Something/Anything?

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 2BX-2066
Producer	Todd Rundgren
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, 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.

History

"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.

Having achieved confidence in his instrumental abilities, Rundgren decided to play every instrument (as well as singing every vocal) on the first three sides of the double LP while recording in Los Angeles, attributing his productivity to Ritalin. He contemplated recording more tracks to make up a double album in a similar manner, but following an earthquake soon after recording, he decided to relocate to New York and hold a live recording session with session players. Along with two small extracts of archive recordings featuring Rundgren in the 1960s, this made up the fourth side..

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.

The song "Couldn't I Just Tell You" has had a major influence on artists in the power pop musical genre, with music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine of the All Music Guide calling it one of "the great songs that provided power pop with its foundation".

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Robert Christgau	(A-)

Retrospective reviews of the album have been overwhelmingly positive. Allmusic especially praised the album's endearing tone and often adventurous variety of styles, commenting that "Listening to Something/Anything? is a mind-altering trip in itself, no matter how many instantly memorable, shamelessly accessible pop songs are scattered throughout the album." Robert Christgau also applauded the strong variety: "The many good songs span styles and subjects in a virtuoso display... And the many ordinary ones are saved by Todd's confidence and verve."

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
2. "Dust in the Wind" (Mark Klingman) – 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

• Todd Rundgren – all instrumentation and vocals (on sides 1-3)

Additional personnel (side four only)

On track 1

• Collie Read- bass
• Stockman- drums
• Todd Rundgren- guitar
• Rick Valente- lead vocals
• Randy Read- lead guitar

Remaining tracks

• Todd Rundgren – vocals, piano on 2, 3, 4, 5; guitars on 6, 7
• Mark Klingman – organ on 2, 3, 4; piano on 6
• John Siomos – drums on 2, 3, 4
• Randy Brecker – trumpet on 2, 4^
• Mike Brecker – tenor sax on 2, 4^
• Barry Rogers – trombone on 2, 4^
• Rick Derringer – guitar on 2
• John Siegler - bass on 2
• Dennis Cooley – backing vocals on 2, 3
• Cecilia Norfleet – backing vocals on 2, 3
• Vicki Robinson – backing vocals on 2, 3
• Richard Corey – backing vocals on 2, 3, 4
• Hope Ruff – backing vocals on 2, 3, 4
• Robbie Kogale – guitar on 3, 4
• Stu Woods – bass on 3, 4
• Jim Colgrove – bass on 5
• Amos Garrett – guitar on 5
• Ben Keith – pedal steel on 3
• Billy Mundi – drums on 5, 6
• Gene Dinwiddie – tenor sax on 6
• Serge Katzen – conga on 6
• Bugsy Maugh – bass on 6
• Ralph Wash – guitar on 6
• Jim Horn – tenor sax on 7
• John Kelson – tenor sax on 7
• Brook Baxes – backing vocals on 7
• Anthony Carrubba – backing vocals on 7
• Henry Fanton – backing vocals on 7
• Edward Olmos – backing vocals on 7
• Hunt Sales – drums on 7
• Tony Sales – bass on 7
• Charlie Schoning – piano on 7
• Rick Vito – guitar on 7

^Randy Brecker, Michael Brecker, and Barry Rogers are mislabeled as having played on track 3. Track 3 ("Piss Aaron") in fact contains no saxophone or brass parts, while track 4 ("Hello, It's Me") does.

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
1973	"Hello It's Me"	Billboard Pop Singles	5

Certifications

Organization	Level	Date
RIAA – US	Gold	February 26, 1975

External links

• Todd Rundgren official website