Todd Rundgren - With a Twist (1997)

Todd Rundgren lost the plot somewhere around 1993, when he began exploring computer technology and attempted to create interactive albums. With its spare, low-key arrangements, With a Twist was supposed to put Rundgren back on track, but instead it's yet another detour for an artist who spent much of the '90s in limbo. Inspired by the lounge and unplugged fads, Rundgren decided to rework many of his best songs -- "I Saw the Light," "Hello, It's Me," "A Dream Goes on Forever" -- as acoustic lounge songs. Conceptually, this is intriguing, but only a few cuts work well, and by the end of the record, the entire joke has run out of steam. For fans, With a Twist may be worth a listen, but it's hard to deny that the lack of imagination and the cheap jokes make the album disheartening.~With a Twist... Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine