Runt

The were a number of terrific and/or important albums released in 1970 from:

   John Lennon: John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band
   George Harrison...All Things Must Pass
   The Rolling Stones...Sticky Fingers
   Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young...Deja Vu
   Simon & Garfunkel...Bridge Over Troubled Waters etc. etc.

...and those were just the biggies. Todd Rundgren's first solo album was not in that class, not in the slightest!

Todd Rundgren Runt

Todd Rundgren: Runt

Runt is a low-key, modest effort, hobbled together in down-time from studios where he was booked as a producer or engineer and though it produced a minor hit, We Gotta Get You A Woman,

"...Leroy, boy, is that you?
I thought your post-hangin days were through
Sunken eyes and full of sighs
Tell no lies, you get wise
I tell you now were gonna pull you through
Theres only one thing left that we can do

We gotta get you a woman
It's like nothin else to make you feel sure youre alive..."

We Gotta Get You A Woman

...Runt was largely ignored. These days, Runt is of interest to Todd fans only, with 3 tracks of particular interest for me:

Believe In Me...a young man's sensitive ballad that's still surprisingly fresh

"...You and me, we're both the same
Don't let me take all the blame
I promise that I will do all it takes
To make up for my mistakes

So I'm trying hard to be the man
And it's not a hard thing to understand
For I think that my being would cease to be
If you didn't believe in me..."

Believe In Me

I'm In The Clique...in which Todd shows his Zappa-like satirical side, sending up the music industry &

There Are No Words...a brave acapella instrumental that has a claim to fame of perhaps being Rock's first ambient track

...together, they give tentative glimpses of the artist Todd was to become. It's all there, the ambition, the bravery, the humor and no-one who heard Runt back in 1970 should have been surprised by anything that Todd has done since.

Todd Rundgren: Runt

Todd Rundgren: Runt"...One of the best Paul McCartney albums that McCartney never made..." Amazon reviewer The Footpath Cowboy "rockerusa2002"

"...It's not slick and over-produced at all, just some excellent songs from a unique talent. In today's world this album would have never seen the light of day but back in those heady days anything was possible and Mr. Rundgren proved it with this collection of songs..." Amazon reviewer Rollie Anderson

"...One of the best selling points of this disc is how well most of the songs have survived the test of time. Many rock stars have come and gone since this recording was released but Todd Rundgren aptly demonstrates with this disc why he is one of the few surviving purveyors of alternative rock still around..." Amazon reviewer Rod L. Hale

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