Friday, April 12, 2013

State of the Reviews - 3


Zachary Houle for Pop Matters  finds 'State' wanting:

"Unfortunately, State is an album that is cautionary only in how it shows that Todd Rundgren’s ego still sometimes gets the best of him, and is rather lacklustre and surprisingly dated, for all of the intent behind it to make it an up-to-the-moment sounding record …Thus, Rundgren is basically up to his old tricks in self-indulgence and, not only that, is profoundly repeating himself with State, despite some good intentions."

Back with British Newspapers, The Sun gives it 3.5 stars (out of 5) and says:
"Pop's mad inventor sits hidden away in his home studio recording his own way and sod what everyone else thinks. Indeed, Todd sounds like he doesn't even care if people buy it. But State is worth shelling out for, even though it's one of his most eccentric albums."

Meanwhile:

 

Monday, April 08, 2013

State of the Reviews - 2

Sunday Times
"A distillation of the Runt's multigenre musical journey, State is a persuasive addition to his canon. Prog bombast, heavy riffage and swirling synths wage sonic war, yet Rundgren's flower-pop and soft-rock leanings cannot be ignored, any more than can his enduringly honey-sweet vocals. This makes for a fascinating hybrid, nowhere more so than on In My Mouth, Ping Me and, above all, the confessional Smoke, where EDM synths meet a melody that is pure 1972. Sir Reality and Something from Nothing are equally absorbing. Not bad for a 24th solo album."

Scottish Sunday Express - Martin Townsend
"Rundgren is undoubtedly a genius: one of the great American songwriters of the past 40 years. Yet the same Todd who composed ... I Saw The Light a...also gave us the awful Born To Synthesise. State ...flirts with both extremes"

See Also:
Rock Cellar Interview with Todd covering State, The Beatles and Patti Smith.
Scotland on Sunday - Rough Guide to Oddities