Hello to Todd Rundgren’s fans!
My name is Aurore NGO, I’m 20 years old and I’m going to tell you a story about how I fell in love with Todd’s music ( I’ve told it a hundred times to my friends and uncles and aunts…some of them don’t believe me or think I’m crazy…but I don’t care).
August 22 2008, my Dad, my brother and I went to Gibert Joseph, a record shop on Boulevard St Michel, nice place in Paris; he was looking for some CDs to buy, and he found some good ones like a Live album of a “famous pop band” for me-but I won’t tell you which one- and for him, a CD reissue of “Something/Anything?” from Todd Rundgren…I said “Who?” and he answered me: “ A singer you could not know since you are too young!”. Anyway the cover looked good to me.
Then, back home, happy with our treasures, we decided to listen first to my “famous pop Band” Live but I quickly got disappointed by many things: the voice, the guitars…Herk!!! My Dad thought the same way, so he stopped the CD, and with some satisfaction in his eyes he opened the pretty “big pink flowers” packaging, and put the record on the CD player.
All of a sudden, on hearing the first chords of a song beginning with:” It was late last night, I was feeling something wasn’t right…la la la…” I stopped all others activities because I loved this song and I wanted to know it by heart immediately!! I directly told my father: “It’s a nice song Dad!” and he looked at me as I was a fairy, eyes wide opened: “ Really? You like it?”, “Yeah!” I answered, and since this day I’ve considered “I Saw the Light” as the funniest, greatest, coolest and most romantic love song.
It took me only one week for knowing by heart the whole “Something/Anything?” , and one month for searching and then singing other great Todd Rundgren’s tunes… Oh, I forgot, “Something/Anything?” is MY CD now, MY “coup de coeur” as we say in French, and my father is so proud of me when he hears me singing “International Feel” or “ Can We Still Be Friends?” loud in the kitchen… All these years without these master-pieces in my head, how did I do?
One day on September, while looking on the net for Todd’s DVDs to buy, I found TR Connection, a site made by his fans (yes, I’m talking about you) and I discovered that he has just realized a new album: “Arena”…And he has been on the road since January 2008… “Well, let’s see if he will have a gig in Europe??” I was asking myself… when I read that in November, he would be in Manchester, Bonn, Milan and Paris…WHAT????? PARISSSS???? WHEN??? The November 20th!!!! Magic date!!!! I quickly called my father, who was of course very very excited, and we bought the tickets, exactly three tickets, one more for my brother!! My mother couldn’t come that day although she did like him.
And this November 20th was one of the most pleasant and happiest days of my life, for two things.
First musically, it was perfect, Todd had such a powerful voice, and he just made one with his guitar, him and the musicians were really good, they rocked you know!!! So much energy!! And they’re very nice people, with Kasim who told me “hello!” when he entered the scene (I speak like an excited groupie!!!!) ☺☺☺… I think about Eugene Francis Junior also, very funny and good singer (despite his sore throat), he greets me behind the curtain, at the end of the concert! ☺☺☺ I was right in front of the stage so I saw everything with shiny eyes and I had a delightful show!!
Then, I will never forget that it’s a gift for my Dad: he was with his children shouting and having fun, singing all the songs of a singer he really appreciates. But it was not the first time he has been to a Todd concert!!! He has already seen him with Utopia in 1977, the second time for Todd in Paris!! It was also in a place near the Trabendo and my father was only twenty four or twenty five years old, I don’t remember … He told me at the end of the show, he felt a little bit moved coming to see Todd after all these years, and not alone, but with his kids!! And we kids really really love Todd!!! It’s not by influence!!
I must say that he is an underrated artist, who deserves a greater success, he wrote so many beautiful songs and we can feel that music is into him, that he was born for making music, because it’s his gift.
I confess these last months I keep on talking to my friends about Todd’s music!! Some of them like it, the others seem to be undifferent, but I don’t mind, ‘cause for me Todd and his melodies go on forever. ☺
It’s already the end, it’s a short story, but I think that it’s enough to find how I’m fond of this talented musician and singer.
I’m sorry for my English, I think there are many mistakes, but it’s a text written with my heart, so… very natural and spontaneous…☺ Sorry again!!!
I hope you enjoyed my review, so goodbye, and keep on listening to Todd when something’s wrong; it’s the best medicine for our soul!!!
Aurore.
