Todd Rundgren Hermit Of Mink Hollow CD

Solo performer: Todd Rundgren (vocals, various instruments).
Over the course of 1977, Todd Rundgren moved Utopia toward a more pop-oriented direction, winding up with the slick mainstream arena rock of Oops! Wrong Planet. With that in mind, it makes sense that The Hermit of Mink Hollow -- his first full-fledged solo album since Initiation, if you discount the half-cover/half-original Faithful -- finds Rundgren in his pop craftsman persona. The difference is, he's heartbroken. His relationship with Bebe Buell collapsed during 1977 and it's clear that the separation has pained him, since pain and melancholy underpin the album, whether it's on ballads ("Can We Still Be Friends") or on apparently joyous revelries, like "All the Children Sing." That said, this is a Rundgren solo album and he has not abandoned his trademarks, which means that the lush ballads are paired with novelties ("Onomatopoeia," which sounds exactly how you hope it does), ersatz soul ("You Cried Wolf"), and pure pop ("Hurting for You"). Hermit is also the first record Rundgren recorded completely alone since Something/Anything? Where that record sounded like the inner workings of a madman, with each song providing no indication what the next would sound like, Hermit is more cohesive. It also feels less brilliant, even if it is, in many ways, nearly as excellent as Rundgren's masterwork, mainly because it doesn't have such a wide scope. Still, the reason The Hermit of Mink Hollow is such a milestone in Rundgren's career is because it's a small album, filled with details, and easily the most emotional record he made. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Considered by many of Todd Rundgren's old-school fans to be his last truly "great" album--though the ones that follow have more than their share of goodies for the attentive listener--1978's HERMIT OF MINK HOLLOW does contain some of his last pure pop tunes in the vein of such previous hits as "I Saw the Light." The heartbreaking "Can We Still Be Friends" was his last Top-40 hit. Besides that gem, the album contains some of his most wide-ranging material, from the silly, sound-effects-laden but utterly delightful "Onomatopoeia" to the dark, foreboding "Bag Lady," which includes a then-current reference to New York's notorious Son of Sam serial killer that provoked small controversy. Elsewhere, the hard-charging "You Cried Wolf" is one of his most effective rockers. While not as perfect as SOMETHING/ANYTHING? or as peculiar as A WIZARD, A TRUE STAR, HERMIT OF MINK HOLLOW is one of Todd Rundgren's best pop albums.