EQ Magazine - September 2008 - (Page 23)

Todd Rundgren Comes Clean About Producing Himself, Others, and How His Music Has Survived Changing Technology and Times If you are anything like us, your prework morning shower is invariably scored with a begrudgingly performed rendition of Todd Rundgren’s most immediately recognizable tune, “Bang The Drum All Day” (for the neophytes, the appropriate refrain is “I don’t want to work, I want to bang on the drum all day,” and it succinctly sums up our work ethic). And if you are anything like many young readers, the aforementioned ode to the leisurely-challenged is where your familiarity with Rundgren’s work begins and ends . . . or so you may think. Rundgren himself owns up to his waning popularity in modern music circles, telling us, “I haven’t had a charting album in years and years . . . but I still make a living out of music.” The latter half of that quote was the main qualifier for the ensuing cover story you now hold in your hands. In 2008, Rundgren may not pack stadiums, but he’s as active as ever. He’s not merely subsiding on mailbox dollars, though he’s certainly enjoyed his fair share of success over the years, from his illustrious solo career to his time in the trenches with artists such as Meat Loaf, the New York Dolls, Patti Smith, the Ramones, Cheap Trick, the New Cars, XTC, Ringo Starr, Bad Religion, the Residents, the Psychedelic Furs, and literally hundreds more. Simply put, Todd Rundgren is one of the most prolific musicians in the history of recorded music. And he’s been producing albums since long before practically any other musician had the bright idea to wear both hats in the studio. While his newest release, Arena [DeaconLight], isn’t likely to get hyped by Pitchfork, receive rotation on TRL, or secure him a spot opening for Justin Timberlake, Rundgren couldn’t care less. He still enjoys a fanatic following, and real music junkies all know him by name. He’s out there touring right this moment, and when he’s done promoting Arena, you can count on him jumping headfirst into the next project and writing, playing on, and producing something wildly different, with seemingly no worry as to what the masses think. That fact alone is more than enough to secure him a prominent slot in these pages. His work has been to the top and the bottom of the charts, but he’s held steady and displayed an unwavering dedication to his craft. How did you go from being strictly a musician to getting into recording? It happened fairly early on. My best friend growing up and I had a reel-toreel, which we would use to record bits from the radio on and then play with. I had a little bit of experience with tape machines before I ever recorded an album. I remember discovering how to create a flanging sound by accident: I just made a fake stereo recording and copied it over twice. Invariably, in those days of analog recording, there would be speed variations, but you could get them in sync. At one point while trying to sync, the phase crossed, and I thought, “Wow. I’ve discovered the secret!” With the very first song [early psychedelic garage rock band] the Nazz recorded, “Open My Eyes,” I knew that I wanted to use that technique to get that sound. We thought we had to get a “real” record producer [for the Nazz’s Nazz— SGC]. This guy named Bill Traut came By J.J. Blair Photograph by Jacques Lowe/Retna Ltd. www.eqmag.com SEPTEMBER 2008 EQ 23 http://www.eqmag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EQ Magazine - September 2008

EQ Magazine - September 2008 Contents Talk Box Sounding Board Punch In Freak Folk Todd Rundgren Guitar Trax Bass Management Key Issues Drum Heads Vocal Cords Mix Bus Cheat Sheet Sony Acid 6 Ableton Live 7 Portable Recorder Showdown Gadgets and Goodies Sounds Room with a Vu

EQ Magazine - September 2008

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