Faithful (1976)

"This record celebrates the past and the future by juxtaposing a side of original pop material with a side of recreations. Rundgren "faithfully" replicates the sound and feel of the Yardbirds, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, the Beach Boys and the Beatles. It's remarkable how close Rundgren comes to duplicating the very feel of the originals. On the second side, for the first time since "Something/Anything?", Rundgren allows himself to write and -- more importantly -- record straight-ahead pop songs. Certainly, "A Wizard, A True Star", "Todd" and "Initiation" had their share of great songs, but they weren't delivered as pop songs; they were telegraphed as art. Here, Rundgren delivers pop and rock songs with ease, letting the melodies glide to the forefront. If Rundgren had made all of "Faithful" originals, it would have been a pure pop masterpiece. As it stands, it's essential for the faithful -- not only for hardcore Toddheads, but for devoted pop fans as well." (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic)