With a Twist
TODD RUNDGREN
(Guardian)
Occasionally a veteran artist, sometimes stuck in a songwriting rut, will dust off old material and present it in a new way. Most of the time such efforts pretty well suck. Not so With a Twist, where Rundgren gives 11 of his songs, including many of his better-knowns, the bossa nova treatment. Strictly speaking, it's a gimmick, but tunes like "I Saw the Light," "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference" and "Hello, It's Me" ooze charm in the context of undulating beats and strummed acoustic guitars et al. Rundgren hews close to the original melodies — a smart move — but liberally changes up his vocal phrasing in a solid appropriation of the elegant Brazilian pop style.
