From hearing it, it's a wonder Todd Rundgren's music got produced and released. But according to his bio, it was Todd's own success as a producer in the early 70s that gave him the in to produce and release his own album. Because it was such a success, he generated a loyal fanbase that supported him over his increasingly fringe experimentation.
A Capella was one of these, and it was a cult favorite of college a capella groups in the late 80s and 90s. All sounds on the album were generated by Todd and his body, much like Bobby McFerrin. But whereas McFerrin has a jazz/gospel feel to his work, the songs on A Capella defy categorization.
The two featured here are Johnee Jingo and Pretending to Care.
A Capella was one of these, and it was a cult favorite of college a capella groups in the late 80s and 90s. All sounds on the album were generated by Todd and his body, much like Bobby McFerrin. But whereas McFerrin has a jazz/gospel feel to his work, the songs on A Capella defy categorization.
The two featured here are Johnee Jingo and Pretending to Care.
The first is an unabashedly minor song that borders on dirge, but with an underlying beat ceaselessly driving it forward. The lyrics tell the story of a teenager who lies about his age to join the military and "defend the border". But the true genius of this song is the bridge from 1:56-2:12, which is simply a masterpiece chord progression in just 4 bars:
F E7sus4 E7
To the man who owns the land - We're all the same
Am F/A C/G F
But when his grip begins to slip, Then he'll be calling out your name
The next song is an ethereal journey through another novel chord progression, only this time he keeps it up for the entire song. The dissonance of the chords match the subject of the lyrics--unrequited love. There's also a really nice version of Todd performing this song 20 years later with a string quartet as a background.
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