The title of Todd Rundgren's 1973 concept album, A Wizard, A True Star, always seemed half true: A studio wizard he may have been, a one-man band with eclectic influences and an ear for a great hook, but he was never quite the star he aspired to be. Indeed, Rundgren, who made his recorded debut as a member of The Nazz in 1967, always seemed just a year or two behind the true trendsetters, and a bit ahead of the curve when it came to stardom. Despite several early hits -- "Hello It's Me" and "I Saw the Light" positioned him as a singer-songwriter in the mold of Carole King or Elton John -- his tendency to go off in five directions at once and a healthy skepticism about stardom itself seem

Since the advent of radio, MTV and the iPod, personalized playlists and hit singles have taken precedence over the once popular trend of listening to an album as a whole. A recent trend, however, seems to suggest that the album as an art form is coming back. Last month, Steely Dan played a different classic album each night during three back-to-back concerts in San Francisco. This month, Sacramento music fans will be able to hear three classic albums in their entirety: Wednesday, Todd Rundgren will play his 1973 album, A Wizard, A True Star at the Crest Theatre; Saturday, a handful of Sacramento bands will play The Clash's 1979 album London Calling at Old Ironsides; Saturday, Dec. 12, Th