Album Review: “Something/Anything?” By Todd Rundgren

Todd Rundgren’s Something/Anything? album was something that his growing following fed on – and voraciously at that. This psychedelic trip of a record is Rundgren’s masterful weave of organic musicianship with some of the most stratospheric ambitions injected into it.

The double album effort has a jump from concept to concept across its four sides, from melodic tracks to scorching hot and heavy rock. “I Saw The Light” has Rundgren pay tribute to Carole King, ballads like “Hello It’s Me” and “It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference”. The rocker also delved into some rich Motown influences in “Wolfman Jack”, heavy psychedelia on “Black Maria”, power pop in “Couldn’t I Just Tell You” and welcoming eccentricity in the form of “I Went To The Mirror”.

Rundgren also prides himself in some of the most genuine songwriting efforts for an album of this breadth. He pokes fun with some self-deprecation here and there, an oddball sense of humor, and some unexpected impulsive elements in between. Something/Anything? has you thinking if you’d approach it seriously or take it with a grain of salt, but it works well both ways. Loose, scattered, but also tight and focused at times, this album has Rundgren chameleon his creative juices in the record.