Something/Anything?

I had only heard "I Saw The Light" and "Hello, It's Me" before (both great songs), but I'm actually surprised by how much I liked this album as a whole. A more diverse collection of styles than the pop ballads I had associated with him. - Fun Fact #1: Todd Rundgren played every instrument on 3/4 of the album himself until he was interrupted by an earthquake and left for New York - Fun Fact #2: The last side of the album was recorded in New York with an assortment of session musicians basically live with no overdubs - Fun Fact #3: Each side of the album has a unique name and personality: Side 1 is "A Bouquet of Ear-catching Melodies", Side 2 is "The Cerebral Side", Side 3 is "The Kid Gets Heavy" and Side 4 is "Baby Needs a New Pair of Snakeskin Boots (A Pop Operetta)" - Fun Fact #4: Todd credits his productivity creating this double album to Ritalin and cannabis. Apparently his sound changed after this album when he began experimenting with mescaline and other psychedelics. - Not So Fun Fact #1: YouTube Music only has the first half of the album, what a disgrace of a service

I don't get it, lame-ass 70s pop. This is album to listen to *after* you die.

What a slog. I had to call it at track 21. Some mix of yacht rock, parade/humor rock, and what? Slut was pretty offensive and I consider myself one. Such a monumental waste of time. God I will never do this again.

Very solid, very diverse album from a multi-instrumentalist virtuoso. Rundgren mixes R&B, soul, rock, and pop into a delightful 90-minute double album that does not wear out its welcome at all. It's astoundingly consistent in its quality despite the wide variety of styles and eclectic influences. Highly recommended.

This was pretty blah. Kind of sounded like a very good AI was asked to make non-offensive rock music

So opens with an all time classic and then is just indulgent studio wankery with no great melodies? And this guy dissed the Beatles?!

Absolutely great stuff, so layered and interesting. Loads of music reminds me of this album which i think means this album has influneced loads of people. Def can hear pet sounds influencing it though, also lots of motown in there... I dont know much about the era, and i think the beatles have the jump on him in some production techniques but this must have broken the mold/invented plenty. What a brilliant record.

Close to a 5. Great variety and interesting songwriting with non conventional chord structures

Sprawling and wonderfully indulgent. I hear flights of fancy in the instrumentation, arrangements, vocal stylings, and later in the other musicians. The "intro"-lude is a great break. It never quite flies into space, which is a shame, but always comes back to the ground, which is good. The back quarter never jumps the shark, but seems significantly looser than the rest. So far I'm enchanted but not quite in love. Future listens could temper my feelings, but for now this is just what I need.

10/10 awesome album my favorite side was probably side 2 where he has you play a game to spot all of the recording/mixing flaws throughout the songs it was genius because not only were the songs bangers I enjoyed listening to but I felt more invested because I wanted to dig deeper into the sounds overall super cool album, kinda had Elton John vibes but with more Queen style rock stuff

Starts off well, tails in the middle and never really recovers. I loved the harmonies and some of the first tunes, but very quickly it became so anonymous...every song a repetitive dirge of the previous. 25 songs too...you taking the piss? Least Oasis crammed 11 and a half into their 90+ minute album!

In which Todd Rungdren displays his virtuosity by releasing a quadruple album, each side alone a worthy record and distinct from the others. The first side is undoubtedly the best - I’m going to make some stellar pop records, near parodying Carole King, and in twenty minutes (!) write I Saw the Light, one is the greatest tracks of the era. Second side I’m playing around with form and structure and studio effects; third side I’m making some straight up hard rock power pop classics. Oh and I’m playing all the instruments. Fourth side is live tracks in the studio and some more messing around. The guy is a one man Beatles. A freaking genius. What an achievement. Is this the first Ritalin album?

Oh wow this is awesome. I enjoyed it thoroughly! Infectiously catchy and feel-good without being simplistic and trite. It's so solid throughout. A bit bloated in size but there are so many highlights. The voice sounds just like Don McLean, but this music is way better than most Don Mclean stuff

I wasn't excited when I saw that this was a double album from 1972, but it's really good. Rundgren takes the listener on a journey, turning each of the four sides into its own artistic experience. It feels like an "influential" album but it's also a solid work in its own right. I like an artist that isn't afraid to eff with different genres and bring in different styles. The album art is really nice too. Also, I choose to believe that Rundgren is honouring his Swedish heritage by naming the closing track after the Swedish word for end.

A great throw back to 60s psychedelic pop and precursor to 70s pop all in one.

This was really good. It was a pretty fun album, and did not feel like it was 90 minutes long.

This is a strange album to process through. The front six are as the album self-describes "A Bouquet of Ear-catching Melodies" that are very easy listening. The second side is described as "The Cerebral Side" and I'm not quite sure that is the best description. Unless by Cerebral he meant "I've fucked up my cerebral cortex with too much acid" which then yes I agree. There are so many mood swings in these 6 songs but yet it's still enjoyable to sit through. Until you get to the Song of the Viking which just feels like a Ringo song. And then I Went to the Mirror drags you down into the trip with him. "The Kid Gets Heavy" side is the return to rock roots if the first two sides are the weed album and the acid album respectively. It just doesn't really all flow together well. Feels a bit like the songs that couldn't fit on the other sides got thrown together with the hopes that it would work. The back seven, otherwise known as the "Baby Needs a New Pair of Snakeskin Boots (A Pop Operetta)" side was an ummm........experience. Not exactly sure why the 4th side needed to be a Pop Operetta but yet it is anyway. As a standalone album it might actually work really well, but it is just a strange way to end and album. But then again the whole album is all over the place so it is fitting. And to end your album with a song called Slut is a power move. I think the first two sides despite their weirdness sit above a 4/5 for me. But the third side sits at a 2 and the fourth a 2 in this but a 3 or 4 standalone. So I honestly don't know how to grade it.

I'm a day behind with listening...

Todd Rundgren's "Something/Anything?" is a personality-driven pop-rock mixed bag. The record sports a lot of eclectic instrumentation, like the juxtaposition of the gospel vocals and swaggering guitar lines on "Black Maria". The high-energy tracks like Wolfman Jack and Song of the Viking are also a blast, sporting Rundgren's quirky vocals and cute melodies. These qualities aren't present on every track, such as slogging ballads like "I Went to the Mirror" and "Torch Song", and some songs go on for too long for their best attributes to save them (see "The Night the Carousel Burned Down"). There's still great power-ballads and stripped-back cuts like "Dust in the Wind" and "One More Day", along with soul and jazz fusion on "Hello It's Me" and "Slut". While the duds make the 90-minute runtime feel bloated, the sonic range and charm that the record offers largely makes up for it. BEST TRACKS: Wolfman Jack, It Takes Two to Tango (This Is for the Girls), Little Red Lights, Dust in the Wind, Slut WORST TRACKS: The Night the Carousel Burned Down, I Went to the Mirror, Torch Song, Some Folks Is Even Whiter Than Me

Excellent production. Pleasant enough songs, superbly melodic with a plethora of ear worms, but can tend to lack some tangible substance. Its sheer length meant I couldn’t enjoyably listen to the album in one sitting, it took me a few days to get through which kind of broke up the flow. But honestly by that point my interest had wavered. 3/5 - Some bangers on here worth cherry picking, but probably won’t be listening to the album again any time soon.

Loved it!

Surpreendentemente bom

Love is infectious and I was a victim The worst case you’d ever see But still I know no doctor or nurse Could cure what you gave to me. - You left me sore

Great

Понравился

Vraiment un super album. 1h30 qui se passe bien. Une belle variete de chanson. Le projet es t malade. Reecoute assure. 5

A rock-solid classic!! The album is stylistically diverse which is even more impressive when you know Todd played everything himself for the majority of the tracks on the album.

Electric Light Orchestra pero más raro y particular. Todas me gustaron mucho.

Rundgren was unreal during this era of his music

Wow! Great album. Every song could be a hit! Production is fantastic and the album really flows well. Gotta start listening to more Todd Rundgren I guess

I'm enjoying this so far

Surprisingly (sunny why, tho – no idea why I expected what I was expecting) melodic and enjoyable. The outtakes and extras were a bit...extra. Still

Every song sounded like a sitcom theme song.

I didn't have the willpower to listen to 90 minutes of Todd Rundgren, so I'll give it a 2 and move on.

I recognized the first couple of songs but never thought Todd Rundgren did those songs. I always thought he was better than that. Perhaps we can attribute some of the weenieness to a poor attempt to fit in the psychedelic scene at the time. I had the 1 rating locked and loaded and then side 4 started. There are a few good rockers like Couldn’t I Just Tell You. Rick D also lays down some good ‘ole guitar on Dust … The side 4 goodness comes to a screeching halt with the next hit which is a return to hotdog songs.

Something/Anything? is 65% mediocre/boring pop songs and 35% kick ass rock songs. With it being 90 minutes that makes for an excruciating listen. Feel free to just grab the best tracks and ignore the rest. Favorite Tracks: "I Saw The Light", "Wolfman Jack", "Black Maria", "Couldn't I Just Tell You", "Dust In The Wind", "Piss Aaron", "Hello Its Me", "Slut"

Enjoyable, middle-of-the-road 70s rock. Not planning to listen to it ever again though. This probably could have been edited down into a really good album, but as a double there's a lot here that's not essential. The awful cover of Money and the smug studio recording gag detract from the good tracks.

It's got a song called 'slut'. However, otherwise pretty generic sounding soft rock. An unexciting 2.5

Soft five. This album had a few of tracks that I liked, but also a lot that I didn't care for. It feels like it falls off pretty heavy at the end. That said, I loved the instrumentals, and for the most part enjoyed the vocal work. The first 4 songs were the best and my faves. The others were a mixed bag of good and decent.

This is an album I've listened to countless times and somehow I still hear new things and different songs strike me differently. Rundgren played everything on the first 3/4 of the album, and the final side's live free-for-all is a welcome rowdy endcap to the proceedings. I know it's a lot — any double album is — but this one is excellent from beginning to end. It's maybe really a 4.5, but it gets the 5 for its slow burn and enduring brilliance.

As far as I can tell, the only thing Todd Rundgren can do wrong is sometimes be a little bit longwinded and a little bit quirky. And, as someone who has issues being brief and/or staying serious herself, that makes me feel deeply seen. Even at its goofiest, even at its nerdiest, and even at its most verbose, Something/Anything? is a goddamn masterpiece. From the ballads – some of which may be the greatest songs ever written, like “Hello, It’s Me” – to its experimental Tin Pan Alley pisstakes, Rundgren is always a positive light and a fun musical companion. The fact that there’s nerdy shit like “Intro” on here just warms my heart!! Honestly, it’s not made for single-sitting listen; I immediately got the vibe that I should digest it as 4 brief EPs, and that made for an even better listening experience. I also think it’s an ideal record to shuffle, which just goes to show how ahead of his time Rundgren is on this album. Something/Anything? is a masterpiece, a no-skip, and dare I say the 2nd best double album ever made, second only to Songs In The Key Of Life. And I don’t give a fuck what anyone has to say about “Piss Aaron,” damnit!!!

I really liked it. Lots of different stuff, kept me engaged the whole time, a few great songs.

Hier erklingt die Vielfalt: Pop, Rock, Motown, Beach Boys, songwriter, Saxophon, Gitarrensoli, Easy Listening Großartig

5/5

Definitely the most pleasantly surprising album I've heard so far. I didn't expect it to have so much musical depth - it's catchy, rocking, heartfelt, goofy, and well done. I wasn't the biggest fan of the live D side, but there's more than enough here for someone to enjoy something. A great and very entertaining listen that kept me engaged the whole time

Occasionally profoundly, almost obnoxiously irritating, but also brilliant and weird and creative and totally unlike anything before or since. Loved "I Went to the Mirror."

Great album that is timeless! Majority by Todd alone, must listen!!!!!

Great album, feels like the american Elton John.

Something/Anything? I’m aware of Todd Rundgren as a singer, songwriter and producer and I’m aware of this album, but I’ve never listened to it. This how you fucking do power pop yacht rock though. Catchy, groovy, infectious, accessible, playful, middle of the road in the best way possible. I love that the sides are all themed. Side 1 is great ‘ear catching melodies’ indeed, and in particular the first 3 songs are pop perfection, from the soft rock I Saw the Light, to the melancholic It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference to the soul pop of Wolfman Jack. Love Sweeter Memories too. Breathless on Side 2 is really interesting, a kind of proto-electronic percussion. Saving Grace is very nice on this side too, and I Went to the Mirror is fantastic, a kind of 3am vibe mashed up with some heavier guitar, presaging the next side. Black Maria is a great bit of psychedelic pop rock, I really like the slightly distant sounding vocals. Couldn’t I Tell You is just great, a superb bit of power pop, it sounds like the Cars or some of those 80s bands, love it. Dust in the Wind is superb, and I like the fact that Side 4 is band performances, it definitely has a different feel to the other sides, although with the same soft rock feel. Hello it’s Me is great for that 70s feel. I like the blue eyed soul of Some Folks is Even Whiter Than Me and the easy feel of You Left Me Sore (even though I presume it’s about an STD). Slut is probably the only misstep on the album, with its slightly problematic lyrics. Some tracks are definitely lightweight compared to others, but I think in a good way, not filler but little amuse bouche between the weightier songs. He’s kind of like a cross between Macca and Harry Nilsson, with a nice amount of the latter’s offbeat wryness. There’s also lots of Macca-esque melodies and the same sense of musical facility, that he just naturally tosses out great melodies and songs with ease. I loved this, even though its 90 minutes it never felt like a slog, there’s a deftness and lightness to it that helps it skip along and its really well sequenced. It sounds great too, that pre digital 70s warmth, depth and clarity. Feel like I’m going to listen to this a lot. Not always keen on giving 5 to albums I have heard for the first time, but this is a super bit of 70s pop. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I really liked this - a lot of fun. A bit of a hodgepodge of tracks, but in a good way, like Harry Nilsson. Fave Tracks: I Saw The Light, It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference, Intro, Hello It's Me 4.5/5

God created Carole King, and she was good. So he created male Carole King. And he was good

5/5. Progressive in my albums I need to listen to. Yes please! I love the fact that throughout this album, they are separated neatly into categories and it creates a nice flow of listening, like putting on different albums throughout the listening experience. The 3rd side where it "gets heavy" is not that heavy but it is still great listening. It's an awesome album and I am excited to explore more with each listen! Best Song: It Wouldn't Have Made A Difference, Marlene, Little Red Lights, Dust In The Wind

really good! it was a really fun album

Legendary. A musical genius, still at it. Plus...50+ year old hit songs!

Extraordinary - Rundgren plays almost all the instruments on this bad boy. He covers so much ground, and does it well (largely). And sometimes, he is through the stratosphere - "I Saw The Light" is the apogee of power pop, "Breathless" is superior Yellow Magic Orchestra, "I Went to the Mirror" is delightfully brooding - and just when you might think one power-pop classic isn't enough, "Couldn't I Just Tell You" repeats the trick. I wish I had an ounce of Rundgren's drive, restlessness and creativity.

Wonderful album and an all time great.

So glad this found the weirdness from Intro onwards, he was starting to lose me a bit with all the love songs. Another example of fortune favouring the patient. I Saw the Light is up there with one of the strongest album openers in history, verging on perfect song territory. I've also dipped a little into his live performances on YouTube a few times, man was wild and probably informs why I was impatient for things to get weird. It all properly kicks off from Song of the Viking eg Black Maria, Some Folks, You Left Me Sore. A rare occasion where the over 1hr run time didn't bother me, would happily have sat with it for longer. Slut is an outrageous closer. Fucking loved this - enough to dive straight into a second listen.

Awesome album

The best Beatles album the four never made

I grew up with Todd Rundgren (quite literally as I spent my youth in Woodstock, Bearsville, and Mink Hollow). I love this album and never tire of it. And I have to say it, Todd is God!

most underrated!

Great easy listening like Burt Bacharac

This shit rules! What a ride!

Incredible (discaralhasso)

to be honest, i'm a todd fan. i haven't dived super deep into his greater discography, but this album is one i have loved for a long time, ever since i heard "I Saw the Light" on the radio one time and was mesmerized. i think you have to be a certain type of person to really enjoy todd and i'm that type of person. he is terrific at crafting catchy melodies and doing lots of studio wizardry. he plays most of the album himself! that is never not an impressive accomplishment, especially because YOU CAN'T TELL BY THE PLAYING. to me, this album is sort of like his version of the beatles' white album. is it overly long? yeah. is it a bit uneven? yeah. does it get kinda weird? yeah. and, like the white album, i appreciate how off kilter it is. although, still not my favorite album of his, and definitely not his most off kilter, but still very much up there for me.

cool

Really wish I could have listened to this on vinyl. I think in order to get the full effect of the four distinct sections you need the physical action of flipping a disc to transition from one to the next. That said, I love some ambitious, high concept nonsense and this was a lot of fun.

Previously rated: A Wizard, A True Star (4/5) ***************************** Like the previous album, it's an eclectic collection with good variety. He's got a great singing voice. This album even has a couple of hit songs. Didn't feel too long for a double album either. My appreciation for his music is growing. Some of it sounds a bit 70s AM easy listening, but I liked that too. Liked the humor too - I caught some of the recording problems he mentioned in Intro :)

This was a nice surprise, an artist I've heard of but never actually listened to. I recognized the first song when I heard it, but everything else was new to me. There is great variety on here, and a good bit of experimentation with different styles. I like that he doesn't seem to take himself too seriously as well, given the funny voice note about a quarter of the way in. I actually recognised that from "Shake A Fist" by Hot Chip, but never knew it was a sample until now. It's quite a long album, and I maybe could have done without the rock opera bit at the end, bit given I only listened to it once, I could see it growing on me. Everything else on here though was near perfect. This is exactly the type of album I was hoping to find by doing this challenge, unfortunately they are rare! 9/10

really cool songs

One of my all-time favorite albums. “Couldn’t I Just Tell You” is brilliant early power-pop, and the rest is clever and adventurous. This, coupled with his next album (A Wizard / A True Star), define Todd Rundgren for me.

A sprawling , varied and hilarious tour de force.

Reminds me of 70's classic easy listening rock music, I like

Really enjoyed that

9/10. I knew going in that there were some classics on this one, my question was if the songs in between would hold up. In general they did, but a double album is a long time to listen to Todd Rundgren.

I really like this album but this listen through it got a bit long - maybe could’ve been a single album. Still a soft-rock staple imo. 9/10

I was a little nervous about committing to a 90-minute double album, but I found it a quite interesting journey. It helped a lot to follow the album liner notes that gave a different title and feel to each of the four sides. I really enjoyed this.

Another artist on my "I should really get to know their work" list. So, thank you, 1001. It was definitely worth the extended listening time today...too bad that I didn't have enough time to get two rounds in, but I will someday.

If you asked me what 70s pop music sounded like, I'd hand you this. This is a long album and I think there are probably some songs that I could do without but there are also some real gems. I don't think I carry it in my brain all the time as such but when I listen to it, it's clear that "Hello, It's Me" is a genius pop song. I was prepared to be outraged at a track called Slut but even that was catchy and kind of pro-slut it turns out.

This is one of the albums that I always knew about but never listened to. And Todd Rundgren is one of those artists that I knew was more important that the few hits I had heard. I was excited to listen to this double album. I was not disappointed. There was a good deal of variety on this album, and it is even more impressive to think that Todd Rundgren recorded a lot of the songs alone. Really impressive. So much I loved on this.

Very. Good album

Fajne

Really liked this one. Kind of radio friendly rock in the vein of Elton John or Billy Joel. A little more mellow than both. But really enjoyable.

This strikes me as an album that has a bit of everything. At first I didn't pay much attention with the first few pop and soul songs, but it started to pick up a bit a few songs in, and the spoken word to the listener and the little game explained in Intro got my attention. After that I was pretty sold. Additionally I'm always a sucker for hearing some behind-the-scenes chatter and banter from the band, like what was in some of the later songs. (Shame Todd didn't name the album "Throw Money" in the end!) Some of the songs were weaker and weirder than others, but overall I liked this one a lot. Varied enough to never get old, despite the 88 minute runtime. Good one! Favourite: Breathless

Pure auditory excellence

One of those artists I thought I'd like if I gave them some time, and I was right. A great mixture of lovely ballads and enjoyable weirdness. I Saw The Light pips It wouldn't Have Made Any Difference to the coveted best song trophy.

this was fun as fuck. probably 4 stars close to 5

Impresive and very colorfull

rose-tinted nostalgia beats. like montage music for a period movie. pleasant skits and a variety of styles keep this fresh. borderline 5 but this album left a great afterglow

Nice discovery! I had heard the 2 hits over the years. The entire album is great! I wish I had known…

Todd, Todd, Todd... your musical mind is such a beautiful thing. There's no reason at all for this to be an hour and a half long! But man, the many highlights of this album are so good

After years of trying to "get" Todd Rundgren (beyond the hits, I mean), yesterday it finally happened. It just finally clicked. I love the bizarre arrangements. And he uses some of the weirdest chords and chord progressions I've ever heard. And the overall aesthetic finally appealed to me. I'm going with a 4 because this is a double album and it was too much for me to digest in one day. (I couldn't even finish it.) And not everything worked. But there is an obscene amount of creativity on this album, and I can see this one growing in my estimation over time.

Brilliant

The most apt phrase I can think of to describe Something/Anything? is “funhouse mirror Elton John.” Rundgren has the same kind of pop polish, but likes indulging in the wackier, slightly juvenile side of things too.

I will listen when I'm good and ready; I understand it's not as leftfield as A Wizard, A True Star but as it's like the 5th double album in the last lil while, my attention span is not at my (already low) standard. I HAVE made time for several smaller albums this week from my personal list (Tom Petty, Kris Kristofferson, B.T.O., so I haven't quite left the 70's singer-songwriter sphere). October 25, 2024 Side 1: wonderful set of songs, and "I Saw the Light" is a great example of the rest of the album's pop rock HLs: tracks 1, 3 and 4 Side 2: less consistent batch, but still very likable HLs: tracks 9, 10, 11 Sides 3 and 4: S/A joins the ranks of All Things Must Pass and Double Nickels on the Dime for saving all the worst for the final quarter. Ya think I wouldn't notice a song called "Piss Aaron"? Shame on you, Todd HLs: tracks 2, 3, 4, 7 Bloat aside, I am super impressed how the one-man show of Todd Rundgren sounds like an actual band (well 3/4s of it, as he has other people for the last stretch). Even during the asides before the song starts, he has chemistry with himself ("alright alright, 1-2-3-4...") And really, when the biggest fault of a good album is that it's too long, there really could be worse problems to have

Really didn't know this side of Rundgren. It fits nicely with the other greats of the era. 4.5

wow avg 3.02 this hurts me never heard of this guy before the list but this album is very good, how can people dislike him? yeah some not much tracks but overall very good and a few awesome tracks bonus points for randomly using 'la bamba' melody

liked this a lot, glad it didn't all sound like the same song. it was kind've long for me today tho. 8.5/10

7/10 - I really like this album. It is pretty chill but exciting at the same time. He does a great job with the electronici-sh sounds. Also I love the song intro where he is just complaining about people bad at mixing and editing.

Yet another artist I've listened to songs from but never a complete album. Really glad I'm finally doing it because this is quite good. It's very varied but still feels relatively cohesive. I love the mix of poppy catchy songs with more experimental and psychedelic material.