The Nazz Nazz Nazz

Nazz: Todd Rundgren (guitars, vocals); Robert "Stewkey" Antoni (keyboards, vocals); Carson Van Osten (bass); Thom Mooney (drums).
Includes liner notes by Merf Sohmers and Patti Hobart.
While the Nazz's previous record (their self-titled debut) was a small masterpiece of baroque pop and blue-eyed soul akin to the Box Tops attempting the scope of REVOLVER, this 1969 follow-up abandons most of the R&B trimmings. If anything, NAZZ NAZZ predicts the Anglophilic direction Box Tops leader Alex Chilton would take with his next band, Big Star. From the powerhouse opener "Forget All About It" to the expansive closer "A Beautiful Song," NAZZ NAZZ helps lay out the blueprint for what would become known as power pop: vocals sung in an unnaturally high register, Who-derived power chords and handclaps, multi-tracked harmonies, blocky piano and organ chords (courtesy of co-leader Robert "Stewkey" Antoni), and lost-love lyrics all combine to create a delightful example of classic pop-rock.

• Format: CD
• Genre: Rock and Pop