The breakup
album. Actually, the partial breakup album. This is one of those LP’s recorded
under the influence of the circumstances. Two events impacted straight into the
process of creating this album. First, the explosion of Punk, with its shock
wave hitting the music industry, redefining many of the concepts that sustained
it. While some old school artists were favored by Disco music in order to keep "cool"
their careers, others (comes to mind "Some Girls" by The Stones)
decided to adopt the manners of Punk, going back to basics, to recordings
stripped of all artifice, straight to the point. Mainly, Punk was a philosophy,
"do it yourself" and who better than Todd Rundgren himself to prove
it, not in vain he pioneered this attitude towards music. The following
circumstance orbiting this disc is the breakup of the genius from Philadelphia
with Bebe Buell. A Partial breakup, because even though the former Playboy
model had become the official groupie of the stars of Punk and New Wave, she
was still living under the same roof with him, sheltering pregnant with the
future film diva and daughter of Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) Liv Tyler.
Recorded in
his home studio, located in Mink Hollow Road (hence the title), this album is a
return to his early records, especially close to the pop spirit of "Runt.
The Ballad Of Todd Rundgren "and ends up being the first one in which he handles
all instrumentation (sometimes rudimentary, e.g. percussion) since Something /
Anything? only (only?) contains three sides recorded alone in his living room.
From the cover Rundgren stares at us with a heartbroken, tired and more mature look.
Gone are the nights at Max's Kansas City, the multicolored hair, the peyote, the excessive Prog Rock of Utopia and the Surreal
Psychedelia of AWATS, now is time to rest and rethink things. Todd feels
depressed and needs to purge a few wounds recording an album as a therapy. And
the result is worth it.
Divided
into two sides (The Easy Side / The Difficult Side) at the request of the
company, fearful of scaring the public (?), the grooves on this piece of vinyl
contain some of the best moments of Rundgren's career. In my absolutely not
humble opinion, this album is an almost wintry Christmas album, because it
begins really jovial with "All The Children Sing", but quickly it
gets tempered with sadness, longing for
the loved ones, impotence against all injustice in the world ... "Can We
Still Be friends?" asks Todd in the second cut. Obviously dedicated to
Bebe Buell, this ballad is the Hit Single from the album; similar in cadence
and subject to "Hello It's Me", reflects on the possibility of
maintaining an already broken relationship based solely on friendship.
"Hurting For You" is the reproach of the heartbroken lover to the
other person; a song of quiet court, topped with a Todd R. trademark guitar
solo, demure but not without virtuosity plus intensity, and the arrangements of
the synthesizer make an approach to the nascent New Wave. "Too Far
Gone" is a total return to S/A period Rundgren, with its playful rhythm
and lyrics that express the feeling of being lost, too lost to return. Todd has
always distinguished himself by a, sometimes absurd, peculiar sense of humor
and he didn’t fail to prove it on this album. This gives us
"Onomatopoeia", a song as silly as fun that shows us what Todd can do
with his new toys for the studio. "Determination" closes "the easy
side" of the album, making it clear that, above all, Rundgren is a pop
artist able to compete with the new trends reprising his skill as a composer of
perfect pop singles.
The
difficult side opens with "Bread" a tremendous song that shows his
distress at the unfairness of a life of hunger and indifference, the simple
arrangements and precise percussion transport us to a sometimes hidden reality.
That reality is portrayed as a sad eyed ballad in the next cut, "Bag
Lady" with Todd on sax and providing himself languid background vocals, almost
bursting into tears of impotence. "You Cried Wolf", sister to
"Wolfman Jack" is a Soul tinted song, ideal for exchanging
instruments when performed live, so the "hermit" could play (with
very few resources) drums; the saxophone
again and cartoon like background vocals arrange a song which is just right, nothing
more. If Rundgren had substituted the next cut, "Lucky Guy" for its
demo version, it would have benefited the album; being a ballad that reaches a remarkably
high score, a reheated synthesizer solo should have been removed. That does not
matter, because when the next cut "Out Of Control" comes in, he reminds
us that, when he wants to, Todd can rock hard and he lets his hair hang loose in
this really good proto-punk tune. The last song from an album is as important
as the opening one. How does this awesome album end? Easy to answer. With an
outstanding song entitled "Fade Away" built upon lyrics so full of
hope and some echo reversed arrangements so successful that really make you fade
before such talent.
If you are
one of those people who like to listen to records when the sun sets and the
temperature drops, or has gone through a breakup, or just have good taste in
music and wants to expand, buy this album and enjoy it. I recommend it to all
my friends. And this year is the 35th anniversary of its publication. Hope
you like it.
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