Todd Rundgren - The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect (Limited edition)
ORDER LIMITED TO ONE ITEM PER CUSTOMER
Todd Rundgren - all vocals and instruments [click here to see more vinyl featuring Todd Rundgren]
Written by Todd Rundgren (A1-4, B2-5)
1 LP, Gatefold Cover
Limited edition
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33RPM
Size : 12”
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : unspecified
Label : Friday Music
Original Label : Bearsville
Recorded at Utopia Sound, Lakehill, New York
Engineered & mixed by Todd Rundgren
Produced by Todd Rundgren
Remastered by Joe Reagoso & Kevin Gray
Originally released in 1982
Reissued in 2013
Tracks:
Side A :
- Hideaway
- Influenza
- Don't Hurt Yourself
- There Goes Your Baybay
Side B :
- Tin Soldier
- Emperor of the Highway
- Bang the Drum All Day
- Drive
- Chant
Reviews :
"As the early '80s continued to unfold, Todd Rundgren grew increasingly disenchanted with Bearsville, especially since the label wasn't supporting Utopia. He wrangled the band free in 1982, but he still had to deliver solo records to Bearsville. Not entirely pleased with the situation, Rundgren hammered out a collection of pop songs on his own, cynically titling the effort The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect. In later years, Rundgren disavowed the album, but it stands as one of his better collections of pop songs, even if it lacks a theme or a unifying sound. There are a fair share of throwaways, not only coming in the expected form of covers (a fine but pointless remake of the Small Faces' "Tin Soldier") and Gilbert & Sullivan parodies ("Emperor of the Highway"), but also in the monumentally silly "Bang the Drum All Day," which not only became a hit, but a hit that refused to die, lasting as a radio staple into the late '90s. These three songs are anomalies on Tortured Artist, which for the most part is pure pop and pop-soul, delivered with little fuss or pretention. There's also little deep meaning to the songs themselves, which is quite unusual for Rundgren, yet the best tunes -- "Hideaway," "Influenza," "There Goes Your Baybay," "Drive," "Chant" -- are indelible, irresistible pop confections that prove Rundgren can be quite involving, even when he's not trying his hardest." AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Ratings :
AllMusic : 4 / 5 , Discogs : 3,67 / 5