Todd Rundgren Reveals New Collabs Album, ‘Space Force,’ and Talks Bowie Tribute Tour, Rock Hall Honors, TV Syncs Surge

variety.com:

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticIn recent times Todd Rundgren has just wanted to hang on the phone all day — or at least call people intermittently, over a period of a few years — asking well-regarded friends in music or even famous strangers and ask them to take part in a musical experiment.

The results of this reaching-out, long spoken-of but only officially announced today, arrive in the form of “Space Force,” which has the legendary artist-producer teaming up for collabs with Sparks, Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo, Neil Finn, the Lemon Twigs, the Roots, Rick Nielsen and more.The lead track, “Puzzle,” with Adrian Belew, premieres today (see below).

The full set arrives Oct. 14 on Cleopatra and can be pre-ordered here. In a conversation to unveil details about the album, Rundgren spoke about the unusual way the collaborative writing for the album took place, along with his feelings about the recent accolades that have been being showered his way 55 years or so into his professional career, from his induction into a certain hall to his sudden status as the king of the classic-rock syncs.

Read our Q&A with him below, after the new album’s track list and first video.The “Space Force” track list:PUZZLE (with Adrian Belew) DOWN WITH THE SHIP (with Rivers Cuomo) ARTIST IN RESIDENCE (with Neil Finn) GODIVA GIRL (with The Roots) YOUR FANDANGO (with Sparks) SOMEDAY (with Davey Lane) I’M NOT YOUR DOG (with Thomas Dolby) ESPIONAGE (with Narcy) STFU (with Rick Nielsen) HEAD IN THE OCEAN (with Alfie) I’M LEAVING (with The Lemon Twigs) ECO WARRIOR GODDESS (with Steve Vai) This is your second album in a row of collaborations.