we should be listening too. Great to see Tricky, KLF, and PE.

In no particular order ... 1. Dresden Dolls - Yes Virginia 2. The Flaming Lips - At War with the Mystics 3. The Like - Are you Thinking what I'm Thinking 4. Neil Diamond - 12 Songs 5. The New Cars - It's Alive 6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show your Bones 7. Jewel - Goodbye Alice in Wonderland 8. Bruce Springstein - We Shall Overcome 9. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium 10. Giant Drag - Hearts & Unicorns

We have conflicting view at the Boston Herald Larry Katz “It's pathetic seeing these Cars remnants and Todd Rundgren shamelessly exploiting fan nostalgia. Looks to me that Todd has admitted he's washed up” and ... Brett Milano “What makes it for me is the new song "Not Tonight." Here's where Rundgren's skills come in: The song's a good-natured sendup of Ocasek's style,but it's also catchy enough to be a classic Cars single. I'd probably be jumping less to defend this project if the three new songs weren't as solid as they are". "It sounded OK. But it just felt wrong" according to the Plain Dealer’s John Soeder on their Blossom Music Center gig. A ‘Get Well Soon’ to Elliot who fractured his left collar bone whilst en route to Washington DC, after the band's show in Cuyahoga Falls on 4 June, when he fell out of his bed when the tour bus swerved to avoid an accident. "It's Alive," The New Cars (Eleven Seven...

I was sorry to read of the passing of Tubes keyboard player Vince Welnick - that's what happens when you joing the Grateful Dead as a keyboard player. Welnick, aside from being a Tube, also appeared - and toured - on several Todd albums, Nearly Human, and Second Wind in particular. RIP Vince.

"This was no New Coke or Faux Queen. It was, as Bono once sang, even better than the real thing". Someone like the New Cars

Went to see The Like tonight at the 100 Club on oxford street. Good gog. Sean Na Na suppoting (aka Har mar superstar) His band were pretty good, and he was standing selling The like T-shirts and stuff at the end of the gig - and was open to a chat and agreed that not being tied down to one kind of music was important. He is also a star. Also big thank you ( BIG THANK YOU) to charlotte who kindly agreed to this photo. I made a bit of a pratt of myself by not being able to remember 'The Key of Cool' when i said i was a fan of her father's work, and sounded like i just knew he produced crowded house and richard thompson.

The Fort Worth Star Telegram has a review of the Blondie/New Cars gig and say of the Cars: "The New Cars is a reincarnation of the Cars (do we now call the old version the Used Cars?) with Ric Ocasek's spot in the band taken by studio wizard Todd Rundgren. Since this was only the second performance by this new lineup, it was not surprising that the group hasn't yet jelled as a band. On the whole, it was pretty easy to kick a couple of the tires on this model and just walk away".

Todd's Testimony at the Hearing on "Parity, Platforms and Protection: The Future of the Music Industry in the Digital Radio Revolution" before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary 26 April, 2006. In it he says: "The behavior of the majors has been that of a mindless parasite, contributing nothing yet trying to get its snout into the bloodstream of any new development. The knee-jerk justification is 'protection of artists,' which would more accurately be represented as the interests of highly bankable artists still under contract. For every one of those, there are a hundred with a lifelong bad taste in their mouths over the way they were treated when their sales began to lag ... The fantasy that this type of legislation helps music or musicians should be summarily exposed for what it is: yet another futile attempt to turn back the clock to the days when they were the sole gatekeepers to an artist's future"

Jam! Music has an interview with the NewCars

I spent last night seeing Giant Drag live, and have to say what a great gig. Support act good (who were you?) and then Annie took over. She is a bit mad, but also sweet and makes a connection with the audience that many could only dream of. A touch of humour helps to make her the ideal front woman, crisps (chips) an' all. 'This isn't it' , 'YFMLD', ' Wicked Game' and 'My Dick sux' all sounded brilliant. A band to watch.

I went to see Depeche Mode on the final date (Wembley Arena 3rd April) of the European leg of their World Tour last Monday. Pretty good gig, with the band it good form and looking like they were still ejoying being on the road together. A nicely balanced set saw them play about half the current album - A Pain That I'm Used To, John The Revelator, Macro, Precious, Suffer Well etc mixed with some old classics - Personal Jesus, Enjoy The Silence, I Feel You, Never Let Me Down Again, Policy of Truth, Just Can't Get Enough etc. Highlights for me were Personal Jesus, I Feel You and an excellent Shake the Disease.

Their excellent new single is now out - World Wide Suicide. The flip side Unemployable is also great. The new album Pearl Jam is out 2 May. They announce a date at the London Astoria for the 20 April, which sadly sold out in minutes yesterday morning before I knew about it.

The Flaming Lips have by now explored so many avenues that anything goes. At various points, you might be reminded of Black Sabbath, Bill Withers, Frank Zappa, Prince and Yes. While Mr Ambulance Driver is wistful, rippling soul, the colossal Pompeii Am Gotterdammerung could be a late addition to Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds. It's fitting that Coyne and musical linchpin Steven Drozd first bonded over a Todd Rundgren song; Rundgren's marriage of sweet pop-soul and lysergic freakery on his 1973 album, A Wizard, A True Star is the closest point of comparison

The Full live performance of the NewCars peforming 'Not Tonight' is available on rehearsals.com The first review of the album is also online at Get Ready to Rock . They also have interviews with Todd and Greg .

Live Daily has an interview with Todd and his decision to join the Cars ... "I thought, 'Well, The Cars thing will satisfy a number of things.' One thing that it won't satisfy is that I won't be playing a lot of my material. There's so much Cars material, it fills up most of the show, although we will do a couple of my things. From the standpoint of my audience, they'll have to be satisfied to watch me sing Cars songs. [laughs] And other aspects made it potentially a good idea from the standpoint of my own career and what I want to do, in that I'll definitely be playing for larger audiences than I usually do". Another interesting quote - for me at least - comes when he talks about Producing other artists "I regret that I never got to do a serious rap act like Public Enemy, because some of those records are really amazing and transcendent from a production standpoint" Todd producing PE, now that would have been interesting.

New Cars Coverage / Articles Rolling Stone Billboard BBC Live Daily has an interview with Greg Hawkes

The New Cars (website now up and running) will be on Jay Leno Tonight. For those in Europe you can catch this at 11pm CET on CNBC Europe on Friday Night (17th) On the new website if you click on Jukebox in the top right hand corner you get to hear snippets of the new line up playing Drive (Kasim Vocal), Good Times Roll, Just What I needed, and Shake it Up. Sounds pretty good to me. The New Cars: It’s Alive, a greatest hits collection performed live by The New Cars (plus a couple of new studio tracks), is out 9 May

The new Donald Fagen album 'Morph the Cat' is out, and pretty damn good it is too. The download version on napster features Fagen's cover of Al Green's "Rhymes" . "Rhymes," according to Billboard and others was produced by Todd who also apparently plays on the track.

The NewCars (featuring Todd and Kasim) will be playing their new single 'But Not Tonight' on The Jay Leno Show on Tuesday 14th March when they'll also announce their tour dates.

The New Cars have a website (although not much bar a short promo vid and a place to sign up for info at the moment. For more material, the ever reliable TR Connection points us in the direction of this site

OPed News has a review of the Liars Live DVD which is amusing for how the reviewer had his expectations confounded "First prepared to rip this release to shreds, ‘cause I was extremely unhappy with several of his last CDs, I came away dazed. Never expected it. If this is what Rundgren can still do, then he should devote his future to documents from the rostrum, before admiring throngs, happily ensconced amidst kliegs in teatros. Liars Live blows everything he’s done in the last 15 years to smithereens. His voice is in very good shape, the band’s as cool and snazzy as a West Coast Cool ensemble blent with lounge pop-rock and frequently blazing to the heavens, not a moment is wasted. Those lamenting the fading inspiration and skills of theoretically declining Baby Booming musicians are going to have a very hard time continuing justifications of the sentiment in light of this".