[SACD-R][OF] Todd Rundgren - A Wizard, A True Star - 1973/2018 (Experimental, Prog Rock)

A Wizard, a True Star is the fourth album by American musician Todd Rundgren, released on March 2, 1973. Its music was a significant departure from his previous album Something/Anything? (1972), which consisted largely of straightforward ballads. He attributed the idiosyncratic sound of A Wizard, a True Star to his experimentation with psychedelic drugs, and said that he “became more aware … [o]f what music and sound were like in my internal environment, and how different that was from the music I had been making.” Upon release, the album reached number 86 on the Billboard 200. It has since been recognized for its influence on later generations of bedroom musicians.
All Music Review
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.
ELUSIVE:
Never Before Available on SACD! The Definitive Sounding Reissue Of This Landmark Album!
For his 4th album, A Wizard, A True Star, the legendary Todd Rundgren delivered a huge album event complete with 19 stellar performances making this one of his most revered efforts of his four decade career.
This 1973 masterwork that catapulted his career as a singer/songwriter includes the Philly soul R&B Medley: I'm So Proud / Ooh Baby Baby / La La Means I Love You / Cool Jerk.
Never before available on SACD... Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio... Featured in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.