Todd Rundgren - Arena
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Music CD Cover
Artist: Todd RundgrenEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
CD Release Date: 2008-09-30
Music Label: Hi Fi Recordings
Soundtracks:
- Mad
- Afraid
- Mercenary
- Gun
- Courage
- Weakness
- Strike
- Pissin
- Today
- Bardo
- Mountaintop
- Panic
- Manup
Free Music Notes for Arena
Free Music Review: Fun, Inspiring Stuff
Hit: 5 Stars
A wizard, a true star.
Todd Rundgren and his work compose a veritable mosaic of ideal, but unusual virtues which have never ceased to flourish after over forty years. It is important to speak of his "work", and not his "music", because to do so would be to discount an innumerable number of innovations and production wonders. The one-man do-it-yourself album. The first concert broadcast by microwave dish. An album whose sound and "instruments" were borne totally of his voice, and no physical instruments. One of the first music videos on MTV. The first subscription music service online. His production work on Meatloaf's veritable "Bat out of Hell". Hall and Oates' "War Babies."
But let's not also forget the man's music. Starting out in psychedelia with his first successful band, the Nazz, Rundgren moved into no less than Carole King-esque ballads, hard rock, and radio-friendly anthems like his biggest hit, "Hello It's Me." His 1972 album, "Something/Anything" remains his consensus favorite, as well as his most successful. But after 1972, a funny thing happened: Todd refused to settle as the next pop music megastar. He started becoming more and more unconventional in his craft, leading to the much critically acclaimed, but oft-overlooked, "A Wizard, A True Star" in 1973, followed by "Todd" in 1974, and finally "Initiation" in 1975. These albums were marked by a seemingly infinite number of overdubs and production values which reflected a young man who was thoroughly versed in his trade and not even 25. These albums produced memorable numbers like, "A Dream Goes On Forever", "Real Man", and "Just One Victory", but unfortunately, he lost the public along the way. It wasn't until the late 1970s, with "Faithful" and "The Hermit of Mink Hollow" that Rundgren returned to the pop style that made him famous, and the public responded, giving him his highest charted album since "Something/Anything", as well as one of his most enduring tracks, "Can We Still Be Friends." Unfortunately, this success was not to last, and his next "hit" came in 1983---the goofy novelty, "Bang On the Drum", which has endured as a sports arena anthem and endless fodder for parody. But even without the success he had in the 70s, Todd did not slow down his creative engine. "A Capella" followed in 1985, and later "Nearly Human" in 1989 which produced the mainstream rock hit, "The Want of a Nail", which was made famous in the 2003 movie, "Camp." The 1990s brought a nearly total change for Rundgren. He stopped recording for major labels. He saw the future of music in the budding novelty of the Internet almost a half-decade before Napster. He delved in rap, experimented with interactive music CD-ROMs, became one of the first to sell music online, and arguably lost a lot of his cult, including die-hard fans that had stuck with him for decades. It seemed that perhaps Rundgren's genius output was a thing of the past, until 2004's critically acclaimed "Liars", an update of the signature Todd pop sound of the 70s. Featuring instrumentation that is more suited to a rave and dance clubs than AM radio, Rundgren produced an inspiring album which, true to almost everything he's done since the 80s, escaped mainstream attention.
And from this synopsis, we see our dilemma: Rundgren is an usual case of what everyone says a musician should be. After all, he's innovative, endlessly creative, never monotonous, has delved into almost every genre possible, more or less consistent...but not very popular. Yes, he has his enduring jukebox standards, but for Rundgren to truly get his due, the world would have to experience for the first time four decades of sheer genius, the rare music which rewards close listening and never gets seems to get thrown away. And that's, perhaps, where "Arena" comes in.
Sure, you can't substitute thirteen tracks for an anthology that is hundreds of songs and decades in the making. But "Arena" is a reminder of what his cult loves about him, and why anyone who's missed out over the last forty years needs to join now. Listening to "Arena" reminds one of a quality that's missing from a a lot of popular music today---fun. Forget about the fact that the lyrics are not just nonsensical excuses to sing over power rock chords but actually signature Rundgren poetry. Completely discount the variety of musical styles, Todd's amazing voice (which hasn't lost a step since 1968) and
marvelous one-man production which is virtually nonexistent in today's music industry, or what passes for it. Yes, this is definitely pop, but it's inspiring stuff. It has that sing-a-long, fun, accessible quality that is seldom found so consistently on one album. It's not something you forget about after a month. To think that Rundgren did this thankless feat himself, at age 60, with every odd stacked against him, is even more remarkable.
The theme of the album is arena rock, which immediately gets you thinking it is a period piece, an aging rocker refusing to be "stripped" down and returning to that which made him famous. And while that is arguably the case to an extent, we must keep in mind that Rundgren's never done anything quite like this before. Yes, he did have a few tunes that resembled a song here and there back in the day, but he has never delved this close to metal, or drowned his music in so much guitar work.
Nor have his ballads been so heavy, and his drive so forceful. There are a few nods to other bands, but when you're working in this genre, it's hard not to invite some comparisons, even if this album has Rundgren's touch from "Mad" to "Manup."
Todd lets you know what you're getting into from the start with "Mad." Not many artists come to mind who can write a song with "Now, I'm mad", as part of the chorus and not induce endless cringing. Starting out with a clean guitar progression and quickly getting to a chorus laden with heavy distortion, "Mad" is definitely one of the standouts on the album, as it manages to combine ingenious harmonies and melody that still pack a powerful, in-your-face quality. Speaking of powerful, "Mercenary" is perhaps the most intensely furious song Rundgren has ever written, with a distorted vocal, and a chorus whose repeated "How do you like me now" and overlapping riffs makes yet another addition to the signature Rundgren line of incredible classics.
Another part of "Arena" to absolutely love are the basslines, perhaps no more evident than on the AC/DC-nod "Strike", another in-your-face, fast paced rocker with yet another signature-sounding chorus with very familiar words, "are you ready to rumble?", in which no one can sit still while listening. "Panic", and "Manup" also feature the newfound intensity with "Panic" moving so quickly and forceful, you barely knew what hit you.
Yet another highlight is "Mountaintop", intended to accompany "Bang the Drum All Day" as the next generation of Todd sports anthems. You can almost picture a crowd of 80,000 jamming out to this at a football stadium, and it doesn't fail to disappoint with its call and response chorus and forceful beat.
But I mentioned earlier how one of Todd's signature qualities is how he can produce such consistently excellent music in such a variety of genres, and that shows in the two middle tracks on the album, "Courage", and "Weakness." This brings me to another point about this great album: In "Courage", Rundgren has written one of the best songs of his career which rivals anything of the "I Saw The Light" or "A Dream Goes On Forever" variety; it is a great, great song. With a memorable guitar solo, unforgettable melody, deep minor chords, and strong reverberation, "Courage" has another thing missing from a lot of pop music now, a sort of hopeful, self-reflective quality that strongly contrasts with the overdriven nature of the other tunes on the album. This is coupled with "Weakness", a song that one has to listen to repeatedly because it's drawn out over five minutes, but the theme eventually becomes very apparent, and you forget its 3/4 time signature and length.
But not only is the music good, but Todd is actually saying something here. The lyrics seem to continue the anger and reflection that made Liars so memorable. Beneath the bouncy choruses is a very directed, very well-written theme. You would never believe that he's 60, or been through so much commercial disappointment over the years. Of course, Mr. Rundgren always practices what he preaches. This album was recorded, played, mixed, and produced all by himself, and there is not a single creative concession or degradation of any aspect of his music---his unmatched taste for good melody, his unending original basslines and riffs, his signature harmonies, lyrics, and novelties; it's time Todd got his due. The world needs to realize that he did write music after "Bang the Drum", and he's more than just an artist that came and went. This is not just Todd Rundgren reminding us why he has never stopped being a wizard or a true star; it's reminding an industry that has perhaps lost its way as far as accessible, well written pop music, how it's done:
Every song stays with you.
5/5 stars
Arena Poster
What a return to form for Rundgren! Arena's baker's dozen, one-word-named tunes are from another time entirely: thoughtful, intense and expertly crafted rock songs that straddle the line between pop and prog. Rundgren continues to make music that pushes the envelope of his best work, regardless of current musical trends. The great songwriter and genius producer of Cheap Trick, the Runaways, Meat Loaf, Hall and Oates, and XTC is neither resting on his laurels nor performing his greatest hits at the Kansas state fair--although he did assume Rix Ocasek?s mantle with the New Cars, but that's something else entirely. The album title is ironic. Music like this hasn't been an arena draw in twenty-plus years. --Mike McGonigalClassic Rock Music CDs
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