Todd Rundgren
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DECEMBER 2011 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM REVIEWS DVDHOLE TNobody’sODD RUNDGREN Daughter [Universal] Todd [S’More Entertainment] The first album released under the Hole moniker since 1998’s Celebrity Skin is really frontwoman Courtney Love’sLast year Todd Rundgren delighted fans by performing a series of second solo album—co-founder,shows featuring three of his most beloved albums—1973’s A Wizard, A songwriter and lead guitaristTrue Star, 1974’s Todd and 1981’s Healing—in their entirety. This DVD Eric Erlandson isn’t involved,captures a run-through of Todd staged in September at the historic nor is any other previous Hole member. So it’s Love andKeswick three Theater in Rundgren’s hometown of Philadelphia, and it sizzles ringers on 11 new songs—10with the same progressive spirit the original double-LP had nearly of which Love wrotethree with decades ago. By 1974, Rundgren was fitting his pop tunes with collaborators like Billy Corgan,enchanting, Linda Perry Disney-esque and new sonic enhancements of the sort that might guitarist Micko Larkin. (Perry gets full credit on one tune, “Letter to God.”) spring from a child’s imagination. As performed here, such beautifully Much of the riveting intensitymelodic of the pop group’s constructs 1990s as “A Dream Goes on Forever,” “I Think You heyday appears to haveKnow” left along and with “Sidewalk her former Café”Daniel Jackson drive home his artful way with a synthesizer. bandmates, but there areAt fl ashes the hereother of theend snarling of the spectrumToo often, are though,the prog-metal the slower songs guitar trip herexcursions. up. While once fury Love deployed to suchRundgren’s devastating six-stringeffect back workin the day.on thethey thunderous were showcases “Everybody’s for harrowing Going displays to of nakedHeaven/ emotion, She spits out her vocals with vengeful disdain on “Skinny Little Love sounds more dispassionate these days. The production Bitch,” overdriven guitarsKing roiling Kong atop Reggae”an elastic bassline and the that punning doesn’t “No. help—the 1 Lowest songs have Common an airless, Denominator”sanded-down feel that speeds up as the song evidenceraces toward a a deep climatic love pile-up of atHendrix. the doesn’t Between fi t with her the visceral sprightly persona. pop Courtney and Love’sthe heavy tumultuous end. She shifts tempos androckers attitude lies on the a moremiddle contemplative ground thathistory includes suggests such that she songs has a ascompelling “The Last story Ride,”to tell, and “Pacifi c Coast Highway,”which taking stock still assounds layers of likeacoustic a great and lostperhaps Philly-soul she does. It’sclassic, just not theand one the she’s playful, telling on near- Nobody’s electric guitars chug alongnovelty behind ditty her. “An Elpee’s Worth ofDaughter Toons.”. –Eric Backing R. Danton Rundgren is a stellar band that includes the Cars’ Greg Hawkes, the Tubes’ Prairie Prince, Utopia’s COURT YARD HOUNDS A side project of new offering suggested that its creator was a few strides closer to Kasim Sulton, Dixiesaxophonist Chicks’ Martie Bobby crafting Strickland something truly and monumental Strat-player in both musicalextraordinaire and social terms. Court Yard HoundsJesse Gress, eachMaguire of and whom Emily bringsThis cold a andjoyous private spirit set isn’t to it, althoughthe proceedings. that’s probably due The more to [Columbia] Robison, Court Yard personal circumstances than anything related to talent. Wainwright fact that they—andHounds Rundgren—make delivers wrote All this Days adventurous Are Nights while and his mother, eclectic Kate McGarrigle,material was sound of a piecemuch-anticipated is some sort ofdying wizardry, of cancer, indeed. and there –RHis a quiet, complex sadness even in its insight—both musical and personal—into the sisters who have less autobiographical material. There’s nothing here except piano for so long ceded center stage to Chicks singer Natalie Maines. and vocal, and Wainwright doesn’t project his words in the way Though steeped in familiar instrumentation, the album offers little we’ve come to expect from him. Instead of serenading the person of the barn-burning brashness that made the Chicks famous (save in the farthest corner of a packed theater, he’s singing to himself in perhaps the gutsy “Ain’t No Son”). Instead, its delicate folk-pop an otherwise empty room. –David Styburski prettiness perfectly suits Robison’s more-than-capable voice and the jumble of emotions, sunny and melancholy, that emerge in a song Ozomatli’s music has been called a collision cycle inspired by her 2008 divorce. Maguire’s weeping fi ddle and OZOMATLI of styles, a cultural mash-up, and a 20-car seamless harmonies are welcome as always, and her one turn on pileup of genres. It’s also some of the most lead vocals (“Gracefully”) is so warmly affecting that listeners may joyfully energetic music you’ll ever hear. On wish she stepped to the mic more often. Court Yard Hounds ably its fi fth album, the L.A.-based band stirs its demonstrates that, whether with their fellow Dixie Chick or without, blend of salsa, ska, samba, funk, and hip-hop ‘Somethese ladies’ talent sortruns deep. –Katieof Dodd wizardry indeed.’ in ways few groups could conceive. Imagine Fire Away tossing the English Beat, Herb Alpert and the For a dozen years, the [Mercer Street/Downtown] Tijuana Brass, Caetano Veloso, and Sly and RUFUS arrangements on Rufus the Family Stone into a magical blender and Wainwright’s albums got you get some sense of Ozomatli’s eclectic approach. High points WAINWRIGHT busier and his sometimes on their latest, Fire Away, include “Are You Ready?,” a horn-and- All Days Are Nights: Songs naughty, occasionally percussion-driven blast of salsa-fl avored ska; “Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah,” for Lulu angry declarations of gay an exultant Latin pop anthem fi tted with shrieking sax; and “Gay Vatos [Decca] pride got louder. Each in Love,” a rockabilly-tinged tune with a soaring chorus. Even when 70 MAY 2010 DECEMBER 2011 M MUSIC & MUSICIANS MAGAZINE M3_v10.indd 70 5/14/10 3:37 AM.