Album of the Day

One of rock's greatest multitaskers, Todd Rundgren released his sixth solo album, INITIATION, hot on the heels of his debut with Utopia. The 1975 Bearsville set continues the synthesizer-driven prog of his then-new band, with Todd leading the charge on keyboards and innumerable other instruments (he's joined in places by Utopia's Roger Powell; Rick Derringer, David Sanborn and Edgar Winter also make appearances). The collection is split between a side of shorter songs highlighted by such gems as “Real Man,” “Eastern Intrigue” and the title track, and the virtuoso instrumental suite “A Treatise on Cosmic Fire” that fills Side Two. The musical craftsmanship, boundary-pushing use of technology and probing spirituality that has brought Rundgren legions of followers can be heard throughout INITIATION's 68-minute running time, and as it celebrates its 45th anniversary, the album is sure to initiate new fans as well.