Ever Popular Tortured

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Remastered U.K. reissue of Rundgren's 1983 album, complete with the original cover art & all of the original tracks intact from when it was first issued on Bearsville. 'The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect' contains nine tracks, including the hit 'Bang

Tracks:

Hideaway
Influenza
Don't Hurt Yourself
There Goes Your Baybay
Tin Soldier
Emperor Of The Highway
Bang The Drum All Day
Drive
Chant

Customer Reviews:

A melting pot, sorta.......2005-06-29

I think I read that Todd kind of tossed this one off to fulfill a contractual obligation, which explains its sorted nature. This feels more like a collection of songs than an album (the complete opposite of its predecessor, the outstanding "Healing").

Thus, you have everything from mid-tempo, introspective rockers ("Drive", which sounds Utopian if you know what I mean) to lighthearted, Gilbert & Sullivan styled novelty songs ("Emperor of the Highway").

In fact, most of Todd's albums have some sort of goofy pop song that helps lighten the overall mood, and show off his sense of humor ("Piss Aaron", "An Elpee's Worth of Toons", "Onomatopoeia", etc.) And actually, this album has another one - "Bang on the Drum". Eventually, one of those novelty songs had to catch on! Although it's sad that many people only know Todd for that goofy (albeit catchy and fun) song!

There is more serious stuff to be found, however. "Influenza" is a synth-heavy ballad with a bossa nova beat (thus was a natural fit for his "With a Twist" project). "There Goes Your Baybay" is another pop-ish ballad with an even more overt bossa nova/salsa beat. The breakup ballad "Don't Hurt Yourself" also works well, and would've fit in perfectly on "The Hermit of Mink Hollow".

He also randomly covers "Tin Soldier", by The Small Faces..a song which I've never heard, so I can't say much to compare them. I like Todd's, but I'm not gaga over it or anything.

Then, there's the opener and closer: "Hideaway" and "Chant", respectively. The latter is a beat heavy, "let's love, not fight" type protest-pop song (perhaps a leftover from Utopia's "Swing to the Right"). It's not exactly "Love is the Answer", but it's pretty catchy, and fit well on his No World Order tour.

The former is a song that I always tend to forget about, but everytime I hear it, it just blows me away. Good enough to be in my Top 10 Todd songs, perhaps. Just a fantastic pop song with Todd on the top of his game in all forms. Great melody, great hook, great vocals. Proves that a pop song can be reflective and serious, yet blissfully catchy at the same time. Todd's a master at it!

Since this is long out of print, the price (about $25) is pretty steep for a short (35 minute) record that is probably in my bottom 3 of all of Todd's albums. The songs all range from good (most) to superb (one, really). But like I said before, it has that random, 'stopgag' feel to it. So I'd probably recommend it to hardcore Todd fans only, even though there's some really good stuff on here.

Fast, cheap, and overlooked.......2001-05-15

If my CD clock is right, this is Todd's shortest album. It's also underrated, if only because it's a stopgap between albums of extreme experimentation, "Healing" and "A Capella". It's a lot like "Hermit of Mink Hollow" from about a half-decade earlier, except fortified with more synthesizers and production values. And the songs are all pretty terrific (with the exception of "Chant," which just gets too hyperactive for my personal tastes). "Hideaway" and "There Goes Your Baybay" are full of the pop style Todd couldn't divorce himself from if he tried. "Drive" is my personal favorite arena-rocker of his. If there's one short-coming it's the somewhat muddy production -- there's a whole lot of treble noises competing for that one frequency, and sometimes they just step over each other. But you can still hear the songwriting.

And yes, this is the album that contains "Bang the Drum All Day," which became a major sports-arena staple more than ten years after its release.

don't listen to these former reviews; Todd is GOD!.......2000-07-20

I've listened to this album thousands of times; while the former reviews are correct that an ameature runt shouldn't start here, this is a GREAT album (and I have all of them) with the strongest song being "Drive". (That song gets my blood flowing in the morning!)

Not his best, but has some nice moments...........1999-11-11

Ok, this is NOT the place to start for first time Rundgren listeners (try Something/Anything?, Hermit of Mink Hollow or Nearly Human for that) but for all the negative comments on this disc, it does contain some fine moments. "Hideaway" and "Influenza" are wonderful pop tunes. Rundgren said he put little effort into this recording but sometimes the distance he puts between himself and the material makes some great (if not essential) pop music.

Please don't judge him on this one!.......1999-09-12

As a HUGE Todd fan, this is the one I never listen to. He made a comment later that this CD was an experiment to put "as little effort into a recording, yet still make a record". It showed! TR's vocals are very thin and he's oversinging, trying to extract something/anything out of these lame songs. Lazy production didn't add to the charm as it did on some of his earlier efforts and Bang The Drum would be TR's darkest moment, even though the song made him money as an FM jingle. If you think you may like Todd, buy Hermit Of Mink Hollow, Something/Anything, Second Wind or even the Anothology is a nice package. Sorry, this one's a dog!

Tracks:

Hideaway
Influenza
Don't Hurt Yourself
There Goes Your Baybay
Tin Soldier
Emperor of the Highway
Bang the Drum All Day
Drive
Chant

Album Description

Remastered U.K. reissue of Rundgren's 1983 album, complete with the original cover art & all of the original tracks intact from when it was first issued on Bearsville. 'The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect' contains nine tracks, including the hit 'Bang

Average customer rating:

The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect
Todd Rundgren
Manufacturer: Jvc Victor
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Power Pop | Rock | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Hermit of Mink Hollow
Healing

ASIN: B000FIHCO4
Release Date: 2006-07-10

Tracks:

Hideaway
Influenza
Don't Hurt Yourself
There Goes Your Baybay
Tin Soldier
Emperor of the Highway
Bang the Drum All Day
Drive
Chant

Album Details

Special 20bit K2 Japanese Limited Edition Issue of the Album Classic in a Deluxe, Miniaturized LP Sleeve Replica of the Original Vinyl Album Artwork.

Average customer rating:

Essential Todd

Ever Popular Tortured
Todd Rundgren
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000JG7F

Tracks:

Hideaway
Influenza
Don't Hurt Yourself
There Goes Baybay
Tin Soldier
Emperor Of The Highway
Bang The Drum All Day
Drive
Chant

Album Description

Customer Reviews:

Essential Todd.......2000-05-01

Even though Todd made this album as a throwaway to fulfill a contractual committment, over time it emerges as one of his best. Lots of harmonies, clever lyrics, great self-production and playing, simply an enjoyable album from a legendary pop genius.

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