Yeah. You’re right. Thank you for saying that and I just don’t want to come across as rude for not getting back to you earlier and I am still feeling sick today but I am getting better and hopefully I will be back to normal by next week and the good thing is at least this flu is not as bad as some of the other ones I have had in and I’m still going to work and we had one of my Nieces (Courtney) spend the weekend with us and we love having her over and didn’t want to let her down. I am sorry to hear you recently had some stomach cramp-like symptoms but I am glad they are gone and have you had those before or was that the first time ‘cause if they return you might consider seeing a Doctor. ‘Fade Away’ was a great song and I just love everything about it and am surprised it wasn’t a hit but for some reason he just never become really popular with a mainstream audience like other Artists and Bands that were around at the same time did apart from a few songs that got radio airplay and it was kinda the same story with Uriah Heep, Nazareth and Blue Oyster Cult who have heaps of albums out and influenced a lot of other Artists and Bands but never really had much mainstream success outside of a few songs.
Todd Rundgren did venture off into other genres on his albums and that might explain why he didn’t become a bigger star in the 70s and 80s but I think most fans see him as a Classic Rock Artist too that liked to experiment with different genres every now and then. I am not sure how a lot of people that know him for ‘I Saw the Light’, ‘Can’t We Still Be Friends’ and ‘Hello It’s Me’ would react to his recent albums ‘cause as I said they are pretty different compared to those songs and I think he might prefer to experiment more on albums now than write songs that could turn into hits ‘cause he has reached the point of his career where it is very unlikely he is going to have another big hit on the charts. It is best to focus on his earlier albums as a solo Artist and member of Utopia but two songs he recorded in the 90s I think were good were 'Change Myself' and 'Kindness.' It is good we have so many live videos on You Tube to watch and we have got to see some Artists and Bands perform live on the site that we would have never got to see 'cause they never toured Australia or have passed away and I am disappointed I never got to see Dennis Wilson in concert with the Beach Boys before he died (I did get to see Carl) but thanks to You Tube I have got to see him performing more of his Beach Boys songs live. Sadly the poor audio quality really ruins some live songs on You Tube though and I have trouble sitting through them when they are like that. Good to hear, that you are getting better.
Yeah, the stomach symptoms, might be just something that happens, every now and then. No pain or nasty things, beside the cramp-similar stuff, but of course, if it is not something that goes away, or comes back, again and again, I will surely bring it up to my Doctor.
I have surely now learned the hard way, that when using Dr. Google, that is never the answer. In fact, anything but that.
Speaking of Todd Rundgren. Last day, I decided to bring out my CD copy of Hermit of Mink Hollow, and there were a few songs, which I had almost forgotten about, from earlier visits. I guess when I picked it up, I went in, only knowing Can We Still Be Friends (due to me, being a huge fan of the comedy of Jim Carrey, Dumb and Dumber) but was impressed at how much different, most of the album actually turned out to be. And I sure can understand, that those, expecting an entire record, filled with similar songs, might have been a little "put off", at least by some of the more "weird" or "rougher" edged cuts, but for me, I really enjoyed that. It kept you on your toes, as a listener, not playing too "safe", and I guess that is why Todd Rundgren never quite made it, at least as a big/huge pop-rock star.
Of the cuts from Hermit of Mink Hollow, that I enjoyed the most, of hearing again. Determination (sounded like something which could easily have come out, during the mid/late 80s), Out of Control (love it, when Todd cranks it up a bit extra), Bag Lady, You Cried Wolf, Too Far Gone, and then of course the quirky, yet incredibly catch (i cannot even spell it, so I have to copy and paste it) Onomatopoeia, (which when I first heard it, sounded like I'm about to peea)
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Also, speaking of the classic Carrey comedy, Dumb and Dumber. I was so disappointed, when I finally picked up the original or official CD soundtrack, years ago.
As it did not feature any of the Rundgren song/instrumental cuts he made for the film, but thankfully, several of those, have been put out on Youtube.
I love the feel-good, sweet and also kind of sad, in a way, sounds he made for that film. It would never have been as good, without all that great music, and that is something I have always enjoyed about the movies of the Farrelly brothers, they put out a similar great sounding movie/soundtrack, with Kingpin (1996), and also one which included music by Todd Rundgren.
Sadly, the latter film, somehow, never quite seemed to enjoy the same success, as Dumb and Dumber. A bit strange, as it had a very resembling theme/characters, but one that actually also hit a bit "harder", when it come to include more dramatic or serious moments, within all the goofy, slapstick comedy, that takes place.
Anyway, the beautiful Rundgren instrumental, I am not sure, ever got an offical release, but several people have made rather fine and impressive cover versions, online, and this might be one of those I think stand out, as the better or best:
Anyway, speaking of Rundgren and not becoming a bigger popstar, I like music and artists, who just do not follow the same style/genre, on every release.
Sure, some artists and bands, have made a nice living, making the "same" record, through most of their entire careers. But I do often prefer those, who seems to never stand "still", always eager to explore or try out new things, in favor of just doing the same old routine, over and over again.
Todd Rundgren was a good producer too and and I think the album he is best known for producing was Meatloaf's 'Bat Out of Hell' but he also produced albums by Hall & Oates, Cheap Trick, Badfinger, Grand Funk Railroad, Patti Smith Group, The Psychedelic Furs, Jill Sobule, New York Dolls and The Pursuit of Happiness among others and have you heard his cover version of the Beach Boys' 'Good Vibrations' 'cause he sounds so similar to the Beach Boys singing that song a lot of people I know that I played it to thought it was the Beach Boys. 
Did you know he started out in another band first called Nazz and he was the lead singer of a short lived revived version of the Cars called the New Cars with original members, Elliot Easton and Greg Hawkes and Kasim Sultan. They only released one album which was mostly full of live covers of the Cars' classic songs but they recorded three new songs which I thought were pretty good. Thank you for all the XTC videos. I have heard of the band and like some of the songs I have heard but we don't have any of those albums so I will check out their 'Skylarking' album. I was curious if you have any favourite Aussie Artists and Bands or songs 'cause I know a lot I could introduce you too and these are three from the 90s I really like. 
Looking at the list of artist and albums he produced or worked on, that is very impressive. I really enjoyed his production on the Forever Now (1982) record by The Psychedelic Furs, and probably had a huge part, in giving the band a more commercial yet not too "watered down" style, and where the title cut, President Gas and Love My Way are all classic Furs cuts, and among the best sounding of the british new wave era of the early 80s.
Nazz, I have only heard a few songs of, usally when VH1-Classic Rock went on, during late nights on tv. Sadly, VH1 Classic is no longer, at least in my country, but MTV80s has taken over, and as a huge fan of that decade, I guess I cannot really complain that much.
Rundgren and The Cars? Now that sounds interesting.
XTC and Rundgren, at least to my ears, was like a match made in "heaven", even though it sounds like they went through "hell" and back, to get the album made.
It really is a beautiful, warm, fun and just, incredible love letter, to the whole psychedelic 60s The Beatles, Beach Boys, The Kinks and so many others, and I guess Rundgren made a huge and lasting impact, on XTC and how they would later on go onto produce or make their albums.
Their earlier releases, specially made in the late 70s and early 80s, where much harder or edgier in sound and style. Fast and thundering guitars, drums and bass, more new wave/rock in sound, but fitted so well, with the early days of XTC.
Lots of energy and melodies, but sadly Andy Partridge began suffering from some serious stage fright, and they seemed to have quite an impressive reputation building up, as one of the best live acts during that time.
So it must have been very tough, to leave all that behind, also never quite making it as a commercial pop-rock group, as they sure had so many potential radio hits, filled with catchy and sweet melodies. But without no touring and little support from their record label, they thankfully would later on, find a way of becoming one of the best and surely most original studio acts, of the 80s, not that far off, what other great and gifted british artists and bands, like Kate Bush, David Sylvian or Talk Talk would go on to, later that decade. And some of their best albums, surely came out of that as well.
I guess trying to pick out, just a few of so many of their great songs, is, well, not gonna happen. But, if you are interested, or get to give Skylarking or some of the songs from that record, a go, and like what you hear. I will surely recommend a few of their later albums/songs, which kind of follows the same style/route, with the psychedelic pop sound:
Anyway, I will just "throw" out a few, of those I think could have easily fitted well, into the sound and world of Skylarking:
Mayor of Simpleton (1989)Then She Appeared (1992)Wrapped in Grey (1992)I Can't Own Her (1999)Knights in Shining Karma (1999)The Last Balloon (1999) 
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