Todd Rundgren: Something / Anything?

Todd Rundgren's "Something/Anything?" - Studio Mastermind Crafts a Classic

In 1972, Todd Rundgren unleashed "Something/Anything?" – his third album overall but first under his own name. What began as a single record evolved into an ambitious double album divided into four distinct sections, each showcasing different stylistic approaches.

Rundgren's DIY approach was revolutionary at the time. Dissatisfied with session musicians, he relocated to Los Angeles and recorded the first three quarters entirely solo – playing all instruments, singing all vocals, and producing the entire affair. The final quarter featured live-in-studio recordings without overdubs (save for a brief snippet of 1960s archive recordings). This self-contained approach would later be adopted by artists like Prince, Trent Reznor, Dave Grohl, and others.

The album peaked at #29 on the Billboard 200 and spawned two hit singles: "Hello It's Me" reached the top five, while "I Saw the Light" became another chart success. As more listeners discovered these gateway tracks, the album's reputation grew substantially. Today, "Something/Anything?" is widely regarded as one of the 1970s' most significant releases, ranking #396 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums list and #797 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.

The Vinyl Verdict
Our A/B comparison between the Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs (MoFi) release and an original U.S. pressing reveals disappointing results from the audiophile edition. The MoFi suffers from the company's notorious "smiley face EQ" half-speed mastering approach, with inconsistent bass treatment across tracks. "I Saw The Light" particularly suffers from reduced bass compared to the original pressing.

The MoFi pressing sacrifices midrange presence while overemphasizing highs. While the vinyl manufacturing quality is excellent – quiet, flat, and perfectly centered – the overall sound feels less dynamic, more compressed, and ultimately less satisfying than the original.
Recommendation

If you can locate a near-mint original U.S. pressing at a reasonable price, we strongly recommend choosing it over the MoFi edition. Alternative options include recent standard pressings or the Chris Bellman remaster released for Record Store Day – both offer better value and sonic quality than the MoFi release. 💸

💰 Invest
 💵 Consider
💸 Pass