I don't really listen to it all the way through that much but it's packed with great music. I listen to his previous 4 albums through a lot more. They're probably better LPs than either of the Songs LPs... but Songs has two LPs AND an EP
I love this album and Todd Rundgren is maybe one of the handful of people on the planet who you can genuinely say is a "musical genius" and it won't be hyperbole, but there are some stinkers on this album.
He tried hard to be experimental and deep, but he was at his best when he was doing straight rock and pop. The best songs on the album by a wide margin are Couldn't I Just Tell You and Wolfman Jack, so much so that they overshadow everything else. The fact that all of Wolfman Jack was made by one dude multitracking all the instruments using primitive early 70s technology is one of the greatest musical achievements of all time.
Any time he goes full 70s soft rock is terrible, which is essentially half the album. Cold Morning Light is cheesy, It Takes Two to Tango is cringe, Marlene is terrible, Torch Song is terrible, One More Day is trying to be some weird bossa nova/latin type thing and it doesn't work. Song of the Viking is also trash, but he was clearly just trolling on that one so it gets a pass.
Some of the songs I mentioned are subjective, but I refuse to believe you think songs like Marlene and Torch Song are even remotely good. He even admits in the liner notes he was trying to make a successful pop album, and he made sure to check all the boxes of styles that were popular at the time. A lot of it is very dated and very much a product of its time.
I don't really agree but it's interesting that all the songs you picked, except for Song of The Viking, have never appeared in a setlist of Todd's live shows. Not as far as I know at least.
Completely disagree. Tracks like Breathless, everything with Uptopia, the synthesizer suite on Initiation are all excellent. Even the interactive album No World Order has good material on it. As you said it's clear that he was great at writing straightforward pop/rock songs but the experimental approach to his music is what gives it an edge and I think his discography would be quite boring if it was all straightforward pop songs.
Posting the obvious answer before anyone else can.
Village Ghetto Land isn't that good.
Well the prompt was that it had to be all good songs.
Not every song on there is perfect but there's 0 bad ones.
You type like an AI.
i love soul and stevie wonder but i think this album is very overated
I don't really listen to it all the way through that much but it's packed with great music. I listen to his previous 4 albums through a lot more. They're probably better LPs than either of the Songs LPs... but Songs has two LPs AND an EP
fuck man i love this album
Fav track? For me it’s Sweeter Memories
Wolfman Jack
Slut
Doesn’t exist
All Man Brothers Fillmore, Beginnings & Eat a Peach
I love this album and Todd Rundgren is maybe one of the handful of people on the planet who you can genuinely say is a "musical genius" and it won't be hyperbole, but there are some stinkers on this album.
He tried hard to be experimental and deep, but he was at his best when he was doing straight rock and pop. The best songs on the album by a wide margin are Couldn't I Just Tell You and Wolfman Jack, so much so that they overshadow everything else. The fact that all of Wolfman Jack was made by one dude multitracking all the instruments using primitive early 70s technology is one of the greatest musical achievements of all time.
>but there are some stinkers on this album.
Such as?
Any time he goes full 70s soft rock is terrible, which is essentially half the album. Cold Morning Light is cheesy, It Takes Two to Tango is cringe, Marlene is terrible, Torch Song is terrible, One More Day is trying to be some weird bossa nova/latin type thing and it doesn't work. Song of the Viking is also trash, but he was clearly just trolling on that one so it gets a pass.
awful taste
Some of the songs I mentioned are subjective, but I refuse to believe you think songs like Marlene and Torch Song are even remotely good. He even admits in the liner notes he was trying to make a successful pop album, and he made sure to check all the boxes of styles that were popular at the time. A lot of it is very dated and very much a product of its time.
>Cold Morning Light is cheesy, It Takes Two to Tango is cringe, Marlene is terrible
Worst post ever
I don't really agree but it's interesting that all the songs you picked, except for Song of The Viking, have never appeared in a setlist of Todd's live shows. Not as far as I know at least.
Completely disagree. Tracks like Breathless, everything with Uptopia, the synthesizer suite on Initiation are all excellent. Even the interactive album No World Order has good material on it. As you said it's clear that he was great at writing straightforward pop/rock songs but the experimental approach to his music is what gives it an edge and I think his discography would be quite boring if it was all straightforward pop songs.
ill do you one better op heres a triple album with all good songs
Double Nickels on the Dime
quite surprised i'm the first to bring this one up
Cafe Tacvba - Reves/Yo Onions
easy