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Back to the Bars

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Back to the Bars
Live album by
ReleasedDecember 1978
VenueThe Bottom Line, New York City; The Roxy, Los Angeles; The Agora, Cleveland
GenreRock
Length103:22
LabelBearsville Records
ProducerTodd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren chronology
Hermit of Mink Hollow
(1978)
Back to the Bars
(1978)
Healing
(1981)
Singles from Back to the Bars
  1. "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference"
    Released: October 1978

Back to the Bars is a live album by rock musician Todd Rundgren, which was released as a double LP in 1978.

The album was recorded during week-long stints in New York City (The Bottom Line), Los Angeles (The Roxy), and Cleveland (The Agora). The music featured the best of Rundgren's most commercial work spanning seven of the eight solo albums released in the 1970s up to, but not including, his most recent at the time. This effort was in place of rumors of a re-release of his out-of-print first two LPs, Runt, and Runt. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren. The only offering from those were "The Range War", and the bulk of the material came from Something/Anything?, A Wizard, a True Star, Todd, Initiation, and Faithful. The finale included past and present members of Rundgren's Utopia: Roger Powell, Kasim Sulton, Willie Wilcox, John Siegler, Ralph Schuckett and Moogy Klingman. Also joining in were the Hello People: Norman Smart, Greg Geddes, Bobby Sedita, and Larry Tasse. Special guest stars were Rick Derringer, Spencer Davis, Daryl Hall, John Oates, and Stevie Nicks.

Despite a hard push to replicate the success of Frampton Comes Alive!, Back to the Bars did not generate any significant singles or lift for Rundgren.

Track listing

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

All tracks written by Todd Rundgren; except where indicated.

Side 1
No.TitleOriginal releaseLength
1."Real Man"Initiation4:47
2."Love of the Common Man"Faithful4:25
3."The Verb 'To Love'"Faithful8:00
4."Love in Action"Oops! Wrong Planet3:44
5."A Dream Goes on Forever"Todd2:42
Side 2
No.TitleOriginal releaseLength
6."Sometimes I Don't Know What to Feel"A Wizard, a True Star4:13
7."The Range War"Runt. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren2:56
8."Black and White"Faithful5:34
9."The Last Ride"Todd6:03
10."Cliché"Faithful4:12
11."Don't You Ever Learn?"Todd5:53
Side 3
No.TitleOriginal releaseLength
12."Never Never Land" (Adolph Green, Betty Comden, Jule Styne)A Wizard, a True Star2:50
13."Black Maria"Something/Anything?5:41
14."Zen Archer"A Wizard, a True Star5:43
15."Medley: A Wizard, a True Star & Something/Anything?11:09
Side 4
No.TitleOriginal releaseLength
16."It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference"Something/Anything?4:27
17."Eastern Intrigue"Initiation5:43
18."Initiation"Initiation6:49
19."Couldn't I Just Tell You"Something/Anything?4:05
20."Hello It's Me"Something/Anything?4:27

Charts

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Chart (1978/79) Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[2] 99
Canada RPM Album Chart 64
Billboard Pop Albums[3] 75

Personnel

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Sides 1 and 4 (except hello it's me)

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  • Todd Rundgren – lead vocals, guitar, piano on "A Dream Goes on Forever"
  • Utopia:

Sides 2 and 3

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  • Todd Rundgren – lead vocals, guitar
  • Moogy Klingman – piano
  • John Siegler – bass
  • John Wilcox – drums, vocals
  • The Hello People:
    • Greg Geddes – lead, backing vocals
    • Bobby Sedita – rhythm guitar, saxophone, vocals
    • Norman Smart – drums on "The Range War", vocals
    • Larry Tasse – synthesizer, vocals

Guest artists

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Technical notes

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  • Hipgnosis – sleeve design and photography
  • Richard Creamer, Chuck Pulin, Kevin and Michael Ricker – live photography
  • Rob Davis – guitar technician
  • Paul Lester – liner notes
  • Tom Edmonds – mixing
  • Todd Rundgren – production, mixing

References

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  1. ^ Back to the Bars at AllMusic
  2. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 261. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  3. ^ Todd – Todd Rundgren > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-11-29.