Well, it looks like Cooking Vinyl is on the ball in terms of promoting the upcoming release of Todd Rundgren’s latest album, Arena. After recently announcing that they’ll be releasing the CD over in the U.K., they now have promo copies ready to be sent out to radio stations and the press. Pretty impressive. Check out some photos of the new promo CDs.
It’s definitely great to see that the U.K. record label is excited about Rundgren’s new album. U.K. fans can even pre-order the CD right on their website.
But here on the other side of the Atlantic, there hasn’t been any noticeable activity from U.S. record label - HiFi Recordings. Well, actually, that’s not TOTALLY true. The lawyers representing the record company recently banned Todd fans from trading all Rundgren related live recordings on the popular online website - Dime-a-Dozen. For some odd reason, they believe that trading fan-made live recordings will negatively affect the sales of official studio releases. Obviously they’ve been mis-informed.
But other than that, we haven’t seen any type of promotion from the record label as of yet. And it’s less than a month away from the U.S. release date!! Thankfully Rundgren has a great network of fans online where the latest info can still be disseminated in a timely and efficient manner. and that definitely helps when HiFi Recordings won’t step up to the plate. …well, .. they still have some time left to turn it around…
Let’s get the promotion/marketing team up and running, HiFi!! Let’s see some action! and while I’ve got your ear, how about showing the fans a bit more respect?
as always, check out TR Connection for the latest news on all things Todd.
And if you haven’t read it yet, check out my track by track review of Rundgren’s Arena album
Also, catch Rundgren live on tour: Wed 10/01/08 Seattle, WA Triple Door
Sat 10/04/08 Glen Ellen, CA Cohn Charity Music Festival
Mon 10/06/08 Chicago, IL Park West
Thu 10/09/08 Morristown, NJ Community Theatre
Fri 10/10/08 Pittsburgh, PA The Rex
Sat 10/11/08 Tarrytown, NY Music Hall
Mon 10/13/08 Knoxville, TN Bijou Theatre
Wed 10/15/08 Asheville, NC Orange Peel
Thu 11/06/08 Manchester, UK Academy 2
Fri 11/07/08 Edinburgh, UK The Picture House
Sun 11/09/08 Copenhagen, Denmark Amager Bio
Mon 11/10/08 Helsinki, Finland House of Culture
Wed 11/12/08 Gothenburg, Sweden Traddgaard
Thu 11/13/08 Malmo, Sweden Kulturbolaget
Sat 11/15/08 Eindhoven, Netherlands TROMP International Music Festival
Sun 11/16/08 Bonn, Germany Harmonie
Tue 11/18/08 Milan, Italy Rolling Stone
Thu 11/20/08 Paris, France Trabendo
Sat 11/22/08 Norwich, UK Waterfront
Sun 11/23/08 London, UK The Forum
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Album: Arena
Artist: Todd Rundgren
label: Hi Fi Recordings (U.S.), Cooking Vinyl (U.K.)
release date: September 30th (U.S.), September 29th (U.K.)
review by: retroBlog.net
Back in the early nineties, Todd Rundgren once sang about “the old rocking chair” and how it beckoned him “like a junkie’s needle.” Well, thank goodness he never succumbed to that middle-aged temptation. This year, Rundgren has been busier than ever, touring almost non-stop with his own band as well as heading up a Beatles’ Sgt. Peppers tribute tour. He even managed to find time to record his twentieth solo album, Arena, which will be making its way to stores by the end of September. Arena is probably the most accessible sounding record Rundgren has made since the Nearly Human days. It’s essentially the guitar-rock album fans have long been asking for. You’ll find no church-bashing (i.e. Fascist Christ, Mammon), pseudo-rapping (i.e. No World Order, Individualist) or show tunes (i.e. The Smell of Money) here. You’ll even notice simpler chord progressions just by the fact that the songs are guitar-based rather than keyboard-based. So, those typical Rundgren-esque tone-clusters which are normally an integral part of the Rundgren sound aren’t as plentiful although they do pop up now and then like in the middle section of Afraid or the bridge in the song Today. But don’t get me wrong when I say “simpler” chords. This just means that the songs will have a more immediate impact on a wider range of listeners. Hopefully this new accessible version of Rundgren will allow him to reach a larger audience this time around which unfortunately didn’t happen the last go-round with his critically acclaimed Liars album in 2004.
As with most of his albums, Rundgren focused his material on a particular concept which, on Arena, is all about conflict and how we (men in particular) react to them. Rundgren was quoted in a recent interview that “this record is more about action. Time for talk is over. Now it’s time to actually do something.”
1. Mad
The album opens with a guitar arpeggio reminiscent of Rundgren’s “Buffalo Grass” but then kicks into a straight ahead rocker a la “Black and White”. “This is more than upset, it’s as enraged as I get and you ain’t seen me mad yet, and now I’m mad!” screams Rundgren in the chorus. His vocal performance is amazing here. Is this man truly 60 years old??!?!!?? The energetic performance on this song is that of a man half his age. it’s awe-inspiring. the song also features a tasty guitar solo that recalls the solo from Utopia’s “The Very Last Time”, which in itself was a nod to Tom Scholz/Boston. sweet. The strong album opener is also the first single off the album.
2. Afraid
“Mad” segues right into “Afraid”, one of the more typical “Todd” sounding songs on the album that could have fit right into his previous albums like The Individualist. The highlight is the middle section where Rundgren repeatedly asks “Why suffer for nothing? Suffer for something.” Then the song builds to a nice, restrained David Gilmour-ish guitar solo.
3. Mercenary
The opening metal guitar intro would work perfectly as some wrestler’s theme music on WWE monday night RAW. No one would ever recognize that this is the same dude that came up with “Bang on the Drum”. Rundgren even manages to sound pretty menacing with that Trent Reznor-type distortion on his vocals during the verses. The distortion effect goes away just in time to clearly hear Rundgren scream at the top of his lungs - “How do you like me now that I’ve done your dirty work? How do you like me NOW???” The song is obviously about the Iraq War but Rundgren leaves the door open to let it be just about any type of work being contracted out. You can even take it as some sort of statement about Rundgren’s work with The New Cars, being a “hired gun” and all. OK, that’s stretching it a bit but you get the gist. Oh, and I love the nod to Boston’s “More than a Feeling” in the acoustic-led bridge section. hhmmm, another reference to Boston? Maybe concert promoters should take note of this and somehow arrange a tour package next summer with Rundgren and Boston together? *hint, hint*.
4. Gun
“Gun” just screams ZZ Top with Texas blues riffs galore. Rundgren would say before playing this song at his shows that this is “a FUN song about something really CREEPY”. His stance on gun control is pretty clear with the chorus: “You better run ’cause I’m young, dumb and I’ve got a gun, public idiot number one, ’cause I’m young, dumb and I’ve got a gun!” and the reference to Full Metal Jacket is genius - “This is my rifle, this is my gun, this is for fighting, this is for fun!” and again, another great guitar break in the middle of this song. love it.
5. Courage
There’s a significant shift in the sonic palette once track 5 starts up. With “Courage”, Rundgren channels the 70’s version of himself, complete with jangly acoustic/electric strumming and sugary sweet harmonies. It’s interesting to note that the instrumental intro featuring the flang-y lead guitar seems to be a knowing nod to Moe Berg and the Pursuit of Happiness. A nice change of pace after the first four “heavy” sounding songs.
6. Weakness
“Weakness” is definitely one of the featured tracks on Arena especially after Rundgren dedicated the song to his wife, Michele, when he debuted the song live in Kauai at his 60th birthday bash. The song is a great hybrid of a bluesy guitar-riffed verse (a la Rundgren’s “Mystified”) mashed up with a soaring ballad of a chorus not unlike Rundgren’s “Hawking” (off of Nearly Human). His vocal performance is spectacular here which helps make those clunky superman references in the lyrics go down easier. Unfortunately the weak (yes, had to say it) part about the song is the stiff high-hat that gets pushed to the fore during the verses. It’s too bad Rundgren didn’t get Prairie Prince to overdub the cymbal work on the song because he would have been able to add that extra groove during those sparsely arranged moments in the song.
7. Strike
“Strike” is Rundgren doing his best AC/DC interpretation. There’s not a lot of substance in the lyrics here but it’s a fun song nevertheless with a lot of musical elements added into the pot to keep things interesting. The guitar solo isn’t all that striking (ouch, sorry. it was there.) here but man, that repetitive chorus will burn into your brain and last for days and days. It’s relentless! Listen to Rundgren screaming “Time to STRIKE while the iron is HOT!!” and tell me this guy ain’t 60 years old!!??!!
8. Pissin
“Pissin” is the required novelty track on the album. Rundgren always seems to include one on each of his records. It’s definitely not one of the better songs on Arena but it’s still pretty memorable. I mean, where else are you going to find someone singing the line “and now your dick is in the mayonnaise“??? The modulation into the instrumental section of the song is a nice touch.
9. Today
“Today” sounds almost like a leftover from the Liars sessions with the sequenced keyboard part and the pseudo-techno drum patterns. Here, Rundgren exhorts his listeners to resolve their differences with others, TODAY! It’s a great message and the song is a definite standout on the record.
10. Bardo
“Bardo” has Robin Trower’s “Bridge of Sighs” written all over it. I love the guitar work on this one and the mood that is set here. Rundgren expands on the message from “Today” and brings in a Buddhist concept of transition where you need to confront your own issues in order for you to move on. “You can’t go back from where you came, you must move on and face the flame of the last Bardo.” Rundgren interestingly adds some white noise during the ending guitar solo to create some tension a la the Beatles’ “I Want You (She’s so Heavy)”.
11. Mountaintop
Rundgren has already stated that he would love “Mountaintop” to replace “Bang on the Drum” as a sporting event favorite. and it has potential with the ever so catchy “higher-higher” refrain during the chorus.
Rundgren uses an interesting reverb effect on his vocals (during the verses) as well as on the bass drum that kind of recalls John Lennon’s use of the echo effect on songs like “Instant Karma”. The reverb effect on the bass drum is particularly distracting for me. I’m not sure if the general audience will pick up on it but since I’m a drummer, I notice it. basically, the digital delay on the bass drum is not in time with the overall tempo. I’m not sure if it’s intentional or not but it sure is distracting.
12. Panic
“Panic” is a great song that recalls both Rundgren’s “Yer Fast” and Utopia’s “Itch in My Brain”. Probably one of my favorites at the moment. His sense of humor shines through with lines like: “The zombies awake but it won’t help to panic… your boner goes soft but it don’t help to panic… and you just made a stinky…” classic!! heh.
13. Manup
“Manup” is a strong closer. It pretty much sums up what Rundgren wants us all to do which is essentially to stop our complaining, get up off our asses and do something! The ending guitar solo is sweet but stops short. In fact most of the guitar solos on the album are short and concise but as he has mentioned in previous interviews, that’s how Rundgren views “Arena rock”: very melodic with big hooks and concise to the point guitar solos. I would have given him more leeway with the guitar solos but that’s just me.
- Overall Sound - If you’re familiar with Rundgren’s output over the last decade then you basically know how he operates in terms of recording his albums. Arena was essentially recorded with protools on his macbook utilizing programmed/sequenced bass and drum tracks, virtual guitar amp emulators, etc. Personally I would have preferred real drums over the “canned” drum sounds but that just might be the drummer side of me talking. Those sampled drum sounds just don’t give songs like “Mercenary”, “Strike” and “Mountaintop” the visceral power they need to take ‘em over the top, you know what I mean? Aside from the guitars, the “virtual band” made some of the songs sound a bit more restrained than I would have liked. Not really sure if it was a time or budget limitation but I suppose that’s Todd’s call and who am I to argue, right? And I guess, in the overall scheme of things, the sound of the record isn’t as important as the songs themselves. As long as the songs are well written it really doesn’t matter how their recorded. Just take the timeless Beatles catalog as one example of that. And it’s safe to say with these 13 songs on Arena, Rundgren delivers! It’s definitely the perfect follow up to his 2004 Liars album.
Oh, and for those of us sticklers that still grumble over the use of drum machines and such, Rundgren’s got us covered by bundling the new album with a DVD and CD of Rundgren’s live performance of the new album from the July 14th Boulder Theater show. So the packaged bundle sounds like a great deal. Look for it in stores beginning September 30th.
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listen to an excerpt of Rundgren’s lead off single from the new album Arena - “Mad” (for streaming only):
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purchase Todd Rundgren CDs on Amazon:
— For all things Todd, check out Rundgren on myspace as well as over on the TR Connection. For detailed info on the U.K. Rundgren dates, head on over to the NoblePR Arena page. And be sure to catch Rundgren (along with Rachel Haden, Prairie Prince, Kasim Sulton and Jesse Gress) on tour which starts back up in October.
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With Todd Rundgren’s initial U.S. leg of his “Arena” tour finished, I caught up with Rundgren’s current bassist Rachel Haden to find out her thoughts on the tour and to see what she’s got next on her plate. Rachel is the daughter of jazz musician Charlie Haden and one of the Haden Triplets (along with Petra and Tanya of course). Being from a family overflowing with musical talent, it was pretty much a no-brainer for Rachel to become a musician herself. She has been involved in a variety of different projects over the years including being a member of The Rentals, that dog. and has recently recorded with Neil Hamberger on his album Neil Hamberger sings Country Winners.
So here’s the RetroBlog Q&A with Rachel Haden -
retroDan:Rachel, you’ve spent the summer touring the U.S. with rock icon Todd Rundgren who has been known to tour only with a short list of “regulars” (i.e. Prairie Prince, Jesse Gress, Kasim Sulton). How did you wind up becoming his bassist? Rachel Haden: That’s a good question. I’m still asking myself that! Prairie is a good friend and recommended me. Thanks Prairie!
retroDan:What has it been like for you touring with Rundgren? any highlights? lowlights? funny stories? Rachel: It’s been a very challenging and positive experience. I have grown so much as a person and musician on this last tour. Todd has been such a mentor to me. He pushes me out of my comfort zone. He encourages me like no one else has; not only to be the best bass player I can be but also the best person I can be. There has been nothing but highlights and lowlights and funny stories. One time Prairie and I went jogging in what we didn’t know was a swamp full of mosquitos…don’t ask. We turned around quickly.
retroDan:Any favorites off the current setlist? Rachel: Yes. I would say “Today” and “Weakness” are my favorites thus far…
retroDan:I’m curious - while on tour, what do you do with your time when you’re not on stage? Rachel: I like to work out in the Hotel gym (if there is one), have a shrimp cocktail with Prairie and watch a lot of TV Land and The Food Network. I also like to take walks and people watch.
retroDan:Rundgren’s summer U.S. leg of his tour ended earlier this month. Will you continue with Rundgren when he heads over to the U.K. in November? What are your plans in the meantime? Rachel: I will be continuing with the band over in Europe and the U.K. in November. In the meantime I am continuing to write and record on Garageband in my kitchen; with the hopes of putting out a record of my own. My sisters and my brother and I are preparing for the up and coming Haden Family show August 24th at Lincoln Center.
[update: Rundgren will be touring in October as well. Dates are currently in the works. Check the TR Connection for the latest updates.]
retroDan:With your dad being a famous Jazz musician, and you and your siblings being all musically gifted, what was it like growing up with such a musical family? Was it anything like the Partridge family? Rachel: It was very fun. There was always music being played. We really enjoy singing 3 part harmony and we did that a lot. It was just part of our life, and still is!
retroDan:How often do you get to see your family nowadays? Rachel: We are all busy with various projects, so not as often as I would like.
retroDan:what were your early musical influences growing up? Rachel: I listened to a lot of 4AD artists: The Pixies, The Cocteau Twins, The Throwing Muses, Dead Can Dance, Lush, Mark kozelek, His Name Is Alive…the list will go on forever if I don’t stop here!!
retroDan:Aside from all your musical endeavors, what else do you enjoy doing? Rachel: I enjoy making salads and watching I Love Lucy. I would also like to get out a bit more. I could be a hermit at times.
retroDan:As you’ve mentioned earlier, you’re currently working on new material for your very own solo project. You have a fantastic voice. Even Matt Sharp (The Rentals) has been quoted in the past stating that your voice is the purest that he’s ever heard. Why has it taken this long for you to finally decide to record an album of your own? Rachel: I’ve been wanting to put out my own music for quite some time now. I’ve worked with various people throughout the years and no one has really stuck with me. Aside from my sisters, it’s not easy to meet musical soul mates. That’s what I want and this takes time.
retroDan:Are those demos on myspace, material for the new album? I’m really fond of the tracks “My Valentine” and “I’m Away”, by the way. Rachel: Yes. I’m hoping to re-record “My Valentine”…the production is not exactly what I had in my mind…”I’m Away” came out exactly how I imagined. I worked on that one with Jacob Holm-Lupo from Norway. I was lucky enough to be able to fly out there this past year and stay with he and his family. What a magical experience. I’d like to do a whole record there. The musicians I met were outstanding and real. Not to mention the country too. Listen to Rachel Haden’s “I’m Away”:
retroDan:What’s your typical approach to writing songs? Do you start with a musical phrase? chord progression? lyrical idea? Rachel: I start with a melody that is inspired by my surroundings or by sounds, like traffic or the drone of the refrigerator. Movies also inspire me. Then I just expand from there with chord progressions. . Lyrics usually come last.
retroDan:What’s the status of the Rentals? Will you be back with them after this stint with Rundgren? Rachel: I’m not sure what the status of The Rentals is. I have not spoken with Matt for almost a year! Let me know if you find anything out.
retroDan:Any hope for a that dog. reunion? Rachel: I would love that.
retroDan:I love your Magic Salad video on youtube. But, Rachel, is the liquid from the tuna-can really necessary??? Rachel: I know, but to each his/her own. I like it!!
retroDan:Of all the projects that you’ve been involved with, which ones are you most proud of? Rachel: All of them.
OK, and lastly, the speed round…
- What’s currently playing on your iPod? Rachel: Sun Kil Moon, Thomas Newman, Invisible Animals, Buffalo Daughter, Yann Tiersen, Ennio Morricone…
- Read any good books lately? Rachel: Not lately..I was on a kind of reading kick last year. I read like 5 books in a month! The Bell Jar, The Stranger, Steppenwolf…those were a few of my favorites.
- Favorite movie? Rachel: No one favorite movie, but I really love Fellini and Jim Jarmusch.
- Your pick: Pro tools or A tascam 4-track cassette recorder? Rachel: I’m not good at working with programs like Pro-tools and Logic. I’d prefer to work with other people if I’m going to be doing that. I do love Garageband…and of course it all started with my Tascam 4-track. How I still love her!
- A favorite quote? Rachel: All I know is I know nothing.
Thanks Rachel!
— - See Rachel Haden along with the rest of the Haden family at:
Lincoln Center’s 25th Annual Roots of American Music Festival on Sunday, August 24th, 2008.
- also be on the lookout for Todd Rundgren’s upcoming live DVD release (which features Rachel Haden on bass) that was filmed at the 14Jul08 Boulder Colorado show.
- and catch Rundgren (along with Rachel, Prairie Prince, Jesse Gress and Kasim Sulton) on tour this fall/winter. for more information about the new album Arena, visit Rundgren’s official myspace page
Credit: All photos of Rachel Haden and Todd Rundgren are by Jaime Butler. used with permission.
Todd Rundgren is currently on tour in the states, wow-ing his fans with a blistering guitar-oriented live set that includes all 13 songs from his yet-to-be released album titled Arena. It’s certainly a treat for concert goers to be able to experience a whole new set of songs BEFORE they’re even officially released. It’s simply a testament to how much faith Todd has for his concert-going fans. Most live acts touring the country usually stick to the tried and true in terms of setlists and won’t dare play more than a handful of unfamiliar tunes in their shows. But Todd-fans are a different breed and expect a little more from their Hero. And on this tour, Todd simply delivers! The new songs off of Arena translate well on stage with soaring guitar leads and heart-pounding rhythms. Highlights include “Strike” with its fist-pumping chorus, the bluesy slow rocker “Weakness” and “Afraid” which features a tasty David Gilmour-like guitar solo.
listen to an excerpt of a live version of “Afraid”
after finishing the U.S. leg, Rundgren will take a two month break which will give his record label, HiFi Records, a chance to catch up and get the Arena CD out into the stores. and then in November, Rundgren will head back out on the road and unleash his “guitar-rock extravaganza” onto his European fans.
here are the dates for Rundgren’s European leg of the tour:
Thu 11/06/08 Manchester, UK Academy 2
Fri 11/07/08 Edinburgh, UK The Picture House
Sat 11/15/08 Eindhoven, Netherlands TROMP International Music Festival
Sun 11/16/08 Harmonie Bonn, Germany
Tue 11/18/08 Rolling Stone Milan, Italy
Thu 11/20/08 Trabendo Paris, France
Sat 11/22/08 Waterfront Norwich, UK
Sun 11/23/08 London, UK The Forum Tickets Ticketmaster UK
huzzah! Todd Rundgren heard his fans cries for a brand new set list and has come up with a new set of songs for his summer tour. but instead of drawing from his vast back catalog, Rundgren has decided to play all the songs off of his upcoming studio album titled Arena.
you heard right, brand new songs from an album that hasn’t been released yet. the man’s got balls playing 13 songs that the audience never heard before. but that’s per usual for Todd - doing the unexpected and going against the grain.
here are the updated tour dates -
Wed 7/02/08 West Hollywood, CA Key Club
Thu 7/03/08 San Juan Capistrano, CA The Coach House
Sat 7/05/08 Agoura Hills, CA The Canyon
Sun 7/06/08 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
Tue 7/08/08 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
Wed 7/09/08 Seattle, WA Triple Door
Fri 7/11/08 Tempe, AZ Marquee Theater
Sun 7/13/08 Beaver Creek, CO Vilar Performing Arts Center
Mon 7/14/08 Boulder, CO Boulder Theater
Tue 7/15/08 Aspen, CO Belly Up
Thu 7/17/08 San Diego, CA House of Blues - San Diego
Sat 7/19/08 Austin, TX Antone’s Nightclub
Sun 7/20/08 Dallas, TX House of Blues - Dallas
Mon 7/21/08 Houston, TX Warehouse Live
Wed 7/23/08 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
Thu 7/24/08 N. Kansas City, MO Voodoo at Harrah’s
Sat 7/26/08 Rochester, NY Nolas
Mon 7/28/08 Bearsville, NY Bearsville Theater
Fri 8/01/08 Buffalo, NY The Tralf
Sat 8/02/08 Atlantic City, NJ Borgata
*Rundgren then joins up with Lou Gramm, Bo Bice, Christopher Cross and Denny Laine for a Beatles Sgt. Peppers tribute called “It was 40 Years Ago Today” for the rest of august. again, with the “unexpected”!
..then in november it’s off to Europe:
Sat 11/15/08 TROMP International Music Festival Eindhoven
Sun 11/16/08 Harmonie Bonn
Tue 11/18/08 Rolling Stone Milan
Thu 11/20/08 Trabendo Paris
Sun 11/23/08 The Forum London
Todd Rundgren will be *6-0* years old tomorrow (June 22nd). Happy Birthday Todd!! The man looks amazingly fit for 60! just watch him at one of his shows running around on stage, jumping up and down and singing his heart out for two hours straight. I hope that I can be THAT youthful when I’m 60! hell, I wish I could be that youthful right now!!
Rundgren’s upcoming album will be titled “Arena”, by the way. here’s the album cover.
and be sure to catch him on his summer tour supporting his latest album.
Thu 6/26/08 Oshkosh, WI Leach Amphitheater @ Riverside Park
Sun 6/29/08 Cleveland, OH House of Blues
Wed 7/02/08 West Hollywood, CA Key Club
Thu 7/03/08 San Juan Capistrano, CA The Coach House
Sat 7/05/08 Agoura Hills, CA The Canyon
Sun 7/06/08 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
Tue 7/08/08 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
Wed 7/09/08 Seattle, WA Triple Door
Fri 7/11/08 Tempe, AZ Marquee Theater
Sun 7/13/08 Beaver Creek, CO Vilar Performing Arts Center
Mon 7/14/08 Boulder, CO Boulder Theater
Tue 7/15/08 Aspen, CO Belly Up
Thu 7/17/08 San Diego, CA House of Blues - San Diego
Sat 7/19/08 Austin, TX Antone’s Nightclub
Sun 7/20/08 Dallas, TX House of Blues - Dallas
Mon 7/21/08 Houston, TX Warehouse Live
Wed 7/23/08 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
Thu 7/24/08 N. Kansas City, MO Voodoo at Harrah’s
Sat 7/26/08 Oregon, OH Mathews Ford Oregon
Mon 7/28/08 Bearsville, NY Bearsville Theater
Fri 8/01/08 Buffalo, NY The Tralf
Rundgren’s current touring band includes: Jesse Gress, Prairie Prince, Rachel Haden and Matt Bolton.
it has been awhile since I shared a mix tape here so I thought I’d round up some tracks from a few of my favorite guitarists… please note: the following songs aren’t necessarily THE best examples of their respective guitar work. the songs I have here are simply what I had available on my mp3 player at the time of posting this list.
Trevor Rabin - Not only can the guy shred but he’s got a great melodic sense to his solos. Yes, he’s hated by YES “purists”, but I personally love his contribution to the YES-saga. Walls by Yes
Steve Howe - Steve’s got this classical/quirky style that you don’t hear that often in rock music. Sketches in the Sun by GTR
Lindsey Buckingham - Lindsey’s like a mad scientist in the studio. spending long nights trying to get a sound just right. but on stage, he’s a monster on guitar. he does some absolutely jaw dropping stuff on his custom Rick Turner guitar. Go Insane (live) by Lindsey Buckingham
Lincoln Brewster - a very humble artist that never boasts about his huge talent. Let me boast for him and say that he’s simply amazing on a Fender Strat. He’s All I Need by Lincoln Brewster
Neal Schon - Journey’s sappy power ballads may sometimes overshadow Schon’s guitar playing but this old man can ROCK! check out his song In Self Defense off of the album Generations. he’s also singing lead on this one. he doesn’t have much of a voice but listen to the incredible guitar work. In Self Defense by Journey
Lyle Workman - Lyle did some great work with Bourgeois Tagg and Todd Rundgren back in the late eighties and early nineties. I just love his unique style. Out of the Depths by Lyle Workman
Eric Johnson - this guy is probably on everyone’s list of favorite guitarists. come on, this song is THE STANDARD of melodic guitar playing. Cliffs of Dover by Eric Johnson
finally a Todd Rundgren gig in N.C.!! sweet. So, it looks like I’ll be seeing Rundgren live in April. man, it has been years since I’ve actually been to one of his shows!
here are the confirmed dates for his spring tour…
Fri 4/04/08 Osaka, Japan Blue Note
Sat 4/05/08 Osaka, Japan Blue Note
Mon 4/07/08 Tokyo, Japan Billboard Live
Tue 4/08/08 Tokyo, Japan Billboard Live
Wed 4/09/08 Tokyo, Japan Billboard Live
Sat 4/12/08 Tampa, FL Tampa Theatre
Mon 4/14/08 Orlando, FL Hard Rock Live
Tue 4/15/08 Miami, FL Fillmore
Thu 4/17/08 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
Fri 4/18/08 Greenville, SC Handlebar
Sun 4/20/08 Charlotte, NC Neighborhood Theater
the band will consist of Jesse Gress, Kasim Sulton and Prairie Prince.
Here’s a clip of Rundgren and company performing his show closer WorldWide Epiphany at the Birchmere show back in December.
to celebrate Arnel Pineda’s successful debut fronting Journey last night in Chile, I thought I’d put together a mix tape of various songs by legendary rock bands with replacement singers…
- the (New) Cars without Rick Ocasek??? his replacement? why Todd Rundgren of course!! yup, it’s still a head scratcher…: More ..I thought I had kicked, kicked it out of my bloodstream, but there’s nothing I can do…
- Journey with Steve Perry who stepped in for Robert Fleischman: After the Fall ..So now love is gone I can’t go on, love is gone
I want to say Now it’s just too late, waited far too long…
- 80’s supergroup Asia with John Payne filling in for John Wetton: Who Will Stop the Rain ..This problem is insoluble, the answers seem impossible
The logic ceases to exist, emotion is the beat we miss..
- Survivor with Jimi Jamison instead of Dave Bickler: Didn’t Know it was Love ..It felt so easy in the morning sun
When love was in season I was on the run
I was lookin’ for trouble and the thrill of the chase
Love was lookin’ at me eye to eye, face to face…
- a syrupy Chicago ballad without Peter Cetera?? yup, that’s Jason Scheff singing: King of Might Have Been ..What have I done? and why do people run away from what they really want?
She… she was the one, I know it now, just like a blind man
Feels the setting sun...
- Toto with Joseph Williams instead of Fergie Frederiksen (who only lasted one album): Stop Loving You (also featuring Jon Anderson) ..Reflections in my mind, thoughts I can’t define
My heart is racing and the night goes on…
- and finally, nerdy, thick glasses wearing Trevor Horn fronting prog-rock group Yes without Jon Anderson: Tempus Fugit ..Born in the night, she would run like a leopard
That freaks at the sight of a mind close beside herself..
Todd Rundgren has confirmed his plan of unleashing an “Arena Rock” album sometime this year. During his short stint through the midwest he offered some new tidbits about his upcoming album in a couple new interviews. Rundgren is quoted in the Toronto Star saying that the album will consist of “big, fat guitar hooks and singalong choruses, like the songs Boston and Journey and Foreigner used to play – classic arena rock“. He goes on to say in an interview with billboard.com: “It’s… essentially the kind of music that works well in an arena. Everything has to be very deliberate and there’s often a lot of air in it to allow it to spread out and fill the space.” In the same article, Rundgren also mentioned that the New Cars was a bit of a bad idea and that he won’t be involved in the project in the forseeable future - “We couldn’t get the rights to use the name the Cars, and the New Cars just confused everybody. We didn’t want to have to start all over again. And I’ve got my own music and my own audience; I had no reason to start trying to begin a new career with another band.”
I personally can’t wait for the new record and hope that Rundgren actually does end up in arenas across the country performing these larger than life songs.
as a taste of things to come, let’s take a moment and enjoy some old arena rock favorites…
[Note: the following are downloadable via mediafire]
Def Leppard: Rock of Ages - C’mon, rise up gather round, rock this place to the ground, burn it up, let’s go for broke, watch the night go up in smoke
Journey: Only the Young - Only the young can say, they’re free to fly away, sharing the same desires, burnin’ like wildfire
Asia: Don’t Cry - So leave it all behind you, it took so long to find you, I know that we can last forever, ever and more
Boston: More Than a Feeling - I looked out this morning and the sun was gone, turned on some music to start my day, I lost myself in a familiar song, I closed my eyes and I slipped away
..and say so long to The New Cars: Not Tonight - So put me in your Blackberry and I’ll take your E-mail and we’ll meet when the time is right but not tonight
, which will be making its way to stores by the end of September. Arena is probably the most accessible sounding record Rundgren has made since the Nearly Human days. It’s essentially the guitar-rock album fans have long been asking for. You’ll find no church-bashing (i.e. Fascist Christ, Mammon), pseudo-rapping (i.e. No World Order, Individualist) or show tunes (i.e. The Smell of Money) here. You’ll even notice simpler chord progressions just by the fact that the songs are guitar-based rather than keyboard-based. So, those typical Rundgren-esque tone-clusters which are normally an integral part of the Rundgren sound aren’t as plentiful although they do pop up now and then like in the middle section of Afraid or the bridge in the song Today. But don’t get me wrong when I say “simpler” chords. This just means that the songs will have a more immediate impact on a wider range of listeners. Hopefully this new accessible version of Rundgren will allow him to reach a larger audience this time around which unfortunately didn’t happen the last go-round with his critically acclaimed Liars album in 2004. 
huzzah! Todd Rundgren heard his fans cries for a brand new set list and has come up with a new set of songs for his summer tour. but instead of drawing from his vast back catalog, Rundgren has decided to play all the songs off of his upcoming studio album titled Arena.
finally a Todd Rundgren gig in N.C.!! sweet. So, it looks like I’ll be seeing Rundgren live in April. man, it has been years since I’ve actually been to one of his shows! 
