Todd Rundgren Wizard, A True Star CD

Personnel includes: Todd Rundgren, Mark Klingman, John Siegler, Ralph Shockett, Tom Cosgrove, "Buffalo" Bill Gelber.
Principally recorded at Secret Sound, New York.
Digitally remastered by Bill Inglot and Ken Perry (K-Disc).
Something/Anything? proved that Todd Rundgren could write a pop classic as gracefully as any of his peers, but buried beneath the surface were signs that he would never be satisfied as merely a pop singer/songwriter. A close listen to the album reveals the eccentricities and restless spirit that surges to the forefront on its follow-up, A Wizard, a True Star. Anyone expecting the third record of Something/Anything?, filled with variations on "I Saw the Light" and "Hello It's Me," will be shocked by A Wizard. As much a mind-f*ck as an album, A Wizard, a True Star rarely breaks down to full-fledged songs, especially on the first side, where songs and melodies float in and out of a hazy post-psychedelic mist. Stylistically, there may not be much new -- he touched on so many different bases on Something/Anything? that it's hard to expand to new territory -- but it's all synthesized and assembled in fresh, strange ways. Often, it's a jarring, disturbing listen, especially since Rundgren's humor has turned bizarre and insular. It truly takes a concerted effort on the part of the listener to unravel the record, since Rundgren makes no concessions -- not only does the soul medley jerk in unpredictable ways, but the anthemic closer, "Just One Victory," is layered with so many overdubs that it's hard to hear its moving melody unless you pay attention. And that's the key to understanding A Wizard, a True Star -- it's one of those rare rock albums that demands full attention and, depending on your own vantage, it may even reward such close listening. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
A WIZARD, A TRUE STAR is not the most humble album title ever, and the album fits it. In the tradition of sprawling pop messes like the Beatles' WHITE ALBUM or Game Theory's LOLITA NATION, a large part of this album's considerable charm is in its "throw it against the wall and see what sticks" construction.
After three albums with Philadelphia's psych-pop Nazz and an equal number of exquisitely crafted AM-pop solo records, Rundgren felt the need to stretch. So side one of A WIZARD, A TRUE STAR consists of 12 ultra-brief song fragments and burbling synth solos. From the giggly "Rock and Roll Pussy" to the genuinely experimental finale "La Feel Internationale," variety is the watchword. Side two is only slightly more structured, with a 10-minute medley of '60s R&B hits dominating. Weird but often fascinating.