Sunday, 30 January 2011

Todd Rundgren: Live at The Venue, London 25 05 1982


Who doesn't love the Todd-meister?* He's a bit like Zappa  - I defy anyone to say they love everything he's ever done, but what you like, you love if that makes any sense..? (No - Ed). Anyhoo, this is a fab set from nearly thirty years ago, recorded by the BBC in London. There is a version of the gig kicking around called 'BBC Rock Hour', but that misses out 'Song Of The Viking' and 'Lysistrata', both of which are present and correct here. Great sound and minimal hiss, recorded by an 18 year old Rushbo on his Pioneer stack system it took him nearly six months to save up for...sigh.

I was on a massive Todd binge around this time, having discovered him via the fantastic 'Back To The Bars' double LP (bought on a whim during 'Half Price Saturday' at Reddingtons Rare Records in Birmingham). My favourite at the time being 'Hermit of Mink Hollow' which is well represented here. His gigs around this time were lovely, intimate affairs with plenty of banter and interaction...he even stopped the show to play us the video of 'Time Heals'. Whattaguy.

Hey...nuff yakkin'...Enjoy the eighties Todd.

* My apologies to those of you who spotted I'd spelled 'meister' incorrectly and graciously didn't want to embarrass me by leaving a sarcastic comment. Expect more schoolboy errors of that nature until Google add a 'Pretentious, fake Paul Morley, token European reference' option to their spellchecker....






Todd Rundgren: Live at The Venue, London 25 05 1982


Love of the Common Man
Cliché 
It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference 
Too Far Gone
Can We Still Be Friends?
Song Of The Viking
Lysistrata
Tiny Demons 
Bag Lady
Soul Medley: I'm So Proud, Ooh Baby, Baby, La La La means I Love You, I Saw The Light
One World 
The Wheel
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10 comments:

  1. Paul29 January 2011 at 21:28

    Thanks for posting this gem!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rushbo30 January 2011 at 00:01

    You're welcome!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anything Should Happen30 January 2011 at 14:30

    In a great minds think alike Part 2, I've been working through The Todd stuff and mastering the Rockpalast dvd.

    This of course is probably not Great minds thinking alike but me trying to present blant follow me leadering as such.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anything Should Happen30 January 2011 at 14:31

    blant should be blatant of course.

    Reddingtons brings back some meories in pre internet days, I use to trek down to Reddingtons three or four times a year and it was a trek.

    Great place.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Rushbo30 January 2011 at 15:02

    I'm a big fan of follow me leadering...can we play pass the parcel afterwards?

    ah, Reddingtons...the amount of AOR I bought from there was staggering. Touch! Trillion! Angel! April Wine promos!

    ...I'm better now, although the lure of the triple headed Rock Leviathan that is Styx, Foreigner and Journey at the NEC ( or whateverthehell it's called now) was too hard to resist. Can I still hang out with the cool kids, tho'?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anything Should Happen30 January 2011 at 16:06

    I had this flirtation with both Styx and Journey on either side of the NWOBHM.

    I tried to convince myself and friends that the Journey I admired was pre Perry when that was a complete lie.

    I look at Styx now and think, what were you thinking of? I was 15 when I bought Pieces Of Eight and I played it to death, I just would never dream of playing it now.

    I either grew up or have become a rock snob.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Rushbo30 January 2011 at 18:16

    Pieces of Eight was my first Styx Lp - did you get the clear vinyl version with the free EP? If this was a bar and it was 2 a.m. and we had both been drinking fairly heavily, I would argue that 'Blue Collar Man' is an undiscovered PowerPop gem, but it isn't, it isn't, we haven't, so I shan't bother. But it is.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous1 February 2011 at 18:44

    Hey Rushbo,
    Always up for more Todd. Thanks. Also... an update for your blogroll. Never Get Out Of The Boat REDUX is over here these days. http://ngootbredux.blogspot.com/
    Thanks for all your support.
    Willard

    ReplyDelete
  9. Steve284 February 2011 at 20:57

    Ha ha, Reddingtons half price sale when they would mark up the prices by double the night before !! Still spent far too much of my cash there though. A real (cramped, damp, rickety) record store.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Rushbo4 February 2011 at 21:14

    There were still bargains to be had - I remember a guy literally running out of the shop, having spent 50p on a mint copy of a Syd era Floyd single. I bought the ELP treble live LP from there for a quid...I think I was ripped off...

    ReplyDelete

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