A stunning album of singular vision, Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren stands as the odd man out in the Rundgren discography, decidedly un-eclectic, focused on a mellow, transcendent goal. Lonely-Friday-night-turned-love-at-first-sight opener “Long Flowing Robe” sets the stage with it’s easy-goin’ groove and explosive chorus (and the greatest single note tom fill in rock history) bathing the shag carpet in an orange glow, the rest of The Ballad germinating under it’s warmth. Heartstring-tugging, piano based ballads with rich vocal harmonies like “Wailing Wall,” “The Ballad (Denny & Jean),” “Be Nice to Me” and “Hope I’m Around” dominate, and sit comfortably next to head-noddin’ rockers like “Bleeding,” “Chain Letter” and “Parole.” The “less is more” philosophy is at play here (shockingly so for those coming at this album backwards after digesting the multi-layered entries to follow) with a straightforwardly simple instrumentation giving plenty of breathing room to the songs, each of which feature hooks galore - each a minor classic. With the career-defining “Something/Anything” lurking ’round the corner, “The Ballad” stands as an unheralded masterpiece that has undoubtedly served as the final straw for those who choose to dig deeper and have come to hold as their mantra: “Todd Is God.”
–Ben
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