Todd Rundgren (Liv Tyler's step-dad) on all this God stuff

From Liar, one of the best pop albums in ages review:

http://www.almightyfear.com/music.html

God Said . . .
Todd Rundgren

Nearly everyone I know claims to have heard your voice
And every time they do, I know I should rejoice
Because one day I'm sure you’ll break your silence
And speak just to me
But I feel like time's running out
And my heart, my heart is filling with doubt
And god said

I don't dwell upon you, I dwell on something else
And I am not really here so get over your self

I've tried to follow every rule they said you handed down
And spread the sacred testimony all around
And still the others seem to have your ear but never will I
Have I displeased you somehow?
I can't, I can't help feeling left out
And god said

There's no anger in me, you must mean someone else
Cause it's not me that you see, you're looking at yourself
And I won't give you a prize instead of someone else
Cause I don't play favorites, so get over yourself

Is it my fear, is it my pride, is it my vanity?
Should your name just be denied to save my sanity?
What is the price I need to pay to have
What others seem to grasp so easily?
Pity your servant your slave
Who'll kiss, kiss your feet to be saved
Save me, save me...
And god said

You are not serving me, you're serving something else
Cause I don't need to be pleased, just get over yourself
You can't suck up to me, I know you all too well
But I don't dwell upon you, so get over yourself
Cause you're not praying to me, you're praying to yourself
And you're not worshipping me you're worshipping yourself
And you will kill in my name and heaven knows what else
When you can't prove I exist so get over yourself

that's what free will is all about.

Todd rocks.

:7

:thumbsup:

That's the only way to find God, or so I've been told. Just sayin..

He was fantastic! :thumbsup:

He had a couple of anti-war songs on the playlist too.

I've always loved these lyrics of his:

Light of the world, shine on me
Love is the answer
Shine on us all, set us free
Love is the answer

We saw the concert in Greensboro NC.

It was wonderful.

"Can we still be friends" is one of my favorites.

He can put on quite a show too. I was at a Utopia concert where he climbed up a huge pyramid and hung upside down playing guitar.

but I have to admit it wasn't really my cup of tea. A little too soft rock/ adult alternative for me. But I do know he's an eclectic guy. Any suggestions for an album of his I should check out?

Try the album Faithful to see what I mean.

I think you might like the vintage Utopia stuff.
'Just one victory' could be the DU anthem, as far as I am concerned.

I heard a few clips of Utopia and Faithful from Amazon and they sound really cool. Thanks!
Oh and if anybody would like to check out some more underrated music, might I suggest the Kinks (Village Green, Lola, and Arthur), ELO (El Dorado, Discovery) and the newer, very twee Belle and Sebastian (Dear Catastrophe Waitress and If You're Feeling Sinister).

I'd be more than happy to make you an "essential" TR collection. :)

Let's see...I like a lot of classic rock (old to me) like Beatles, Dylan, Stones, the usual. A lot of alternative indie bands (Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket, etc). Hard rock is cool (vintage Metallica, Judas Priest, etc). So is country (Hank Williams, Cash). I have at least 300 albums, cassettes and records of pretty much everything. I have an open mind.:D
So any cool Rundgren albums would be an awesome addition to my collection. I know he has like a billion albums so any help on where to start would be great!

Tyler is a Republican and Rundgren ~ a has been, but since we were on the subject of God and Liv Tyler's parents, I thought I'd add something.

;)

Must have happenned right around "Pump". When they really started to SUCK.

But I'll never let go of my vinyl copy of "Toys in the Attic".


As for how "smart" Todd Rundgren is, I'm not so sure of that, after hearing of his latest musical project.

He's been recruited by Elliot Easton and Greg Hawks to tour as "The Cars". Yes that's right. Without Ric Ocasek. Or Benjamin Orr.

Ric declined by choice, while Ben, unfortunately, had his choice taken away when he left this world a few years ago. And despite Todd Rundgren's obvious musical talent, not even he can make this work.

I blame Easton more than anything. He's been busy the last few years feeding from the carcass of CCR, in their blasphemous non-Fogerty configuration, that he now decided that exploiting a band he actually played in was an even better idea.

And from what I understand, it actually sounds quite good. When you've got Kasim Sulton on bass and vocals, and Prairie Prince on drums, it simply CAN'T be all bad. Prairie Prince has said it's really more like "New Utopia", and he meant that in a good way.

Letter is at the bottom of the page.

http://trconnection.com/trconn.php/article=utopian.art

Posted/Updated: Tue Nov 15, 2005 3:00 PM
Todd's message on the "New Cars"

For the screamers:

<edit>

Here are the facts. I don't know what kind of job you have, but I imagine that if you want to keep it you have to adapt to changes in your job description and to changes in the job market itself. And I don't know if you've heard, but musicians have notoriously brief careers. You can't do the job well on a part time basis, so you had better make a living at it. And if you want to keep the job, you better take advantage of whatever opportunities you have to work.

You would have thought that 2004 was a big year for me careerwise, and in many ways it was. But the effort to bring the tour to the widest audience was not a profitable venture and I am still paying it off today. You would have thought that 2005 has been a nearly disasterous followup, and in some ways it has. But I erased the debts of last year, got caught up on my taxes and even vacationed for a couple weeks. Oh yeah, and I supported my family.

So now an opportunity has arisen for me to pay my bills, play to a larger audience, work with musicians I know and like, and ideally have some fun for a year. The catch is, a lot of people have been counting on something else. Let's make this clear: the possibility of a Utopia reunion of any kind has always been extremely remote. We disbanded for specific reasons that a previous reunion attempt only exacerbated. Despite whatever enjoyment we got from playing the music for our fans, the reformation left a sour taste. It would be ludicrous to Spinal Tap our way through a tour so fans could be satisfied that we simply showed up on the same stage. That's a redefinition of Utopia I can't personally handle. No 'magic date' is so magical that it can transform such an ingrained relationship. It's not happening and we'll all have to live with it.

The rest of the equation is obvious. I can take out a band of my own and slide inexorably into debt, or I can go out solo and take my chances. Except that's no choice. Most of my recent material doesn't translate to the accoustic guitar (let alone piano), so the act has become stale to the point that I won't accept any more gig offers for solo shows.

So you see, if someone gives you an opportunity to make a good living for a year without violating your musical ethics (or HAVING to play Beatle songs), and throws in the ability to retain your own identity and perform your own material and possibly create new fans, well, what choice do you have, really? The schedule even gives me plenty of time to record a new solo project, so what's the problem? If my working musician's decision offends you, start calling the DJs and beg them to stop playing all that TR music that's in such heavy rotation.

...a little more

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I contributed to a pancreatic cancer charity when I heard about his untimely passing because there was nothing else one could do.

People who knew Ben seemed to love him and in the few interviews with him that I heard, he came across as kind and smart.

I thought Elliot Easton's guitar added a lot to the Cars. I'm sorry to hear about what he's been doing.

Aerosmith was part of a lineup of stars that played at the $10 million Bat Mitzvah of the daughter of a Long Island arms dealer who supplied defective body armor to our soldiers in Iraq.

eom

You just made my Sunday. :hi:

:rofl:

Ok, not really... but he is an extremely gifted writer, player and producer!

but in any case, thanks for the post!

Todd fans have a saying, "Todd is Godd" so who better to comment on the subject? ;-) .

:) Merry Christmas!

Reminds me of the time my oldest girl came home from Junior High and asked me if I knew Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings.

I feel old tonight.

She was raised as Todd's until she found out Steven was her father, so I'd call him much more than a stepdad too.

Someone have an address? I've got some songs for him if he's running out :)

And YES UTOPIA was/is one of the best.. I'll never forget that Bass, "laughing" at me right in the middle of one of the songs -- of course I was smelling "yellow", and tasting colors during that time period :)