A Cappella (Todd Rundgren album)

A Cappella
Studio album by Todd Rundgren
Released September 1985 (1985-09)
Recorded at Utopia Sound
Genre Pop rock
Length 39:42
Label Warner Bros./Rhino
Producer Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren chronology
The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect
(1983)		 A Cappella
(1985)		 Nearly Human
(1989)
Singles from A Cappella
  1. "Something To Fall Back On"
    Released: October 1985
  2. "Johnee Jingo"
    Released: December 1985
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Classic Rock[2]
Rolling Stone(favourable)[3]

A Cappella is a 1985 album by Todd Rundgren. The album is one of Rundgren's most unusual in that every sound is the product of the artist's voice. Rundgren employed overdubbing techniques and an E-mu Emulator (an early sampler), electronically manipulating the sound of his voice in order to mimic conventional rock instruments, handclaps, and other sounds.[4] This unique approach to music making was later explored by artists such as Mike Patton and Björk.

A Cappella was finished in 1984 and slated for release on Bearsville Records later that year. But with Bearsville's slimming artist roster and lack of successful artists, Bearsville did not want to risk releasing an album that the label felt was too experimental and would not sell, so A Cappella was shelved. Bearsville filed for bankruptcy in 1985 and all of its remaining master recordings were either released through Warner Bros. or shelved altogether.

A test pressing of A Cappella's LP master was bootlegged under the title, "Runt A Cappella"(CATSVILLE TR-084), and may have influenced Warner Bros. to release the album since bootleggers were profiting from it. This same bootleg was also released as a high quality concert recording of an A Cappella live concert, taken from a recording at the Bismark Theater, on October 25, 1985, that was broadcast via the King Biscuit Flower Hour. The packaging of both bootlegs were the same, so it was unknown whether it was the studio LP or live LP until it was played.

A Cappella would also be Rundgren's first official album for Warner Bros. Records, following the demise of Bearsville Records, which Warner Bros. distributed. Rhino Records would subsequently acquire the rights to the album for release on CD and for online distribution. It was also Rundgren's last studio album for four years.

Track listing

All songs written by Todd Rundgren, except where indicated.

Side one
  1. "Blue Orpheus" – 5:02
  2. "Johnee Jingo" – 3:51
  3. "Pretending to Care" – 3:40
  4. "Hodja" – 3:25
  5. "Lost Horizon" – 4:57
Side two
  1. "Something to Fall Back On" – 4:13
  2. "Miracle in the Bazaar" – 4:12
  3. "Lockjaw" – 4:01
  4. "Honest Work" – 2:40
  5. "Mighty Love" (Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes, Charles Simmons) – 3:41

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1985 US Billboard Pop Albums[5] 128

Cover versions

References

  1. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Todd Rundgren - A Cappella review". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 2015-09-26.
  2. ↑ Quantick, David (March 2012). "Todd Rundgren - Reissues". Classic Rock (168): 108.
  3. ↑ Fricke, David (7 November 1985). "Todd Rundgren - A Cappella". Archived from the original on 10 March 2005. Retrieved 2015-09-26.
  4. ↑ Kopp, Bill. "Todd Rundgren". Trouser Press. Trouser Press LLC. Archived from the original on 4 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
  5. ↑ "A Cappella Billboard Albums". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 2015-09-26.
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