A Wizard, a True Star

Music and production

The first side of the album consists of an extended suite called "The International Feel (in 8)"; the component songs segue into one another, and the lyrics are frequently humorous or hallucinatory.

The album's especially long playing time (55:56) pushed the limits of how much music could fit on a LP record. Each side is much longer than the typical 17 to 20 minutes of a typical album. Therefore, the groove spacing is narrower, causing a significant drop in volume and sound quality. Rundgren acknowledged this issue on the album's inner sleeve. He advised listeners (presumably in jest) to turn up the volume on their speakers to compensate. The first vinyl release was mastered by noted audio engineer Robert "Bob" Ludwig at Sterling Sound and is identifiable by the notation "STERLING RL" written in the run-out grooves.

Four of the musicians featured on the album – Klingman, Labat, Shuckett and Siegler – would go on to be core players in the early version of Rundgren's band Todd Rundgren's Utopia.

Packaging and artwork

Arthur Wood made the painting that is featured on the cover. Arthur included cryptic symbols in his cover art that, when deciphered, spell out the following messages:

First issues of the vinyl LP included a postcard encouraging purchasers to send in their names to be included on a poster in Todd's next album, and was die-cut with curly corners. Also included was a "band aid" poem written by Patti Smith which was a bio about the album. Reissues of the vinyl LP did not include these extras, and the cover was a standard square cover.

Live performances

In late 2009 and early 2010, Rundgren began touring the album after hearing it had a new audience of young fans (most famously the British electropop band Hot Chip). The idea originated with a promoter in London but when he didn't make an offer for the tour, two fans from RundgrenRadio.com, a fan-based internet radio program, started a limited U.S. tour of the album in 2009 which was followed the next year by two shows in Europe.

Reception

In Rolling Stone, James Isaacs wrote, "I doubt that even the staunchest Rundgren cultists will want to subject themselves to most of the japery on side one, which would be better suited for a cartoon soundtrack. One the other hand, side two's restraint, its brimming good humor and its ambience of innocence is irresistible, and helps save A Wizard, A True Star from total disaster." Writing in Creem, Robert Christgau deemed Rundgren "a minor songwriter with major woman problems who's good with the board and has a sense of humor". Patti Smith was more enthusiastic in her review for the magazine: "Blasphemy even the gods smile on. Rock and roll for the skull. A very noble concept. Past present and tomorrow in one glance. Understanding through musical sensation. Todd Rundgren is preparing us for a generation of frenzied children who will dream in animation." In MusicHound Rock (1996), Christopher Scapelliti called the record "a fascinating sonic collage that skews his pop-star image 180 degrees". Ben Sisario, on the other hand, wrote in The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004) that it was "an endurance test of stylistic diversity, with just three fully realized songs ('Sometimes I Don't Know What to Feel,' 'International Feel,' and 'Just One Victory') stranded in the midst of so much half-baked sonic decoration."

Track listing

All songs written by Todd Rundgren except where noted.

Side one – "The International Feel (in 8)"

1. "International Feel" – 2:50
2. "Never Never Land" (Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Jule Styne) – 1:34
3. "Tic Tic Tic It Wears Off" – 1:14
4. "You Need Your Head" – 1:02
5. "Rock and Roll Pussy" – 1:08
6. "Dogfight Giggle" – 1:05
7. "You Don't Have to Camp Around" – 1:03
8. "Flamingo" – 2:34
9. "Zen Archer" – 5:35
10. "Just Another Onionhead/Da da Dali" – 2:23
11. "When the Shit Hits the Fan/Sunset Blvd." – 4:02
12. "Le Feel Internacionale" – 1:51

Total length: 26:21

Side two – "A True Star"

1. "Sometimes I Don't Know What to Feel" – 4:16
2. "Does Anybody Love You?" – 1:31
3. "Medley" – 10:34
4. "I'm So Proud" (Curtis Mayfield) – 2:46
5. "Ooh Baby Baby" (Smokey Robinson, Warren "Pete" Moore) – 2:54
6. "La La Means I Love You" (William Hart, Thom Bell) – 2:16
7. "Cool Jerk" (Donald Storball) – 2:33
8. "Hungry for Love" – 2:18
9. "I Don't Want to Tie You Down" – 1:56
10. "Is It My Name?" – 4:01
11. "Just One Victory" – 4:59

Total length: 29:35

Notes

Personnel

Charts

Album