Nearly Human

Nearly Human
Studio album by Todd Rundgren
Released	May 18, 1989
Recorded	June 1988-February 1989
Studio	Fantasy Studios, Berkeley and The Plant, Sausalito, California
Genre	Pop rock, soul
Length	53:02
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren chronology
A Cappella (1985) Nearly Human (1989) 2nd Wind (1991)
Singles from Nearly Human
"The Want of a Nail" Released: 1989 "Parallel Lines" Released: May 1989 "Can't Stop Running" Released: 1989

Nearly Human is a 1989 album by rock musician Todd Rundgren, released by Warner Bros. Records. It was his first release in four years, although he had been active as a producer in the intervening years. Many of the album's songs deal with loss, self-doubt, jealousy, and spiritual recovery. It was also the first collaboration between Rundgren and Michele Gray, a singer and ex-model who helped organize the sessions. Gray sang background vocals, both on the record and on subsequent tours, and the pair later married.

Recording

The song "Parallel Lines" was originally written for Rundgren's musical theater Off Broadwsy production of Joe Orton's Up Against It. The original version is rather slow and can be found on Rundgren's Japan-only album Up Against It!. The song was re-recorded here with an uptempo and lusher arrangement.

Unlike a large portion of Rundgren's solo albums on which he played all the instruments and sang all lead and backing vocals, Nearly Human was performed live in the studio with numerous musicians, including the members of Rundgren's defunct band Utopia, which had broken up three years earlier; Roger Powell, Kasim Sulton, and John "Willie" Wilcox all play on the track "Can't Stop Running". Scott Mathews and former Tubes members Vince Welnick (keyboards) and Prairie Prince (drums) also perform on Nearly Human; the track "Feel It" was originally performed by the San Francisco band on their 1985 album Love Bomb, produced by Rundgren. Brent Bourgeois and Larry Tagg of Bourgeois Tagg, whom Rundgren had produced, also played on the album along with all three other three members of the band, making Nearly Human effectively a Rundgren-Utopia-Bourgeois Tagg-Tubes collaboration, plus extra vocalists and keyboard players.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Classic Rock	[2]
Rolling Stone	[3]

Nearly Human garnered very favorable reviews. The album's only single, "The Want of a Nail," featuring soul legend Bobby Womack, was Rundgren's last charting Billboard single.^[4]

Japanese release

For the Japanese release of the album, the sixth finger of the handprint on the cover was removed, "due to the religious significance of six fingers in Japan."^[5]

Track listing

CD issue

All songs written and composed by Todd Rundgren, unless otherwise noted. 

LP issue

The LP release had a slightly different track list and did not include "Two Little Hitlers."

Personnel (partial)

• Brent Bourgeois - keyboards
• Larry Tagg - bass guitar
• Lyle Workman - guitar
• Scott Mathews - vocals
• Michael Urbano - percussion
• Bobby Womack - guest vocalist on "The Want of a Nail"
• Narada Michael Walden - choirmaster on "I Love My Life"
• Clarence Clemons - backing vocals on "I Love My Life"
• Byron Allred - keyboards, "Hawking", "Unloved Children", "The Waiting Game"

Charts

Album - Billboard

Singles - Billboard

References

1. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Todd rundgren - Nearly Human review". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 2015-09-27. 
2. ↑ Quantick, David (March 2012). "Todd Rundgren - Reissues". Classic Rock (168): 108.  |access-date= requires |url= (help)
3. ↑ Fricke, David (29 June 1989). "Todd rundgren - Nearly Human". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 30 November 2007. Retrieved 2015-09-27. 
4. 1 2 3 "Todd Rundgren: Billboard Albums and Singles". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 23 October 2012. 
5. ↑ The Todd Rundgren Connection (2012). "Nearly Human". The Todd Rundgren Connection. The Todd Rundgren Connection. Retrieved 1 July 2012.