“I haven’t heard their version”: The artist Todd Rundgren pays no attention to
Rock and roll is full of otherworldly characters attempting to reinvent the artistic wheel, and yet Todd Rundgren still stands in a league entirely of his own. Boasting an unparalleled impact on the development of prog and psychedelia, and inspiring everybody from Prince to Daft Punk, the songwriter’s talents have always stretched far and wide across the musical spectrum. However, that is not to say that Rundgren would blindly follow any old rock and roller; he certainly has his tastes, and he has largely stuck to them throughout his extensive career as a rock and roll aficionado.
Like so many American rock revolutionaries, Rundgren first emerged back in the counterculture age of the 1960s, forming the pioneering psychedelic outfit Nazz. Pretty soon, though, the songwriter found even the mind-bending world of psych-rock too constrictive for his ever-expanding artistic vision. His solo career perfectly toed the line between chart success and artistic innovation, culminating in hits like ‘We Gotta Get You a Woman’ as well as cult-classic albums like Initiation. This blend of success and innovation certainly continued into Rundgren’s extensive work as a producer, too.
Taking cues from the experimental approaches of Brian Eno or George Martin, Rundgren has always used the recording studio like an instrument in its own right, crafting a litany of now-iconic albums in the process. Working alongside a seemingly endless array of legendary artists, including the likes of Sparks, New York Dolls, Meat Loaf, XTC, and The Psychedelic Furs, Rundgren firmly established himself among the most talented and visionary producers of the 20th century.
Without a doubt, one of his greatest works as a producer came in 1973, with the release of We’re An American Band by Grand Funk Railroad. A defining moment for the hard rock outfit, the album was a colossal success, but for Rundgren, it was “one of the easiest things [he] ever did.”
Speaking about the recording process to Classic Rock in 2009, he shared, “It simply required my normal sensibility, particularly because the band was operating with such low expectations.”
After all, Grand Funk Railroad were not a well-respected outfit at that time, particularly in comparison to other pioneering hard rock and arena rock groups of the time. “They’d had some great success, but they were not well-regarded critically,” as Rundgren explained. “They had a huge live following but were excessively jammy, and if you compared them to real jam bands like Cream they really didn’t hold up.” In fairness, Todd, very few groups can compare to the jam quality of Cream.
Nevertheless, the Rundgren-produced 1973 album completely subverted expectations of the band, causing something of a rebirth for their sound and reputation. As a result, the record went on to inspire countless future artists, leading to cover versions by the likes of Poison, Phish, Rob Zombie, and, most surprisingly of all, the Village People. However, Rundgren has not been overly receptive to some of those covers.
“We’re An American Band surprised a lot of people,” the producer shared, “and the title track has been covered by countless bands since, most famously Bon Jovi.” However, it would appear that Rundgren isn’t a huge fan of the fresh-faced New Jersey bubblegum rockers. “I haven’t heard their version yet, but that’s because I really don’t pay that much attention to Bon Jovi,” he declared.
Such is the all-encompassing power of Todd Rundgren that he is capable of influencing even the bands that he doesn’t particularly like. Bon Jovi might have been impacted by the pioneering production style of the Nazz songwriter, but they are only one in a never-ending list of groups who are indebted to Rundgren, so why should he pay attention?
