- Album cover designed by Ron Mael!
I’ve always thought of Todd Rundgren as an alternate-universe Brian Eno (not that you immediately think of Eno as being from this universe). Both Rundgren and Eno are brilliant and unusual musicians who are equally, if not more, famous for their production work and use of the recording studio as they are for their own music; both wore outlandish, colorful costumes that stood out even during the glam-rock era; and both embraced digital technology even while showing a great appreciation for classical music and doo-wop. What differentiates the two artists is audience and approach: Eno’s oblique and theoretical experiments with pop music curry favor with high-minded artists and art lovers who prefer music with a brainy undercurrent and tasteful design, and Rundgren’s technically complex yet often lowbrow (XTC notwithstanding) pop music attracts Berklee grads, dweebs, and classic-rock diehards. If Eno is a European art film, Rundgren is a big-budget action musical.
