Notice
The "Crash and Burn" Guitar Style of newcomer Todd Rundgren shines through on this opening Track from "The Nazz" first LP, titled simply "The Nazz" (1967). "Open my Eyes" is clearly influenced heavily by "The Who" and "The Yardbirds", as is the Band Name "The Nazz", which came from the Yardbirds B-Side "The Nazz are Blue". The main Guitar Riff clearly is an extension of "The Who" 1965 Smash-Hit song "I Cant Explain", but is given the Rundgren maj7/maj9 treatment.
Here¹s the history of The Nazz: In the Upper Darby of 1967, Todd Rundgren, departed guitarist/songwriter of psych-blues band Woody¹s Truck Stop, formed what would be the 1960s' first Brit-inspired, well-dressed, long-haired Hard Rock Band/Mods (more towards early Heavy Metal). Unlike their modern descendants, The Nazz shimmered with a pop-fizz courtesy the influence of The Kinks, The Who and The Move, songs written from within (Rundgren), and crisp, cutting vocals from keyboardist Robert "Stewkey" Antoni.
They made big waves with self-produced hits like "Open My Eyes," a swirling masterpiece of phase-shifted melody and heartbroken lyrics (see the new two-CD Open Our Eyes comp on Sanctuary); found themselves at odds with labels, management, each other and busted apart -- but not before a Runt-less Stewkey released Nazz III in 1970. After that he stayed on the Anglophile tip with Fuse (Rick Nielsen¹s pre-Cheap Trick locals) a swanky solo CD Hello it¹s Crazy Me, and songs on the Last Minute Jam Band¹s CD Minutes to Millennium.
Hard to believe Rundgren was only 19 Years-Old at the time of "Open my Eyes" Recording, he already sounded like a hardened Blues/Rock Guitar Veteran, in the Clapton or Beck mold, probably due to years of Night Club performance which started in 1964, mainly in the Philadelphia, PA area.
Rundgren also Mixed the and Produced "Nazz" (no credit given though), something which he became noted for as a Producer (New York Dolls, Grand Funk, Meat Loaf, Patti Smith, XTC, and even Celine Dion!!) years later.
THE ROLLING STONE REVIEW:
"Nazz is taut Beatlesque punk and includes one of rock's great double-A-side singles: "Open My Eyes" and "Hello It's Me"...and you can hear the sprawl of genius in these tight quarters... This is the total, official Nazz -- and a total gas".
