Multi-faceted and celebrated recording artist/producer Todd Rundgren releases his first full-length album of original studio material in four years...

Arena may have been four years in the making, but I'm afraid there's nothing here that we haven't heard before. Rundgren appears to be stuck in some bizarre time warp - using manufactured sounds and guitar riffs that were cliches even back in the '80s.

The album kicks off on the right foot with 'Mad', but even that has an air of familiarity. In fact that was the one thing I took away from this album: "Haven't I heard this before somewhere?" I listened to this album several times and just couldn't shake the feeling that this was way too out of date and way too familiar.

'Courage' sounded like a track that Mike & The Mechanics would have added as a b-side, while 'Panic' sounded like a song that Boston would have recorded and then left off the album. The delightfully titled 'Pissin' has the lyrics: "This used to be a nice place, and now your dick is in the mayonnaise". Or at least that's what is sounds like.

While Rundgren's hardcore fan base will lap this up (why shouldn't they?) those not familiar with his previous work will be left wondering why this feels so '70s/'80s.

5

Pete Boomer