Something/Anything?

Truly innovative in every sense, this did not feel like a double album, which is the highest praise you can get from me

I was familiar with several songs though the artist's name meant nothing to me.

Somewhat bizarre, but quite fun.

This is the 89th album I’m rating. I don’t know what this is or who this is. Adding to my Playlist - I Saw the Light, It Wouldn’t Have Made any Difference, Wolfman Jack, Cold Morning Light, It Takes Two to Tango (This is for the Girls), Sweeter Memories, Breathless, The Night the Carousel Burned Down, Saving Grace, Marlene, Song of the Viking, Black Maria, One More Day (No Word), Couldn’t I Just Tell You, Little Red Lights, Overture my Roots: Money (That’s What I Want)/Messin’ with the Kid, Dust in the Wind, Piss Aaron, Hello it’s me, Some Folks is even Whiter than me, You Left me Sore, and Slut. Not Adding to my Playlist - Intro, I Went to the Mirror, and Torch Song. It Wouldn’t Have Made any Difference - This sounds very old but it has a charming quality because of it. Breathless - That intro into this song was sick but the first minute of it doesn’t sound very but that was a perfect transition. This sounds great though. Hello it’s me - I’ve heard this song before I think in That 70’s Show and I kinda hate it. All in all I liked 22/25 songs. Wow this album was fantastic. It sounded a little dated but I think it made it better. Just some fantastic songs all around I just wish he cut those songs that I didn’t like.

So good. This is the second time I've listened all the way through and liked a lot more of the deeper tracks this time. The concept is so cool, playing all the instruments, beautiful cover art, printing the vinyls in color - so many great things to love. I think it's time to delve into the rest of his work. Rating: 4.8

Having an album that's this long feel like no time has passed at the end of the track list is a genuinely impressive feat, and this record passes that test in spades. Solid 5 Stars.

I’m at a 5. I took an interesting approach to this; Todd Rundgren himself gave a little title to each side of the album, and they do feel relatively self-contained in scope, so I approached this as 4 miniature albums, as opposed to one long big one. Is that the right way to approach an album like this? Normally, probably not, but in this case, I think it really worked. Side 1, titled “A Bouquet of Ear-Catching Melodies”, comprises the first 6 tracks, and they’re a pretty damn good tonesetter. Couple of Beatles-y instrumentals / structures, lots of great vocal melodies, & ultimately, just a really fun set of tracks. Good variety too; the sadder tracks hit the sort of emotional notes they were supposed to, and for the most part, the lyricism was on point for each track. A few had broader strokes than others, but they all worked well for me. It was a good start, and probably my second favorite set on the album. Side 2 takes up tracks 7 through 13, titled “The Cerebral Side”, and I don’t think he was lying about it – a lot of those tracks required a bit more attention to the lyrics & soundscapes to properly paint the picture, but the instrumental / vocal quality was still on par with everything from the first side. I especially liked “The Night the Carousel Burned Down”, because of how effectively it used the production and sound design to get the sort of eerie mood across, while retaining the faux cheerful attitude of the carousel & midway. It’s a really nice set of tracks, though I’m not sure I liked it as much as Side 1. Side 3 is my favorite one here; only 5 tracks, 14-18, but they’re filled with some really strong guitar solos and some energetic instrumentation across the board. It’s titled “The Kid Gets Heavy”, but it was actually THAT much heavier? In the guitar sense, sure, but I’d say from a lyrical standpoint, it was more so a continuation of “The Cerebral Side”, itself already a solid continuation of the Ear-Catching Melodies. I do appreciate that this album builds on itself so nicely, though. It’s a pretty good set of tracks, & I really enjoyed them – “Couldn’t I Just Tell You” in particular feels like a slight precursor to the big power pop / power rock anthems of the 80s. Side 4, tracks 19-25, is my least favorite one here, but it’s not bad, just a little flat compared to expectations. It’s titled “Baby Needs a New Pair of Snakeskin Boots (A Pop Operetta)”, but apparently, the plot of this little operetta is stuck within the liner notes of the album, which just aren’t online from a first search, so maybe the plot was flimsy and imagined at best. I sort of see a vague line through each track, but nothing really concrete. As far as the music itself goes, it sure feels like 70s rock. The live opener to this side was a little harsh on the ears, and a few of the lyrics just felt sort of juvenile and awkward, but the musicality from the first 3 sides are intact & there is something genuinely enjoyable here. As 4 mini-albums, I’d say at the absolute worst, these are all maybe a 3.5, bare minimum. I enjoyed each side a lot, and as an entire 90 minute package, I think it’s a pretty consistent 25 tracks. There’s not a single one that felt specifically “bad” to my ears, save for maybe “Slut”, but that’s just a lyrical thing. This is probably more of a slog if you treat this as one long album, but I don’t think it’s intended in that sense. Regardless, I really liked it – it’s a 5 for me, & a really interesting way to treat a double-album experience for the 70s, with a lot of innovations & some unique production for its time.

Big fan of the talking ‘Intro’ bit - rest of it good fun, change of pace just often enough to not ~totally~ blend together Undeniable craft throughout, liked the rougher end quarter best

Felt timeless, was a real joy to listen too

I guessed the most sounds!! I win!! Ha Ha!! 5

Something/Anything? is the third solo album from Todd Rundgren, and the first to be released under his name. His first two were released under the band name "Runt," on which Rundgren played every instrument but the drums and bass. On the first three sides of double this double album, he even took on these parts. Side four is full of recordings of a session band, in the form of a "pop operetta." This album contains an incredible range of great pop sounds, in an impressive collection of styles. Rundgren shows his skills as a songwriter, musician, and producer in making an set of songs that helped define 70's pop.

That was fantastic. Oddly enough, I picked this up on vinyl years ago but this is my first listen through of the entire album. I don’t know why, but now I know I made a great choice back then.

peak

Great record when it came out! Amazing artistic accomplishment playing all the parts himself. Todd at the peak of his ability crushed it with this album! Lots of fond memories of many songs from this record.

Rundgren's “Something/Anything?” is “Stunning/Audacious!” in its melodic mastery and virtuosic variety.

Creating a song game made up of tape loops of studio recording errors is genius. The songs are great, very diverse and I'll definitely be listening again

An incredible burst of creativity. So much variety and experimentation here that I can't believe Rundgren isn't more of a household name. This album does go on for too long, sure, but I can only think of about 10 minutes of the whole record I'd be okay with cutting. The rest is just that good. Gonna be a 5, but a bit of a lower 5

Nice la bamba riff

One of the best albums of the 1970s, demonstrating Todd's genius and versatility.

Отличная музыка, классно легла на новогоднее настроение. За окном шел снег и было очень уютно и приятно слушать этот альбом дома!

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.

At nearly an hour and a half, this album feels incredibly long. You could probably condense it down by at least 30 minutes and it would really be amazing. Even still, there are so many good songs on this record, it makes it easy to look past the fat. The 6 songs on Side 1 are excellent. Those harmonies in Wolfman Jack get me every time. Side 2 is a little slow with the ballads, the best being Saving Grace, but still holds together as a detour through that part of Rundgren’s repertoire. Side 3 is sort of a mix of rockers and ballads, and probably a close second best after Side 1. Couldn’t I Just Tell You is pure power pop gold. Side 4 is probably the most befuddling, with some real oddities and live runs, and the reworking of Hello It’s Me mixed in. Dust In the Wind is a surprising country gospel vibe. Overall, despite the length, this is undoubtedly Todd Rundgren’s masterwork, and the forefather of so much good power pop and ballad driven rock.

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!!!

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)

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

2 whole discs of material, 25 songs, just shy of 90 minutes. It’s no monument of the art, and certainly not perfect, but Rundgren’s voice is wonderful, and he has an obvious talent for songwriting and musicianship, as well as the fact that it does have its unmistakeable highlights, most notably “I Saw The Light,” a shining example of what a good artist can do with a phenomenal tune and good lyrics, and easily the best song on the album. “It Takes Two To Tango (For The Girls),” “Breathless,” “Dust In The Wind,” and “Hello, It’s Me” are all obvious highlights, too. But FUCKING SHIT, this album is long. By the time you get to the end you’re just like, what the fuck man? Why was this so long? There’s no concept. All of the songs are either pretty cool pop rock or uninteresting hard rock. Again, not bad. Not perfect. Whatever. 7.6/10

I thought the album sounded really good overall but was maybe a bit longer than it should have been so I’m knocking it down a bit

****A really good album. Easy listening.

An epic, strange pop record. He reminds me, for some reason, of Kurt Vile. I think it’s because Kurt has similar pop inclinations in his weird (but fantastic) music. There’s a lot to absorb in this record, but it sounds fantastic even today and was certainly a bold release for its time.

ok heaps of fun, had heard some of it but as an album its epic to listen to

A bit uneven at times but the lows here are better than most.

The highest praise I can give this is that it really didn't feel like a 25-song, 90-minute drag. The four sides being so different kept this fresh and the record was so versatile and elegantly arranged. The mixing was superb but this was a 2015 remaster, not the original. Could have definitely skipped 1-2 songs per side and tightened it a lot.

Strong start. Interesting melodies. This starts to drag and is definitely too long but I have to commend the fact that it remains pretty interesting throughout a mammoth album

This was unique in the way of he is playing all the instruments so I like that and it's sounds good but it didn't like completely wow me. I'll say it's a solid 4

I definitely wish this were like two albums instead of one large one, but it's still a pretty great listen. The problem with larger albums like this is that there's more potential for there to be songs I just don't care for or remember after. The first two sides were great, the third side was pretty nice and the last one sorta petered out aside from one great hit. It's very funny to have a song as iconic as Hello It's Me follow a song called Piss Aaron. Todd's a pretty funny guy.

Todd’s best

Well, it was quite varied stuff. I enjoyed more than not

Nice listen.

Finally, a double album that doesn’t suck. This shit slaps. It's really diverse and even more amazing that he wrote and recorded it all himself.

This was a cool chill album.

Nice

Great, laid back album in the beginning, boogie rock album at the end, interrupted by bizarre skits that sound like outtakes - fantastic, liked it a lot!

A very well made and surprisingly diverse album that leans a little to strongly into the easy listening category for my personal tastes. Quite a "modern" sound for 1972.

It’s long one for sure. The double-album curse is probably what keeps it from a 5. But overall it’s a fun, inventive amazingly creative Rundgren work. Always an explorer, he really started taking steps on this one.

A bit long, but it's Division into four unique parts makes it easier to digest.

Se me hizo levemente largo pero muuuy bueno

I was pleasantly surprised by this. I expected very little based on his last album, but this one has a good mix of upbeat and melodic songs.

All the Todd - brilliant, loopy, soaring, excessive - in one place. 4.5

What I wish the Beatles actually sound like.

I'm not really as obsessed with Rundgren as I used to be a few years back, but this is still a really good album. Unfortunately it can feel at times like the record fell victim to the curse of a double LP being burdened with filler, as besides the smash hit "Hello It's Me" the rest of Side D falls very, very flat. That said, the rest of the album is a very fun journey through a ton of different flavors of 1970s pop rock, "Couldn't I Just Tell You" in particular will never get old. 8.5/10.

Surprisingly "long" for 90 minutes since it's broken up into 4 parts. Doesn't feel perfectly cohesive even within those parts but it's definitely a kind of experimental I can dig. Favourite track: It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference

8.5/10 I think the amount of variety, without necessarily having any bad songs, is impressive on its own. There are a few songs I personally wouldn't include, but it’s nevertheless a great record.

A total cacophany in the best of ways.

This is like 70's pop or rock. Feels a bit like the Beatles but faster paced and with more rock undertones, maybe put a bit of Queen in there. The singing is good and the album has a great spread of different sounds. I have enjoyed the listen but have not heard anything that stands out to me. It's between a 3 and 4. I don't think I'd ever come back to it, but I do like it overall.

this was very good far too long though (i suppose that’s to be expected of a double album but he could’ve cut some material)

So much better than the other one 3.9

For the most part, I liked this album a lot, and was previously familiar with only about three of the songs. My only complaint is that it just got too long, and in my opinion would have benefited from some editing out of a few of the weaker songs. In any event, it gets four stars from me.

enjoyed, but the big hits are still my faves. I did like Slut, though.

I didn't make notes as I went with this one, so I've entirely lost track of which track was which... I enjoyed this one quite a lot, there's a decent amount of variety musically - I think the list of genres shows that too, there's some experimentation and unconventional stuff thrown in amidst the more traditional pop rock. I didn't think any of it was bad - Todd's voice is fairly good, and I'm really impressed that three quarters of the album is a solo effort, with Todd doing all of the (multi-layered) vocals and instrumentation. It's genuinely very cool. This album didn't blow my mind, and I don't think it did anything too crazy, but considering it's from '75, it's (almost entirely) a one-man album, and I literally didn't dislike a single song, I think I'm going to be generous and go with a 4. Definitely deserves a place on this list.

4 stars. 5 stars if it was a little trimmed down. 2 amazing songs on this one.

This was a good listen. It wasn’t perfect and at times it lost its cohesiveness but there were a lot of songs I enjoyed on here to make up for it. Also Hello It’s Me is a bonafide classic in every aspect.

Well, this is a fun little double album. Gets better as it goes along, for the most part. My first taste of full-on Rundgren. I'm ready for more. Good stuff.

pretty nice

i usually hate long albums because theyre very repetitive and boring in general but this.. lyrics are super creative and time to time funny, it creates a very great atmosphere and is simply fun to listen to. i finished it in two days and it didnt bore me at all. it represents 70s chill rock albums very beautifully. the first song is one of my favorites and others are just as smooth. LOVE THIS!!

A little bit of Queen, a little bit of old times dirtiness, both in jokes and sounds, generally a good experience and finally not a mid album, It's actually good, cool, thank you. Also a little bit of classic prog rock, aswell as very avant-gardish take on the stuff like spoken word. Also... SLUT.

achei melhor do que o outro desse que passou por aqui gostosinho de escutar

powerpopzão da massa com um leve toque de glam em alguns momentos menos experimental e maluco que o outro dele que passou por aqui. esse eh mais coeso, numa proposta mais palpável pro público. bem divertidinho, achei massa

I had a fine time. Cross between the Eagles, Beejees, Cat Stevens, Jackson Brown, etc

Dope

Very enjoyable album.

This has been a difficult record to digest. It’s a dense listen. Rundgren spans multiple genres on one record that is a double album split into four acts. Each act has its own identity and I have thoroughly enjoyed discovering them. I have always adored the two hits from this record and have since found many standout songs deeper into the album. I am still unpacking it and am excited to do so. It’s layered and rivals some of the most theatrical acts of the time such as Elton John.

Listening to this album and looking at the photo inside the gatefold I come to this imaginary conclusion: Musically talented kid with an unwavering desire to be creative gets unrestricted access to a modern recording studio and gets to spend all day everyday smoking weed and making music. Turns out I could hardly be closer to the truth. And the results are proof positive that this was a great idea. I have enjoyed Something/Anything? more today than ever before. It’s an album so full of ideas that it rewards every fresh listen. Nearly 1.5hrs (a true double album) but just take your time. Big Star were obviously listening so you should too.

great

This reminds me of that Steve Winwood album, I got that a couple weeks back and while I loved the first track, it gets pretty corny afterwards. This is just solid the whole way through, it's like the fully realized version of that album -- just so much more variety and personality.

For better and for worse, experience the mind of Todd Rundgren. Definitely a handful of filler tracks present but the high points are some of the most endearing 70s power pop.

Moments of genius

Pleased to meet me

"Man this album is good, I just wish someone would call him Carol King." 4/5

Great feat by a great songwriter. No one understands him more like himself when composing, recording and producing and it shows. A-side is my favourite and then it falls off a little bit. The tracks just don't do it like as those first tracks. Maybe I've grown to like the weirder 'A Wizard, a True Star' better than this, but overall this album is one of the great records of that decade.

Excelente álbum. Bastante divertido y con diversos ritmos. No parece que dura 90 minutos.

Todd Rundgren is incredibly talented as a musician and as a producer. There are some really good songs here and a couple were very popular. For some reason, he shunned his own commercial success. He plays every instrument on this record, which seems amazing to me. The little interlude where he discusses production faults is pretty funny. Some of this reminded me a lot of Matthew Sweet. He must have been a big fan.

I think this album is trying to do too much. Todd Rundgren is clearly a skilled musican and artist, but the album does not feel very coherent or essential. We have some yacht rock/easy listening songs, lectures on tape hiss, and pop ballads all in one place and for 90 long minutes. While it doesnt sound like the Yes album, I feel similarly about it in that it is a technically impressive accomplishment, but not one that touched me in any significant way. Also, Slut was a weird final track, and left me feeling icky even though i'm certain it was supposed to be a joke. Low 4.

Honestly, this is such a good album because basically, almost all songs slap. I think the only reason why I can't give it a solid 5 is that it's not perfect. But most of the songs are bangers, especially the slower, moody ones. Yes, it gets a little repetitive, but it stays on the theme, and that is what I love. Except that there is a part in the middle with faster, more major songs. I want this on CD.

This was the kind of album I wanted to hear from this project. It was relaxing and well produced. Was a little soft rock but I did not mind that

Really fun album. The little skits in-between songs was a great touch too. Will definitely be back to this one. Even though it is 90 minutes long, the time just flew

Favorite track(s): I Saw the Light, It Takes Two to Tango (This Is for the Girls), Sweeter Memories, Black Maria, Couldn't I Just Tell You, Little Red Lights, Hello It's Me, Some Folks Is Even Whiter Than Me, Don't blame me because there are so many good tracks, blame Todd and his Ritalin

Again a little slow but I love Wolfman Jack

Good, wide, varied, LONG!

Vilken otrolig låtskrivare OCH producent han är ändå, Toddan. Finns såna otroliga toppar på det här albumet! Hello It's Me är ju som bekant typ min favoritlåt någonsin. Men som helhet är det en hel del psykadelika som ska konsumeras innan han hittar 5/5 rätt året därefter på 'A Wizard, A True Star'. Den kanske kommer sen??

nice music, but many songs. didn’t listen to all of it yet

Starting the album off with "I Saw the Light" is a power move. The album itself is also constructed in an interesting way, clearly laying out what we should expect on each of the four sides. It seems daunting at first, but the variety all throughout is quite refreshing. Never really a dull moment, plus a little fourth wall break in the intro to side two. A well-crafted album from Mr. "Do it all" himself, Todd Rundgren.

Good 👍🏻

een sympathiek en tof plaatje dat ik totaal niet kende... staat het hier op zijn plaats in de lijst, dat weet ik niet, maar ik vond het alvast een verademing tss de vele rapplaten

Really liked Black Maria

This is a double album, with each of the four sides having a different theme. Side four includes songs all recorded live. One of these (Hello It’s Me) was a big hit. Overall I enjoyed this one more than I expected, even though there are a few duds here.

I feel like Moe would make us listen to this album. This seems like a rock classic, I'm surprised I haven't heard it before.

It far exceeded my expectations when I pressed play. The only downside is the number of "unnecessary" songs included. An hour and a half ends up becoming a bit tiring. But apart from that, a good album.

Запись заинтересовала. Планирую позже переслушать, по возможности.

70s California rock radio He's got a little bit of Eagles, a little Supertramp, and a little ELO with some CSN harmonies thrown in for good measure Crazy to think he recorded most of the album all by himself! It was the perfect thing to listen to as I paid bills, made a grocery list and took the subway to play squash, which is what I assume he intended it for

Really great album. There are soundscapes on here I should hate but they really work. He’s able to take some real terrible 1970s motifs and make them tolerable. The thing keeping it from a 5 are those songs. I’d rather they not be on here. If you just kept the weird fun tracks this would be a tighter better album. It’d be like a weird Brian Eno thing instead of a singer songwriter trip

Surprisingly clever and engaging for a 90 minute album. I had a good time, especially with the instrumentals.

This is a nice Sunday afternoon chill album.

This was a fun little album that I'd never heard of and will definitely listen to again if I remember. Got to get through my backlog right now. Steely Dan kind of vibes.

A fantastic collection of power pop gems. Sounds like a greatest hits of the 70s compilation.

Enjoyed this way more than I expected to. Good concept album thing. Artsy.

I Saw the Light // It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference // Cold Morning Light // Breathless // Saving Grace // Marlene // Song of the Viking // Dust in the Wind // Hello It’s Me // You Left Me Sore

Really interesting album, some bits unnecessary but when good it really goes off

good monopoly soundtrack

Great in the beginning. Drops in the middle. Didn't listen to the last third of the album.

Favorite song: Some Folks Is Even Whiter Than Me

Sadish

Vraiment lourd, plein de styles différents mais bien gérés petit banger. Vibes des beatles, de elton john mais pas en too much donc c'est bien.

Enjoyed it, good errand-running soundtrack. Happy listening in the kitchen. Makes the mundane more enjoyable.

4 out of 5. Enjoyed this more than expected.

Damn. I love Todd. This record has some really killer tracks mixed with crazy Todd moments. It does go on a bit long. I could see this record outstaying its welcome for some folks.

It would have been stronger as a single rather than a double album, but a classic nonetheless. Favorite tracks: It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference, Hello It's Me, Couldn't I Just Tell You.

The intro game was an interesting idea, and I actually did catch a few things he mentioned in this album, like the hissing sound in a few parts (namely Song of the Viking, albeit very faintly) and a few areas with editing mistakes (also namely Song of the Viking). Maybe it's a ploy to keep me engaged and treat mistakes as something interesting rather than a mistake, but it worked, so I don't care. I'm also absolutely going to start doing this with other older records on the 1001 and on my own time.

I have heard some Rundgren before, but I thought he was more on the blues rock side than the soft rock found in most of this album. I am impressed but a lot of it, but I can't say I really think it needs to be a double-disc or holds up the entire time. That being said, it is a pretty grand experiment, and I think it deserves a 3.5 to 4 stars. There are some really great songs, and the vision is an original one across the four sides.

Upper Darby!

Excesivas canciones, muy buena producción. Podía ser un disco sencillo perfecto, pero es curioso el cambio de registro.

One of those albums that captures a time perfectly, and in this case also the zeitgeist of “the 60’s” becoming “the 70’s”.

Помнится, я ходил под дождем в Порту, слушал этот альбом, и думал "ебать, это звучит как любимый альбом rym людей", как будто я никогда его не слышал. Но прикол конечно же в том, что я его слышал, и даже поставил 3.5. Очень овер зе плейс музыка, но с удовольствием. Если я не дам этому альбому хотя бы 4, я буду корить себя до конца дней. Лучшая песня - Black Maria.

This was a good album. It's full of that early 70s goodness I love so much. It runs on a little long for my liking as I feel much of the second half is unnecessary. "I Saw The Light", "It Takes Two To Tango", "Saving Grace", and "Hello, It's Me" were among my favorites. There were others but around the second disc the album starts to drag on a little before picking up again at the end.

Peak 70s vibes

loved this so much (intro is a great concept??!!!)

Something/Anything? was truly an experience, with each track being just as unique as the last. The instrumentation across all of the songs mixed in with the dialogue between the session band makes you feel like you're in the studio with them. Rundgren begins the album with undoubtedly his Magnus Opus: I Saw the Light. However, I saw the Light is not the only song that shines, there are gems all throughout the record. The only drawback for me is that I felt as though some songs pushed the envelope too far, and weren't pleasant to listen to

A sprawling pop masterpiece, this album is all over the map in the best sense, and the indulgences reflect a gifted pop songwriter operating at the top of his powers with high confidence and few record company shackles. Could this have been a more concise and focused single album? Maybe, but it wouldn’t have been anywhere near as fun.

Excellent snapshot of early 70s rock music in one album

Huge Todd Rundgren fan, given his talent both as an artist and as a record producer for other bands, it is stunning it has taken him this long to get into the HOF. Loved this album, and while I have heard individual cuts, I had never listened to this album in its' entirety. It was a pleasure.

Pretty good! Some keepers. A little rocky horror picture show pop vibes too.

I enjoyed this. I feel like the more I listen to him the more I like it.

This album is actually really good. It's not something impressive, some songs were not much of my like, but, as there is so much variety there, there are songs that are great. I would say that more than twenty songs should be justified but, to be honest, I don't even care with this album. It's almost an hour and a half and, still, it felt like less time. And that's not that easy with albums of that length. So, I liked it, of course!

contents of this album: something great/anything could prove the majority of this site wrong. i know you, posers who see all pop rock as fake. but know who make pop rock too? the beatles. and you know who's more pretentious than you? the people there on rate your music. they are all pretentious as hell but they still award this a collective 3.78. And it’s really good. What are you thinking. 4/5

Quite a surprise. I really enjoyed the mix of mellow and upbeat. Great voice. A genuinely great find, though an hour and a half is a bit of a marathon.

The first song seemed vaguely familiar, but otherwise completely unknown artist. I dig this

I want to pretend to hate this and to be cool, but these are awesome pop songs.

gud stuff

A lot of very cool ideas, but a bit bloated compared to Wizard/Star

I love Breathless and its intro. The rest is also good. Rundgren takes the music seriously, but is definitely not afraid to have fun with it.

Kind of all over the place stylistically, but I think it works as an advantage. Starts off super strong, later it gets a bit inconsistent, but still interesting. A lot of cool ideas and sounds is packed into these songs. Even if the performances aren't always amazing or super captivating the songs are mostly enjoyable.

An overwhelming amount of material - a lot of it is great, especially side 1. However, some of the loose experimentation doesn't really hold up or seem worth revisiting, and even some of the loose band recordings on side 4 push the limits on relistenability. However, Side 1 is so killer, and there is so much creative energy, that I'll definitely revisit.

Tycker det här var en kul genomlyssning då det är väldigt varierat, välproducerat och genreöverskridande. En hel del låtar är fyror, men finns också ett gäng treor och tvåor. Svår att betygsätta då den spretar så mycket, men sträcker mig ändå till en svag fyra då det ändå är en imponerande skiva att få ihop nästan helt på egen hand.

Yacht Rock vibes but an enjoyable listen. Todd Rundgren is a pretty cool talented dude. Wolfman Jack is fun track that I hadn’t heard before, definitely earned the album an extra star.

Good driving music.

The buddy Todd is always a good hang

Really enjoyed this

I hate albums that are this long, but I have to give Rundgren his flowers, there were plenty of feel-good, rocking songs on this album. They don't all distinguish from each other very well, but still fun to listen to.

Favorite Track: I Saw the Light

If you're a musician with any level of talent but no coherent vision, and you're gonna make a kitchen sink record, this is probably as good a mark to aim for as you can find. Just about everything Rundgren throws at the wall here works, even when it probably shouldn't. What a fascinating record, truly.

Le sentiment d’écouter la trame sonore d’un bon vieux Rom-Com ! Instrumentalement, et par moment vocalement, très intéressant et varié! Une belle découverte

Essentially Todd’s Laura Nyro/Carole King album with a little power pop, experimental hard rock and Stones send-ups peppered in. Not sure if everything hits but it being a double album, it was all worth the attempt. Also not confident that the clever names for each album side correlate that well with the material but whatever, he’s a genius. He’s my Frank Zappa.

Chill

Own it.

I think I Saw The Light was the only song I had heard before. There are a lot of songs here. Fortunately, a lot of these are very good. He covers many different styles over the long runtime. Something for everyone to love here. Favorites were I Saw The Light, Wolfman Jack, It Takes Two To Tango, Black Maria, Couldn’t I Just Tell You, Dust In The Wind, and Hello It’s Me.

This album has great power pop tunes. What seems weird is the “album within an album” thing. Not a bad thing, only extravagant. Well, I would appreciate if Todd would have cut some of these songs for the deluxe edition instead. 3.5/5

All over the place but all good.

Like almost every double album I can think of (Pink Floyd's "The Wall" might be an exception), this one suffers from unevenness. There are enough great songs to have been at least a 4 (and a serious candidate for a 5) if they had been on an album with half as many tracks. But there are also plenty of songs to place this in the 2-3 range if they had been the sole material on the album. The result is something more like a 3.5+ effort, so I'll go ahead and round up for the sake of those great songs, but if I consider the experience of sitting through the entire album every time I listen to it, this should probably be a 3.

This is a great example of the spirit of the 60s being fused with the tech of the 70s that made pop in the early 70s so appealing to me. The influence of the Beatles is clear in the lyricism on most of the album, as well as the smooth songwriting that incorporates normal rock group instruments (for the time), as well as the Synthesizer for some very cerebral flutters throughout. Being a double album, I do feel that side 3 drags a bit, but I felt that way about The Wall the first few times as well. I think that side 4 being a live recording helps diversify the album with a real rockin’ edge that’s missing from the silky tracks on the rest of the album. While I instantly recognized the first track, everything else was new to me. I’m surprised more of this album isn’t still on classic rock radio rotation. This is a great album I was very surprised by.

Is it just me or everything just feels like a blur after reviewing 683 albums... 4/5

Really enjoyed this. Good guitar work and catchy rocky blues songs. Will explore more !

Very interesting how Todd Rundgren released his first double album just months after Houmous & Chutney released their 14th double album ‘Somewhere/Anywhere?’ 3.5 1/25 I Saw The Light

𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨/𝘈𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨? is less a typical double album and more like four mini-albums stitched together — each side its own little universe. The first three are solo ventures, where Rundgren plays everything himself, jumping from crisp power pop to blue-eyed soul to hazy psychedelia with ease. The fourth side flips the script: a chaotic band session full of studio chatter, outtakes, and self-aware weirdness. It doesn’t all land, and the sprawl can be overwhelming, but the sheer range and melodic quality make it an oddly personal and ambitious pop statement. Four sides, four moods — somehow it holds together.

Good album, but it overstays it's welcome. It's too long, at list for a daily challenge or a listen in one sitting. Rundgren is truly a talented multi-instrumentalist and composer and this is a great example. Some songs feel like filler, but that's really expected in a 1.5 hour album. Overall, it's just under 4/5 for me. I'll never listen to this album in its entirety, but will return to many songs.

Really good stuff. A little on the long side.

This felt like a cool album to listen to. Not something we'd really heard before, but up our alley.

Fire background music

A really good mix of many genres and styles. I found myself grooving to a solid number of these as it faded from pop tunes to some aggressive rock back to some slower, Funk riffs. The album dragged on a bit to long and while there is definitely some filler, the presence of many techniques and strong musicianship served as a solid glue.

Really fun album

Todd Rundgren is a name I probably could've pulled out of a hat before this, but I don't think I had heard a single song of his, and didn't even *really* know what his thing is. As I queued up Something/Anything (after some very brief cursory research) I was tentatively excited about the kind of art pop aspect, and at least a little scared of the 90 minutes and 25 songs long aspect. I am pleased to announce that, even for the length, this one was well worth my time. Before I dive into what this actually sounds like, I did a little more reading while listening and it helped contextualize this a little bit. Firstly, in modern publications, it seems to be required that I mention the influence of Ritilin on this album, which Rundgren claims is how we ended up with a 90 minute, 25 song long album in the first place. Additionally, Todd recorded everything on the first 3 sides himself without session musicians, so in some circles this is sort of hailed as a DIY adjacent achievement. Finally getting to the music, there's a very particular structure to Something/Anything that Todd lays out in the liner notes. The 4 sides of this album (as it would be experienced on vinyl) are all loosely themed and all veer into some different ideas. This is laid out mostly in the sides' titles, which, after listening, I think I can approximately lay out. Side A is mostly more conventional '70s pop songs. Side B is more of an art pop sound, embracing some strange, psychedelic sounds and odd structures. Side C is a little looser, but it seems to have a sort of jam slant, and side D is a self-contained mini rock opera with a rawer, live studio sound and a full band. In this framework, a lot of ground ends up covered. Throughout this thing, you get pop, blues rock, psychedelic, R&B, an occasional smattering of avant-garde, and some stuff I'm sure I missed. The fact that this all sounds more or less natural on here (if not necessarily cohesive) goes to show the interesting place that the pop world was in at the time. And if you take this lens further, you can kind of see this as the world of early '70s popular music in a microcosm. Given this all, I am amazed at how good a most of these songs are. Through the (again) 90 minute runtime, this album doesn't ever really lose me. In fact, of these 25 songs, I can probably count the misses on one hand and have a spare finger or two. While I probably can't give it a 5 (yet at least) the ambition of this project, coupled with its variety and incredible consistency has won me over, and I am very glad to have discovered this.

good album,

Great album, though I think I need more time to really like it. The two songs I knew from it already, Hello It’s Me and I Saw the Light, stood as the best songs on the album by a large extent. Overall great production and soulful backing vocals throughout. I was hoping for more even from a double album, but with a couple listens, I think I could rank it higher.

ovo me oduševilo!

first track was really good but was also the longest 3 minutes of my life this is not a good sign. im not ready for an hour and half of this i actually was ready. really liked all of the cheesy soulful soft rock songs on here. this is a very impressive and charming body of work. wasn't bored by this at all. would love to get this on vinyl one day

First listen. Not usually a soft rock fan, but this has more variety than just soft rock, and I came back to the soft rock hits: Hello It's Me, I Saw the Light. I relistened to a good portion of this a few times. Quite enjoyable. Even hear the Sparks connection: Viking Song, Carly Simon and early Elton John. Who inspired who? Is it a 3 or a 4? That's a tough one. May have to re-evaluate.

Chill tunes

Like it

Todd, you're an odd fellow, but you something something really good. Breathless especially, very cool track.

This has about four genres acting out together to create something that is enduringly original: rock, blues, soul, pop. The soul factor is particularly unexpected, but Rundgren's vocals, somewhere between Neil Young and Stevie Wonder, catapult a track like 'Sweeter Memories' from a pop hit into the sphere of unmistakable soulfulness. The Wonder connection is deeper than that, since this guy is clearly real moved by melodies and the making of weird warbles that nonetheless get stuck in your head. Exemplifying this is 'The Night the Carousel Burned Down,' w/ its unorthodox structure and surreal subject matter: 'The pipes steamed and shrieked out a blazing goodbye.' Completely bizarre but light and undemanding, Something/Anything? is one of one.

4/5

Kinda liked this. Creative, well written. Witty in places.

Fav: Sweeter Memories Least Fav: Song Of The Viking Sides 1 and 4 are basically perfect, 2 and 3 lull a little bit which is unfortunate because this could easily be a 5/5 if it was cut down a little

Before: Never heard of Todd Rundgren! Interested to see what's in store. Another long one at an hour and 28 minutes. There are some interesting song titles (see more: "Piss Aaron" and "Slut"). Let's get into it. Standout tracks: It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference Intro I Went to the Mirror Weakest tracks: It Takes Two to Tango (This is for the Girls) Dust in the Wind Some Folks Is Even Whiter Than Me Standout lyrics: During: OH, I know I Saw the Light, the opening track. It's... fine. Soft early-70's radio rock for sure. It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference has a bit of an interesting melody and I love the twinkly percussion. Do I hear a backing gospel choir in some later tracks??? I hope so. Sweeter Memories has a SEXY little guitar intro that gave me chills. I'm noticing that, other than the neat background instrumentals that stick out occasionally though, a lot of this record sounds more or less the same to me. BUT WAIT A DAMN MINUTE. "Intro" was really fucking cool. I was not expecting that. I hope we get more of this. It gives it so much personality and is a little eerie in a weird way. The way that it transitions into the Breathless instrumental is super cool too and there is a lot of neat synth action. The Night the Carousel Burned Down had a unique, almost psychedelic ending as well and I'm wondering if the record is going to take a turn after that "Intro" track. The beginning of Saving Grace also scared the shit out of me lmao. However, it wouldn't be 70's music without a creepy "you're only 17" line. As I continue to listen, there is absolutely a noticeable shift, both lyrically and sonically. The generic lyrics and sound at the beginning of the record slowly shifts into something more and more chaotic and unhinged. I Went to the Mirror almost sounds like a mental break that Rundgren is going through, a stark contrast from the former part of the album. One More Day (No Word) changed the perspective for me a bit, because it framed the record as almost a protest record as Rundgren describes his time in the military. It especially made I Went to the Mirror feel more powerful. Over - My Roots was another sudden switch up with the (intentionally) very poor production quality and tone switch throughout. It reminds me of scanning stations through an old radio. Some Folks Is Even Whiter Than Me is CRAZY work (not in a great way). It mellowed back out a bit despite the still slightly weird styles and transitions, to my disappointment. After: With unique and diverse instrumentation throughout, from brass to saxophone to flute, it was neat to hear how they were incorporated. I have very different thoughts on each half of the album. The first half is doctor's office rock and it's... fine. However, the lyrics are just... not good. Corny and generic. Then came the switch up after "Intro." I was in for a crazy ride and a treat. It felt like an absolute trip. I was bummed that it mellowed out in the end instead of continuing to get more and more chaotic. I am wondering if it was supposed to represent a drug trip, including the come up and the come down, and the mellowed out, but still a bit trippy ending demonstrated the come down well. Ultimately, I don't think that it was the protest album that I thought it was (but who knows - I could be totally wrong). The runtime is freaking crazy though. Rungar could have easily made this just as impactful and complex but shaved off a hot 20 minutes at least. I'm not sure how often I'll come back to this, but it may be a good listen with some *ahem* fungi. Really interesting album, but it way overstayed its welcome. I'm torn between a 3 and a 4 because some songs were major hits for me while others were misses, but I have to give it a 4 for my first listen because I was just so excited and intrigued. Despite its often lackluster lyricism, the music itself left me thinking and felt very impactful which is powerful in a record. 4/5.

I actually really liked it. More so than the last Todd Rundgren album I was subjected to. Delightfully above average.

Wonderful double album with an interesting backstory. Long, but packed full of personality. Marlene raises some eyebrows lyrically.

so creative, so against the current do my own thing Todd our neighbor Billy my bbf's big brother worshipped him so we got schooled on all things Rundgren. I like him. not all of it, but I really appreciate his creativity and some tracks just super (I saw the light loooove who doesn't)

"A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's heaven for?" - Robert Browning When most artists make this sort of artistic leap they have a much longer track record and a fair amount of success. The audacity of this double album make it all the more incredible that it pretty much all works. There is so much musicality throughout. That this is basically a one man band borders on miraculous - this is in the rarefied air of Stevie Wonder and Prince. I don't love be every song - some of it isn't quite my style - but i at least appreciate what he is doing. And while there are some lesser/slighter songs on here nothing feels like filler. Audacious but amazingly solid.

Fun album

I will get the perfunctory, "It's a double album so we know it will feel too long" comment out of the way now. It is a bit too long and can drag at times. This would be an incredible single album of 10-15 songs. For a Rundgren being such a great producer, I am a little surprised he let a few live songs on this album sound as bootleg as they do. I am talking mostly about Overture and the few false starts on takes. I guess if they were recorded live then that would explain it. I knew several songs that I did not know that I knew. I, of course, knew Hello It's Me. There were other tracks that sounded very familiar, like It Wouldn't Have Made any Difference, Wolfman Jack and Sweeter Memories. Overall, 75% of this album is really great and enjoyable. I have never sought out Todd Rundgren's music and this was a really nice primer for what his sound is like. I still wish it were shorter and then I would feel good about adding it to my collection of favorite albums. A nice surprise that I enjoyed it.

At first I was annoyed about having to listen to 25 songs, but then I saw that Todd was from Philly, so he gets a pass. Gotta say, this was pretty darn good. I thought my favorites tracks were in the beginning (I Saw The Light and Wolfman Jack were jams). The second part of this album (which I consider after Intro) felt inspired by the Beatles or maybe some other British rock. Carousel was a highlight there. And then the back third, starting around Song of the Viking (really fun listen) featured a lot of piano. Not all of the 25 songs were hits, but there were a handful of really good songs and then plenty of above-average songs to keep me entertained through the whole runtime of the album. Even Slut at the end was a better-than-expected song. I'm willing to put this solidly as a 4. It's just full of music styles that I really enjoy.

This is a long album. It better be good. Feels like an anthology of well known artists. One song sounds like Talking Heads, then a song sounding like Jackson Browne, then one sounding like Steely Dan/Masayoshi Takanaka, then one sounding like The Beatles. Good bit to put "Intro" in the middle. I actually liked the sound/recording lesson. Good album. Still a bit longer than I usually like, but it made the most of it. Had a bit of everything and was executed at a high level.

Very random album with songs from all types of genres, but I guess that is possible when an album is 90 MINUTES LONG. Most of the first half was some easy listening early Beatles-esque type of music, with then Black Maria coming in an absolutely ripping. That song was pretty awesome. The "Intro" was also quite neat showing the different effects that can be played. It crazy that song was made with no knowledge of how good headphones would get in the future. The ending third of this album then switched to sounding like Elton John which was also very good. All around very good album where I never got bored of it because of the variety. Pretty impressive range by Todd.

I Saw the Light and Hello It's Me are jams. Pretty sure those are the only ones I know from this. I also like how he breaks up each side of the album. Sweeter Memories is great. Weird little Intro with the Intro being 7 songs in. Breathless is a trip in a good way. End of the Carousel song into Saving Grace is wild. Did not expect it going there. Middle songs have some wildly experimental tracks. This was an interesting mix of studio and possibly some live-in-studio tracks towards the end. Something about this felt pretty refreshing. Tudd Rundgren kinda rules.

Another great one. Glad I’ve been getting more of these.

I really liked this one. Very much 70's cozy stuff

So funny - I just listened to this album for the first time like 4 days ago, and now it’s showing up on this. Serendipity! Incredible album.

Better than I expected

Didn't like everything, but this was a passion project gone right I think

This was great!!

Interesting album! A real roller coaster that helps with how long it is. Definitely some good stuff mixed in here, and the weird/bad stuff is short and infrequent enough to not bother me too much.

7.5/10

Mag ik van jou in de categorie singer-songwriters: Todd Rundgren? Kwartet! Todd vond het zelf ook nodig om een kwartet aan muziek op 1 (dubbel)album te proppen, dus we maken ons op voor een lange zit. Deel 1 begint wel lekker met een nummer dat bekend voorkomt, een hitje wellicht. Verder valt op dat hij zijn liedjes goed laat begeleiden door een Eagles achtige band, waardoor de doorgaans zoete muziek veel bombast meekrijgt. Prettig om te luisteren, een goede 4 voor dit deel. Deel 2 begint met een muziekles van ome Todd. Hij kondigt aan veel gekke geluiden in dit deel te gaan stoppen. En dat krijgen we in allerlei muziekstijlen naar ons toegeworpen, vnl psychedelisch. Het is wel een luisterervaring, dat moet ik toegeven, al ben ik zoals de vaste lezer weet geen fan van gekke geluiden. Gaat meer richting de 2. Deel 3 heet the kids get heavy. Het maakt zijn naam waar, want er wordt wat meer geswingd. De boel rockt, zeker met een nr als "couldnt i just tell you" en ook "little red lights". Goed voor een lekkere 4 ook. In deel 4 maken we ons op voor een pop operetta, a la Tommy van the Who. Wederom is enige bombast hem niet vreemd. Maar ook dit deel zit ik toch zonder moeite uit. Al met al vermaak ik me opperbest. Deel 2 had weggelaten mogen worden, maar verder is het fijne 70s rock. Af en toe mogen we op adem komen met een ballad of een piano intermezzo. Een dubbelaar was wellicht niet nodig, maar ik kwam hier toch moeiteloos doorheen. Prima 4 sterren waard.

Rundgren is able to blend cerebral, groovy, and touching tones like few others can, and it's all on display here. Sometimes the dramatic flair in his music isn't for me, but I find myself coming back to this album quite a bit. It tells a pretty cohesive story over its admittedly long runtime. That said, I think it becomes a bit aimless in the back half, devolving into more bland classic rock than clever, subversive material like we get in the first half.

Really enjoyed the opener as well as the first ten songs. Things got weird on “Marlene” when he was talking about being in love with a 17 year old. There is rarely an album that is this long/has this many songs that wouldn’t have benefited from some editing. Stop working on songs like “Breathless”, “Song of the Viking”, or your the game you got going on “Intro” and focus on really making some of these other tracks shine. “I Went to the Mirror”, example, could have used some more attention. The instrumentation is great. His singing is just what it needs to be. Structure is unique, production is thoughtful, and the writing is original. Lyrics can be a little meh, but ultimately, I really enjoyed this album. 4/5

4 Sides of brilliantly inventive tracks including the stellar “Hello, it’s me”.

4.5 stars! god this guy has a good voice. smoooooth rock but can also shred and isn’t afraid to get goofy

mostly straight forward songs that are good. lotsa a 1, a 2, a 1 2 3 not super diverse instrumentation let's play a game! but don't - has anyone played sounds of the studio? best tunes: most of side one, breathless, little red lights

All time classic. 1 star removed due to unfortunately titled final track!

Hmm... Okay. I can get behind this. Todd Rundgren is a name that I didn't really recognize aside from the actual 1001 albums list itself, but as it turns out, he's a somewhat notable figure in music history. Not super notable to the point of him being an "icon" or anything, but he's at least notable to enough to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He's also produced some albums I've listened to for this project, with my favorite of his so far being Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell. So, for the most part, I was fairly optimistic about this album. There was just one thing that scared me. This thing's like 90 minutes long. Yeah, I'd definitely say that this album is a bit too long. However, it could be worse. After all, the 90 minutes are spent fairly well, and the variety in these songs allows the album to not drag as much. The album is split into 4 distinct sections. They didn't feel that distinct to me, but the thought was there. Todd's voice is good. The instrumentation is impressive considering most of it was done solely by Todd Rundgren himself. Cool! The production is nice. These songs are pretty good. I didn't actively dislike any of them, and the best ones here are quite enjoyable, with "I Saw the Light" and "Hello It's Me" being the obvious highlights. Overall, while this isn't my favorite 90+ minute album (albums like the Beatles White Album, All Things Must Pass, and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness have it beat in that regard), Something/Anything? is pretty good. I like it. Light 4/5.

Filled with many great tracks. Several are all time greats. Could use a bit of judicious editing, however.

Beatlecore for 90 mins. A bit on the long side 4/5

I Saw The Light and Hello It’s Me are two of my favorite songs ever. nice to finally listen to the full album, even though it’s too long for my taste. around a 3.5 i think, but i did enjoy it

Always knocking off a star automatically for skeevy middle-aged dude writing love songs about high school girls. It's very Rundgren, and very excessive. Are those synonyms...? I enjoyed the playfulness, the genuine joy Rundgren expresses through his performance. It was too long, and drastically in need of some editorial input.

Jao, jako dobar album! Jedina zamjerka je da mi je predug, ovo su komotno mogla biti dva albuma, malo postane zamorno nakon toliko slušanja. Favoriti su mi I saw the light i Hello It's Me koja je meni osobno jedna od najljepših ljubavnih pjesama ikad. 4/5, 8.5/10

8.5/10 Odlican album sa zanimljivim miksom pop, rock, soul i eksperimentalne glazbe. Cini se dosta ambiciozan za to vrijeme jer je uspio staviti laganice, blago psihodelicne stvari, hard rock i goofy tekstove u jednu cjelinu. Prvi dupli album koji me nije udavio ovdje upravo zbog svoje raznovrsnosti. Najdrazih stvari ima (pre)vise da bi ih sve izdvajao, ali spomenut cu Cold Morning Light, Breathless i Black Maria. Može, još ovakvih albuma!

White boy Songs In the Key of Life

Está muy bien, pero casi hora y media? No te pases de verga, Rundgren.

This album was a fun baroque pop/singer song writer romance album with just enough quirks and more rocking songs to keep it interesting. This was not my first encounter with Rundgren-the first was actually Utopia the Icon which is a fun progressive rock sort of thing. I'd use this album as the intro to Mr. Rundgren before springing someone onto Utopia

A classic avant-pop with some true hits from that era.

This was a total, pleasant surprise. It's somehow quite experimental, especially in its production and songcraft, but also highly accessible. I didn't read until after my first listen, that this was divided into four distinct sides; the opening run is all safe, soft-rock ballads, but that's not to say they lack creativity and edge. Then he starts *trying stuff out*. And a lot of it really, really works. The songwriting is great, the guitar work is fantastic and the production is frequently excellent and very engaging. It simultaneously reminds me of late-60s Brian Wilson and early-70s John Lennon and I am definitely listening to this some more.

Not knowing anything about this album other than the artist and date, I expected it to suck. But in fact it's very good--lots of different and interesting musical styles, and a couple of hits that I recognized. My only caveat is that I'm not that into the aesthetic of the early 70s sound.

Some great tunes, in a variety of styles. So many tunes on the album, good value at the time. The sound is a little thin as in under orchestrated by current standards. I Saw The Light 4/5 It wouldn’t Gave Made Any Difference 4/5, Hello It’s Me 4/5, the rest 3/5 so 3.5/5 overall.

Can’t believe my parents used to listen to this trash. 4 stars

sprawling genius, packed with ideas, some brilliantly executed

Whatever else you can say about this album, the first and last songs are absolute bangers. This album reeks of someone who’s played the game for a while and is letting their hair down. Between the length, the “look for mistakes” interlude, and all the tracks that have Easter eggs and conversational tidbits in them, it feels extremely relaxed. A lot of the songs have similar vibes and feelings so I don’t think it needed to be quite this long, but part of the point feels like it isn’t about what I want. He’s comfortable - he’s having fun! If you like Todd and what he’s capable of, it is a treat. I liked that in certain songs you could really hear influences. Like I think I hear a lot of late Beach Boys Carl Wilson vocals (Wolfman Jack) in there. A few of them sound like they could be Carole King songs (Cold Morning Light). The man just clearly loves what he’s doing and I can appreciate that a lot. Worth a listen. Even if it’s just a smattering of songs - at least listen to I Saw The Light and Slut.

I really dug this. Sophisticated Pop songs. Some shades of Alex Chilton in there. A tad long.

Long as shit but good

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

Nice 70s album

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

This sounds very 70s rock and I like 70s rock. Stand-out: Saving Grace

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.

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

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.

Disco esencial de una de las figuras de la música, sobre todo de los 70. Es un disco doble, hora y media de buenas melodías. Dividido en 4 partes, la cara A la define como "un ramo de melodías que atrapan el oído", I saw the light es una gloriosa apertura con una de ls mejores canciones jamás escritas. sigue con otras gemas como It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference, Sweeter Memories o Cold Morning Light. El tono de voz, e incluso estilo de estas canciones siempre se ha visto influido por Carole King, lo cual indica la magnitud de las mismas. Wolfman Jack es un poco más dura, pero tiene suficiente azúcar para encantar a cualquiera. La cara B es "el lado cerebral", con una intro hablada y otra instrumental. Sigue con la circense The Night the Carousel Burned Down y Saving grace es otra golosina. La cara C "El niño se pone pesado", La última parte del álbum es una opereta titulada "el niño necesita un nuevo par de botas de piel de serpiente" Court't I Just Tell You " ha tenido una gran influencia en los artistas del género musical power pop Hello It's Me " había sido grabado por la antigua banda de Rundgren, Nazz Otros discos de 1972 fueron: Debuts de Steely Dan, Roxy Music, Paul Simon, Big Star, Neu¡, ¿Fela Kuti? y Lou Reed (además de su espléndido Transformer ) Discos expecionales como los de David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Stevie Wonder – Talking Book y Music of my mind, Elton John-Honky Château, Nick Drake – Pink Moon, Yes – Close to the Edge, Miles Davis – On the Corner, Neil Young – Harvest, The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St, Curtis Mayfield – Super Fly, Raspberries- Fresh, Genesis – Foxtrot, Van Morrison - Saint Dominic's Preview, Deep Purple- Machine Head y Made in Japan, Joni MIttchell- For the roses, Tangerine Dream - Zeit, T Rex- The slider, Kevin Ayers- Whatevershebringswesing, la banda sonora The harder they come... una cosecha excelente.

Miellyttävää rokkia, vähän psykedeelistä ja ehkä proge. Kappaleet kivan poppisia. Tulee Yes mieleen hyvällä tavalla. Parhaat: It Wouldnt Have Made Any Difference, Black Maria, I Saw The Light

Excellent album, super original and creative. Will be listening to this more.

Album 520 of 1001 Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything? (1972) Rating : 4 / 5 Not always enthused about double albums. Always seems to be a lot of throw aways with them. This holds strong all the way through. Some moments better than others, but overall a fine album. Great listen.

I have to admit that I read the wiki page first and let out an unhappy fart when I saw “straightforward pop ballads”, so I went into this with a little bit of a chip on my shoulder. I was pleasantly surprised by most of it and really loved some of it, but there are also some fart inducing passages in there. Bonus half a star for being creative and kind of kooky.

It took me almost the entire double album to figure it out but I hear so much Hall & Oates in this album. I can’t say that double album helped this one as there were a handful of clownlike songs that really werent great. There was a few fantastic songs, the album opens with “Saw the light” the most recognizable and best song on the album. It definitely struggles to keep up the momentum after the first song but is still a pretty solid albeit long album. 7/10

pretty damn good if you ask me

Ambitious, melodic, the musical equivalent of deep fried chicken

Wow, j’avais jamais entendu parler de cet album là, on est dans l’underrated territory du folk rock. Seul bémol, l’album est trop long (1h30), compressé en 45 minutes ça aurait mérité l’étoile de plus

Nice tunes. They feel both catchy and fresh

An epic, double LP from Todd Rundgren, that is as much a self-indulgent vanity project, as it is a pop-rock masterpiece from the early 70's. Everyone that has ever listened to classic rock is familiar with, I Saw The Light and Hello It's Me, joyful pop gems that alone give this album classic status. These two songs have been stuck in my head for over 50 years! I've never actually listened to the whole record and to call it sprawling would be an understatement. Spread out through four sides, Rundgren explores all kinds of sounds and noises, as if he threw all his song ideas against the wall to see what would stick. Fortunately, more stuck than fell, but the length of the record began to dilute the quality and it would have been more of a banger (for me, at least) if he stopped at one disc. Still, an essential listen.

Not sure how I missed this! I like it quite a bit.

He's got a nice voice. Very 70s. Too long. Love his irreverence, though. Intro was surprising!

A generous 4, way overlong but the highs see it through.

Not every song is incredible and it's a bit too long, but there are some great tracks on here. Solid 7-8/10

Very schticky but it works for me. Some of the tunes sound like they're from the mid-60s and some sound almost modern, pretty impressive for a 1972 release.