Todd Rundgren - The Desktop Collection & 2nd Wind Live Recording Sessions
Neither a live recording nor video retrospective--or even biography--this unique package is a combination of all three. The program begins with a set of songs recorded live in San Francisco for 1991's2nd Wind. Rundgren briefly introduces each number, and interviews with band members, backup singers, and fans are sprinkled in between. It's an illuminating look at Rundgren's creative process, but only snippets of each song are included (presented in a four-camera, split-screen format).The Desktop Collection, on the other hand, consists of complete videos, most incorporating computer graphics. Ironically, the one that works best is "The Want of a Nail" (featuring Bobby Womack), from 1989'sNearly Human, which doesn't feature animation, but is instead a straight studio performance. The program concludes with a short interview with the musician billed as "TR-I" (theIis for interactive), the moniker Rundgren took on for 1993'sNo World Order.--Kathleen C. Fennessy