Nearly Human

Nearly Human
Studio album by Todd Rundgren
Released	18 May 1989
Recorded	June 1988-February 1989
Studio	Fantasy Studios, Berkeley and The Plant, Sausalito, California
Genre	Pop rock
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 the 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 to organize the sessions. Gray sang backing 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 Broadway 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 the former The Tubes members Vince Welnick (keyboards) and Prairie Prince (drums) also perform on Nearly Human. The track "Feel It" was originally recorded (with slightly different lyrics) by the San Francisco band on its 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 the rest 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
Classic Rock
Rolling Stone

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

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".

Track listing

CD issue

All tracks are written by Todd Rundgren, unless otherwise noted

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Want of a Nail"	5:14
2.	"The Waiting Game"	4:16
3.	"Parallel Lines"	4:22
4.	"Two Little Hitlers" (Elvis Costello)	3:55
5.	"Can't Stop Running"	5:00
6.	"Unloved Children"	4:03
7.	"Fidelity"	4:39
8.	"Feel It" (Rundgren/The Tubes/Vince Welnick)	5:47
9.	"Hawking"	6:51
10.	"I Love My Life"	8:55

LP issue

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

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Want of a Nail"
2.	"The Waiting Game"
3.	"Parallel Lines"
4.	"Unloved Children"
5.	"Can't Stop Running"

Side two

No.	Title	Length
6.	"Fidelity"
7.	"Feel It"
8.	"Hawking"
9.	"I Love My Life"

Personnel (partial)

• Brent Bourgeois - keyboards
• Vince Welnick - Keyboards
• Larry Tagg - bass guitar
• Lyle Workman - guitar
• Scott Mathews - vocals
• 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"
• Michael Pluznick - congas, shekere and percussion

Charts

Album - Billboard

Year	Chart	Position
1989	The Billboard 200	102

Singles - Billboard

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1989	"The Want of a Nail"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	15