| | Todd Rundgren Arena CD Todd Rundgren Discography of CDs
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If ever a title explained an album's intent, it's Todd Rundgren's Arena, an explicit return to the extravagantly theatrical guitar rock he abandoned, largely out of boredom, some 25 years ago. During that quarter century, Rundgren touched upon almost all of his other obsessions, spending a considerable amount of time fixated upon technology, but deliberately avoided anything resembling Utopia until he stepped in for an absent Ric Ocasek for the 2005 Cars reunion which followed on the heels of Liars, Todd's strongest and poppiest album in years. The New Cars -- as the reunited band was wittily dubbed -- returned Rundgren to arenas and reignited his interest in outsized rock & roll, so he threw himself into a project that gave him an excuse to sing skyscraper hooks and play too much guitar, which is exactly what Arena promises and delivers. Apart from an occasional glimpse of computer-stitched seams, the album is an uncanny recreation of Todd's late-'70s/early-'80s period, occasionally playing like a belated sequel to 1983's The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect. On a pure sonic level, this may be true -- especially when he glides into a glimmering, quietly insistent pop tune like "Courage" -- but the aesthetics are sharply different, as Rundgren never indulges in the impish humor that surfaced continually on Tortured Artist, preferring to stew in the outrage that fueled Liars. Opening with the outright threat "Mad," Arena roils with fear and frustration, manifesting in gnarled knots of guitars and cavernous drumbeats, not to mention staccato successions of blunt, one-word song titles. Just as it did on Liars, this fury ties Arena together but thanks to all the exaggerated gestures, this feels angrier as a whole, which makes it pretty bracing. Rundgren's deliberate dramatics also make the gentler songs seem sweeter, but also make his sardonic jokes and political protests -- which do come hand in hand, as on the soldier-chant chorus of "Gun" -- draw blood. And that may be the most curious thing about Arena: musically, it's an unabashed throwback, having nothing to do with what arena rock is in 2008, but Todd's songs are all about the conflicted, confused present. This seeming paradox doesn't turn Arena into a muddle but instead gives it some invigorating friction that makes the album seem urgent and captivating, if not necessarily vital. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Todd Rundgren Arena Songs Arena Music Review Average Rating: (4.7 out of 5 stars)   List All Reviews DETROIT LOVES TODD!!
EVERY TIME, I LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM, IT CONTINUES TO IMPRESS AND SURPRISE ME. TODD, WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE TO YOU. TODD HAS CREATED A REMARKABLE COLLECTION OF SONGS THAT EMBODY A POLITICAL BENT IN A WORLD STEEPED IN CORPORATE BS. THIS CD ROCKS AND ROLLS BUT HAS SOME ABSOLUTELY STUNNING BEAUTIFUL BALLADS.
"HEY YOU IN THE GLASSESS!!" NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE MASTER OF THE THREE MINUTE POP SONG.
MR. RUNDGREN, WE SALUTE YOU!!
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
SHAMUS
Submitted by wardrehab (Bloomfield Hills, MI, USA)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 22 of 22 found this helpful.
Todd can do it all
I have all of Todd's and Utopia's music and have been a fan since Runt. It amazes me that he can keep making such great music. Although I like all of his stuff, I lean toward the guitar driven songs the most. This album does not disappoint in this area. There is not a loser song on Arena, but my favorites are Gun, Weakness, Afraid and Mounataintop. If you are a fan, it is a must. If you aren't familiar with Todd's music, give this great effort of the Wizard and True Star a try.
Submitted by sewilberding (Fremont, NE,USA)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 5 of 5 found this helpful. I Saw "Arena" Played Live.
I had the privilege of seeing Todd Rundgren and his band on the "Arena 2008 Tour" play 10/13/08 in Knoxville. Believe me, this CD absolutely KILLS, with something to please anyone who has followed him since the "60's.
The entire concert reminded me of his searing guitar from back in the day, but the lyrics of "Mad" and "Strike" particularly made it all seem relevant to the times. With Kasim Sultan playing keyboards/rhythm guitar, and Prarie Prince on drums, this was an absolutely delightful trip into the past.
On this tour, Todd has a second lead guitarist Jesse Gress who could pass as his twin, both in musicianship and in looks. Rachael Hayden plays bass, and is a superb player and backup singer.
Submitted by zombiefreak (Oak Ridge TN, USA)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 2 of 2 found this helpful.  The Runt Is Back
Toddler is at it again, with a new 60 min CD, all with one word titles with most of the songs segueing together so you have a massive IPod entry if you join the tracks together for continuity. Sound familiar…as with LAIRS, one word titles, massive segueing of songs, etc. I wonder how this sells on ITunes as you can buy individual songs or the entire album but each song will just end abruptly and them the next one will start making for a very disjointed listen, oh forget it ARENA ain’t available on ITunes??!!
As far as the album goes it reminds one of “FAITHFUL.” Todd “borrows” from Robin Trower, Jimi, AC/DC to name just a few. Now he doesn’t borrow songs
as he did on FAITHFUL just influences that you can hear clearly in a number of songs as he progresses through “ARENA.” I didn’t buy my disc from CD Universe, I wish I had, I’d of saved myself several dollars. (Trying to keep the local record stores afloat is getting kinda old)
You’ll find a good listen on this new release, it was billed as Todd’s throwback to the old guitar oriented album days and it certainly is. He’s certainly one of the few that can pull the “one man show” off by playing every instrument and doing total production on the record but that’s his forte, he’s been doing it for years. In the body of work that Todd has produced over his many years he is certainly prone to go off on different tangents and this is certainly one that goes in the right direction. He’s found a formula over the course of the last two albums, let’s see what direction he goes on the next one…!!!
Submitted by Kent/Stateside by the Seaside (Kent/Stateside by the Seaside)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 2 of 2 found this helpful.
Back to good-ole-Todd
This album gets back to what Todd does best, rock and roll with solid guitar. A strong mix of ballads and driving determined punches. There are references to past albums like, Faithful, Todd, and Nearly Human. As a complete album, these tunes cover a broad range of emotion and technical expertise which Todd clearly demonstrates on Arena. A must have item in your Rundren collection!
Submitted by victtino (Knoxville, TN)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 1 of 1 found this helpful. List All Reviews | Have you heard this album? |  |
Purchase Arena CD To buy, Click on price to add to cart | Todd Rundgren Liars CD (2004)
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Given the mad vogue in the 2000s for the quirky pop of the 1980s, it was only a matter of time until the Cars--one of the '80s most memorable and distinctive bands-- reunited. Yet the New Cars comprises only two of the band's original members, with the most glaring omission being singer and chief songwriter Rik Ocasek. Even stranger than the original frontman's absence is that fact that eccentric popster and longtime cult favorite Todd Rundgren has stepped into Ocasek's shoes.
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Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Phil Circle is not your ordinary songster picking away quietly on his acoustic guitar in the same old folksy idiom as so many others of this genre. Phil manages to blend elements of jazz, blues, alternative, and even classical, to seamlessly create a style truly his own. Add to this his energetic live performance, and he lands far away from what most people think of when you say "Singer/Songwriter."Phil Circle started his music career over a decade ago in the Chicago area, after returning from 3 years performing in New Mexico and the Southwest. He holds a degree in Music Composition from Columbia College, where he was mentored by the likes of Jazz Great William Russo, Blues Icon Corky Siegel, and Classical Guitar Virtuoso Norman Ruiz. After spending several years writing, performing, producing, booking, and managing the rock band Guilty with high success, Phil went solo for awhile.Phil Circle then began working with the World Famous Blues Fiddler, Ruby Harris, in 2003. Ruby Harris has performed in such places as Carnegie Hall, The White House, United Center, The Metropolitan Opera House, and for the Crown Prince Of Saudi Arabia. In 2003, Phil Circle and Ruby Harris released the live acoustic album "Live at the Gateway." Then Phil joined forces with Jack Salamander Front Man Lem Roby, and Songwriter/Multi-instrumentalist Mark Lester (of Labrador Dali) to form his current band line-up, with regular appearances made by Ruby Harris and other top local talents. With a total now of eight releases (three of which have become collectors' items), and new work always being created; an extensive history of touring and playing live; a repertoire of folk, rock, blues, jazz, and well-loved cover songs; Phil Circle has an ever expanding career. From performing for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, to his music being ...
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