Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything?

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

Name Credits Amos Garrett Guitar Anthony Carrabba Vocals Barry Rodgers Trombone Barry Rogers Trombone Ben Keith Pedal Steel, Guitar, Guitar (Steel) Billy Mundi Drums Brooks Baxes Vocals Brother Gene Dinwiddie Saxophone, Sax (Tenor) Bugsy Maugh Bass Cecilia Norfleet Vocals Charlie Schoning Piano Dan Turbeville Engineer Dennis Cooley Vocals Edward Olmos Clarinet, Vocals Henry Fanton Vocals Hope Ruff Vocals Hunt Sales Drums Jackie Kelso Saxophone James Lowe Engineer, Photography Jim Colegrove Bass Jim Horn Saxophone, Sax (Tenor) John Kelson, Jr. Sax (Tenor) John Lee Assistant Engineer John Siegler Cello, Bass, ? John Siomos Drums Mark "Moogy" Klingman Keyboards, Piano, Organ Michael Brecker Sax (Tenor), Horn Nick Jameson Engineer Ralph Wash Guitar Randy Brecker Horn, Trumpet Richard Corey Vocals Rick Derringer Guitar Rick Vito Guitar Robbie Kagale Guitar Robbie Kogel Guitar Serge Kaken Conductor Serge Katzen Conga Stu Woods Bass Todd Rundgren Producer, Arranger, Guitar, Photography, Multi Instruments, Vocals Tony Sales Bass Vicki Sue Robinson Vocals