Re: Take me out to the ballpark (Re-Pete)

[Oust_the_pretender <bushchoked@xxxxxxxxx>]

> No less a critic than John Hughes is of the opinion
> that Todd Rundgren is the American Pete Townshend.

Alan:

With all respect for John's informed opinion, I'd have
to strongly disagree. Rundgren was entirely another
animal altogether. On the one hand, he made a career
of pop cliches. Intentionally. Pete avoided that for
the most part, so right there is a complete opposite.
Then too Todd formed a band AFTER his solo career took
off (another complete opposite) to take the more
experimental aspects of his music (yet another
complete opposite). A significant part of Rundgren's
career is as a producer, something Pete seldom did.
Todd was also very silly all through his career. Bang
On The Drum All Day? Yikes!

> I completely agree. That was just a place to start.

Jo:

I find it hard to even get close to Pete. Pete
single-handedly...or single-GUITAREDLY I should
say...changed the entire sound of Rock music. Bowie is
the only person I can think of offhand who comes close
to having this amount of influence, and of course he's
British.
So, upon careful consideration, I'd have to say if
you're going to twist my arm and MAKE me answer, the
answer would have to be Brian Wilson.

> The person would have to be poet with an edge, with
> a twinge of tortured 
> artist, a man with a vision and also a seeker.

That fits.

> Pete. Maybe we would have to take it a step further
> and say a Hollywood director 
> or someone. Someone with lots of vision???   

Sandy:

That didn't make it any easier for me.

> I was thinking David Byrne, but I just noticed he
> was born in Scotland.

Jim M:

And his influence wasn't nearly as vast. In fact, I'd
have to give the influence aspect to Eno, not Byrne.
Love his stuff, though.
I can think of several British musicians...starting
with Ray Davies and going at least to Andy Partridge
of XTC, then there's the aforementioned Bowie. But an
American? As a culture, we're not as Art-driven (we're
the country who created The Dukes Of Hazzard, I rest
my case). I think that's a factor, and goes to what Jo
said about "being British."

=====
"I feel like God wants me to run for president."
             George "Duh-Bya" Bush, 2000

                     Cheers         ML

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