"Something/Anything?" by TODD RUNDGREN (2014 Edsel 'Deluxe Edition' Book Pack CD Reissue and Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...I Saw The Light..."

Originally released in the Spring of 1972 as a double-album on Bearsville Records - "Something/Anything?" proved what many had already known – after 3 albums with Sixties songsters NAZZ and two fine solo efforts in 1970 and 1971 – singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Todd Rundgren was ready to drop the artistic motherlode. And he did it with style. Even now – 42 years after I first held its wondrous gatefold in my grubby Dublin paws – It still gives me a buzz just to look at it. Much like this lovely packaging upgrade. Here are the faithful details…

UK released 19 May 2014 (27 May in the USA) - "Something/Anything?" by TODD RUNDGREN on Edsel EDSK 7070 (Barcode 740155707033) is a 2CD reissue of their October 2011 Expanded Version - only this time it’s in a case bound Hardback Book:

Disc 1 – Parts 1 and 2 (43:13 minutes):

1. I Saw The Light

2. It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference

3. Wolfman Jack

4. Cold Morning Light

5. It Takes Two To Tango (This Is For The Girls)

6. Sweeter Memories

7. Intro [Part 2]

8. Breathless

9. The Night The Carousel Burnt Down

10. Saving Grace Marlene

11. Song Of The Viking

12. I Went To The Mirror

Disc 2 – Parts 3 and 4 (52:03 minutes):

1. Black Maria

2. One More Day (No Word)

3. Couldn’t I Just Tell You

4. Torch Song

5. Little Red Lights

6. Overture – My Roots [Part 4]

7. Dust In The Wind

8. Piss Aaron

9. Hello, It’s Me

10. Some Folks Is even Whiter Than Me

11. You Left Me Sore

12. Slut

”Something/Anything?” by TODD RUNDGREN was released as a 2LP set February 1972 in the USA on Bearsville 2BX 2066 and May 1972 in the UK on Bearsville K 65501

13. It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference (Bearsville Sound Studio B)

14. Something/Anything Promos 1-6

Tracks 13 and 14 are BONUSES

The 36-page attached booklet within has liner notes by Paul Myers from his superb tome "A Wizard, A True Star – Todd Rundgren In The Studio" and is an excellent read. The gatefold sleeve to the Bearsville vinyl album is here (inside and out) – as are the insert photos and lyrics. The hard card case bound book has a details sticker on the outer shrink-wrap that easily peels off (if you want to attach it to the book cover).

There is no new remaster that I can hear – this is the Edsel October 2011 version - that in itself was a Peter Rynston UK master using the 1993 American Rhino remasters. The sound is superb throughout with some tracks like "It Takes Two To Tango" and the Side 2 instrumental "Breathless" sounding amazing. The two extras are actually worth having – a studio demo of the lovely ballad "It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference" while the Promo clips turn out to be fab Acapella snippets of tracks especially recorded for advert purposes. While the cool-looking book packaging is a rather lovely thing to behold…

The huge hit was of course "I Saw The Light" – but just as good is "Cold Morning Light" (a B-side to "Hello It's Me" in the UK in January 1974) and "Torch Song" with its pianos somehow aching like tears. There are some turkeys – the crappy metal of "Little Red Lights" and the demo mess that is "Overture…" is unlistenable to me now. But my overriding feeling is that the whole shebang is just so musical – proper songs – fast or slow – he hit the nail more often than not. Rundgren would follow this with the equally brill but different single LP "A Wizard, A True Star" in 1973.

If you’ve been on the fence about this man and his music – this is where to start the journey to your inner Runt...

PS: see also my reviews for "Runt", "A Wizard, A True Star", "Todd", "Todd Rundgren's Utopia", "Initiation" and "Hermit of Mink Hollow" 

"A Wizard, A True Star" by TODD RUNDGREN (2014 Edsel Deluxe Edition Book Pack Reissue/Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…Le Feel Internacionale..."

Coming after the double-album artistic high of "Something/Anything?" in March 1972 – in the eyes of most fans June 1973’s single LP "A Wizard, A True Star" only cemented Rundgren’s genius even more. It was psychedelic, fun, melodic and more adventurous than the double that preceded it – and it was cool too. It’s hardly surprising therefore that Edsel have chosen it as one of many Todd Rundgren albums worth celebrating with a packaging (book pack) upgrade. Here are the Zen Archer details…

UK released 19 May 2014 (27 May in the USA) - "A Wizard, A true Star" by TODD RUNDGREN on Edsel EDSA 5028 (Barcode 740155502836) is a single CD reissue of their October 2011 Expanded Version - only this time it’s in a limited edition Hardback Book cover (56:00 minutes).

1. International Feel

2. Never Never Land

3. Tic Tic Tic It Wears Off

4. You Need Your Head

5. Rock And Roll Pussy

6. Dogfight Giggle

7. You Don’t Have To Camp Around

8. Flamingo

9. Zen Archer

10. Just Another Onion Head - Da Da Dali

11. When The Shit Hits The Fan - Sunset Blvd.

12. La Feel Internacionale

13. Sometimes I Don’t Know What To Feel [Side 2]

14. Does Anybody Love You

15. Medley: (a) I’m So Proud (b) Ooh Baby Baby (c) La La Means I Love You (d) Cool Jerk [Impressions, Miracles, Delfonics and The Capitols]

16. Hungry For Love

17. I Don’t Want To Tie You Down

18. Is It My Name?

19. Just One Victory

Tracks 1 to 19 are the vinyl album “A Wizard, A True Star” – released June 1973 in the USA on Bearsville BR 2133 and in the UK on Bearsville K 45513.

The attached booklet within has liner notes by Paul Myers from his superb tome "A Wizard, A True Star – Todd Rundgren In The Studio" and is an excellent read. The gatefold sleeve to the Bearsville vinyl album is here – as is the lyric insert that came with original copies. Unfortunately the barely legible hand-written details and lyrics on that page insert are now shrunk – and even more unreadable. The hard card case bound book has a details sticker on the outer shrink-wrap that easily peels off (if you want to attach it to the book cover).

There is no new remaster that I can hear – this is the Edsel October 2011 version - that in itself was a PETER RYNSTON UK master using the 1993 American Rhino remasters. Don’t get me wrong – the sound is superb – but the only real upgrade here is the packaging - which is a rather lovely thing to behold…

Producing and playing every instrument whilst being (admittedly) stoned out of his tiny fuzzed-up mind – “Wizard’s” various 19 tracks sound like a splurge – but a good one at that. “Zen Archer”, “Le Feel Internacionale”, “Sometimes I Don’t Know What To Feel”, “I Don’t Want To Tie You Down” and the fabulous upbeat glory to “Just One Victory” – it’s all so melodic and trippy cool. Tracks like “You Don’t Have To Camp Around” and “Rock And Roll Pussy” with their one-minute madness can admittedly irritate and the four-cover-versions medley of 10 minutes may overstay its welcome somewhat especially when it gets into the mad “Cool Jerk” end piece (David Sanborn, Mike & Randy Brecker guest on Horns) - but the melodies are all gorgeous. And at a playing time of 56 minutes – the original vinyl LP was always a compromise as a listening experience – so the remaster alters all of that – and so much for the better. The “...gimme gimme gimme...” piano and guitar of “Hungry For Love” segues into the gorgeous piano warmth of “I Don’t Want To Let You Down” – one of the albums true masterpieces of melody. It ends on a song that is somehow now synonymous with Rundgren - the anthemic hope of “Just One Victory” – a tune that would melt the hardest of hearts – especially in a live setting.

Rundgren would release the massively disappointing double album “Todd” next in May 1974 - but would regain his crown with November 1974’s “Todd Rundgren’s Utopia” which was an entirely Prog Rock album - and is a masterpiece of the genre in my eyes – especially the astonishing 30-minute Side 2 opus “The Ikon”.

"A Wizard, A True Star" won't be everyone's cup of Darjeeling for sure and some may feel that in 2015 it's rather dated now. But for me this is a very cool reissue indeed – and from here its jump back Jack to "Something/Anything?" for more of the Toddster's glory daze… 

"Todd" by TODD RUNDGREN (May 2014 Edsel 'Deluxe Book Edition Reissue' CD using 2011 Master) - A Review Of His 1974 Double LP on Bearsville Records by Mark Barry...

"...Join Me Within My Dream..."

Coming after the artistic high of "Something/Anything?" in 1972 (a double album) and "A Wizard, A True Star" in 1973 - March 1974's further 2LP effort "Todd" on Bearsville Records promised so much. But despite its size (written, played, engineered and produced by TR) - the two Elpee's worth of tunes delivered precious little of them. "Todd" landed with a huge disappointing thud - and in my mind has stayed there ever since. Here are the reissue details...

UK released 19 May 2014 (27 May in the USA) - "Todd" by TODD RUNDGREN on Edsel EDSA 5029 (Barcode 740155502935) is a 'Casebound Book Edition' single CD Reissue (and Remaster) of the March 1974 Double-Album originally on Bearsville Records with an additional Three Bonus Tracks. It plays out as follows (76:41 minutes)...

1. How About A Little Fanfare? [Side 1]

2. I Think You Know 

3. The Spark Of Life 

4. An Elpee's Worth of Tunes 

5. A Dream Goes On Forever 

6. Lord Chancellor's Nightmare Song 

7. Drunken Blue Rooster [Side 2]

8. The Last Ride 

9. Everybody's Going To Heaven/King Kong Reggae 

10. No. 1 Lowest Common Denominator [Side 3] 

11. Useless Begging 

12. Sidewalk Cafe 

13. Izzat Love?

14. Heavy Metal Kids 

15. In And Out The Chakras We Go (Formerly: Shaft Goes To Outer Space) [Side 4]

16. Don't You Ever Learn 

17. Sons Of 1984  

Tracks 1 to 17 are the double-album "Todd" - released March 1974 in the USA on Bearsville 2 BR 6592 and in the UK on Bearsville K 85501. 

BONUS TRACKS:

18. Ooh Baby Baby [Live Broadcast On WMMR-FM, 30 June 1971]

19. A Dream Goes On Forever [Live In St. Louis, 9 November 1974]

20. Do Ya [Live In St. Louis, 9 November 1974]

The expanded booklet within has liner notes by PAUL MYERS from his superb tome "A Wizard, A True Star – Todd Rundgren In The Studio" and is an excellent read. Lyrics are provided – but unfortunately the poster that accompanied the original vinyl double with a massive collage of fan names is AWOL (probably due to licensing reasons).

Five of the 17-songs are meandering instrumentals, two are vaudeville Gilbert & Sullivan pastiches and it ends on a live track (“Sons Of 1984”) that should have been a studio recording. The rest are a very mixed bag – the cod New York Dolls rock of "Heavy Metal Kids" irritates rather than pleases – but "I Think You Know" and "Do You Ever Learn" are good ballads. In truth the only real light in the tunnel is the gorgeous "A Dream Goes On Forever" which hankers back to the glory of the 1972 double "Something/Anything?" It was an obvious choice for a lead off 7" single (March 1974 USA on Bearsville BSV 0020 and May 1974 in the UK on Bearsville K 15515) - both countries sporting the unpleasant "Heavy Metal Kids" as its flipside. 

It's not all bad news though - the 3 bonus tracks are shockingly good. First up is a 30 June 1971 Live Broadcast for WMMR-FM in the USA – a cover of Smokey Robinson and The Miracles Motown classic "Ooh Baby Baby". It's properly gorgeous and makes me think of Rundgren's recent sessions with Daryl Hall on his Live From Daryl's House Internet broadcasts (and the arrangement Linda Ronstadt used when she covered it in 1978 for her "Back In The USA" album. That's followed by two more live cuts from a concert at St. Louis on 9 November 1974. He covers "Do Ya" by The Move - an obscure rocking Jeff Lynne B-side to "California Man" on Harvest Records in 1972.  And he plays a lovely keyboard version of "A Dream Lives On Forever" – complete with a witty intro about hit singles…

Rundgren would regain his crown with November 1974's "Todd Rundgren's Utopia" which was an entirely Prog Rock album and is a masterpiece of the genre in my eyes – especially the astonishing 30-minute Side 2 opus "The Ikon".

There are other releases using this Deluxe 'Casebound Book Edition' packaging – "Runt" (1970), "Something/Anything?" (1972), "A Wizard, A True Star" (1973), "Initiation" (1975) and "Hermit of Mink Hollow" (1978). 

As a double-album, you'd think that 1974's "Todd" would be ripe for reappraisal - but re-listening to it in May 2014 (in this admittedly gorgeous Deluxe Edition Book Pack upgrade) doesn't change my mind about it. Better to start with the aforementioned two and work towards the dream…

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“Live – The Final Tour” by JIM CROCE/MAURY MUEHLEISEN – A Review Of The Edsel 2012 CD Reissue And Remaster

Here is a link to Amazon UK to get this CD at the best price:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008BENFWC

“…Never Seen A Grape…” Live – The Final Tour by JIM CROCE

Made by a member in the audience of a Louisiana University 'sometime' in 1973 (it’s disputed whether or not its January or September 1973) – this CD was originally put out by Essential in 1999. It now receives a welcome reissue in 2012 on Edsel EDSS 1036 as a UK remaster (54:16 minutes - Barcode 740155103637).

On stage with guitar and vocals and accompanied by Maury Muehleisen on lead acoustic guitar and backing vocals – the sound quality varies from superb to weak (as you can imagine). It isn’t as bad as a bootleg - but it isn’t mixing desk quality either – with the acoustic guitar playing being weedy and thinny in places. But it is very clean and sonically acceptable – and in truth – the slight eavesdropping feel to the recording only to the obviously rambunctious atmosphere.

His dialogue to the audience before "Roller Derby Queen" is fabulous – literate – witty – confident – he goes on about getting drunk while dating a girl (dialogue above). The same happens with "Next Time, This Time" and pretty much every other tune in between. It builds a tangible repartee with the audience who laugh along and are clearly digging it. By the time he gets to his huge hit "You Don’t Mess Around With Jim" the crowd are clapping with gusto.

Two songs are new – his hilarious cover of The Coasters "Shopping For Clothes" and an English ballad called "Ball Of Kirriemuir" about 'four and twenty virgins…out on a Saturday night…' who are no longer very chaste come the boozy evening’s end.

JIM CROCE boarded a light aircraft on 20 September 1973 to get to a gig in Sherman in Texas  – the plane crashed on take off killing all six inside. He was only 30.

This lovely and timely reissue confirms what a truly tragic loss that was. 

"John B. Sebastian/The Four Of Us/Tarzana Kid/Welcome Back/BBC In Concert 1970 DVD" by JOHN SEBASTIAN (2014 Edsel 2CD/1DVD Reissue & Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry…

UK released February 2014 - "John B. Sebastian/The Four Of Us/Tarzana Kid/Welcome Back and BBC IN Concert DVD" by JOHN SEBASTIAN on Edsel EDSG 8039 (Barcode 740155803933) - this 2CD/1DVD triple features the four Reprise albums John Sebastian made after he left The Lovin' Spoonful in 1968. It also sports a Previously Unreleased Concert recorded for England’s BBC "In Concert" TV Program (broadcast 16 October 1970) that is approved by the artist himself and making its DVD debut here. Here is a stacked-up spoonful of loving details...

Disc 1 (75:57 minutes):

1. Red-Eye Express

2. She’s A Lady

3. What She Thinks About

4. Magical Connection

5. You’re A Big Boy Now

6. Rainbows All Over Your Blues

7. How Have You Been

8. Baby, Don’t Ya Get Crazy

9. The Room Nobody Lives In

10. Fa-fana-fa

11. I Had A Dream

Tracks 1 to 11 are his debut solo LP "John B. Sebastian" - release January 1970 in the USA on Reprise RS 6379 and April 1970 in the UK on Reprise RSLP 6379

12. Well Well Well

13. Black Snake Blues

14. I Don’t Want Nobody Else

15. Apple Hill

16. Black Satin Kid

17. We’ll See

18. Sweet Muse

19. The Four Of Us

Tracks 12 to 19 are his 2nd studio album "The Four Of Us" - released in the USA August 1971 on Reprise RS 2041 and Reprise K 44149 in the UK

Tracks 20 and 21 are "Give Us A Break" and "Music For People Who Don't Speak English" - released February 1972 - they are the non-album A&B sides of a USA 7" single on Reprise 1074

Disc 2 (63:25 minutes):

1. Sitting In Limbo

2. Friends Again

3. Dixie Chicken

4. Stories We Could Tell

5. Face Of Appalachia

6. Wild Wood Flower

7. Wild About My Lovin’

8. Singing The Blues

9. Sportin’ Life

10. Harpoon

Tracks 1 to 10 are his 3rd studio album "Tarzana Kid" - released in the USA September 1974 on Reprise MS 2187 and November 1974 in the UK on Bearsville K 54028

11. Hideaway

12. She’s Funny

13. You Go Your Way And I’ll Go Mine

14. Didn’t Wanna Have To Do It

15. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

16. Welcome Back

17. I Needed Her Most When I Told Her To Go

18. A Song A Day In Nashville

19. Warm Baby

20. Let This Be Our Time To Get Along

Tracks 11 to 20 are his 4th studio album "Welcome Back" - released in the USA April 1976 on Reprise MS 2249 and Reprise K 54074 in the UK

DVD “In Concert: John Sebastian Sings John Sebastian”

1. Lovin’ You

2. You’re A Big Boy Now

3. She’s A Lady

4. Rain On The Roof

5. Daydream

6. Jug Band Music

7. Goin’ To German

8. Nashville Cats

9. Improvisation On Harmonica

10. Darling Be Home Soon

The presentation on this reissue is top-notch - a four-way foldout digipak with a chunky 36-page booklet featuring recording details, lyrics, photos, an essay on his career by noted writer PAUL MYERS, pictures of the original album labels and even personal photos supplied by Catherine Sebastian. PHIL RYNSTON at Tall Order has done the mastering and the sound is uniformly great throughout.

The first album sounds amazing if not stylistically mixed up and out of time (recorded in 1968 but released until early 1970). The clarity on tracks is thrilling - "What She Thinks About" with Harmony Vocals by Graham Nash and my personal favourite - the trippy acoustic "How Have You Been" with Paul Harris later of Manassas on Harmonium. "Baby Don't Ya Get Crazy" is awful (even if it features Stephen Stills on Lead Guitar) but "I Had A Dream" ends the platter on a swirling upbeat note.

I've always thought the 2nd album was a massive improvement over the first opening with the bluesy Josh White cover "Well, Well, Well" which would later become "In My Time Of Dying" at the hands of Led Zeppelin on 1975's "Physical Graffiti". It continues with Clifton Chenier's "Black Snake Blues" - again in slide guitar boogie mode. "I Don't Want Nobody Else" intros like an Eddie Hinton song and is pure Sebastian Lovin' Spoonful melody - great stuff. After the pretty ditty "Apple Hill" - it's back to rocking on "Black Satin Kid". The piano of "Sweet Muse" sounds so clear now as does the acoustic guitar on the finisher title track. It's also a genuine blast to hear the non-album single "Give Us A Break" after all these years on a scratchy 45 - and with its superb instrumental B-side "Music For People Who Don't Speak English" sounding not unlike a War outtake with Lee Oskar on Harmonica.

The "Tarzana Kid" album features a huge cast of guests and is the funkiest of the four - there's Russell DaShiell of The Don Harrison Band, Lowell George of Little Feat, Emmylou Harris, The Pointer Sisters, Ry Cooder, Phil Everly, Buddy Emmons on Pedal Steel and David Lindley on Fiddle. The lovely "Face Of Appalachia" is co-written with Lowell George and features his signature style of guitar playing - it's a nugget. The Traditional "Wild About My Lovin'" features a perfectly complimentary Ry Cooder giving it some cool Mandolin and Slide. And I've often put the Rock-Funky instrumental "Harpoon" on many a 70's FEST CD-R compilation (always has folks asking after it).

The opener for album number four "Hideaway" sounds like Dave Edmunds while the title track "Welcome Back" became an unlikely US number 1 on the back of a John Travolta TV program called Welcome Back, Kotter. It's all a bit poppy on "She's Funny" but gets better on "You Go Your Way And I'll Go Mine". He returns successfully to The Lovin' Spoonful's 1966 hit "Didn't Want To Have To Do It" by making it slower but still as lovely. The melody of "I Needed Her Most When I Told Her To Go" is so The Band - and in a good way.  Jeff Baxter plays Pedal Steel on the country "A Song A Day In Nashville" will tickle Gram Parsons fans. It ends nicely on the harmonica and strings of "Let This Be Our Time To Get Along" - as lovely a song as he's even penned.

But while the music may be 4 out of 5 - what gives this reissue that extra star is the real prize - the DVD. Stood alone in front of an appreciative and tiny British audience (maybe 30 people) - Sebastian is dressed in tie-dye shirt and trousers and enthusiastically works his way through new songs and a few Spoonful classics like "Rain On The Roof" and a storming version of "Daydream". He switches between acoustic, electric acoustic and electric lead - holding the stage easily and having great fun and banter with the crowd. He even puts in a fabulous Harmonica Solo towards the end and wraps it all up with a superlative rendition of the Spoonful's beautiful "Darling Be Home Soon". Defaulted to Full Aspect - the picture quality is great considering it's been in the can for 43 years. There's no extras on here - but man what a find - it's a real jewel in this reissue's crown.

It's not all genius by any means - there are clunkers on the CDs - and his mid Seventies voice was never the most emotive nor effective. But there is also so much to admire. This is impressive stuff - and you have to say that Edsel have done John Sebastian's musical legacy a solid with this superb release. Well done to all involved...