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If you like Todd then you will probably like this one,it is his first attempt. It's nostalgia.
I just bought it because somebody ripped off my album which was pretty well worn out anyway. I missed hearing the classic Hello It's Me.
Gee, some people seem to have a lot to say about an album that came out 37 years ago. But this certainly sounds like it was recorded 37 years ago.
It is a pretty good album, but then I have always liked Todd's music. His "Todd" album is what drew me into space music.
Nothing wrong with that. But if you don't like him already this probably won't win you over.
However, there's also a good dose of pop (Beatles, Beach Boys) that comes across at times.The opening number sums it all up perfectly, driven by a flange-soaked and deliciously catchy guitar riff that would make both Eric Clapton or Jeff Beck smile. He wrote all the songs, and usually came up with all the arrangements. "Open My Eyes" is reason enough to buy the album, but there's some other great stuff on here too. Robert 'Stewkey' Antoni is a formidable lead singer (and also handles piano and organ), Carson Van Osten is a fluid bass player, and Thom Mooney is a much more than capable drummer.
"Lemming Song" features a searing guitar intro from Todd; the songs gets progressively more psychedelic throughout, with a middle section in which Todd overdubs about 3 guitars going off on various tangents at the same time.Todd knew enough to turn his guitar down at times, though, and it gives the album some variety. And Todd of course, already by a young age, is a terrific lead guitar player. Listen to his solos and riffs, and tell me he's not every bit as good as Eric Clapton or any other 'guitar god' from that era.On their debut album, they're primary brand of music is riff-driven blues/rock, heavily inspired by Cream and the Yardbirds. It's 1968, and a very young Todd Rundgren (about 20 years old to be exact) is the guitar player of a psychedelic/blues band from Philidelphia called The Nazz (named after a Yardbirds song).Though he's not the singer or frontman, The Nazz *was* Todd Rundgren. Stewkey's vocals are great, though the song bites off a bit more than it can chew at times.The other gem is the original version of "Hello It's Me", a tune that Todd jazzed up a bit for his solo album "Something/Anything", and it became his biggest hit. Thus, unless you own this album, you probably haven't heard it before.
"Back Of Your Mind" is wholly Cream inspired, from the Clapton inspired guitar riff that drives the song to the lengthy, Clapton inspired guitar solo in the middle. There's plenty of other guitar driven numbers, though most are little more left of center.
The version on here is druggy and dreary sounding, with Carson's bass up in the forefront to round out all the rich vocal harmonies. This, of course, led to much friction in the band, since Todd was obviously the musical brains behind the whole band, and exercised that in the studio.Still, it's not like the other members barely knew how to play.
For example, on "Crowded", you would think the band is covering a Laura Nyro tune, but it's just another facet of The Nazz's sound (they'd really delve into this sound on their next album). And then, out of nowhere, the song enters Brian Wilson territory on the harmony loaded bridge, before returning back to it's heavier core (featuring a short but sweet guitar solo from Todd).The song is "Open My Eyes", and it's the quintessential Nazz song.
A classic power pop nugget that got lost in all the other psychedelic shuffle. There's also "If That's the Way You Feel", a lengthy ballad with a complex arrangement and heavy orchestration.
It's just as good, if not better, than the version we all know and love.Other highlights include the playful, Who-like "When I Get My Plane", and the raucous closer "She's Goin' Down", in which each band member takes a turn solo'ing.Though it doesn't have as much overall variety as their next two albums (the cleverly titled "Nazz Nazz" and "Nazz III", the latter of which probably had a working title of "Nazz Nazz Nazz"), their debut album is still great.Soon after this, Todd expressed his Laura Nyro infatuation by tossing his guitar aside and writing most of the songs on the piano, which would ultimately cause a lot of dissatisfaction with the other group members, which leads me to believe that "Nazz" sums up what the Nazz was really about.
Here is a response to some of the other reviews: In a recent interview with Michael Tearson, Stewkey refers to the opening riff of "Open My Eyes" as "one of the sounds that was part of, and could be heard in the air, at that time", or something like that. All the white bands of the mid-late 60's (English, and American) influenced each other, as well. Was this the first sample of the Who. This band is fully representative of the "Philly Sound". "Wildwood Blues" is about a popular New Jersey shore spot, frequented by people from the Philadelphia area- "Look Harvey.a crab." This album is a quality album. Nary a weak spot can be found.from an era where pop/rock/blues based bands threw out songs to complete albums in efforts to quell pressures from record company executives.
I discovered the band on the Nuggets box, and I was keen to listen to more of their musics. And I loved what I listened to in this first album.It's simply perfect, even the mellow songs.I f you know what is good for you, buy it now. Don't think twice.
Their limited live appearances and short life span(less than two years) made the group hard to see. Living in Philadelphia, I first heard the Nazz as a senior in highschool in 1969. And because they were not commercially sucessful, they were ended before they could really take off.Much has been said about Todd's imitation of Cream, Hendrix, The Who,etc. I love their music as much now as I did then. I can remember recording their albums onto 8 track tapes and playing them in the car. but listening to Todd Rundgren's guiter virtuosity, backed up by Thom on drums, Carson on bass, and Stewkey's vocals , there can be little doubt about the effect of their punchy psych-pop on the listener. Todd went on to bigger and better things, but their can only be one first album.
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