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Something/Anything?

 
Album Review: Something/Anything?

  • Artist: Todd Rundgren
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarStar
  • Release Date: 1972 02
  • Total Time: 86:57
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album, Contains explicit content
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Others had recorded one-man albums before Todd Rundgren, most notably Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney, but with Something/Anything? he captured the homemade ambience of McCartney with the visionary feel of Music of My Mind, adding an encyclopedic knowledge of pop music from Gilbert & Sullivan through Jimi Hendrix, plus the crazed zeal of a pioneer. Listening to Something/Anything? is a mind-altering trip in itself, no matter how many shamelessly accessible pop songs are scattered throughout the album, since each side of the double-record is a concept unto itself. The first is "a bouquet of ear-catching melodies"; side two is "the cerebral side"; on side three "the kid gets heavy"; side four is his mock pop operetta, recorded with a full band including the Sales Brothers. It gallops through everything -- Carole King tributes ("I Saw the Light"), classic ballads ("Hello It's Me," "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference"), Motown ("Wolfman Jack"), blinding power pop ("Couldn't I Just Tell You"), psychedelic hard rock ("Black Maria"), pure weirdness ("I Went to the Mirror"), blue-eyed soul ("Dust in the Wind"), and scores of brilliant songs that don't fall into any particular style ("Cold Morning Light," "It Takes Two to Tango"). It's an amazing journey that's remarkably unpretentious. Rundgren peppers his writing with self-aware, self-deprecating asides, indulging his bizarre sense of humor with gross-outs ("Piss Aaron") and sheer quirkiness, such as an aural tour of the studio at the beginning of side two. There are a ton of loose ends throughout Something/Anything?, plenty of studio tricks, slight songs (but no filler), snippets of dialogue, and purposely botched beginnings, but all these throwaways simply add context -- they're what makes the album into a kaleidoscopic odyssey through the mind of an insanely gifted pop music obsessive. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Tracks



CD 1

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
I Saw the Light (Lyrics) Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (3:00)
It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference (Lyrics) Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (3:50)
Wolfman Jack (Lyrics) Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (2:56)
Cold Morning Light Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (3:35)
It Takes Two to Tango (This Is for the Girls) Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (2:41)
Sweeter Memories (Lyrics) Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (3:36)
Intro Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (1:11)
Breathless [Instrumental] Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (3:15)
The Night the Carousel Burned Down Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (4:29)
Saving Grace Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (4:12)
Marlene Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (3:54)
Song of the Viking Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (2:35)
I Went to the Mirror Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (4:05)


CD 2

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Black Maria (Lyrics) Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (5:20)
One More Day (No Word) Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (3:43)
Couldn't I Just Tell You (Lyrics) Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (3:34)
Torch Song Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (2:52)
Little Red Lights Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (4:53)
Overture-My Roots: Money (That's What I Want) /Messin' With the Kid Todd Rundgren, Berry Gordy, Jr., B. Strong Todd Rundgren (2:29)
Dust in the Wind Todd Rundgren, Mark "Moogy" Klingman Todd Rundgren (3:49)
Piss Aaron Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (3:26)
Hello It's Me Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (4:42)
Some Folks Is Even Whiter Than Me Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (3:56)
You Left Me Sore (Lyrics) Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (3:13)
Slut (Lyrics) Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (4:03)

Credits

Rick Derringer (Guitar), Todd Rundgren (Guitar), Todd Rundgren (Arranger), Todd Rundgren (Vocals), Todd Rundgren (Multi Instruments), Todd Rundgren (Producer), Todd Rundgren (Main Performer), Todd Rundgren (Photography), Michael Brecker (Horn), Michael Brecker (Sax (Tenor)), Amos Garrett (Guitar), Jim Colegrove (Bass), Nick Jameson (Engineer), Vicki Sue Robinson (Vocals), Rick Vito (Guitar), Ben Keith (Guitar), Ben Keith (Pedal Steel), Ben Keith (Guitar (Steel)), Brooks Baxes (Vocals), Randy Brecker (Trumpet), Randy Brecker (Horn), Anthony Carrabba (Vocals), Dennis Cooley (Vocals), Richard Corey (Vocals), Brother Gene Dinwiddie (Saxophone), Brother Gene Dinwiddie (Sax (Tenor)), Henry Fanton (Vocals), Jim Horn (Saxophone), Jim Horn (Sax (Tenor)), Robbie Kagale (Guitar), Serge Kaken (Conductor), Jackie Kelso (Saxophone), John Kelson, Jr. (Sax (Tenor)), Mark "Moogy" Klingman (Organ), Mark "Moogy" Klingman (Piano), Mark "Moogy" Klingman (Keyboards), Robbie Kogel (Guitar), Bugsy Maugh (Bass), Billy Mundi (Drums), Cecilia Norfleet (Vocals), Edward Olmos (Clarinet), Edward Olmos (Vocals), Barry Rodgers (Trombone), Barry Rogers (Trombone), Hope Ruff (Vocals), Hunt Sales (Drums), Tony Sales (Bass), Charlie Schoning (Piano), John Siegler (Bass), John Siegler (Cello), John Siegler (?), John Siomos (Drums), Dan Turbeville (Engineer), Ralph Wash (Guitar), Stu Woods (Bass), James Lowe (Engineer), James Lowe (Photography), Serge Katzen (Conga), John Lee (Assistant Engineer)
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Wikipedia: Something/Anything?
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Something/Anything?
Studio album by Todd Rundgren
Released February 1972
Recorded Late 1971, Bearsville Studios, Woodstock, NY
Genre Pop rock, Power pop
Length 86:15
Label Bearsville
Producer Todd Rundgren
Professional reviews
Todd Rundgren chronology
Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren
(1971)
Something/Anything?
(1972)
A Wizard, a True Star
(1973)

Something/Anything?, released in 1972, is Todd Rundgren's third solo album. It peaked at #29 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold three years after its release, [1] and remains the singer-songwriter's best-selling album. In 2003, the album was ranked number 173 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. [2]

The album featured Rundgren's only major pop hit as an artist. "Hello It's Me", recorded earlier by Nazz and featured on side four of the record, reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 the following year. Rundgren had expected "I Saw the Light" to be his big hit. [3]

Rundgren played every instrument (as well as sang every part) on the first three sides of the double LP, while a band accompanies him on the fourth.

In the liner notes, the first side of the album is described as "a bouquet of ear-catching melodies", the second as "the cerebral side", the third as "The kid gets heavy", and the fourth is titled "Baby Needs a New Pair of Snakeskin Boots (A Pop Operetta)".

The first five thousand issues of the LP were pressed on colored vinyl — the first half of the album on red vinyl, the second on blue.

Contents

Track listing

All songs written by Todd Rundgren except as indicated.

Side one

  1. "I Saw the Light" – 2:56
  2. "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference" – 3:50
  3. "Wolfman Jack" – 2:54
  4. "Cold Morning Light" – 3:55
  5. "It Takes Two to Tango (This Is for the Girls)" – 2:41
  6. "Sweeter Memories" – 3:36

Side two

  1. "Intro" – 1:11
  2. "Breathless" – 3:15
  3. "The Night the Carousel Burnt Down" – 4:29
  4. "Saving Grace" – 4:12
  5. "Marlene" – 3:54
  6. "Song of the Viking" – 2:35
  7. "I Went to the Mirror" – 4:05

Side three

  1. "Black Maria" – 5:20
  2. "One More Day (No Word)" – 3:43
  3. "Couldn't I Just Tell You" – 3:34
  4. "Torch Song" – 2:52
  5. "Little Red Lights" – 4:53

Side four

  1. "Overture—My Roots: Money (That's What I Want) / Messin' With The Kid" (Janie Bradford, Berry Gordy, Mel London) – 2:29 [4]
  2. "Dust in the Wind" (Mark Klingman, Rundgren) – 3:49
  3. "Piss Aaron" – 3:26
  4. "Hello It's Me" – 4:42
  5. "Some Folks Is Even Whiter Than Me" – 3:56
  6. "You Left Me Sore" – 3:13
  7. "Slut" – 4:03

Personnel

Additional personnel (side four only)

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1974 Billboard Pop Albums 29

Single

Year Single Chart Position
1972 "Couldn't I Just Tell You" Billboard Pop Singles 93
1972 "I Saw the Light" Billboard Pop Singles 16
1972 "Hello It's Me" Billboard Pop Singles 5

Certifications

Organization Level Date
RIAA – US Gold February 26, 1975

References

  1. ^ Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything?
  2. ^ 173 Something-Anything? : Rolling Stone
  3. ^ "Hello It's Me". Songfacts.com. http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=5871. Retrieved 2009-04-03. 
  4. ^ The songwriting credits on the CD as released by Rhino/Bearsville incorrectly credit Ed Kuepper and Chris Bailey (The Saints) for the second song, which is a completely different song. The one to which Rundgren refers is London's.

 
 

 

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