Even for those who spent much of the ’70s with Todd Rundgren discs spinning on their turntables (guilty!), A Wizard, a True Star could be a difficult listen.
Collages of sound, herky-jerky transitions, and an occasionally off-putting sense of humor sometimes obscured the vitality of the songs buried therein. Nevertheless, classic Rundgren tunes like “Sometimes I Don’t Know What to Feel” and the album closer, “Just One Victory” became concert favorites.
Todd Rundgren’s decision to undertake a small tour to present A Wizard, a True Star in its entirety (with his outfit Utopia as the opening band!) resulted in A Wizard, a True Star … Live!, now released on tie-dye colored vinyl. Because who doesn’t need that?
At any rate, here it is, and A Wizard, a True Star … Live! begs two questions: Does anybody besides Rundgren completists need it, and will it satisfy that audience? The answers are no, and a qualified maybe.
[SOMETHING ELSE! INTERVIEW: Ross Boissoneau caught up with Todd Rundgren for a discussion on growing as an artist, learning through listening, and shared musical experiences..]
First, the no. Unlike Something/Anything, with its stellar songs (“I Saw The Light,” “It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference,” “Hello It’s Me”), A Wizard, a True Star was, as mentioned above, a much more challenging disc for non-fans. For every “International Feel” and “Sometimes I Don’t Know What to Feel” there was “Just Another Onionhead.”
Then the maybe. Todd Rundgren’s infatuation with show tunes comes through with a too-brief reading of “Never Never Land,” and his soul medley – “I’m So Proud,” “Ooh Ooh Baby” “La La Means I Love You” and “Cool Jerk” – is still sizzling.
A Wizard, a True Star … Live! concludes with what has been his typical set closer over the ensuing decades, “Just One Victory.” It’s as anthemic as ever – perhaps more so, given the size of the band. Bassist Kasim Sulton, his longtime aide-de-camp, handles backing vocals and the additional leads. Other familiar cohorts include Roger Powell (keys and vocals), Prairie Prince (drums), Jesse Gress (guitars and vocals) with former Cars keyboardist Greg Hawkes and Bobby Strickland (keys, woodwinds and vocals) also onboard.
So, no for casual fans. For longtime Rundgren fans, grab the A Wizard, a True Star … Live! package with the video. And if you’re really dedicated, sure, go ahead and opt for the tie-dyed colored vinyl.
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