Nazz Nazz is still one of my favorite LPs. I discovered them after becoming a huge TR fan in 1972. You can really hear TR developing as a soulful ballad composer which he later showcased on his record “Ballad”. Under the Ice is one of the heaviest, coolest, 60s rock songs ever.
Totally agree, James! NN is such an underrated album--and it really is where Todd began expanding past the usual rock 'n' roll compositions. Under the Ice is heavy in The Who's wonderful I Can See For Miles is heavy--and so cool!
Open My Eyes, the first track off their debut album, is not just one of the greatest raw rock songs to come out of the '60s, but also of all-time, and it has been criminally overlooked.
'A Beautiful Song' on Nazz Nazz is longer than most tunes, but it is also quite tremendous, with a lot of killer guitar soloing from Todd throughout and ups and downs - including the vocal element you mention k- making it interesting in a manner like the Allman Brothers could do long song and theky would be riveting from start to finish thanks to clever arrangements and great playing. Todd also penned and arranged the tune as well as doing the arrangement for the string section. Stunning stuff. And Thom Mooney was great throughout 'Nazz Nazz'. Though definitely influenced by the likes of Keith Moon, Thom had his own style, with a lot of cool fills and grooves. The drumming on 'Under the Ice', 'Kiddie Boy' and 'A Beautiful Song' is great. Thank you for doing this video. This week I've been introducing a friend, a tremendous guitarist, to the music of Todd, and I've started him with 'Open My Eyes' and 'A Beautiful Song'. A good introduction, I think.
Thank you for highlighting truly one of my all time favorite bands. I was fortunate enough to see/hear them live & for free! I was an eternal fan from the moment they started. Tight, raw, and powerful. Those first two albums showed the range the band had. Thanks again.
Oh my god! You're on a very short list of lucky people to have seen that band live. I can only imagine how mind-blowing that must have been. Thank you so much for sharing your memories. Come back soon!
@@PopCultureGraveyard i didn't know at the time how lucky I was going to be. Not sure what the occasion was (Nazz was scheduled to play at the Texas International Pop Festival in '69 - don't know if they did), but the word got out on one of the "underground" radio stations that they were going to play a free concert at Lee Park in Dallas, so I was there! And they did! IIRC they opened with "Loosen Up" & straight into "Under The Ice". They kicked it HARD! A great lived band & obviously very versatile in the studio. Thanks again!
Appreciated! I discovered Nazz during my psychedelic garage band phase, which was me transitioning from exclusively listening to sixties/early seventies music to discovering post-punk & college music circa 1984. Of course I had known of Todd Rundgren, but he was still on my 'to do list' at that time. I played these three LPs a lot, and turned a lot of my 'drop-out' buddies on to them. I will say the 3rd LP see's Todd Rundgren getting more into the likes of Laura Nyro, Carole King, and Janis Ian, which we would see on his first solo albums afterwards. I didn't really mind so much because I was really into them as well, but it really makes that album sound dated.
Yeah, I hear you on the 3rd Nazz album. There are even some people who call that one their favorite Nazz album, which I don't get. Todd was BIG into Nyro as early as Nazz Nazz, and I always imagine his band mates trying to get him away from the piano, almost like Jonathan Richman's original Modern Lovers being driven crazy by JR's new quiet direction. Todd's such a genius; I always see him as being on the same level as Zappa or Prince.
I hadn't! But after your heads up I immediately went looking for one song, Under The Ice, and they DID IT! So good. I'm just glad Mooney and Stewkey were still alive for it. They both sounded great too. So glad you enjoyed the episode, Stephen. And thanks for the comment!
@@PopCultureGraveyard hell yea! Thanks for checking it out, I had only just learned about it too. And yes Under The Ice I definitely wanted to hear too!!! So pumped they played it. The whole concert sounded great. There's also a really cool interview with Thom and Stewkey from the day after that show. This was in 2019 and sounded like they wanted to tour!! I really hope they do. Could you imagine seeing them live back in the 60s?? You make some great points too in your video, Nazz was plagued by poor management. Wish they had played more live shows. Would have been awesome to of had a live Nazz record and some footage.
Nice Job ‼️ I”m an unknowing fan , Especially after , Open My Eyes as a Kid , Then Utopia and pretty much forgetting due to overload and love of many styles of Music and lack of time to pursue my many interests in music . This video did “open my Eyes “ ! And I thank U for Your Efforts! Tom T. 12/16/2020
@@PopCultureGraveyard Todd did sing alternate leads on several Nazz songs. Search Nazz vs Toddzilla. I think it was on Rhino Records. Todd sounds like Todd. Great vocals especially on "Take The Hand". Went with Stewkey's vocals instead on release.
Todd was in delco rock band Woody's truck stop first punk rock was invented in delco pa and early rock n roll we are salt of the earth people and people like todd Joan Jett were powerful the snaps and delco magic mushrooms on nuggets
No. It's "The Nazz." That's how everyone, including Todd Rundgren, says the band name. It's just that a decision was made to only put "Nazz" on their albums because it looked cooler. But they are, and always have been, The Nazz.
Todd was in delco rock band Woody's truck stop first punk rock was invented in delco pa and early rock n roll we are salt of the earth people and people like todd Joan Jett were powerful the snaps and delco magic mushrooms on nuggets
00:00 Intro
00:25 Nuggets
03:05 Nazz
07:44 Nazz Nazz
12:12 Nazz III (Nazz 3)
14:59 Nazz From Philadelphia
15:30 Something/Anything & Back To The Bars
Great video! I'm a Toddhead par excellence.
Nazz Nazz is still one of my favorite LPs. I discovered them after becoming a huge TR fan in 1972. You can really hear TR developing as a soulful ballad composer which he later showcased on his record “Ballad”.
Under the Ice is one of the heaviest, coolest, 60s rock songs ever.
Totally agree, James! NN is such an underrated album--and it really is where Todd began expanding past the usual rock 'n' roll compositions. Under the Ice is heavy in The Who's wonderful I Can See For Miles is heavy--and so cool!
I grew up in the Philly area and remember Woody's and Nazz. We'd go to the Jersey shore in the summer and see Nazz playing at clubs around Wildwood.
Open My Eyes, the first track off their debut album, is not just one of the greatest raw rock songs to come out of the '60s, but also of all-time, and it has been criminally overlooked.
I couldn't agree more! It's the standout track off the "Nuggets comp," and is one of my favorite songs of the 60s.
'A Beautiful Song' on Nazz Nazz is longer than most tunes, but it is also quite tremendous, with a lot of killer guitar soloing from Todd throughout and ups and downs - including the vocal element you mention k- making it interesting in a manner like the Allman Brothers could do long song and theky would be riveting from start to finish thanks to clever arrangements and great playing. Todd also penned and arranged the tune as well as doing the arrangement for the string section. Stunning stuff.
And Thom Mooney was great throughout 'Nazz Nazz'. Though definitely influenced by the likes of Keith Moon, Thom had his own style, with a lot of cool fills and grooves. The drumming on 'Under the Ice', 'Kiddie Boy' and 'A Beautiful Song' is great.
Thank you for doing this video. This week I've been introducing a friend, a tremendous guitarist, to the music of Todd, and I've started him with 'Open My Eyes' and 'A Beautiful Song'. A good introduction, I think.
My favourite song is " Take the hand " in the third album " Nazz III "
Great info about this. Little gem I just discovered , quite inspirational ... thumbs up 👍
Thanks, John! So glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for highlighting truly one of my all time favorite bands. I was fortunate enough to see/hear them live & for free! I was an eternal fan from the moment they started. Tight, raw, and powerful. Those first two albums showed the range the band had. Thanks again.
Oh my god! You're on a very short list of lucky people to have seen that band live. I can only imagine how mind-blowing that must have been. Thank you so much for sharing your memories. Come back soon!
@@PopCultureGraveyard i didn't know at the time how lucky I was going to be. Not sure what the occasion was (Nazz was scheduled to play at the Texas International Pop Festival in '69 - don't know if they did), but the word got out on one of the "underground" radio stations that they were going to play a free concert at Lee Park in Dallas, so I was there! And they did! IIRC they opened with "Loosen Up" & straight into "Under The Ice". They kicked it HARD! A great lived band & obviously very versatile in the studio. Thanks again!
They certainly did play the international pop fest!!
Appreciated! I discovered Nazz during my psychedelic garage band phase, which was me transitioning from exclusively listening to sixties/early seventies music to discovering post-punk & college music circa 1984. Of course I had known of Todd Rundgren, but he was still on my 'to do list' at that time. I played these three LPs a lot, and turned a lot of my 'drop-out' buddies on to them. I will say the 3rd LP see's Todd Rundgren getting more into the likes of Laura Nyro, Carole King, and Janis Ian, which we would see on his first solo albums afterwards. I didn't really mind so much because I was really into them as well, but it really makes that album sound dated.
Yeah, I hear you on the 3rd Nazz album. There are even some people who call that one their favorite Nazz album, which I don't get. Todd was BIG into Nyro as early as Nazz Nazz, and I always imagine his band mates trying to get him away from the piano, almost like Jonathan Richman's original Modern Lovers being driven crazy by JR's new quiet direction. Todd's such a genius; I always see him as being on the same level as Zappa or Prince.
Great video!! Nazz is my favorite. Have you seen the footage of the 2019 concert?
I hadn't! But after your heads up I immediately went looking for one song, Under The Ice, and they DID IT! So good. I'm just glad Mooney and Stewkey were still alive for it. They both sounded great too. So glad you enjoyed the episode, Stephen. And thanks for the comment!
@@PopCultureGraveyard hell yea! Thanks for checking it out, I had only just learned about it too. And yes Under The Ice I definitely wanted to hear too!!! So pumped they played it. The whole concert sounded great. There's also a really cool interview with Thom and Stewkey from the day after that show. This was in 2019 and sounded like they wanted to tour!! I really hope they do. Could you imagine seeing them live back in the 60s?? You make some great points too in your video, Nazz was plagued by poor management. Wish they had played more live shows. Would have been awesome to of had a live Nazz record and some footage.
Nice Job ‼️ I”m an unknowing fan , Especially after , Open My Eyes as a Kid , Then Utopia and pretty much forgetting due to overload and love of many styles of Music and lack of time to pursue my many interests in music . This video did “open my Eyes “ ! And I thank U for Your Efforts! Tom T. 12/16/2020
Thanks a lot, Tom! Really glad you enjoyed the video. You're right; it's easy to get overloaded--there's so much music and so little time!
Stewkey's vocals on Nazz 3 were an improvement over Todd's. Todd himself said his vocal skills were lacking at the time.
Absolutely right, and I love Stewkey's vocals. But as a Todd fan, it sure would be great to hear Nazz studio stuff with him singing.
@@PopCultureGraveyard Todd did sing alternate leads on several Nazz songs. Search Nazz vs Toddzilla. I think it was on Rhino Records. Todd sounds like Todd. Great vocals especially on "Take The Hand". Went with Stewkey's vocals instead on release.
Todd was in delco rock band Woody's truck stop first punk rock was invented in delco pa and early rock n roll we are salt of the earth people and people like todd Joan Jett were powerful the snaps and delco magic mushrooms on nuggets
Not Philly bro
It's not "the Nazz" just Nazz
No. It's "The Nazz." That's how everyone, including Todd Rundgren, says the band name. It's just that a decision was made to only put "Nazz" on their albums because it looked cooler. But they are, and always have been, The Nazz.
Todd was in delco rock band Woody's truck stop first punk rock was invented in delco pa and early rock n roll we are salt of the earth people and people like todd Joan Jett were powerful the snaps and delco magic mushrooms on nuggets