Search - Todd Rundgren :: Definitive Rock

This is THE Todd Rundgren collection to get

tunestony | Dayton, OH | 05/09/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Todd Rundgren's music career has been a difficult one to digest. He's a very talented songwriter, but he also loves to dabble in the latest technology. So, as a result, he releases a great album and then follows it with some half-baked piece of experimentalism.



That's why THE DEFINITIVE ROCK COLLECTION is so good. It's the first-ever Rundgren collection to just focus on his great songs, and not try and paint a complete picture of his career. So, you don't get "Born to Synthesize" or "An Elpee's Worth of Tunes" but what you do get is the best, most melodic songs Rundgren ever wrote.



Whoever put this collection together was obviously a Rundgren fan. The hits are here, but so are many great album tracks. Even on a dud album, there was usually a good song or two, and this collection finds them. Every Rundgren studio album is represented, up until 1993 and his largely tuneless TR-i phase. We do get "Sweet", a nice return to form pop gem off his latest solo album.



Also a pleasant surprise is the inclusion of several tracks from Rundgren's side-project, Utopia. Again, kudos to the compilers, who smartly omit the band's early prog-rock material and concentrate on the band's catchier songs. Several key Utopia tracks are absent ("Set Me Free" the band's biggest chart hit, and "Feet Don't Fail Me Now" their biggest MTV hit), but those songs didn't feature Rundgren on lead vocals and were left off for that reason.



Although some devout Runt fans will undoubtly complain that one of their favorites is missing, it's difficult to argue with the excellent song selection on THE DEFINITIVE ROCK COLLECTION. Thirty Rundgren songs, and all of them are keepers."

TR: A Master

Reviewer | USA | 03/28/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Todd Rundgren will always remain a niche player in the history of rock music, which is a shame considering he has created brilliantly catchy and inventive songs for 30+ years. His music changes with the time, although is remarkably original and hard to be copied. I think you are either a Todd fan or you are not. But even a casual fan might really like this collection of major hits by Todd and his band Utopia. These songs are more radio friendly than some of Todd's more challenging (read: questionable smoke in the studio) 70s songs. This group of songs present a good reflection of Todd's work from the 70s to today, and can lead a casual fan onto a more indepth review of the great pop champion in future albums."