TODD RUNDGREN & NOORD NEDERLANDS ORKEST (NNO) / 'UP AGAINST IT'

´Up against it´ was and is a special case in the musical history of Todd Rundgren. He wrote the score in the 80-ties, it was not performed as proposed, so Todd issued it in the 90-ties and often performed four songs of it since ´Second Wind.´ It took a while and reflections with Dutch musicproducer Co de Kloet to bring it for the first time with a Dutch orchestra.

And so it happened last Friday. As other Dutch orchestra´s this one was high quality too. As Todd was. And the front vocals and the backing vocals were also. ´Up against it´ was like a kind of theatre in the music, a bit of a feary tale. Optimistic, mysticism, positiv and hilarious. Todd was amused by it´s own musical level. He enjoyed it. He loved it.

The 16 songs were strong and -- maybe? -- needed explanation in a narration. For me this made it a bit less impressive, but very memorable. In Dutch terms: a 9 out of 10. Now -- after following Todd for 42 years -- this again is a next tile in a strong terrace.

The Netherlands may be happy to have been a host for this musical man.