3-LockBox
01-28-2006, 11:57 AM
Well, its official. Todd Rungren and two of the original Cars members are
joining forces and hopefully, using their powers for Good.
Here's from Todd's own website:
Now that the cat is out of the bag, or rather 'car is out of the garage', I
should address the issues I would have dealt with had someone given me a
heads up before we went public.
There is a new cadre of 'fan' who has taken to constant second guessing of
my motives and decisions. Their responses are usually Cassandraesque, rife
with predictions of career death and loss of core audience. If results are
not to their satisfaction, they threaten... what? To actively campaign
against playing my music on the radio?
Here are the facts. I don't know what kind of job you have, but I imagine
that if you want to keep it you have to adapt to changes in your job
description and to changes in the job market itself. And I don't know if
you've heard, but musicians have notoriously brief careers. You can't do the
job well on a part time basis, so you had better make a living at it. And if
you want to keep the job, you better take advantage of whatever
opportunities you have to work.
You would have thought that 2004 was a big year for me careerwise, and in
many ways it was. But the effort to bring the tour to the widest audience
was not a profitable venture and I am still paying it off today. You would
have thought that 2005 has been a nearly disasterous followup, and in some
ways it has. But I erased the debts of last year, got caught up on my taxes
and even vacationed for a couple weeks. Oh yeah, and I supported my family.
So now an opportunity has arisen for me to pay my bills, play to a larger
audience, work with musicians I know and like, and ideally have some fun for
a year. The catch is, a lot of people have been counting on something else.
Let's make this clear: the possibility of a Utopia reunion of any kind has
always been extremely remote. We disbanded for specific reasons that a
previous reunion attempt only exacerbated. Despite whatever enjoyment we got
from playing the music for our fans, the reformation left a sour taste. It
would be ludicrous to Spinal Tap our way through a tour so fans could be
satisfied that we simply showed up on the same stage. That's a redefinition
of Utopia I can't personally handle. No 'magic date' is so magical that it
can transform such an ingrained relationship. It's not happening and we'll
all have to live with it.
The rest of the equation is obvious. I can take out a band of my own and
slide inexorably into debt, or I can go out solo and take my chances. Except
that's no choice. Most of my recent material doesn't translate to the
accoustic guitar (let alone piano), so the act has become stale to the point
that I won't accept any more gig offers for solo shows.
So you see, if someone gives you an opportunity to make a good living for a
year without violating your musical ethics (or HAVING to play Beatle songs),
and throws in the ability to retain your own identity and perform your own
material and possibly create new fans, well, what choice do you have,
really? The schedule even gives me plenty of time to record a new solo
project, so what's the problem? If my working musician's decision offends
you, start calling the DJs and beg them to stop playing all that TR music
that's in such heavy rotation.
Otherwise, me and Kas and Prairie and Elliot and Greg will be playing parts
of the country we'd never get to otherwise, and hope to see you all there
when we do.
TR
Well, at least Todd is honest about his motivations, but you have wonder how it will translate as far quality is concerned. I mean, why not see if there are any survivng members of Three Dog Night or Night Ranger or Simple Minds or (just pick someone). I assume there are fans of Rungren's out there who can make sense of it. Maybe they've know each other for years and I haven't a clue what I'm babbling about. At least Harrison, Lynn, Dylan, and Petty didn't call themselves the New Beatles.
But honestly, I am curious as hell, and I hope they make a stellar album. Hopefully Rungren is re-energized by this and he can play nice and get along with others (:rolleyes:...right) Hey, its not like bands haven't gone this route before and became even more successful than their original incarnations (can you say, YES). And Rungren's own solo career seems to suffer from ADD, so maybe this can be a real focused project with the others involved. I get the impression Rungren knows that he's the main attraction in this.
I wouldn't be shocked if it was a masterpiece. I won't hold my breath either.
Let the good times roll, Todd, just don't let them make you a clown.
joining forces and hopefully, using their powers for Good.
Here's from Todd's own website:
Now that the cat is out of the bag, or rather 'car is out of the garage', I
should address the issues I would have dealt with had someone given me a
heads up before we went public.
There is a new cadre of 'fan' who has taken to constant second guessing of
my motives and decisions. Their responses are usually Cassandraesque, rife
with predictions of career death and loss of core audience. If results are
not to their satisfaction, they threaten... what? To actively campaign
against playing my music on the radio?
Here are the facts. I don't know what kind of job you have, but I imagine
that if you want to keep it you have to adapt to changes in your job
description and to changes in the job market itself. And I don't know if
you've heard, but musicians have notoriously brief careers. You can't do the
job well on a part time basis, so you had better make a living at it. And if
you want to keep the job, you better take advantage of whatever
opportunities you have to work.
You would have thought that 2004 was a big year for me careerwise, and in
many ways it was. But the effort to bring the tour to the widest audience
was not a profitable venture and I am still paying it off today. You would
have thought that 2005 has been a nearly disasterous followup, and in some
ways it has. But I erased the debts of last year, got caught up on my taxes
and even vacationed for a couple weeks. Oh yeah, and I supported my family.
So now an opportunity has arisen for me to pay my bills, play to a larger
audience, work with musicians I know and like, and ideally have some fun for
a year. The catch is, a lot of people have been counting on something else.
Let's make this clear: the possibility of a Utopia reunion of any kind has
always been extremely remote. We disbanded for specific reasons that a
previous reunion attempt only exacerbated. Despite whatever enjoyment we got
from playing the music for our fans, the reformation left a sour taste. It
would be ludicrous to Spinal Tap our way through a tour so fans could be
satisfied that we simply showed up on the same stage. That's a redefinition
of Utopia I can't personally handle. No 'magic date' is so magical that it
can transform such an ingrained relationship. It's not happening and we'll
all have to live with it.
The rest of the equation is obvious. I can take out a band of my own and
slide inexorably into debt, or I can go out solo and take my chances. Except
that's no choice. Most of my recent material doesn't translate to the
accoustic guitar (let alone piano), so the act has become stale to the point
that I won't accept any more gig offers for solo shows.
So you see, if someone gives you an opportunity to make a good living for a
year without violating your musical ethics (or HAVING to play Beatle songs),
and throws in the ability to retain your own identity and perform your own
material and possibly create new fans, well, what choice do you have,
really? The schedule even gives me plenty of time to record a new solo
project, so what's the problem? If my working musician's decision offends
you, start calling the DJs and beg them to stop playing all that TR music
that's in such heavy rotation.
Otherwise, me and Kas and Prairie and Elliot and Greg will be playing parts
of the country we'd never get to otherwise, and hope to see you all there
when we do.
TR
Well, at least Todd is honest about his motivations, but you have wonder how it will translate as far quality is concerned. I mean, why not see if there are any survivng members of Three Dog Night or Night Ranger or Simple Minds or (just pick someone). I assume there are fans of Rungren's out there who can make sense of it. Maybe they've know each other for years and I haven't a clue what I'm babbling about. At least Harrison, Lynn, Dylan, and Petty didn't call themselves the New Beatles.
But honestly, I am curious as hell, and I hope they make a stellar album. Hopefully Rungren is re-energized by this and he can play nice and get along with others (:rolleyes:...right) Hey, its not like bands haven't gone this route before and became even more successful than their original incarnations (can you say, YES). And Rungren's own solo career seems to suffer from ADD, so maybe this can be a real focused project with the others involved. I get the impression Rungren knows that he's the main attraction in this.
I wouldn't be shocked if it was a masterpiece. I won't hold my breath either.
Let the good times roll, Todd, just don't let them make you a clown.