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After commericial success with Something/Anything? in 1972/1973 (with hit singles 'I Saw The Light' and 'Hello It's Me'), Todd Rundgren decided to follow his muse and rather than continue to write formulaic boy-meets-girl love songs, he chose instead to explore the human experience, and wrote about everything from half-hour long progressive rock extravaganzas to eastern mysticism. In 1980, after being robbed at gunpoint in his upstate New York studio, Rundgren wrote and recorded this album, Healing, and the results were fantastic. The Healing album is truly one of the most introspective and intimate albums ever produced, not just by Todd, but by any artist before or since. With its trans-setting music and deeply personal lyrics, Todd has created not only a musical plane that exists on levels few musicians ever reach, much less express, but also a journey by which the listener may follow, and yet the journey is just as personal and private - as if Todd is giving instructions to only one person. The opening track, Healer, brings chills up and down my spine to this day because of its hauntingly soulful opening. This song does well to create the atmosphere that frames the rest of this concept throughout the album. Pulse follows, with hypnotic melody and counterpoint carrying the listener further into this world. The next song, Flesh, is more serious and establishes the precedent by which our minds and spirits control our bodies and our world - the eternal controls the temporary. This is the basis by which the listener can be open enough to participate in the exercises that Todd takes us through later in the album. While Golden Goose is the zany song on this album (as Todd used to put at least one zany tune on each album to keep things light), we see that this part of humanity - greed - can be the ruin of ourselves and our goals: taking the short-term path while abandoning the long-term goals we should keep in perspective. Next, Todd journeys into the most compelling part of the album, beginning with Compassion, in which Todd shakes apart our value systems in favor of more idealistic paths, but not forsaking our own selves in the process. Our travels continue as Rundgren delivers a thougtful soliloquy at the beginning of the next track, Shine, like a seed that's planted and left to grow. A pause occurs as this seed begins to grow into the powerful main tune - this part of the album is filled with vision and virtue, as Todd inspires us to bring out the very best of ourselves as humans. Next is the deeply thoughtful 3-part suite, Healing (Parts I, II and III), an adventure in out-of-body experience as you listen and meditate. It's as if Todd is singing and playing for an audience of one - completely personal and private. But it doesn't end here - the original album came with a single as well (33 1/3 rpm). Time Heals, the album's pop offering that kept with the original theme, seems to encourage us as well to endure as pain is only temporary. The finale (b-side), Tiny Demons, addresses the spiritual world's devils in a light-hearted way, more as mischief than evil. It's less a sermon, and more like Flip Wilson's phrase, "The Devil made me do it!" I rated this CD excellent, but you may not agree. You have to be open-minded enough to let Todd guide you on this journey, but it's not for everyone. If you want hits, stick to Rhino's The Best of Todd Rundgren.Read full review