Rating
The Pequod Review:
A Wizard A True Star is a biography that goes deep into the artistic process, as Paul Myers explores Todd Rundgren's extraordinary career as a musician and producer. Rundgren is an enormously talented guitarist and keyboardist, but his most lasting work has been in the studio where he brought innovative contributions to countless bands (including Meat Loaf, XTC, Grand Funk Railroad, Cheap Trick, Patti Smith, and many more). What is especially impressive is the way Myers ignores the gossipy personal details of Rundgren's life and instead focuses on how he managed the recording process — e.g., how the microphones were selected, the ways computer recording technologies were used, and how he dealt with big and often fragile egos. While the book is probably too insular to appeal to casual music fans, it's a highly useful and detailed picture of how a music producer does his job.