Todd Rundgren strips it all back on ‘Solo In Clearwater,’ a live document of his bold 2003 solo tour, now making its physical debut on double colored vinyl and 2 CD. Originally released digitally in 2019 via Cleopatra Records, the set captures Rundgren alone on stage with guitars, samplers, piano, and backing tapes. No band. No safety net. Just songs and instinct.
Launching at the New Orleans House of Blues, the tour ran strictly solo across three dozen dates. Rundgren leaned into spontaneity, reshuffling his catalog in real time. “Some people feel I’m playing with pre-recorded music… or some nonsense,” he quipped. “I have the whole band standing by and ready to broadcast through this tiny little device.”
The performance moves from playful to poignant. “Hello, It’s Me” swerves with chaotic charm. “Song Of The Viking” lands like a vaudeville tongue twister. A ukulele-driven “Bang The Drum All Day” morphs into an “ancient Hawaiian war chant,” prompting a shout from the crowd. There is a bossa nova detour and a Marvin Gaye cover that flips expectations. “Hawking” delivers one of the most affecting moments of the night. The freedom is palpable.
Track Listing:
CD 1:
- Love Of The Common Man
- Cliche
- Lysistra
- I Don’t Want To Tie You Down
- Hammer In My Heart
- Compassion
- Song Of The Viking
- It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference
- Free, Male and 21
- Hello, It’s Me
- Bang The Drum All Day
- You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away
CD 2:
- Tiny Demons
- I Saw The Light
- Influenza
- Can We Still Be Friends?
- I Want You
- One World
- The Wheel
- Hawking