If the name Todd Rundgren rings a bell, it's because he was the guiding force behind Nazz; the one-man band called Runt (he even had a hit single as Runt, "We Gotta Get You A Woman"); and the producer of Badfinger, Jesse Winchester, The Band, James Cotton and Paul Butterfield. Here on his most complete and ambitious solo project to date, Todd Rundgren comes on like the renaissance man of rock and roll. He does everything; produce, play every instrument and sing all the vocal parts. And he just doesn't do everything as a gimmick, as some others have done in the past. He combines all his talents into a cohesive, tightly knit organic entity that is bound to make Todd Rundgren the "find" of 1972.
Todd's music is highly eclectic, with bits and pieces of The Beatles, Byrds, Ravel, Stephen Stills and Mothers Of Invention, all homogenized to create a distinct sound that is Todd Rundgren. On the one hand, he can be very commercial with hits like "I Saw The Light", "Couldn't I Just Tell You" and, from his Nazz days, "Hello It's Me"; while on the other hand, he delves into some interesting electronic instruments.
Side 4 is a departure for Todd, for it gives him the opportunity to work within the context of a big band. The set was recorded live in the studio and has a loose, spontaneous ambiance that comes from hanging out in a studio and jamming with a bunch of friends. His unique sense of humor is also displayed on Side 4 with such songs as "Piss Aaron", "You Left Me Sore" and "Slut".
Despite all of his credentials, Todd Rundgren has remained in the background for the last few years. All that is about to change, and it won't be long before Todd Rundgren is known for being Todd Rundgren the performing musician, rather than that guy Todd who produced and/or engineered so and so's last hit album.
-- Tara, Words & Music, June 1972.
"Gloriously cheap displays of human emotion. Heart-wrenching teen classics".
-- Cameron Crowe, Rolling Stone, 12-15-77.
