SECOND CHANCES is an utterly impressive, touching, beautiful collection of stylish Love Songs, each one a Language of the Heart, a MUST in any decent music collection! One big bearhug from a great strong man. We are wrapped by warm easy-listening love songs, easy by their haunting, encouraging and inviting melodies, their beautiful fluent natural structure and catchy refrains. Wrapped by beautiful well written poetic sense- heart- and sound-full lyrics. Goosebumps giving Ballades and Odes to Love, not only to the author’s well beloveds but also to his Muse and his cherished songs. Longing, passionate, fragile, apologizing, romantic, melancholic or encouraging, comfort and hope giving, common applicable songs “take it in your heart, put it in your pie hole, find your favorite part and that’ll always take you home, sing this Homemade Song” Easily recognizable snippets of thoughts and feelings which are easier to sing than to tell, Doc is giving them a beautiful soundtrack and invites you to sing along. These are positive vibes! So, here they are, his own “poor little songs with their ripped pants and runny noses and longing eyes” in a perfect studio gala dress; and maybe this is the strength of this album, the different brilliant voices and arrangements are bringing the vital variety, all catching the ‘spirit’ of the song in one remarkable harmony ‘cause it’s obvious that each one is born from the same well, the same one big heart and romantic soul, Doc’s. With this marvelous ballade “A Second Chance”, its most touching refrain and melody, floating on a mighty great arrangement, longing as the refrain’s wishful thinking, and guitars twinkling as the stars and their reflection in the water, I have the idea that you can relate it to Doc’s firm believe in his songs and his dream to give them a second chance, which he did by this; and with this superb, longing version (Typical Ruffolo Quality, Eugene at his best (as always) Boy, can he sing!) “Give them a second chance beneath the painted sky, for if they had a second chance maybe this time they would fly… “, I’m sure they will! Referring to “Homemade Song”, this album is an Impressive Delicious Dessert-Buffet, le Maître Pâtissier an exceptional songwriter, giving music and words to things we can not say…Thanks for your Music and Songs, Mr.Schneider, you show us that there still exist heartists with the heart on the right place! (much more about on Eugene Ruffolo’s site forum www.eugeneruffolo.nl/ ) love, lia

It's the sweet osmosis of beautiful voices with efficient melodies on highly sensitive lyrics. The perfect formula after a long and weary day.

Imagine that James Taylor had gone to law school instead of embarking on a full-time musical career; imagine further that, at the height of a successful career as a high-powered trial lawyer, he decided to expand his songwriting and singing efforts while still practicing law. Far-fetched? Well, listen to "Second Chances," a collection of songs written (or, in the case of John Mayer’s “Deeper,” re-done) by Doc Schneider. Doc is that lawyer. With the expert production of Jeff Jacobs and Ben Wisch, Doc’s songwriting skills are brilliantly showcased by first-class vocalists. We’re talking Eugene Ruffolo, Jeff himself, John Allmett, Peaches, Cheryl Wilson, Lucy Kaplansky, Greg Ferguson, and Josie Aiello. You won’t hear production quality this high on most big label CDs. This should not come as a shock, given the earlier Jacobs-Schneider collaboration on "All Blue To Me." Even the liner notes, providing Doc’s own story of how this CD came to be, should be read and enjoyed. Picking favorites out of the 18 tracks is no easy task. But, there are standouts. First, “Marie” – the girl that came back – is hauntingly performed by Eugene Ruffolo. Doc writes an arresting ode to his roots in “Massapequa,” a town on Long Island (yes, one lives "on" LI, not "in") that just happens to sound like it should be the name of an Indian princess. The Jacobs-Wilson duet “If I Can Love Enough” is the kind of song that will grab you even if you are only half-listening to it: “Make this song my signal flare, across the darkening sea, Maybe you will hear it there, and turn around to me.” Written in 1994, “Turn The World Around” could become an anthem for the current generation of war protesters. The tenth track is written for fathers of daughters who realize the delight that is theirs when their unplanned baby turns into “One Heckuva Little Girl.” Finally, the aforementioned “Deeper,” with music by Doc, should wind up on 100,000 iPods within a couple of months. It’s that good. In fact, don’t be surprised if the entire collection winds up on XM Radio’s The Loft, creating a new legion of Schneiderphiles. Even if Doc were simply a songwriter-lawyer, he’d have made quite a splash with this CD. But drawn to the studio for a cameo appearance, Doc sings the final track - “Who Took Our Eyes Away” - as if Jimmy Webb were to have appeared singing “Wichita Lineman” on Glen Campbell’s album. Careful, Doc, you’re going to give lawyers a good name.