2nd Wind
	Produced by Todd Rundgren
	Released on January 16, 1991
	no chart information
	Find it at GEMM
26478-2 cover [high resolution scan]

I ’ll admit that the first time I heard 2nd Wind, I was disappointed. It seemed an overly indulgent enterprise: recorded live rather than in the studio, breaking midway for a trio of songs drawn from a failed musical, I was agin it from the get go. Putting aside my prejudices on subsequent sittings, the opening “Change Myself” proved irresistible, and soon I was marveling at Todd Rundgren’s immaculate production (on a 48-track digital tape machine no less!) and the soulful state of his voice after so many years. Although I haven’t heard Nearly Human, it appears the two works are similar, as they both found Todd conquering the limitations of live music much as Frank Zappa was able to do. Even when the material is merely average, the ambitious arrangements and full-bodied production value make 2nd Wind a breath of fresh air. I’m not sure that everyone will appreciate the three tracks salvaged from the would-be musical Up Against It. “The Smell of Money,” in particular, is a bit of role-playing that Rundgren seems to relish, but it does bring the disc’s momentum (fueled by the hyperkinetic “Love Science” and the soulful “Who’s Sorry Now?”) to a screeching halt. However, both “If I Have To Be Alone” (which recalls Healing) and “Love In Disguise” (think Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love) mesh seamlessly with the rest of the songs. The remaining tracks spill from a by-now familiar well of inspiration, suggesting the work of Utopia (“Public Servant,” “Second Wind”) and the usual ballads. Like Zappa at this stage, Todd Rundgren was walking over familiar ground as a songwriter but still tweaking the production process itself. Records by Utopia and The Tubes often sounded cluttered; Todd is able to take even more players here and still give the music a space and presence that oozes clarity and vitality. The result is an effort that comes alive not by way of inspiration but execution. In a perfect world, 2nd Wind would have charted higher, introduced the world to “Change Myself,” and received consideration for a Best Engineering Grammy. However, I’m just glad I gave it a second chance.

26478-2 gatefold sleeve	26478-2 back sleeve

TRACK LISTING

1. CHANGE MYSELF
2. LOVE SCIENCE
3. WHO'S SORRY NOW?
4. THE SMELL OF MONEY    (Todd Rundgren, arr. by Doug Katsaros)
5. IF I HAVE TO BE ALONE
6. LOVE IN DISGUISE
7. KINDNESS
8. PUBLIC SERVANT
9. GAYA'S EYES
10. SECOND WIND
    
    All songs written and arranged by Todd Rundgren unless noted

CREDITS

TODD RUNDGREN -- vocals, guitar, engineer, mixing
MICHELE GRAY -- vocals
MAX HASKETT -- brass and vocals
SCOTT MATTHEWS -- percussion, guitar, samples and vocals
JENNI MULDAUR -- vocals
ROGER POWELL -- keyboards and vocals
PRAIRIE PRINCE -- drums
SHANDI SINNAMON -- vocals
BOBBY STRICKLAND -- reeds, winds and vocals
ROSS VALLORY -- bass
VINCE WELNICK -- keyboards and vocals
LYLE WORKMAN -- guitar and vocals
Howard Jacobsen -- title lettering, production coordinator
Jean Lannen -- photography
Robin Lynch -- art direction

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