Deep Thoughts With Todd Rundgren

by Alexandra Molotkow

Todd Rundgren is a hero partly because of his deluded, unquestioning self-belief, which is a pleasure when it yields something weird and beautiful (see above), and an interesting case study when it doesn’t. There are so many moments — say, “An Elpee’s Worth of Toons” from Todd, an extravagantly stupid song that precedes a nearly perfect one — when I’ve thought, “Todd, this is incredibly dumb and you know it, couldn’t you have doubted yourself for two goshdarn seconds?” But Todd has always loved and committed to even his worst ideas, and that’s a…way to go through life.

It’s an interesting question: do you ignore your stupid, tasteless, otherwise ridiculous hunches, or take them as seriously as the self-evidently good ones? Is Todd Rundgren worse for indulging himself to the point of xpqqurhaxxiyyyffffffffff, despite writing some of the greatest pop songs of ever ever, ever, or is it better to have Todd Doing Todd in all his silliness than the Todd We Want?

I sort of feel like, whatever gets us here is worth it.

Also, I keep saying this, but I’d like to get a Todd Face T-shirt, like the pizza shirt but with Todd Rundgren’s face. I should get around to it.