Todd Rundgren--the father of New Wave?

**Boston Joe** · 10-06-2016, 04:35 PM

Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff

I wonder how Frank felt about Terry leaving him for a "New Wave" band? Since Frank mercilessly skewered punk and New Wave (Tinseltown Rebellion).

Whatever else he may have been, Frank was also a businessman. I'm sure he was pleased to see them prosper. (At least I hope so.) (And that weird mirror dress thing that Dale wore wouldn't have been out of place in Frank's world, I don't think.)

I saw Terry with Dweezil on the first Zappa plays Zappa tour. They did The Black Page. He's still got it.

**Boston Joe** · 10-06-2016, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by Thumpalumpacus

I lived in SoCal in late 70s/early 80s, and heard plenty of X (though I never got to see them, sadly). They were badass. I always thought of them as punk rather than New Wave, though.

Definitely punk. (Regular punk as opposed to the Black Flag/LA hardcore thing, though).

**Stevebol** · 10-07-2016, 10:19 PM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_wave_music

Late 70's to mid-80's. sounds about right but there was the funk band era starting in the late 60's that ended with the end of new wave. There was straight dance rock like Van Halen and AC/DC.
Early 80's was the most vibrant time for dance music with so many different genres of dance music. Some of that disco didn't suck either.
I was cut off from music from 79-82 in the navy. I went full steam ahead from 82-86' in music.
I wasn't giving Prince nearly enough credit for being new wave. Purple Rain was the last wave. It was crazy. We could get a crowd doing his music under the umbrella of urban Top 40 in the US but couldn't make much money. In Japan OMG the way people were spending money.
A good old crash of the economy level things out but even after that you could do well.
There's nothing like the synth washed world of Purple Rain but the movie was a big lie. He wrote and recorded everything except Jungle Love by the Time.
I was sort of awol from 82' to F knows. 92, 95? Can't remember.
I was riding the wave.

**Stevebol** · 10-07-2016, 11:06 PM

MTV started in 81'. The first song was new wave but I didn't watch TV. I thought cable was cool and maybe I'd get around to watching it someday.
Now I just think it's evil. I don't have cable anymore.

According to the article new wave got little attention in the US until MTV. I always thought it was more of a UK thing in origin.

**Thumpalumpacus** · 10-08-2016, 02:44 AM

The Cars scored big hits well before MTV ... and to be honest, I think chasing the MTV dragon was that band's undoing.

**Boston Joe** · 10-08-2016, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Thumpalumpacus

The Cars scored big hits well before MTV ... and to be honest, I think chasing the MTV dragon was that band's undoing.

Hm. Maybe. I kinda think Ric just got bored with the whole thing. Around here, they were known for doing pretty terrible shows. Pretty much just phoning it in.

**Thumpalumpacus** · 10-08-2016, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by Boston Joe

Hm. Maybe. I kinda think Ric just got bored with the whole thing. Around here, they were known for doing pretty terrible shows. Pretty much just phoning it in.

Well, they were never known for great stage presence.

**Doctor Jeff** · 10-08-2016, 12:05 PM

Re' the Cars--marrying a supermodel is the death of art. Ask Bruce--it took him years of albums and years of therapy to undo that.

**Doctor Jeff** · 10-08-2016, 12:06 PM

Todd played with the New Cars for awhile btw. I'm not a big fan of the 80's Utopia stuff--too frenetic for my taste. I think his best was the late 60's to mid-70's.