Stephen Stills - "Stephen Stills 2"

For the 68th Birthday of one of my all time favorite musicians Stephen Stills, I am writing about his second solo album released in 1971, a mere seven months after his first. This also happens to be my first post of 2013. Happy New Year everyone.
[I previously posted about his debut album for his last birthday check it out.
http://loosenthekey.blogspot.com/2012/01/stephen-stills-stephen-stills.html]

Stills had been making great music with a streak of excellence that goes from Buffalo Springfield, Super Session, CSN, CSNY, to his solo debut. After all that success it was no surprise that Stills stumbles a bit here. He mostly falters when he goes into Chicago (the band) territory adding a horn section (The Memphis Horns) and creating his own version of the Wall of Sound. At the time of release the album went Gold but did not produce a big hit single like "Love the One You're With" and the critics ready to bash Stills found ample opportunity here.

Looking at the album now Stills really scores on about half of the tracks. "Change Partners" feels like a ballroom country dance with a swinging tempo and great chorus that gets things off to a great start.
"Fishes and Scorpions" starts slow with acoustic guitar then turns into a rocker in the second half with some nice work by Eric Clapton. "Know you got to Run," a banjo led tune (reworking of John Hopkins song) is a brooding dark accusation (the first two lyrics were used on CSNY's "Everybody I Love You").  "Singin' Call" has a tight acoustic picking and quiet reflective vocals that show off Stills' abilities. "Sugar Babe," is a blues based mid-tempo song with a great feel and good organ work. "Marianne" is superb catchy rock featuring Stills singing in a high register.  "Word Game" is a fast acoustic number  with swirling wordy ranting lyrics about racism and prejudice.

On the rest of the tracks is where Stills stumbles. "Nothin' to do but Today" and "Open Secret" mix gospel and rock, but they are take them or leave them tracks, listenable with choruses that may stick in your head but are not so great. "Relaxing Town" and "Ecology Song" feel unfinished and rushed. The lyrics are also below par on both and the production can be overbearing.

The closer "Bluebird Revisited" is one of those 'why would you remake this?' questions. Seemingly intended as a epic finish that does not succeed. It seems like Stills had a portion of a new song and decided to mix in verses from his Buffalo Springfield classic. The music has been redone and is not bad I especially like the trumpet playing before the last verse.

Like his debut album there are some famous guest appearances by Eric Clapton, Nils Lofgren, Billy Preston and David Crosby. As well as Henry Diltz photography (the back of the cover photo shows what could be a bag of white powder on the table next to Stephen). The CD version I have sounds good, certain vocals seem really soft though. iTunes may help listeners with this album because they will pick their favorite songs and leave the rest.

All in all as many critics pointed out Stills seems to have rushed the album out before enough strong material was ready. His creative energy, however, would get a shot of adrenalin from Manassas a year later. In the end this album has some good moments that many critics chose to ignore and it is definitely worth a look.

Happy Birthday Stephen Stills, let's wish for the much anticipated and long overdue release of the Stephen Stills Box Set this year.

Stephen Stills - "Stephen Stills"

In honor of one of my all time favorite musicians' 67th birthday I am writing this post to a true musical genius named Stephen Stills and reviewing his solo debut album (this also happens to be my first post of 2012!).

By 1970 Stephen Stills was on something of a winning streak, from his excellence on the three Buffalo Springfield albums, to "Super Session," through Crosby, Stills & Nash's debut album and CSN & Young's "Deja Vu" as well as the CSNY single "Ohio/Find the Cost of Freedom." He had nothing left to prove, yet he decided to prove himself again anyway.

Between late 1970 and early 1971 all four members of the recently disbanded CSNY released a solo album (in various formations at least two members worked on each other's  albums as back up) Stephen Stills' eponymous debut was the most successful of the four and in my mind the most enjoyable. Stills gathers a spectacular mix of great musicians of the era including, Jimi Hendrix (one of his last recordings, the album is also dedicated to him), Eric Clapton, Cass Elliot, Rita Coolidge, Booker T. Jones, John Sebastian, supposedly Ringo Starr is the drummer listed as Richie, and David Crosby and Graham Nash also lend their voices.

From Henry Diltz's excellent cover photo one might guess that this is a quiet singer/songwriter album, but in reality this album runs the gamut from pop to rock, folk, blues, and gospel. While it also has echos of his work with Buffalo Springfield and particularly CSN this album is completely different and fully Stills.

From the opening guitar strings along with the steel drum of the hit single "Love the One You're With" the album grabs you, the chorus of voices and a borrowing from the end of "Suite Judy Blue Eyes" are nods to CSN but then Stills moves into his own with the beautiful "Do for the Others" and superbly tackles gospel with "Church (Part of Someone)." "Old Times, Good Times" follows with some killer guitar by Hendrix and some great organ work by Stills on one of his best rock songs. "Go Back Home" is bluesy rock with Clapton and Stills trading guitar licks and Clapton turning in one of those great solos.

"Sit yourself Down" is one of Stills finest recordings with some great singing by all involved and I wish it was more talked about in terms of Stills' music, just such a great tune. "To a Flame" is a powerful piece of heavenly glory followed by the live acoustic blues of "Black Queen." The wall of sound of "Cherokee" would have fit well on his next solo album and the gospel style powerhouse closer "We Are Not Helpless" bring the proceedings to a epic close.

Throughout this album Stills gives one of his finest vocal performances ranging from bluesy to beautiful and etheral. His song writing is as usual flawless here. I can never pick which is my favorite Stills solo album this one or "Manassas" so I say it is a tie between the two.

Happy Birthday Mr. Stills and thank you for this wonderful album and all the wonderful music you make.

Jefferson Airplane - "Volunteers"

I just want to say first off, I am not a huge Jefferson Airplane fan (or Starship for that matter) but I do think they have a handful of good songs, particularly "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit." I have always been interested in the late 60s and 70s counter culture rock arena and I think one of the best Anti-Vietnam songs ever is "Volunteers."

Released in 1969 this is a great bookend to the tumultuous decade. The band is in full revolution mode thumbing its nose at  the White House, calling the 60s youth to arms, and trying to instill a sense of Woodstock style brotherhood.

Airplane has fashioned a concept album of sorts that embraces the communal hippie lifestyle and return to nature over the confusing climate of the United States at the time. The opening track pop anthem "We Can Be Together" is a call for universal brotherhood and the country tinged "The Farm" blatantly calls up the wonders of living in a farming community. There are also the folky "Good Shepherd" which is a wonderful church/folk style song. "Eskimo Blue Day" is another virtues of nature song in which Grace Slick's chorus announces, "The human name doesn't mean shit to a tree."

Airplane returns to their psychedelic sounds on the over long and slightly weird "Hey Frederick" as well as their version of Crosby, Stills & Nash's "Wooden Ships" which Airplane singer Paul Kanter wrote with Crosby and Stills (who both appear here as back up). Though the lyrics are exactly the same in both versions CSN's, which I prefer, definitely links the song to the (at the time never ending) Vietnam War; but Airplane's version is more discomforting and focuses more on the Science Fiction elements that were the original basis of the song. It paints a bleak future in which all the war of the present day has led to a lawless state where people live in Wooden Ships, interesting and scar at the same time.

The album ends with the aforementioned title track, with its pounding surging fierceness that gets stuck in your head no matter what. One of the best protest anthems (even though it started simply because a "Volunteers of America" garbage truck woke Marty Balin one morning).

All members of Jefferson Airplane really shine on this album Kanter, Slick and Balin with their strong vocals, Spencer Dryden on drums, and Jack Cassady on bass. The real star of the album is guitarist Jorma Kaukonen with his killer razor sharp guitar lines and his wonderful interaction with guest pianist Nicky Hopkins.

The 2004 reissue has some great sound and an excellent booklet which features an essay/interviews by Airplane aficionado Jeff Tamarkin; as well as five live performances ("Somebody to Love" and "Plastic Fantastic Lover" included) as bonus tracks.

This album really marked the end to many era's: this is Jefferson Airplane's last really well received album in a string of hits, both Dryden and Balin left the group after this album, released in 1969 it was the end of the 60s, and shortly after the album's release Airplane performed at the now tragic and infamous Altamont Rock Concert (where Balin was knocked out by the Hell's Angel's "security") which essential put an end to the prolific San Francisco music scene of the 60s and ended the Summer of Love for good.

"Volunteers" is one of those wonderful time capsule albums, sure some of the songs have dated badly, but when you play this album it really takes you back to 1969 when Musicians were less interested in hits and more interested with creating music and speaking with their audience at a time when everyone believed music could change the world.

Crosby, Stills & Nash - "CSN [Box Set]"

My Grandparents gave me this Box Set in Christmas 2002 I believe. This excellent set covers all of Crosby, Stills, and Nash's various incarnations as musicians from 1968-1990. This Four CD set with over 70 tracks is a great compilation for the diehard fan. I believe they are who this set is aimed at, the longtime fans. For those novice fans who have very little experience with the group this may be too much material and also a number of the group's most popular songs are presented here in alternative or unreleased versions. "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" is a noticeably different take, "Guinnevere" is a demo recording, "Carry On" is presented here in Stills' remixed "Carry On/Questions" version, and there are others.

Other than the group recordings this set also features fine choices from the three musicians solo careers as well as the majority of Crosby & Nash's best duo work. There is even a version of "Dear Mr. Fantasy," from the briefly lived Stills & Nash grouping. There are a number of tracks that feature Neil Young in CSNY on songs that later turned up without him on the official recordings. As the title of the box states there are no Young solo recordings and only the two hits, "Ohio" and "Helpless," that he wrote as part of CSNY are featured here. There are also songs from CSN's later less popular albums like "Live it Up" and "American Dream." But like most career compilations the songs towards the end of disc 4 are not on par with their early material.

There is a well done booklet with lots of rare photographs and an interesting essay which features interviews from CSN. There is also a long fold out family tree which shows all their different groups through their musical careers as well as the groups of their frequent back up musicians. The booklet also features little paragraphs and personal memories about each song featured on the set. Most are written by CSNY but a few feature remarks by Joni Mitchell and Dallas Taylor. There are also detailed remarks about who played on the track as well as when and where it was first released.

Like I said earlier this is geared toward the more diehard fans who will welcome the fine tribute to an excellent group of musicians. Since I am a diehard fan I am glad I own this.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - "So Far"

This is the first ever CSN(Y) related album I ever bought and I immediately wanted the rest of their music. I picked it up at Tower Records in 2001 or 2.

As with many of my albums and posts there is a history behind the release of this compilation. After the "Deja Vu" album and tour, CSNY disbanded in 1970. For the next several years all four members released a number of solo albums. In 1974 CSNY reunited with the intention of recording a new album and then setting out on an ambitious stadium tour (the first ever Rock stadium tour). Due to clashing egos and fights in the recording studio the new album was never made but CSNY did go on a large hugely successful stadium tour. However, their record label, Atlantic Records, wanted and possibly needed a CSNY record in the stores to accompany the tour thus they released this odd compilation.

"So Far" collects eleven songs from "Crosby, Stills and Nash (debut album)" and "Deja Vu" as well as the two excellent singles "Ohio" and "Find the Cost of Freedom" which were recorded in response to the Kent State shootings and are not included on any regular album. That was the original selling point for this compilation "Ohio/Find the Cost of Freedom" were only available on this one CD/Record. But since then the excellent box set "CSN" has been released which contains both those songs and with the invention of song downloads you can just go to Amazon and buy those two songs (iTunes strangely does not have this album). The eleven songs collected here are excellent but you are better off buying the first two albums, all the songs are on those two albums you get more for your money. There are no liner notes and other than the really cool cover painting by Joni Mitchell(!) the rest of this compilation can be found elsewhere for a better buy and with little overlap. I'm hanging on to mine simply because I am a CSNY fanatic and this is the first taste I ever had of their music.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - "4 Way Street"

I previously wrote a post about this album back when I first started my blog which may have a little more review.

This is a double disc live album that I picked up a Tower Records after I bought the group's first two albums. Like a real CSNY concert the album is split into two section an acoustic set (disc 1) and an electric set (disc 2). The album has moments of brilliance but is slightly uneven. On disc 1 thegroup only works as a whole on "Teach your Children" and "Love the One You're With." Other than that it seems each member performs solo or with the others acting simply as back up. Young gets a little more time than the others and just as Stills gets featured disc one ends.

Disc 2 features them working as a band through the entire disc and there are some good long jams between Stills and Young on the 15 minute renditions of "Southern Man" and "Carry On." The CD reissue adds four track to disc 1 all solo acoustic performances, there are no liner notes aside from the song lyrics.

One thing I did find interesting is that though the album was released in 1971 these performances were recorded in the Summer of 1970 on the "Deja Vu" tour and yet much of the material performed is from albums that were not released until Winter of '70 or well into '71. So the audience does not react when songs like "Chicago" or "Don't Let it Bring you Down" are preformed because this is probably the first time anyone heard any of these songs.

This is a fine addition to any CSN(Y) fans catalog, several songs "Right Between the Eyes," "The Lee Shore" and "Triad" only appear on this album unless you want to buy several different box sets. There has been talk that CSNY are going to release a new live album in 2011 from their excellent 1974 reunion tour here's hoping but until then "4 Way Street" is their best live album and great continuation of their debut album and "Deja Vu."

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - "Deja Vu"

"Flawless harmonies, thoughtful lyrics, accomplished playing: this is state-of-the-art '70s rock music and continues to be the best explanation of CSN&Y's enormous stature and enduring legacy." Willian Ruhlmann All Music Guide

That pretty much sums up this album. "Deja Vu" usually turns up on greatest album lists and with good reason. It not only equals Crosby, Stills and Nash's (CSN) self titled debut, in several respects "Deja Vu" surpassed that album.

A little history first, after the success of CSN's debut album the trio went out on tour but Stills, who played the majority of the instruments on the album, felt they needed one more guitarist for their in order to perform some of the intricate guitar work live. But instead of simply finding a back-up guitarist Stills called on his old friend and Buffalo Springfield band mate Neil Young. Since Young was as well known as the other three they added his name to the group name. They went out on a tour that included performances at Woodstock and Altamont. The quartet then decided to record an album together.

While CSN's debut was largely acoustic based "Deja Vu" expands their formats with equal amounts of electric and acoustic, Rock and Country, Folk and Pop for a seamless whole. The recording sessions for this album were not pleasant and though they spent over 500 hours in the studio, all four members were hardly ever present at the same time.

Nonetheless every song on the album is spectacular and only Crosby's "Almost Cut My Hair" seems a little below the other tracks but it became a counter culture anthem of the era. While Nash's two songs "Teach Your Children" and "Our House" were the big hits every track is a show stopper. All ten songs are powerful statements of the American music scene in 1970. The closer "Everybody I Love You" by Stills and Young is often considered the greatest Buffalo Springfield song that Buffalo Springfield never recorded.

I really love this album and it is on my top ten list of favorite albums. This and the CSN debut album were a powerful one two punch that showed CSN(with and without Y) to be one of the finest American bands of their era.

Crosby, Stills & Nash - "Crosby, Stills & Nash"

"The only American-based band to approach the overall societal impact of The Beatles" - William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Crosby, Stills & Nash are one of, if not my favorite band. This, their debut album, is also on my top ten favorite albums list. A trio formed by three musicians who were part of other successful bands, The Byrds (Crosby), Buffalo Springfield (Stills), and The Hollies (Nash), but were unhappy with their respective groups. When they joined together and created this album they became more successful than any of their previous groups or albums.

I picked this up at Costco in the early 2000s when the group's albums had been newly remastered on CD. I had previously bought the compilation "So Far" and fell in love with the great music and wanted more of their work. Three talented individuals form a much greater sound, like The Beatles the whole is larger than the sum of its parts. Their voices blend effortlessly in perfect harmony, well written songs, and accomplished playing, you can't ask for more from an album. The styles range from jangly folk pop to electric rock and they are strong tunes no matter the style.

Listing the good songs is kind of pointless because everything on this album is choice. Though the album was written 15 years before I was born the songs still resonated with me. "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" is just a truly great song. "Marrakesh Express" took me on a journey to another place and time that I could never see otherwise. "Wooden Ships," though written about Vietnam and supposedly intended as a futuristic story, struck a chord because when I first got this album America was heading into Afghanistan. "You Don't Have to Cry" and "Helplessly Hoping" the titles explain why these songs resonated with me. When they sang "Steady Girl, Be My World, Now its over, they left in the Spring, Her and the Drifter Looking for Beautiful Things" in "49 Bye-Byes" I knew how they felt and where the words were coming from.

A truly great album, on a technical note they also released an expanded version of this album in 2009. It is not an improvement, the sound in not as good as this earlier remaster and the four demo songs added at the end are not all that great. Stick with this earlier regular CD edition.

"The Combination of Talents Creates a Great Sound," Rolling Stone Magazine.

I wish there were more albums like this.

Buffalo Springfield - "Last Time Around"

The group's final album. By the time it was released they had already broken up and the whole band was not present for most of the tracks. In fact the cover picture is very telling, the first four members (Stephen Stills leading the group) are in perfect line all looking in one direction and then Neil Young is turned away looking in a different direction. This is very telling considering he left the group after performing on only two and a half songs.

This is actually my favorite of Buffalo Springfield's three albums. Stephen Stills' songs in particular are quite excellent "Pretty Girl Why," "Four Days Gone" and "Special Care." He also has "Questions" which sounds slightly unfinished but would eventually turn into the hit song "Carry On" for CSNY. "Uno Mundo" is one of Stills' catchiest songs and is the beginning of the latin rock that he would later explore with Manassas. Young's two contributions as songwriter "On the Way Home" and "I am a Child" would become more popular in solo versions but they are two of his best songs. Jim Messina provides "Carefree Country Day" which is in the same country/pop that would later popularize Loggins and Messina's work. Richie Furay provides several darkly textured songs, the best of which being "Kind Woman."

I like this album the best because all the members have grown into their own. They have found the musical ground that they want to cover. I also think Messina, who also produced the album, is an excellent producer and his talents bring out the best in each song which makes the album sound better than the other two records. This is an often over looked album that is actually quite a gem.

Buffalo Springfield - "Again"

For the group's second album, which I picked up recently with their other two albums, they have lessened the number of songs and made a more concise and more rewarding album. The album does not have an instant classic like "For What its Worth" but almost every track here is very good, "Mr. Soul," "Bluebird," "Hung Upside Down" and "Broken Arrow" to name a few. The group continues with the same rock/country sound that was on their debut album but they are refining and growing as musicians. All the songs feel like album tracks, though they are all equally good but none are a smash classic. Most consider this to be the best of their three albums, I personally like "Last Time Around" the best, but this is a good Buffalo Springfield album not really essential to a listeners music collection but still a good listen.

Buffalo Springfield - "Buffalo Springfield"

I bought this album a few months ago. I was considering getting the single disc retrospective for $13 but I found I could get all three of Buffalo Springfield's albums for $20, so I did that instead. This short lived group that spawned a number of far better groups (CSN, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Loggins & Messina to name a few) were never big hit makers but they did write a number of very good songs.

This album does contain their one and only hit in Stephen Stills' now classic "For What its Worth." But the majority of the album is quite good and written entirely by Stills and Neil Young. The album is strongly influenced by country music but is definitely is the beginnings of country/rock, with a greater focus on rock and pop. The music here is not as great as the individual members would later record but these are the seeds of a great musical tree that was beginning to grow. Other stand out songs include "Go and Say Goodbye," "Sit Down I think I Love you" and "Out of my Mind."

4 Way Street

"4 Way Street" excellent if uneven Live album.

This live album captures Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on stage during their 1970s heyday and like their actually shows the album is split into two halves featuring acoustic music (disc one) and the other being all electric (disc 2).

Disc one of the album does not really showcase the four members working as a whole as they do on their albums. The four only perform together on "Love the One You're With," "Teach Your Children" and the brief excerpt from "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes." As the liner note pictures indicate all four were on stage, but on most of the songs one member takes the spotlight and the rest either sit quietly or are simply back up. In this set up Young actually is given the most time and the album sadly ends just as Stills takes the spotlight with only two songs. There are four bonus tracks that again showcase each member individually, I personally wish they had given the full live version of "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" but I guess it was not to be. Of the bonus tracks Young's is the longest containing three of his biggest hits.

Disc two sparkles with electric guitar jams and CSNY playing together, "Ohio" is spectacular, and while "Southern Man" and "Carry On" go on a bit long, both are nearly 15 minutes, they are still great performances. It would have been interesting if the liner notes gave information about the tour and individual shows, since this album is compiled from several concerts during a two year long tour, but all it gives are lyrics and a few archival pictures. Overall though this is a very good album and a fine showcase of the group live, far better than their other three live albums, a must for fans of the group as it contains two Graham Nash songs that do not appear on other albums and many of the live version differ from the studio ones. Recommended.

Stephen Stills Returns

Stephen Stills is one of my favorite musician and he was once poised to become one of the great voices in American song. He was getting there as well, if one looks at his work from the late 60s and early 70s, every song is nearly flawless. But somewhere towards the end of the 1970s Stills lost much of his creative power, particularly his song writing ability, turning out a number of uneven albums that had only a few good songs. This slew of sub par albums caused him to fall out of many music listeners earshot. Stills himself has stated that he has lost his creative gifts and over the past thirty years the majority of Stills' albums have gone largely unnoticed. Yet his guitar playing, which rivals that of Eric Clapton, has remained excellent and his concert tours over the years, both solo and with his buddies David Crosby, Graham Nash, and sometimes Neil Young, have drawn packed crowds.

I hope Stills' fall from grace will change with the release of a number of his albums from the 60s and 70s that have never been heard before. The first of these came out in 2007 the "Just Roll Tape" (see photo below) album was an impromptu recording from 1968 which Stills performed with just an acoustic guitar.

This album of early demos reminded listeners of the genius that Stills once possessed and apparently spurred him to open his audio archives and find more unreleased music. He released a similar album in early 2009 with the group Crosby, Stills and Nash called "Demos" which was a collection of early demo songs that later ended up on their albums.

Then on September 2, 2009 came the best "unreleased" album so far in "Manassas Pieces."

The original Manassas album is widely regarded as a masterpiece and the Manassas group that Stills formed is considered one of the high points in his career. So after the excellent first album and a terrible second album ("Down the Road") comes this album of great songs that should have been the group's second album. The songs on "Pieces" are of spectacular sound quality, all of these were intended for album so there are no demo sounds here. Some of the songs, particularly toward the end, are a little short (one or two minutes) which kind of shows they were not fully realized but none the less this is an excellent album and one of Stills' best in years.

This fine release is only the beginning, on Oct. 27, 2009 Stills will release his first full length live album in the double disc "Live at Shepherd's Bush" recorded during his 2008 concert tour. Also announced are a Manassas Live album (one can only dream of this greatness), a number of recordings between Stills and Jimi Hendrix (who appeared on Stills debut and was Stills' guitar teacher) and a solo box set. All these bring water to my mouth. One can only hope these other releases are as good as "Manassas Pieces." And maybe this journey into the past will spark Stills' creative energy again. Here's hoping and happy listening everyone.