Todd Rundgren Arena
Todd Rundgren’s new CD is still in my car changer. After weeks of listening, it reminds me of so many different artists and musical styles. But Todd Rundgren has always been somewhat of a musical chameleon, and that’s what makes him so interesting and appealing. You never know what to expect of him next. That novel approach keeps his albums fresh. It’s never the same old songs, rehashed and re-indexed.
Rundgren’s new CD ‘Arena,’ is a guitar based rock album, almost heavy metal at times, and then switching to rock ‘n roll and pure pop. I can hear influences from Pat Travers, Pink Floyd, Robin Trower, Bob Seger, and even ZZ Top in the song “Gun.” Riffing and rocking along, the album takes you on a musical journey with one word titles. Opening with the rocker “Mad,” Todd takes us to the “Mountaintop” while displaying an array of emotion in “Courage,” “Panic,” and “Weakness,” which is a beautiful ballad.
You can really appreciate Todd Rundgren the songwriter, as the layers of sound build upon one another resulting in a sonic stew that satisfies any Todd fan’s appetite. ‘Arena’ is on Hi Fi Recordings; it’s Todd Rundgren’s first studio album in four years. Some would say it captures the essence and energy of “arena” rock with bombastic, guitar-driven tunes. That’s OK with me!
He’s also doing some live shows, so watch for tour dates in your area. In fact, I found this video sampler of the new album on YouTube, posted by Gregster138 who has a bunch of great concert video of songs from ‘Arena.”
Todd Rundgren tour dates:
12/17 – Alexandria, VA Birchmere
12/19 – Bay Shore, NY YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts
12/20 – Norfolk, CT Infinity Hall
12/26 – New York, NY Blender Theatre at Gramercy
12/30 – Annapolis, MD Rams Head On Stage
Todd Rundgren Interactive www.tr-i.com
Friday, October 24th, 2008
Written by: Mike Withrow
Related Posts
Posted in Concert, Rock & Roll
