by Raj Bahadur
from The Scene, August 12-18, 1982
by Raj Bahadur from The Scene, August 12-18, 1982
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Busy man, this Todd Rundgren. In addition to the current tour, which will make its way through Cleveland on August 18, there's a new Utopia album due out in September on a new label (Network Records, distributed by Electra/Asylum). Also, a solo album is in the formative stages. Then there's the Psychedelic Furs' next release, produced by - you guesses it. This is not to mention the video and computer projects which have increasingly become a constant in his career.
The following interview with Todd was conducted in between breaths -- Todd's.
SCENE: Considering the title of your last album, SWING TO THE RIGHT, has your view of life in America taken a pessimistic turn as of late?
TODD RUNDGREN: I wouldn't say I'm any more or less pessimistic than in the past. I just have a greater degree of realism now.
SCENE: It wasn't too long ago that you were the victim of robbers, right in your very own home. Does an experience like that cause you to be more conservative than you'd otherwise be?
TR: No. SWING TO THE RIGHT may have some arch-conservative themes on it, but we had an album, OOPS! WRONG PLANET, which dealt with the root causes of dissatisfaction among people that caused them to be punk rockers.
SCENE: Do you ever see yourself as having been in the vanguard of that movement, though things may have gotten twisted out of shape along the way?
TR: It's hard to say exactly where you fit into the great scheme of things. I don't want to make any claims as yet as to where our music actually resides in historical perspective.
SCENE: Another area you pioneered in was the use of synthesizers for more than just special effects. How do you feel about the progress of the synthesizer since you first incorporated it into the overall Utopia sound?
TR: Well, there certainly is a new generation of synthesizer. But you've got to remember that6 it's the player and not the machine. It's gratifying to know that people are now accepting the instrument. Someday it'll be worked to death like guitars probably were when they first came out. There's always going to be bad stuff out there.
SCENE: Moving along to your latest passion, what are your views on the quality of the rock video we're getting?
TR: Sometimes it's good and other times it's questionable. Most people don't have any idea what they're doing with the music. And when they have to add video to it, only occasionally do they connect.
Video is a very difficult medium to work in. A lot of people think you just walk into the video studio and be inspired like you would be in an audio studio. But it requires much more preparation, careful thought and study of the possibilities - which most people don't have time for. It's more than having a bunch of cameras set up for shots. You have to have a concept for your video.
SCENE: One project I was looking forward to was your video treatment of Holst's THE PLANETS by Isao Tomita. Whatever happened with it?
TR: We had problems getting synchronization rights to the music. The Tomita version became enjoined by the Holst estate because they felt that Tomita took too many liberties with the composition. So we had to shelve that until there's either a break in their thinking or it goes "public domain" in 1985.
SCENE: Another project of yours, a bit more successful, is the "Utopia Tablet," marketed by Apple Computers. Could you give a layman's explanation of its function?
TR: The "Utopia Tablet" allows you to utilize the computer as an artists' tool so that the screen becomes a canvas. It permits you to imitate the physical movements of drawing, but the drawing appears on the TV screen. The computer can also imitate many artists' techniques. We've learned a lot since the program was originally written, so I'll be doing a radical update on it soon.
SCENE: 1973's A WIZARD, A TRUE STAR is a personal favorite of mine. At the time, you said the album represented a personal statement of your tastes. Despite all the technology, do you think your tastes have really changed that much since then?
TR: I don't think so. I have very eclectic tastes, so I like good interpretations of all types of music. A WIZARD, A TRUE STAR touched on a broad range of musical styles. I tried to get as many under one roof as possible. Depending on the mood of the audience, there's always the chance I might like to do something like that again.