From the very get go, you are going to be thrown straight into a maelstrom of alternating styles, soundscapes, and emotions. It's almost remarkable that Rundgren has been able to cram so much into just one disc. Kicking off with the distortion loving 'Mad' we are certainly greeted by what he has proclaimed to have been searching for - "arena rock with bombastic guitar driven tunes". In fact, in many ways, this sounds so very reminiscent of the more recent material from Toto, no bad thing there I hasten to add.
Take one for the team, because suddenly with 'Mad' gone we are onto 'Afraid' and into a more melancholic, slowed down affair, almost the inversion of what we have just been listening to.
So it comes as very little surprise that we get confronted with a very blue infused offering in 'Gun' which alone would have broken many of the expectations we might have had for the album, well presuming that we hadn't already had them thrown straight out of our third story window! Not convinced yet? How about the Paul Rodgers esque sound of Weakness? Or even the AC/DC balls to the wall ass kicking we are delivered with 'Strike'.
If you want rock by the numbers then this really isn't going to an album you're going to enjoy. If however, you are more interested in challenging the boundaries of your listening experiences, for that very first listen to take you on a journey that zigs when you think it's about to zag, that goes right when you want to go left, then this is an album you can not afford to miss.
Innovation has always been part of Rundgren's qualities, but on Arena, we are treated to the innovation and confusion within an album that is fit for the 21st century, and one that not only stands up to the rigors of our modern era, but blows away much of the competition along with it!
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