Track Listing

1. Two Fisted Love
2. Cash In
3. Inspired Insanity
4. No Regrets
5. Sweet Disposition
6. All Over
7. Isn't It a Shame
8. Going Down for the Third Time
9. Pre-Dawn Imagination
10. There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #174169 in Music
• Released on: 1990-10-25
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Best album by an outstanding, startlingly original artist
If I had one album to take to the proverbial desert island this would be it. Phoebe Snow's talent for writing, singing, and conveying deep meaning through subtle yet powerful lyrics is second to none. In my opinion, the only other writer who comes anywhere near Snow's standard on this record is Paul Simon. I first heard 'Second Childhood' on vinyl in 1976 and cannot remember ever being knocked over so quickly by a modern musical work. Repeated listenings have served to confirm that this is a truly classic album. It has never been available on CD in Australia and I have therefore taken care to preserve my vinyl copy. Phoebe's voice caresses melodies, soars and swoops with ease and great accuracy over the astonishingly wide vocal range she possesses. The musicians accompanying her play with a sensitivity and empathy rarely heard in popular music, but that's hardly surprising when you consider that the players featured on the album read like a who's who of America's finest. Artists in their own right, they bring their expertise and improvisatory abilities to the magic in this amazing work. Their joy in making music of the highest calibre sparkles and glistens through every piece. Without a doubt this is the jewel in the crown of Phoebe Snow's recorded output, which amounts to a series of patchy albums, all of which contain gems among the dross in their tracks. This is not to belittle Snow's other records, far from it, however apart from "Never Letting Go' and 'Poetry Man' her releases were inconsistent in that each one featured a few elegant and beautiful songs, but none spread the power she was so capable of across the entire musical canvas as convincingly as 'Second Childhood'. Yes folks, strong words I know, but all you have to do to test my opinion on this is listen to the album! Allow the music to transport you and you will understand my enthusiasm for Phoebe and her 'Second Childhood '.

Masterpiece
Second Childhood is possibly Phoebe Snow's masterpiece. The songs - the self-written ones - examine every neurosis imaginable. Being frightened by children laughing in the streets, terrorised by romantic entanglements, depression, loneliness, substance abuse. There is nowhere she isn't willing to go.

Phoebe doesn't remember much of this material. If you shout out for these songs at her concerts, she's likely to say, "I can't remember it."

By the way, Phoebe isn't - as some weird reviewer alleged - a pale-skinned black woman. She's caucasian, Jewish, with very curly hair. That comment reminded me of the people who thought Janis Ian was black. No matter. It's just odd that people think that race is relevent when assessing an artist. Phoebe could be white, brown, black, red, yellow, indigo, or purple. She'd still be Phoebe Snow, and for that I'm thankful.

A WORLD CLASS ALBUM
Phoebe Snow is one of the vocal wonders of the world. Of all her albums, this -- along with her self-titled debut record -- is the one to have! A very fun, lush and funky mix of tunes. Very much a product of the Paul Simon-influenced Mid-'70's NY scene, this is a major achievement in popular music.