One of the fanbase-dividing works, “Arena” was an album which found Todd Rundgren trying to match the titular scope of songs with their rather intimate setting – recording the thirteen pieces that formed the offering on a laptop and playing all the instruments himself. The American musician has never lacked ambition, yet even for Rundgren taking eleven fresh numbers to the stage and bookending those with a few Todd classics seemed a bit extreme, concert audiences feeling as if he was forcing a lot of unfamiliar material on them. Almost two decades down the line, though, when most of those cuts have been largely forgotten by non-connoisseurs, a document of the veteran’s 2008 tour should make for an interesting listening.
Out on double-vinyl on April 12th as part of Record Store Day, with CD/DVD version following on May 2nd and standalone Blu-ray on June 6th, “The Arena Tour Live” – where a full band accompany the singer – promises to present a great new entry into Todd Rundgren’s impressive discography.
The Arena Tour Live
1. Love In Action
2. Black Maria
3. Open My Eyes
4. I Saw The Light
5. Mad
6. Afraid
7. Courage
8. Weakness
9. Pissin
10. Strike
11. Today
12. Bardo
13. Mountaintop
14. Panic
15. Manup
16. Just One Victory
17. Couldn’t I Just Tell You.
