Todd Rundgren on A Wizard & 1970s Prog

Here's a sneak peek at our upcoming interview feature with Todd Rundgren - Topic Todd Rundgren about his amazing vocal-only album, "A Capella." We learned a lot about the making of this record from this discussion and some of the stories are just mind-blowing.
In this clip, he and Gregg Bendian discuss the effect of “A Wizard, A True Star” as a listening experience and then the influence of 1970s prog on him and his band.
Interview was conducted primarily by Gregg Bendian of ‪@TheProgCast‬. Please throw him a sub!
Subscribe if you want to be first in line to watch our upcoming A Capella special in early 2022.
More information:
todd-rundgren.com
bendianmusic.com
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[@toddfan3263]

A true genius. One of the most underrated and underappreciated musicians ever! Hope he gets his due while he is still around!

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Indeed, Todd Fan!

[@chasmenear7130]

Well, if you appreciate it, it becomes far FAR from 'un appreciated'! It's best to forget the enjoyment of others ( on a populous level) in favor of believing in one's OWN enjoyment! Great tunes to YOU are just that, and therefore priceless!

[@toddfan3263]

@@chasmenear7130 Very true!

[@theonlydrsooz]

You are so right!

[@morbidmanmusic]

he got his due. he has multiple houses, rich, still plays, and is one of the most respected song writers in history, so... he gets his due. Just not by pop listeners.. He isn't pop

[@margix1172]

Todd Rundgren is a GENIUS!!! Nearly Human is an absolute MASTERPIECE but almost every Todd's album is amazing.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Lots of great discussion about A Capella in our interview. Hope you like that album, too!

[@billhobbs7077]

Always thought it amazing that Todd had the ability to go from producing The Bands ''Stage Fright" to putting his knowledge into the New York Dolls

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

He is so diverse! Thanks, Bill

[@davebartholome2924]

Even though I grew up in the 70s, and was aware of Todd Rundgren, I never seriously checked out his stuff till recently. “A Wizard, A True Star” has become one of my favorite records.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Amazing, isn't it Dave? Glad you're into it

[@AldousHuxleysCat]

In 9th grade I picked up Something/Anything around Thanksgiving, a friend loaned me Ballad of Todd Rundgren the next week, then I bought Wizard in a used bin around Christmas, then Todd came out in February and the first Utopia album that fall - my mind still hasn't recovered from that whirlwind

[@nancysherry9088]

try ,out number one common denominator. Boat on the charles. or the last ride, or the wheel, heavy metal kids, Just one victory, or some of his more recent stuff. this is not a drill, Every song every album. the acapella album, TODD is GODD>

[@KOSMICKEN09]

Oddly I got a promo copy in 1984 I was 14- blew my mind

[@larryrose2490]

Try ra just as good better

[@2wayplebney]

I'm happy Todd mentioned Gentle Giant. He and Frank were both fans, with good reason.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Me too, Graham. I specifically wanted to ask him what he thought of GG.

[@massimosantantonio4594]

Todd liked Mahavishnu and Gentle Giant, much like Zappa did. I am wondering what did Zappa and Todd, two true geniuses, think of each other. Add Weather Report to that short list and you have the best of the very best of the second half of 20th century's music

[@2wayplebney]

@@massimosantantonio4594 i have heard Todd sing Camerillo Brillo so I think he may have liked Frank’s stuff.

[@rayeckert9425]

I’ve been a fan of this musical genius since 1975.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Right on. Thanks for watching, Ray!

[@likklej8]

Cheers Todd the versions of soul hits are great stuff. Wizard hits the spot, respect

[@rontroost9875]

He is one of the GREAT ones!!!!!!!!

[@courtneywallace871]

My all time favorite artist and my all time favorite album.

[@Kalprog]

Always love to hear Todd's take on anything music related. If there's anyone who's been progressive its him. If people only know of him as pop ballad writer they obviously haven't dove into the Todd pool. Those early Utopia albums are a great place to start if you want to hear just what the classic definition of Prog is.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Hoping to get another excerpt out this weekend, Kurt. Thanks for watching!

[@kirklynde3810]

Mr. Rundgren always had it going on whether making the music or producing the music. Great feel and intelligence.

[@jonallen5772]

My best friend and myself saw and heard The Mahavishnu Orchestra playing the middle slot for ELP in SF at Winterland auditorium in 1971. That show shifted our musical DNA. It was so different and so musically amazing.. we just stood there in awe. And we still do!

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Wish I could have seen them live!

[@ganazby]

A legend, a true star! Is this a taster? I want my extended interview! Now!

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

This is a taster. We're working on a feature about his album "A Capella." We've also interviewed Kasim, Mary Lou, and his wife Michele.

[@vampolascott36]

Too cool! This clip was made for people like me. I want to hear more about A Wizard, a True Star lol.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

We'll have a little more about AWATS in our new clip on Monday. Thanks, House RN

[@SOALNightLive]

Brilliant!

[@petrosros]

I first heard him in the UK on his 1974 album Todd, I still listen to it nearly fifty years later, sons of 1984 being one of my favourites. This is the first time I have ever heard him speak, and he is nothing like I imagined.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

It is an awesome album, for sure. Thanks, Petros!

[@xmillion1704]

I always loved Hello It's Me as a kid, but didn't pay attention to who it was. Fast forward to 1978 and I was 17 and attending college in the DC area. A friend of mine talked me into going to see Todd on his Back to the Bars tour. Utopia was backing him at this stop in Georgetown at The Bayou. I had to borrow my roommates ID to get in to the show. We were so blown away by their set that when we got outside, we bought tickets off of a scalper and turned around and went right back in and caught their late show. They played a double header that night. Huge fan ever since.

[@SunFellow941]

I agree with Todd. A lot of prog bands shows were severely compromised by the horrible acoustics of the big amphitheaters and stadiums. Glad I was able to see Utopia's heyday in prog at auditoriums that only had a few thousand people and had great acoustics.

[@2wayplebney]

I saw Floyd on the Dark Side tour. The sound was terrible up until the encore, Echoes, where they got it right. Not an arena, but a big venue and a new sound system. With bugs.

[@RobHoughton]

I saw Todd in the early 70's at Wolman Skating Rink and Radio City Music Hall - both were great for concert sound. I'd give the edge to the Wolman since the sound didn't have walls that would bounce the sound around. Of note - I saw one of their first performances of the Ikon prior to the album coming out AND Todd did I Saw The Light on piano accompanied by Hall and Oates on BV's - they sang the guitar solo verbatim!

[@evetsnitram8866]

Arena wash. :D

[@KOSMICKEN09]

Todd is my #1 musical hero what an incredible talent..

[@petabulmer3317]

I have already seen a few of these, just found this one! I have this album and I find it very interesting. But Dogfight Giggle will always puzzle me!

[@TonyG111]

This is wonderful!

[@Dave-po2mz]

Todd such a legend to me! 1st girlfriend Holly loved Todd's Something Anything and I got lifted up and carried on a new pulse..

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Right on. Thanks, Dave. New clip coming Monday.

[@jeffdawson2786]

My hero since high school.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

One of mine too, Jeff.

[@jeffdawson2786]

@@MakeWeirdMusic When I listen to “Cool Jerk” by The Capitols, it sounds weird in 4/4 because I was always used to Todd’s time signature.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Yeah, I never even realized Todd's was in 7. It felt so natural!

[@davidryan7386]

Ok, finally will check out wizard!

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

About effing time!

[@marca7434]

Yes, David, where have you been? Please, get 'with it' ... Anthony is is teaching a class here 😉

[@ganazby]

What the hell took you so long? You’re gonna love it.

[@aliensporebomb]

Highly recommend Wizard, Todd, Initiation, Utopia, Another Live, Ra, Faithful (especially the second half), Healing. The rest is all terrific too (Runddans revisits years later that spaced out psychedelic prog feel) and it's all quite a journey.

[@Z-eb]

check out his two next too if you enjoy it ("Todd" and "Initiation" and also "Todd Rungren`s Utopia")

[@malco49]

thanks for this ! could have listened to more! i love early todd from say nazz through the lp todd. will check out more of your channel.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

More is coming tomorrow!

[@nope5445]

Always preferred "Todd" over a "Wizard, A True Star". In 1973 I was 13 and yes! I did mail in the post card which was included in a "Wizard, A True Star".

[@marcsalonsky9257]

Me too. Todd is his greatest collection of memorable songs. It's always been my favorite.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Did you guys see your names in the next album/poster thing? My dad said he filled his card in, too.

[@amherst88]

Thanks for sharing this, hope we get more -- he's always worth listening to, especially when he talks about his own music ❤️ There was a period when I was first exposed to him in the late 70's when I literally couldn't listen to anything else (& Wizard was played most) -- like all great artists, though, he will only be truly appreciated long after he's gone . . .

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

There's plenty more! Thanks for the reminder. I meant to start working on the next excerpt today.

[@raymondroberts8709]

AWATS is a highlight; as is the double "Todd" album & Second Wind. I grew up a major Toddhead, and Utopia's RA album was the pinnacle for me.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

New clip coming Monday with a little more about AWATS. Thanks, Raymond.

[@larryrose2490]

I fuckin love todd i was 11 at Stonybrook still have original utopia pin on my strat yes musical genius

[@andreasnewitsch59]

Very interesting take on seeing a performance in a large venue.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

I thought so too. Most of us don’t get backstage

[@planetclay]

believe me back in the summer of 1974... A Wizard A True Star was our 'experience of choice'. thanks Todd for that....

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

LOL, that's one thing to call it!

[@planetclay]

@@MakeWeirdMusic LOL is right....seems i commented on the wrong video/interview.

[@patriciocohen8081]

Todd is great! One of my favourites

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Mine too, Patricio!

[@emersonlangstaff1527]

I loved, loved, loved Hello It's Me as a young kid. The music and vocals were so affecting to me as a kid about to become a young man...

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

He wrote some great pop songs. Funny to hear him say how he had a formula and got bored writing such amazing music. Thanks, Emerson!

[@jaques611]

when is the full episode? can't wait!

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

I need to edit it together. We had some technical A/V issues to work out with the files. That’s now done. I have to transcribe that second interview (Kasim, Michele, and Mary Lou) and correlate stories/points. I’m hoping to have something in the next two weeks.

[@EJROCKER1]

I feel different about Mahavishnu. I was lucky enough to see Tony Williams Lifetime with McLaughlin and Jack Bruce. That band I feel wash head turning. It was for me the beginning of fusion pre Mahavishnu.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Todd’s ideas on prog were surprising for sure. Thanks Ed

[@gj8683]

I consider Mahavishnu to be more prog-jazz than prog-rock. They extended jazz beyond its recognizable conventional forms without going free form. And they had some blues and funk in there as well.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Partly why we thought this clip was so interesting. Great to hear him talk about Mahivishnu as "prog"-whatever it is!

[@joecrowaz]

Mahavishnu is Jazz, played at Rock DBs and Tones.

[@umbertoyltp]

I have seen Mahavishnu live in Amsterdam and bootlegged it on cassette. The result was a hurricane of tones drowned in reverb. I have always wondered what from outer space struck John McLaughlin, turning a common jazz guitarist into a stellar shredder ;-)

[@inthebeast]

I saw Mahavishnu a long time ago at the Warfield in SF, and as I recall, John McLaughlin spent most of the night playing a $70,000 instrument that made the sound of an almost believable harmonica. Like I said, it was a long, long time ago, and the results he got were stellar regardless, but I was overjoyed when he finally picked up his Les Paul. As I recall Jonas Hellborg took his bass off and threw it at the curtain at the end of his solo, so there was definitely a rock element to the show.

[@wendelynmusic]

John McLaughlin played for Miles, that is where he really gets his chops. Interestingly Joseph Zawinul also played for Miles and he formed Weather Report. Both Prog/Jazz bands that went in wildly different directions.

[@thebreathalyzer]

Interesting, I never really thought about the American prog bands being jazzy. There's such a spectrum of music when you get into progressive rock, proggy fusion, whatever you want to call it. And a lot of people were combining different elements early on. Which I liked. Back when anything seemed possible and still viable commercially.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

His perspective is definitely different, isn't it?

[@thebreathalyzer]

@@MakeWeirdMusic Good questions about AWATS and Todd. I really like that period, love the experimental side of Todd.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

You'll love the full release when I can get to it! :)

[@kimsampson1471]

TODD!!!I don’t think you would like the Steve Bannon commercial before your interview‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ L👀K‼️‼️‼️🌻

[@melodymakermark]

“There goes Todd!”

[@larryrose2490]

I fucking love utopia i was 11 i walked to mid island on long island i bout ra ziggy stardust and kiss alive i was smoking weed and listening to musical genius

[@ThreeHeadedThreep]

I want that shirt!

[@progger53]

I saw the original Utopia band in Davenport around 1973 or 74 and all of it was fusion with a lot of synthesizer to me. I can't remember who opened up for him.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Utopia is its own beast for sure, Reno.

[@pjeffries301]

Saw that tour in DC. Out of control. 3 hours, played everything. No opener. Kennedy Ctr.

[@freddymodad5431]

I always got into.

[@fueledbylove]

First heard Rundgren via the "Nazz" LP which belonged to Big Sister, then one of my schoolmates snagged "Nazz Nazz", this was in 1969. For couple of years I had no idea what he was up to, dropped off my radar screen until I heard this catchy tune on the radio "I Saw The Light" - thought it was a chick singing it at first. Ha ha. With renewed interest I scoped out the S/A double LP and then quite by accident started discovering the Missing Pieces in the Record Store cut-out bargain bins -- Found a Nazz III to my surprise then soon after a thing called "Runt" so little by little my TR vinyl collection came together, even got my own copies of the first two Nazz LPs, my sister's record was beat to hell, LOL. Not even going into what I have scooped up since online Auctions hit the Web but a couple of prized discs are a Mono DJ copy of both Nazz discs and a pristine red/blue wax original Promo Something?Anything - guess I was a big fan of Todd's early career.

[@beekay5914]

In 1983 or 1984 I saw Todd headlining in concert, unfortunately solo. Would love to have seen Utopia. The opening acts were Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, (I didn't even know Rap existed) the Producers, and a band from Ireland called U2. I knew U2 already, liked them. U2 stole the show, great performance.

[@dlsamson]

I've always considered the three album arc of S/A, AWATS & Todd as one of the greatest musical arcs in record history. One ways I've characterized it: S/A - "this is what I'm capable of" AWATS - "don't try to box me in" Todd - "this is (a better description) who I am" Of course, TR made certain we could never box him in by pretty much never doing the same thing twice. It was tough from a commercial standpoint but fortunately a core of fans understood that the marketing niche for TR was just pure creativity. You may not always like it (at first, they often had a tendency to grow on you) but it would always be interesting. I can really only think of one other musician who so thoroughly threw over convention in order to express their own self & that was perhaps John Hartford, who invented several genres of music in the process. I always loved his "rap" song from 1967: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZuwqWl-p99so9U

[@Claytone-Records]

Yes indeed. And he was always at the helm of his own…Wizard/True Star Cruiser. Playing everything himself and producing for others frequently. Did it all. The John Hartford link was nice, thanks.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

I love this line of thinking, David!

[@kingcormack8004]

I was fortunate to have seen the Mahavishnu Orchestra twice on their first tour which they played in theaters and sounded brilliant.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Lucky guy!

[@pauls.6360]

Where can I get that T-shirt? Oh, by the way, Todd's great. WHERE can i get that T-shirt?

[@mahumike7531]

My idol.. Anyone know why all the tics and such?

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

There were some bad storms in the days preceding the interview. Maybe allergies?

[@h.m.7218]

He said in another interview, maybe the RedBull one, that his nose itches "when he talks too much". Don't know whether he was joking or was being serious...

[@ermafroditos]

The first Utopia album is a killer(for Rock guys)

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

I gotta give it a listen. Thanks Strato

[@rogerdodger6025]

I know Todd wanted to do all kinds of different music and wasn't interested in being a pop star but I would've like to have seen him do more pop-rock type music because he was so good at it or at least write pop sings for other artists while doing whatever music he wanted to on his albums.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

I feel like he did that as a producer. He probably helped a lot with writing. Thanks, Roger.

[@AndrewColyerMusic]

This was GREAT! Where can we see the entire interview? 😀🎹🎶

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Not sure if I'll release the whole thing, but this interview was for a larger project we're doing about his A Capella record. Thanks, Andrew!

[@morbidmanmusic]

Now I want to redo that record. I love doing the clone thing.... thanks to Todd, oddly.

[@AndreCholmondeley]

​@@morbidmanmusic keep us posted if you do!!! BTW have you heard Bjork's MEDULLA album?? It's a younger cousin of A CAPELLA, in that (almost) all sounds are generated by the human voice........ Thanks for checking this out!! Andre´- Make Weird Music

[@marcsalonsky9257]

@@MakeWeirdMusic This is the best Todd interview I've heard. Why not release the rest of it. You obviously touched on subject matter that matters to the real hard core fans.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

We'll release another piece on Monday and then the rest in our special A Capella video, hopefully in January. I plan on releasing the full thing in our member program, Club Weird. Just click the "Join" button under the video viewer. It's $3/mo.

[@Bob-of-Zoid]

Hahahahahaaaa!! To this day I have a strict policy: I don't play on anything that can be considered a "Love song"!!! There's just way too many of those, and it's all just an excuse to get around good song writing! You don't sing about love, you engage in it! I was also way into Mahavishnu Orchestra, Gentle Giant, King Crimson, Zappa.... Never thought Tod would dig that kind of music too. Tod!!! You rock man!!! I Love your tunes and style too! Used to have a great time with the Nazz, and You're version of Utopia! I am also a guitar builder and repair man and only one of very few who would never give you shit for putting a Kahler on Eric Clapton's "The fool" SG! I bet it stayed in tune much better and sustained a lot longer too! Hey, did you ever find out who ate the other half of Fred? (

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Thanks for watching, Robert! New clip coming Monday.

[@TheKarmicRepairCo]

Jazz fusion is what we considered Return to Forever, Weather Report, etc to be in the 70s (I grew up in Philly). None of us would have thought of them as progressive rock!

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Yeah, Todd's idea of prog is interesting!

[@jaltsch1]

The King Crimson album (not the song) Starless And Bible Black is the closest a prog band got to Mahavishnu I think.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Interesting! Thanks, Jerry!

[@chasmenear7130]

...This led to crinkly tin foil covered stages, and colab with Frog Labot....! Fascinating!

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

What do you mean, Chas?

[@chasmenear7130]

@@MakeWeirdMusic I am referring to the creation of the first version of Utopia, which occurred shortly after, and was undoubtedly infuenced by 'Wizzard'.....

[@michaelbeerbados3291]

For me --it was Yes Tull and Rundgren....Close To the Edge-Thick as a Brick and Utopia...must have bought the vinyl 3-4 times for each record...WORE THEM OUT !!

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

You and a lot of people during that time, Michael!

[@davidzitzman6511]

Sounded great on PCP!

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

😂 good one David

[@jimnop2000]

Does Todd keep a bullfrog familiar?

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

There's a part in the interview where he talks about the frogs and how he hates them. Then at one point he says, "I'm gonna kill me some frogs tonight!" So funny

[@CathyLeeBrandstetter]

They live in his pond

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

He said they only started coming in with the big recent storms.

[@tofybean]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJ6yg4F_eqmFftk

[@krisscanlon4051]

Todd gives you a general prog rock breakdown! lol

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

He has an interesting take, doesn't he Kris?

[@krisscanlon4051]

Agreed 👍

[@modeltrainfan]

The Mahavishnu Orchestra could have been lumped in with the Canterbury scene!

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Interesting to hear all the different opinions on this one, Evert.

[@krisscanlon4051]

Really? I found Canterbury scene to be more lyrical Hatfield North,Camel,and Soft Machine et al seems so different...I think MO more like Jeff Beck

[@pumkinbreath]

The tubes first album is a prog as it gets

[@pumkinbreath]

And yes I know Al Kooper and the bands history. Remote and love

[@SkyP1e]

I think of MaHa, RTF, Weather Report etc as "fusion" or "Jazz fusion" bands not prog

[@jimgroff6880]

Yes

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Yes, we included this commentary specifically because Todd has an interesting take on "prog" and we were hoping it'd stir up some of this discussion. Thanks for watching!

[@MahavishnuProject]

Ah, but are they not progressive in nature??

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Who knows what "prog" means anymore?

[@richardhines8622]

There can never be an utopia, just like there can never be a perpetual motion machine.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Huh?

[@richardhines8622]

Never bought the hype about this guy being a genius.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Okay. Thanks for sharing

[@curtaustin8119]

Big fan here, of both Rundgren and Mahavishnu. Saw Mahavishnu once ca. 1973 in the most awful sort of arena, sound-wise - yeah, not good.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Never got to see them, but glad I didn't miss the arena wash! Hah. Thanks, Curt.

[@wendelynmusic]

I saw Mahavishnu Orchestra live in maybe '74 or '75. I agree with most of what he was saying about them. But we were in a small theatre with the circular rotating stage and they were so freaking loud that the feedback made it difficult to follow what the bandmembers were playing. my ears rang for 2 days after the show. Was the very first Rock show I ever went to. I was a little disappointed just because it was too loud. I never got into Todd Rundgren music. I think there were too many stylistic influences and I just got lost listening to him. I preferred bands with a more focused style. For the Jazz/Rock thing I much preferred early Weather Report. I saw them in the same theatre in the same year and I was in heaven. It was like listening to an intense conversation between some real deep thinkers, the way they traded their solos was more conversational and I loved Wayne Shorter so much. he was such a dynamic musician. John McLaughlin is much better in later years. Back then he played too many notes and not enough cohesive thoughts to his phrasing.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Yeah, if you're not into total surprises with every album, then I could see why Todd wouldn't be as enjoyable! Hah. Thanks, Wendelyn!

[@pskully57]

I wonder what he thinks of Rush and Snarky Puppy.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

He didn't mention them in our chat, but maybe we'll talk more!

[@madu251]

Or Kansas? They are classic American prog with no discernible jazz influences.

[@CountBrass]

Hmm, the Canterbury scene was very much jazz inflected, as was Colosseum, and King Crimson, and they were British. Meanwhile, Kansas, an American band, wasn't really jazzy at all. So, I don't know about making the distinction he does, by nationality. The American bands he is talking about are really jazz fusion bands, and not Progressive Rock ones, though of course the boundaries are very fuzzy.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

We like that he has a different definition of prog. Your comment is exactly why we posted this one. Thanks, Aravis.

[@MahavishnuProject]

Safe to say that Kansas was pretty heavily influenced by Brit Prog

[@peteriuliano5846]

My Guess Is that TODD wanted to move away from SOMETHING ANYTHING (great album) with its perfection of pop as well as more unusual sound, melody and arrangements, and break out into a PLASTIC SOUND SCAPE of sorts maybe where the song and the manufacture of sound itself became unified or something like that. At the time, I wondered why mess with the protocol of SOMETHING ANYTHING but todd like all great artists is not cookie cutter, copy and paste, repeat past sounds: he broke with SOMTHNANY and made a most original album yet again and the albums that followd would also be highly original smply because that's TODD.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

I'll probably include his discussion of Something/Anything in the next interview excerpt. Maybe I'll get it out this weekend. Thanks, Peter.

[@sapinva]

Todd and Utopia was always denatured prog. Ra was their best, but it was full of poison pills. It would have been better without the gimmicks and stuff inserted just to show that they were not going to be like other prog bands. Maybe it was just accidental prog from a master of R&B all along.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

What’s wrong with being entertaining and doing what they see as fun?

[@sapinva]

​@@MakeWeirdMusic Nothing at all. Was listening to Ra yesterday strangely enough. Just don't think it fits very well into the "prog" classification. Wouldn't quite put Gentle Giant in that category either. Can it be prog without the classical influence? If I had to come with American bands, I'd think more along the lines of Kansas or even James LeBrie, there aren't many of them for sure. Happy the Man is certainly a bit progressive, but really closer to plain old jazz, which would make Al Di Meola arguably closer to prog.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Yeah, a fine line between jazz and prog sometimes.

[@joshuaswannmusic6462]

Todd is God

[@stevensabella7287]

Is no one going to address the 800 lb. gorilla in this room? Todd owns a bullfrog as a pet?!? ....cool.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Haha he addresses that in another part of the interview. He hates them! He says, “I’m gonna kill me some frogs tonight!” 😂😂

[@tofybean]

@@MakeWeirdMusic kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJ6yg4F_eqmFftk

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Exactly!

[@mikehunt8997]

The album is an acid trip, I looked at that album on acid.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Hahaha, can't even imagine, Mike.

[@leonconnelly5303]

Would never consider a wizard a true star or really anything Todd released to be prog rock.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

That's okay, Leon. :)

[@keithparker1346]

I classify side 1 of AWATS as sonic doodles, quirky but not prog

[@pjeffries301]

Damn pain meds.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Huh?

[@vampyros1]

What an idiotic opening question steeped in ignorance.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Gregg toured with Todd in his band. So, yeah, he is totally ignorant.

[@MahavishnuProject]

Clearly as an experienced interviewer and expert on TR's music, Gregg knew he was provoking the artist in a friendly way. Geez.

[@vampyros1]

@@MakeWeirdMusic Sorry, you're wrong.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

I accept your apology. Thanks.

[@vampyros1]

@@MakeWeirdMusic I accept your apology. Thanks.

[@rigelloar7474]

Like Todd, I heard McLaughlin's group playing in an arena. The combination of musical complexity, high volume levels, and terrible acoustics, turned their brilliant music into meaningless mush. It was ridiculous. . . . . . .