Todd is Godd... still.

I've made it no big mystery that one of my favorite musicians of all time is one Todd Rundgren. He's just, like, the all-around "guy" when it comes to writing, recording, producing... his career has lasted more than forty years without pretty much any help from record companies... at all.

If I tried to sit down and pick favorite albums of his, it would be next to impossible... each recording he's put out are their own "thing..." from the lightest of lighthearted to the heaviest of concepts. I would probably single out A Cappella as an absolute, can't-live-without album, though (where all the "instruments" and such are made with samples of his own voice).

It was really cool to see him taking Ric Okasek's place in the "New Cars" for a couple years... he fit that band like a glove. It was really impressive. Too bad they didn't make another album of originals, because I bet it would have been pretty spiffy.

In 2004, he released the album Liars, which was one of the angriest (and most passionate) things I'd seen him do (pointing lots of fingers at government, religion and families) in years... until Arena, which hit the shelves a couple months ago... Arena continues to grasp at the anger of Liars, but is even a little darker, definitely heavier and even more... conflicted about the world we're living in, today. And it's very cool to see him taking a "however tiny" step away all his technological experiments and put the guitar back into the arsenal as a "main" instrument... and his playing is as smooth as it's ever been (check out the chunks of bluesy love on "Bardo").

For a guy that just hit 60, he can still rock his ass off... and make you take a step back... and look at yourself... and the world around you... and think... and maybe... maybe... take a chance, and do something about what you see around you.

Listening to: Todd Rundgren - Arena (2008)