Todd Rundgren-Something/Anything? (1972)

 



Artist: Todd Rundgren

Title: Something/Anything?

Label: Bearsville

Format:2XLP

Cat #: 2BX 2066

Year of Release: 1972

Country and Year of Edition Issue: US 1972 Terre Haute Gatefold Pressing

Listed Condition: VG/G+

Sell Date: 1/12/22

Sell Price: $9.99

Discogs Last Sold: 1/13/22 NM/VG+ $34.39

Low: $1.99 G/P

Median: $14.59

Average: $18.78

High: $67.00 M/VG+

Current low price:$5.99 VG/G

Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 43

Have/Want: 4378/870

Where Sold: Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Time it took to sell: 7 years

Where and When Bought: Worcester That's Entertainment early 80's $3.99

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: A-

Sad To See It Go: No

I don't know if I've ever had a "for further review" album spread as far on the timeline as this one.  I bought it used in the early 80's as the sole "5-star" Rundgren album in the Rolling Stone Record Guide, played it once, thought it was good and that I needed to spend some time with it.  I never did until now. 

While it is a sprawling good album, to me it seems like Todd's closest musical ally is Carole King coming off Tapestry.  I like Tapestry fine, and this goes into weirder and harder climes, but that is what stands out for whatever reason.  "Hello, It's Me" and "I Saw The Light" put Todd into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame (TM).  Side one continues in this vein.

Things get a little more interesting on Side Two where Todd gives a little run though on the studio and the possible errors on can make in demonstrable fashion and kicks in a heavier instrumental "Breathless."  "Saving Grace" has some 15 rpm vocal intro action. "I Went To The Mirror" has a bit of post-Hendrix appeal also.  

My favorite side is Side 3.  The second record opens with "Black Maria."  More guitar based than piano based, going down slow. "Couldn't I Just Tell You" is probably my favorite song on the album, with a sound in the Badfinger/Big Star realm with a gorgeous melody to boot.    Something/Anything? peaked at #29 on Billboard in a 48 week chart run with two top 20 US hit singles.  You can hear echoes of what Cheap Trick did later in what Todd is doing here. "Torch Song," although piano based, has a rougher beauty than the other tracks on the first record.  "Little Red Lights" takes us back into Hendrix meets Big Star country.

SIde 4 is a pop operetta entitled Baby Needs A New Pair of Snakeskin Boots.  You get two roots of Todd the Wizard True Star:  Money covering Money and Wendy's Truck Stop doing Junior Wells' "Messing With The Kid."  Now you know where Todd is from you get some pop stuff like "Dust In The Wind" long before Kansas ruined that concept for good.  "Hello It's Me" finds it's way in the middle of the Operetta.  

Singles and albums are two different things, man! 




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