"Mad" has echo-laden guitar and grizzled Neil Young style vocals. The delicate guitar gives way to heavier riffing. "Afraid" soon joins the party, with more delicate guitar. An unexpected synth gives this song an 80s feel. You can't call a song "Mercenary" without including throbbing guitars. There's a hint of Ian Astbury to the vocals, as Rundgren casts himself as the titular protagonist. The slow passage – two minutes in – gives the song weight and depth.

There a bar room boogie feel to "Gun". I don't know anything about Todd's political affiliations so I can't be sure, but I detect an element of irony in the lyrics, which relate a character's relationship with his firearm: 'This is my gun/This is for fighting and this is for fun.' Elsewhere I can't quite make my mind up about what makes "Courage" sound so 80s. Can it be the generous amounts of reverb? No matter, the song is a tuneful towering monolith. "Weakness" has a Joe Cocker vibe. It's an unconventional love song, with Mr Rundgren admitting: "You are my Kryptonite!" The song ends abruptly, in a jarring manner. Maybe Todd decided he had been too soppy and needed to inject some testosterone into proceedings, which comes in the form of "Strike". This song asks the question: 'Are you ready to rumble?' There are some Led Zeppelin-style guitar heroics.

A highlight of the album is "Pissin" which contains the memorable line, 'This used to be a nice place/And now your dick is in the mayonnaise.' Remind me not to have the salad next time I eat there. An instrumental break sounds crowbarred in, but it's so good you don't mind. It's a mix of "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly" and the sounds of guns being cocked. What a strange impression I'm getting of the world that Todd lives in.

I have to check the synth sounds during the beginning of "Today" aren't a ring tone from a fellow train passenger. There's a funky bass line, which recalls that of Bjork's "Human Behaviour" at double speed. "Bardo" starts with a liquid guitar sound. Todd's voice is under a welter of effects giving the song a trippy feel. I'm not sure if Todd is the sort of person you should be dropping acid with, but this song has a wonderful woozy bluesy feel. With "Mountaintop" we're back in the realm of the bar room boogie. There are enough 'wooh-ah's to keep the average Bon Jovi fan happy. "Panic" is forgettable, but "Manup" has a wonderful Neil Young feel. A flurry of guitar brings the album to a close.

You can listen to it on repeat, without getting bored. There are catchy tunes, driving guitars and more. It's a mature and measured record, but it hasn't forgotten how to have fun. If you like 'classic rock' then Arena is the album for you.