Todd Rundgren, Liars (* * *) Rundgren has never been an easy guy to pigeonhole, and age has only made the singer/songwriter/producer more endearingly quirky and elusive. This concept album about the "paucity of truth" finds Rundgren once again fusing technical savvy with rootsy grit and veering from the wry, bleak humor of Happy Anniversary to the soaring, searching tenderness of Stood-up and Afterlife. Not every whole track measures up to its parts; several bring to mind an inventive author in need of a good editor. Still, at a time when young artists are encouraged to subscribe to neat formulas, Rundgren continues to prove that the road to longevity can be paved with intriguing twists and turns. —Gardner
