Aural Fixations

TODD RUNDGREN
Liars
(Sanctuary)
Most music fans know Todd Rundgren as a producer, musician and songwriter, but he's also a pioneer in computer, internet and video technology. That's only germane to this discussion inasmuch as his work in those fields has kept him off the record racks for much of the 90s, and many of us wondered if he'd ever make another pop record. (One Long Year, a compilation of tracks he released monthly on his web site, and the ill-conceived bossa nova record With a Twist don't count.) Fortunately, he's found whatever inspiration he's been missing and released Liars, his first non-compilation original work since 1995's The Individualist. It's a concept album of sorts, with each song revolving around the theme of the truth—or, more specifically, the lies we tells ourselves to avoid facing the truth. For example, "Happy Anniversary" examines the false impressions perpetrated by society about the sexes, as Rundgren's many voices sing "Men are stupid/Women are evil/Happy anniversary/That's just the way it's got to be." "Mammon" gives the middle finger to a corporate culture that idolizes profit above all else, while "Future" playfully takes on false expectations: "I'm supposed to drive a flying car/I'm supposed to have a house on Mars." More seriously, the balladic "Past" finds its protagonist unable to face the truth of the titular time being over and done. Heady stuff at times, but Rundgren, being the pop master he is, wraps all his lofty aims in melodies that shift from sweet to sour to shattering, but always remain catchy and memorable. The tunes get delivered in almost strictly synthesized tones; there's hardly an acoustic drum or keyboard to be found here. I'd have preferred the arrangements to be a bit more old school, revolving around the guitar and piano with which he's been most associated instrumentally, though the surging "Living" and angry "Liar" have some nice axe work. But Rundgren always puts the songs first no matter what the medium, so the sound of cold electronics doesn't detract from the cuts as much as you'd think. Besides, his voice, still strong and supple after all these years, is always front and center (if annoyingly distorted in "Afterlife"), and that's arguably his strongest asset. It's not quite a classic on the par with Something/Anything? or A Cappella (the album it most closely resembles), but Liars is still a strong effort and a worthy addition to an exceptional catalog. Michael Toland [buy it]