Two CeeDees Worth of Tunes
4 Out of 5 Stars
When he ironically titled and album, "A Wizard, A True Star," Todd Rundgren may or may not have known how prophetic it would be. As a singer, songwriter, one man band, band leader, producer and techno-wiz, he has certainly achieved status as one of rock's great renaissance men. And as the 27 songs on this collection prove, his recorded legacy is truly that of a star.
Rundgren has been a cult artist for so long that he discovered early on that he had free reign to try any style he wanted. Granted, the early songs show a strong Beatles orientation as well as the confessional singer songwriter mode. The Nazz single "Open My Eyes" does show an early Rundgren trait; that of the musical mimic. He was soon mixing rock, soul ("Be Nice To Me"), perfect pop ("Hello It's Me") and the almost effortlessly flawless ballads he created on a regular basis ("It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference"). And that's just disc one.
The next 15 years is on disc two, and finds Rundgren getting even more idiosyncratic. While the two songs from "Healing" are the single "Time Heals" and the ballad "Compassion," the bulk of the album is almost meditative new age. The album "A Capella" was nothing but Todd. His voice (however heavily manipulated) without any instruments. All while he still covered his rock bases; his last major 'hit' "Bang The Drum All Day" is here.While his broad recording career will likely have this collection falling short for enthusiasts, Todd's Anthology is as good a starting point as you can find for one of America's great musical visionaries.
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