Runt. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren

I was disappointed with it. Todd's voice is off key IMO. Runt is much better. It can't even be compared to his masterpiece Something Anything.

I use to listen to this entire 8 track tape in my room in 74...I endured a lot early teenage angst thanks to Todd... Then I graduated to Todd Rundgrens Utopia via a friend...

Wailing Wall, Boat on the Charles, A Long Time, a Long Way to Go are the standouts here. A deceptively sophisticated pop songwriter a la McCartney (at his early solo best) and the great Jimmy Webb.

You probably think of Todd Rundgren as a shredding guitarist, but the piano ballads on 1971's Ballad of Todd Rundgren are simply devastating. These sensative and mature songs pick up where Laura Nyro's first album left off and have all the earmarkings of what would later solidify Rundgren as one of the most coveted producers of the '70s; perfectly pitched and placed harmonies, gracefully oscillating Hammonds and pumping Clavs as well as several other idiosyncratic instrumentations that date well to modern ears. "The Ballad," "Be Nice to Me," "Range War," "Wailing Wall" and "Hope I'm Around" are all moving, intricately crafted ballads that form the crux of the album. For those who are ballad wary (an irrational fear if you've ever heard a Rundgren ballad), there is a variation of material here as well. "Long Flowing Robe" will have you singing along after the second chorus and "Parole" rocks hard. Unexplainably, this album (once an Ampex cutout along with the underrated "Runt") has seen periods of being out of print. Todd Rundgren's growing legacy is sure to see that this won't happen again and hopefully "The Ballad" will rightfully secure its place in the pop annals.

This is one of the finest Albums I have ever heard. It shows Rundgrens mastery of the art of songwriting. The attention to detail in his vocal and harmonic arrangements are laser sharp. This guy is a true genius. Sorry I never got to hear this album until now considering it was released in 1972. Anyone wanting to learn songwriting should study this album....

You really can't go wrong with the completeness of this series of songs. Though I pick out my favorites, you can really enjoy listening in sequence start to end. There is a song cycle here. Boat on the Charles, Wailing Wall, are so sad and beautiful. And you can't get a more bitter break-up song than Hope I'm Around! This is a great album.

This is an amazing album. The year here is 1970 and the freshness of the tunes rings true today. Rundgren is an often forgotten musical master, from producer to writer to guitarist. This album is even more interesting as it rests in the Rundgren canon. Elegant and subtle, it really sounds like nothing else he has created. Worth every pennie!