Something/Anything?

The album is a masterpiece.

In case you noticed Todd Rundgren's induction into the Rock Hall of Fame and are wondering who in the heck-fire is Todd Rundgren, then you should start getting the answer from this album. Buy the whole thing and listen to it in one sitting, as surely TR intended. It is one great musical meal of pop/rock/oddness. Be sure to tip your waiter.

We’re off to see the wizard (a true star), the wonderful wizard of odd (Todd). I always come back to this magnificent opus several times a year to relive memories forged when it originally came out. This album, along with his other studio double album “Todd” are two of the most impressive works of the 70’s, both lyrically and sonically. Just great original music made in the studio one song at a time by a brilliant musician and producer. A true auteur.

Weirdest Album of '72? Todd Rundgren's Something/Anything?, without a doubt. Being a double album, my preconceptions were wrongly prejudiced, after a number of encounters with hulking, unbearable juggernauts of wasted sound. Quite frankly, ninety-plus minutes of good, enjoyable, material is one of the hardest feats to pull off in pop music. And that is part of what makes Something/Anything? an undisputed masterpiece. The album's genesis is a marvel in itself. Rundgren, apparently frustrated with the available musicians, performed every instrument and vocal part on the first three sides on his own. He penned all but one of the songs. Surprisingly, they seem never to sag in quality. It all gives him the character of an estranged, lovelorn studio geek, toiling for days on end to complete his pop manifesto, a declaration of his stubborn genius. His hilarious liner notes inside seem to nod in assent, especially on the last fourth, a "pop operetta" stuffed with every record studio misadventure one could imagine. All of this infuses Something/Anything? with wonderful personality. An uncanny range of styles and genres crisscross its twenty-five tracks. With this much diversity, the album flourishes in its own prodigious nature, at times to ironic and comedic ends. Rundgren can flip from the baroque pop of "One More Day" and "Marlene" to "Song Of The Viking" (don't ask) and whatever "I Went To The Mirror" is (psychedelia, perhaps, but a rough comparison) on a dime, and make it look easy. The album's also full of spectacular, hook-laden pop tunes ("A bouquet of ear-catching melodies," as described by Todd) like "I Saw The Light" and "Hello It's Me" that sound as if they were destined for the airwaves. The power pop of "Couldn't I Just Tell You" could teach Boston a trick or two. Metal-head anthem "Little Red Lights" ("I think I see a little red light in my rear view mirruh") and the aforementioned Nordic tune, among others, bring touches of comedy. There's tons more I wish I could mention, but I can't. The length of the work and all the gems contained within grant Something/Anything? a cinematic scope matched by few others. What makes this a truly legendary album is the fact that it manages not to derail the listener, but instead promises a wonderful ride. Everybody, no matter their tastes, will have a favorite cut (or maybe, if you're like me, you'll love them all). Go listen to Something/Anything? now; you won't be disappointed.

Sure, you can get the hits from SA on lots of different compilations, but the whole of this album is so much more than the sum of it's parts. One of the great rock pioneers at his very very best.