Music Review: Todd Rundgren, At The BBC 1972 – 1982

By Jeffery X Martin

There’s something about performing at the British Broadcasting Company that brings out the best in musicians. Perhaps it’s because the BBC is such a venerable institution that the very idea of screwing up there is abhorrent to entertainers. It certainly brought out the best in Todd Rundgren and his band, Utopia, as is evidenced by the new four-disc set from Cherry Red, Todd Rundgren at the BBC 1972 – 1982.

Each disc showcases Rundgren in a different section of his career, starting with the release of his third solo album, Something/Anything. Rundgren has always been a talker on stage, and his banter is often one of the most entertaining parts of a show. The first disc is taken up mostly by a BBC Radio One concert. It’s an interesting show, featuring Rundgren solo on piano, with some pre-recorded backing vocal tracks. He also engages the audience a lot, in a way that can sometimes sound condescending. During the song, “Piss Aaron,” he asks if there is such a thing as school lunch in England. Sigh. It’s a fine performance, though, especially “It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference,” which comes across as especially poignant. The last two tracks on the first disc are a couple of obscure Utopia tracks, the highlight being “The Seven Rays.”

Disc two is pure Utopia fan service. Recorded in 1975, this show is filled with deep cuts, saving the only two songs that could be considered “hits” for the end. Before that, listeners are treated to a set list of favorites, including “Freedom Fighters,” “Heavy Metal Kids,” and a double whammy off of A Wizard, A True Star, “Sunset Boulevard” and “Le Feel Internacionale.” It’s obvious the band is having a good time during this gig, with each member of the band getting his own spotlight song. The highlight of the disc is Utopia’s rave-up version of “Do Ya,” a song made famous by The Move and Electric Light Orchestra. Talented mimics, Utopia pulls off a decent ELO impression. They give the song a rough, sleazy feel missing from the original that almost helps it pull ahead of that version. All in all, the second disc is a great recording of a wonderful show, and easily the high point of the whole boxed set.

Disc three is comprised mostly of songs from Utopia’s paean to ancient Egyptian culture, Ra. This is some crazy conceptual progressive rock, which translates to live performance better than one would think. The song “Singring and the Glass Guitar” is almost half an hour long and features solos from each of the band members. There’s a lot of religious and psychological mumbo-jumbo that goes along with that song. Rundgren’s search for meaning in the universe has led to music ranging from incredible to pretentious. The Ra material leans toward the overblown segment of his work, but the musicianship is incredible. If you don’t mind a little bad storytelling with your music, the third disc of this set will be right up your alley. The show on disc three was recorded in 1977.

Disc four is a DVD, including concert footage all the way up to 1982; that disc was not made available for review.

Todd Rundgren at the BBC 1972 – 1982 is not just another greatest hits collection. There are plenty of those from both Rundgren and Utopia. Most of them seem to grab a couple of radio hits, then fill the rest of the album with songs drawn from a hopper. There’s no real chronology or correlation. This is a far better anthology than what we have seen previously. The sound quality is better than the bootlegs that have been circulating for years. The label understands their demographics, and has targeted this release for the Todd fan that has everything. It was the right thing to do, because for those collectors and purists who must have it all, this four-disc set is an outstanding essential.

At The BBC 1972 – 1982 was released via Esoteric Recordings/Cherry Red Records on December 2, 2014.