A Wizard, A True Star

My stepdad is a Todd Rundgren fan so I heard this one early on. Also a favorite among college friends. I love these kinds of kitchen sink affairs where artists have the freedom/time to really explore possibilities in the studio. I wish more albums flowed like this one. Makes for quite a ride. Love that the ambition is tempered with humor along the way. Definitely his best album. A tour de force.

Why haven’t I heard of this guy before?

Really weird album, but really enjoyed it. All over the place, but still coherent enough to be a really fun experience. Favorite tracks: “Zen Archer,” “Onionhead/Da Da Dali,” and “Medley:....”

I wanted to like this but do not.

Sounds like an album that was written in some dude's bedroom while he was on psychedelics. There are plenty of "Mr. Kite's Glass Walrus" moments (and a John Lennon diss track, apparently), but it also manages the trick of staying down to earth without being particularly dense or impenetrable. Rundgren didn't release any singles because he wanted people to listen to the whole album straight through, which is typically an eyeroll worthy statement, but in this case, I think it's a cohesive enough unit that a straight listen is probably the best route to take. This thing got better as it went. A great listening experience. Best track: Just One Victory

Wonderful! This is one of my favourite albums ever. The book states that at first listen it could be tiring, but the first time I played it I was amazed: I thought it sounded as if it were made in 1993, not 1973; it really sounds far ahead of its time. The sprawling nature of the record reminds me also of the White Album, another of my favourite ever. I can hear Frank Zappa influences, Beatles, Beach Boys, some prog, gypsy music, and so much more. One of those records where you discover something new at every spin. I don't know if he was a true star, but for sure he is a true genius.

👍🏼 definitely need to listen to more of this guy. he has clear talent and imagination and all of the songs are incredibly varied and cool. the whole album is cohesive without merging too much but still if you listened to the first half of the album not in completion it wouldn’t really work. awesome album cover and i like the song names. come on a 4/named song ?! 👍🏼

I just love when someone is having fun

Was not expecting to rate it this high, but this record is so out of control and unique that I have to give it a 5. Give it up for Todd Rundgren, because this is a psychedelic masterpiece.

This is mental. It's interesting and I'm sure ground breaking at the time. Glad I listened, wouldn't listen again

You want the obvious? You'll get the obvious, onionhead! You are required to listen to this album at least seven or eight times in your life. If you don't get it the first time, you will eventually. This batshit crazy odyssey zooms past and swoons all over you at unexpected moments as though nothing out of the ordinary occured and will make you wonder what was going through the mind of this supposed wizard, this true star as he calls himself. It was the sound of the future then and it remains the sound of the future today. Bedroom pop before there was even a thing known as bedroom pop and, quite frankly, it doesn't get any better than this. Most artists would hang their hats on this album and call it a day. For Todd Rundgren, it was just another Monday.

I think this might be brilliant. There's Barretty Floyd here, Wilson Beach Boys, and much more insanity besides. I get 10cc Sheet Music vibes in places - from the following year, so there was something in the water. The short stabs of 1 minute long ideas also bring to mind later artists such as Fiery Furnaces and of Montreal. Never heard a single bit of his stuff. Recognise the name from his production work with others. Proof you can make a kind of psych prog rock album without loads of 8 minute behemoths (although I like those too). When it does really open up such as with Zen Archer it is outstanding. There's also a fair lashing of 70s schmaltz in Medley, which I haven't made my mind up about. To wholly wrongly use the word, a very schizophrenic record.

A shockingly interesting album, advancing the psychedelic sound to a proto-punk, proto-news-wave place. You Need Your Head and Rock & Roll Pussy are face melters! I love the tracks blending together.

In the 70s it wasn’t uncommon for someone to describe an album as being “good to listen to on acid”. This album would be one of those albums so described. This album is so bizarre and he plays very well. I think I’ll head to the pool room, score some blotter and give it another listen.

This was actually really cool. What a trip!

When the guy with mismatched shoes outside the 7-11 who’s always talking about alien abductions and government conspiracies hands you a blunt that looks dripping wet and suddenly, starts to make a lot of sense.

Weird album, very psychedelic and different for 70’s pop/rock. 3/5 because I can appreciate the originality but probably won’t listen again.

Honestly, I'm okay with this album being pretty cracked out. The soul medley is just the weirdest. It does have a Bowie quality to it.

No. 179/1001 International Feel 3/5 (2x) Never Never Land 3/5 Tic Tic Tic, It Wears Off 3/5 You Need Your Head 2/5 Rock & Roll Pussy 2/5 Dogfight Giggle 1/5 You Don't Have to Camp Around 3/5 Flamingo 2/5 (2x) Zen Archer 3/5 (3x) Just Another Onionhead 2/5 (2x) When Shit Hits The Fan 2/5 (3x) Le Feel Internacionale 4/5 (2x) Sometimes I Don't Know What to Feel 3/5 (3x) Does Anybody Love You? 3/5 Medley 3/5 (6x) Hungry for Love 2/5 (2x) I Don't Want To Tie You Down 4/5 (2x) Is It My Name? 3/5 (3x) Just One Victory 5/5 (3x) Average: 2,93 Somewhere in here a great songwriter is buried. He is just overwhelemed by too much experimentation.

"There is cause and effect There's a reason I'm so erect"

This album is fucking crazy. I like Something/Anything a lot so I was pretty hyped for this listen. It kinda reminds me of the Syd Barrett album in that it seems like Todd was really going off and entertaining any wild idea he had. Not nearly as good as the stuff I love from him but it was a cool listen. Lots of weird abrasive noises too. I love the album cover.

Listening to this, I got the feeling he could have made a better album but chose not to

Incredible album. The flow of the record is immaculate

Okay, why did nobody tell me about this album until now?! An absolute kaleidoscope of sounds and styles, but all rooted in a really warm-sounding psychedelic pop/rock. I just wish someone had told me "hey, the first half on this album is basically side-B of Abbey Road, but for weirdos, and then it segues into a second half dominated by a medley of playful soul covers and an absolute power pop stomper ("Is It My Name?") Yeah it's weird stuff, which might explain the low rating. But if any of that sounds appealing, give this one a chance.

So happy this came up. Spend. More. Time. With. Todd.

Discazo de canciones. Del space rock al progresivo, del heavy al pop sofisticado. Muy grande, inabarcable. La esquisitez del rock setentero impecablemente presentado. Genial.

Really excellent. I loved this album

Incredible album! Cohesive, interesting, and boundary pushing. I can imagine how formative this must have been for experimental musicians. I'm very glad this has been put on my radar.

i so love it

This came out in 1972?! WAAAY ahead of it's time musically. Switching between playful and riffing rock songs effortlesly. I was expecting some boring prog album based on the album cover, but I couldn't have been more wrong. This album was an amazing experience

My favorite Todd album.

When I first listened to this about 10 years ago I wanted to like it more, but found it too schizophrenic and irritating. On relistening Rundgren's genius really shines through. I love the fact that it doesn't sit still and changes direction so many times, but still manages to work in some decent tunes.

Quelle aventure cet album. On oublie rapidement que c’est sorti en 1973. Un petit bijou psychédélique/pop/rock/soul. Je ne serais pas surpris de retrouver cet album dans la bibliothèque de Kevin Parker de Tame Impala ou des membres d’Animal Collective. Un gros coup de cœur pour moi. Pièce préférée: Le Feel Internacionale, When the shit hits the fan, Just Another Onionhead, International Feel, … ;)

Even if side 2 was blank I still would love this album. A true star completely.

This album was an experience to listen to. It seems scatterbrained but with some type of order to it. Every song feels as if it was both handcrafted and also vomited out. Either way, it makes for a great first listen through. His voice fits the music perfectly, and each song has a sort of ulterior feeling that refuses to allow you to be bored. Honestly the only thing that I didn’t enjoy from this album was that the mixing was very sub par. Favorite track: International Feel

Todd Rundgren is under appreciated. I love Something/Anything and had heard this album before but never came back to it. Turns out that I should have because there’s so much interesting stuff on here, especially Zen Archer. Will be listening to this again for sure. 9/10

A few months ago, I was introduced to Todd Rundgren by Something/Anything? coming up on my list, and I thought it was a pretty good album. This is like all the weird and standout songs of Something/Anything? blown up into a full album. Like the aforementioned album that came before it, A Wizard, A True Star is quite eclectic and all over the place, but I definitely feel like the focus of this album was clearer than the previous album. That focus was definitely psychedelia. It's definitely the kind of music that'd be enhanced with psychedelics, but it was the 70s. Saying that, this rarely felt like a 70s album - the electronic elements throughout made it seem more recent than that at times. Being a psychedelic pop album, it of course had its token unhinged and unsettling songs, but overall I still liked this quite a lot. I'm eager to listen to more of Rundgren's work. Favourite: Zen Archer

A little bit of Steely Dan and a little bit of Zappa. Fantastic piece of art.

Great album with so much replay ability, and just amazing sounds and songs to come up on this album. Not overall perfect but it’s overall just so fun and it’s a standout

Woah! This is totally unexpected and really awesome. Holy shit this was good. It's WILD and all over the place. But it still holds togeather in this super weird way. Unexpected 5 star.

Great

This album has an antsy, can’t-sit-still energy to it that was jarring at first but ended up working well in the context of the whole album. Wildly imaginative and experimental, jumping between 1 minute ideas and 5+ minute songs. Zen Archer was a trip. But “I’m so proud / ooh baby baby / la la means I love you / cool jerk” was a top notch 10-minute soul journey that came out of nowhere. 5/5.

A psychedelic early 70s underappreciated masterpiece, the tracks seem together so well

A gloriously batty album. It jumps around ideas on seconds and every idea is fully realised before you can get bored. Imagine Floyd, except with a pop sensibility to never get too noodly or pretentious. Possibly the best album of the 70s. Best track is You Need Your Head I love the divisive reviews this is getting. Either 'this is insane. 5 stars', or 'Waah, I wanted some lumpen 70s pop rock how dare someone try something different 1 star'.

I can’t imagine listening to this album in 1973. It is so cracked and uses so many sounds I would never believe existed in music, at least popular music, until the 90’s on. Some of it runs damn near hyperpop which didn’t hit until the last ten or so years. It’s like a rock opera of nascent musical ideas that would mature over the following 50 years.

Just nuts in all the right ways. Crazy experimental, bursting with ideas, Rungdren makes it plain he could write the greatest pop song every written and then just does his own thing. Engaging throughout, I think this might be genius.

Rundgren's sense of "what music and sound were like in my internal environment, and how different that was from the music I had been making" is pure aural poetry.

Very darned good stuff. 5 stars.

Never actually listened to a Rundgren. This is weird! Really well done. The self awareness and fun combination of styles, the way everything runs together but is still very different. I feel like this is really good. It’s a wild ride in a great way! This is the kind of album I would want to make. Seems like my kind of guy just doing whatever he wants. At least a 4, but maybe a 4.5. Ok 4.5 considering this was 73!

mega fed!! Meget positivt overrasket, jeg havde dårligt nok hørt om ham før. vildt forud for sin tid, noget af det lød som mr. bungle i øjeblikke

Amazing. Listened to it twice. This is the shit I like. Gives an Abbey Road vibe with the Medley. I disavow Dogfight Giggle. Ez 5

It’s fun when you listen to something for the first time and immediately realize this is the album all your favorite artists glommed onto when they were weird teens.

Very nice album.

Stellar. Like a psychedelic Queen, but less anthemic.

This is 1973? Bonkers. It's cacophonic, darting between styles in a way that didn't really catch on again for 20 more years. I love to know more about the thought process behind the production of this, because it's delightfully all-over-the-place.

Amazing psychedelic pop record with experimental flare - a must listen for any fan of the genre. This album is weird, unique, and a lot of fun. It just exists in its own space (with maybe a bit of Beatles and Beach Boys influence). Very varied instrumentation with great instrumental parts and lots of cool bass and vocal melodies. Effects galore all over these tracks and a lot of interesting production choices (in a good way). Overall, it’s densely packed with sounds and ideas and rewards repeated listening. So much zaniness, a terrific album if you can really appreciate imagination in songwriting. It really feels like Rundgren did not give a fuck here and just made an album he thought it would be fun to make - and the results show in the best of ways.

I'm a big Todd Rundgren fan, though this is not an album I am familiar with. His career is pretty impossible to pin down, in terms of a musical label. He produces such a diverse, unpredictable, sometimes bizarre range of genres and styles and compositions, every album has a different flavor. Admittedly, it took me two listens to get into this, but on the second, it clicked immediately. As I've been pondering Zappa and Prince and their similarities (nutso work ethic, intensely prolific, musical genius, forging their own irreverent paths), I'd include Rundgren in the same camp. This album is fantastic. Not everyone's cup of tea, certainly a bit schizo, but I'm really glad I gave it two spins. I loved every song, I loved the medley, I loved the crazy swings from moods and sounds from song to song. Wild ride.

Zappa meets Chicago_Transit Authority with Acid in the water. What an experience.

Very trippy album I dig it. The soft, whimsical vocals are pleasant. The sounds are unique without being unnecessarily complex. I enjoyed the flow of the album from song to song. It really felt like a complete piece of work. Definitely plan on revisiting this one.

I'm half way thru my 2nd listen and I'm starting to understand it. This album is always on greatest all time lists. I knew it would come up eventually on this list. I've listened to this a few times and never got into it. I think the album picks up steam and the back half is strong. Maybe it's the early summer morning listen talking, but from Medley on it's pretty brilliant. Well executed psychedelic pop tunes unsullied by radio play. I'll probably listen to this all day.

A brilliantly inventive album, and his use of synths as an instrument (as opposed to a shortcut to the sound made by an instrument) was ahead of its time. However, you'd be pressed to say that the songs themselves are his best work.

On first listen a brilliant but exhausting single LP (emphasized because of a 55+ minute runtime).

Interesting. Haven't listened carefully tho.

Great surprise this, could be a 5 after repeat listens

Väldigt bra , i like it!

It is chaotic but a very interesting journey. Definitely an album that needs to be played straight through.

Fun and interesting! Kind of reminds me of some of the Beatles' later songs.

A name I've never heard before. Surprised to hear synths. Shit for 1973 this is quite modern with it's synth-explorations. Via Wikipedia: "The sound and structure of Wizard was heavily informed by Rundgren's hallucinogenic experiences. It was envisioned as a hallucinogenic-inspired 'flight plan' with all the tracks segueing seamlessly into each other, starting with a 'chaotic' mood and ending with a medley of his favorite soul song". Fascinating. Ok I just looked at the track list and I'm 4 songs in and thought I was still on track 1. Wow. "You Need Your Head" is crazy! I have a feeling I need to listen to this all again. Dogfight Giggle woooow lol. This is like some RCE mandatory overtime shit. This is a perfect follow-up to that Zappa album, there is much more "heart" in here for me, but I'm sure vocals help here. 3.5 to 4.

🧐

Wow, kind of stunned by this. How have I never heard of this guy? Hearing Lemon Twigs in this, and Jack White. If this came out now it would still sound edgy. Getting really yacht rock with the Medley. Second half of the album sounds more dated but I still like it overall.

Rundgren is another artist I really need to dig into for a longer time. Whenever I listen to his music, I really like it, and then I forget for another year or so. One of my favorite new-ish bands, the Lemon Twigs, cite him as a major influence. I definitely hear that influence on this record. I'll be sure to revisit this one a few more times this next couple weeks as I can tell it's one that keeps on giving new gems over multiple listens.

I really like the eclectic style of this music.

The sound is way ahead it’s time for 1972. Utterly bonkers in places but strangely enjoyable psychedelic.

Really good

Quite classic psychdelic rock from that era, I liked it.

Psychedelic rock. I enjoyed the flow from one song to the other. A couple songs I really enjoyed.

WTF this is some crazy experimental stuff from the 70s. The album is made up of quick snippets of unfinished songs and one ten minute journey of a track. Sounds like he was on a ton of psychs when he was recording, makes sense.

I have his album "Todd" from the next year, but don't remember much about it. I know he has a reputation for being uncompromisingly non-commercial in his approach to pop & rock. Sounds good on paper, but doesn't necessarily lead to good albums... Well, this one is surprisingly enjoyable. I like the aesthetic of short, almost-incomplete songs, which allows a restless switching around of styles. There's a sense of humour throughout, and some earnest emotional content. It's a fun album. 4*

Bananas. But in a good way

Apparently reviews from the time found the first half too weird for its own good, which is sad, because I feel like the album might be even better if the second half was weirder.

A really weird album that just kinda works for me. Is it pop? Rock? Psychedelic rock? It's too long, and as a result probably not something I would return to in its entirety very often. But each of my three listens was really enjoyable and I found new elements I liked each time I came back. With half stars, this would probably get a 3.5, but we don't have half stars Saved: Never Never Land, Zen Archer, When the Shit Hits the Fan / Sunset Blvd.*, Sometimes I Don't Know What to Feel

Nice discovery. This album feels like being on acids, but in a good way (which I think was Todd's goal).

A rich collection of quirky pop songs with a satisfying flow, nice drum sounds too.

Really strange but fun and I treating album

Psychedelic and weird. Very happy for the refresher on Rundgren. This will work it’s way into my normal listening.

A tour-de-force kaleidoscope of psych folk pop gems

had never heard of this album, but was pleasantly surprised by the utterly batshit songs. i also note he's released literally dozens of albums since.... I wonder if they're also as mad as this one?

4 stars a very fun listen lots of stylistic changes. Deserves more attention

I digged this. It was chaotic and all over the place yet I liked every moment? Yep.

Loved this record! Going to listen to it again soon

Experimental, unusual, slightly psychedelic, funky. In all a great experience.

Wow! I've never heard of Todd Rundgren before, which is a real shame. What a trip this album has been. It's random and experimental, and then whenever I go 'Well this is a bit too experimental for me' it goes into a more classic rock song. I dig it!

Another very hard to rate album, some of the songs were hard to listen to, others such as Le Feel Internationale were absolute highlights. This is very much on the 3/4 boundary, but the sheer interestingness of the sound has pushed me to the higher edge of that.

Cool Album, variety of different sounds and beats

Diferente e interesante

Wizard Cowboy Space Travel.

LSD does wonders.

Experimental elements mixed with conventional aspects, intriguing listening

I remembered being less warm on Rundgren, but looking back it seems I was about as warm to Something/Anything? If anything, it took me a while to warm to that album; This one, while sprawling, has my favorite bits in the first half. I love the gonzo nature of it, and while it tries a tiny bit too hard it's also plain fun.

Dope. Very prog. Groovy baby, Yeah!