Todd Rundgren”Something/Anything?” (1972) RhinoTodd Rundgren has always...

Todd Rundgren

“Something/Anything?” (1972)

Rhino

Todd Rundgren has always been something of a schizophrenic artist. During his ‘70s heyday, he seemed especially torn between the more mainstream material of his solo albums and the progressive, experimental rock that defined his group Utopia. But with his acclaimed “Something/Anything?” album, he displayed a different type of split personality. A solidly commercial effort, this double disc demonstrated the studio wizard’s penchant for both methodical control and off-the-cuff spontaneity.

Through the first 19 cuts of this 25-track opus, Rundgren plays every instrument and sings every note, weaving a marvelous collection of melodious pop and flirtatious rock songs. In its day, this impressive demonstration of musical versatility was surpassed only by Stevie Wonder’s.

The album-opening “I Saw the Light” finds Rundgren interlocking sweet guitar leads, a propulsive piano rhythm and layered vocals in a pop song of Beatle-esque appeal. The hooks don’t stop there. The plaintive “Cold Morning Light” is one of several ballads marked by a gentle accessibility. The Jimi Hendrix-like guitar fireworks of “Little Red Lights” reflect the raucous side to this complex musical personality. For the most part, you’d never guess that these tracks were performed by a one-man band.

But while much of “Something/Anything?” was pieced together in Rundgren’s sonic laboratory, the final six tracks were products of loose jam sessions that found Rundgren performing largely unrehearsed with whoever happened to be in the studio. Replete with studio chatter and false starts, these numbers range from the horn-sparked ballad “Dust in the Wind” to a soulful rock romp called “Some Folks Is Even Whiter Than Me.”

This informal setup produced Rundgren’s biggest hit single, “Hello It’s Me.” A remake of a song he had recorded while a member of the Nazz in the late ‘60s, this stylish pop track climbed to No. 5 on the American singles chart. The devil-may-care sense of passion and camaraderie exuding from these group tracks is obvious.

Rundgren albums tend to elicit mixed critical notices. But most listeners agree that “Something/Anything?” is a special work, worthy of its two-CD price.