Stephen Stills – Stephen Stills

I’m gonna’ review and talk about Stephen Stills and his first, self titled album ‘Stephen Stills.’ I’ve met Stephen several times, and while he’s put out some of the best material around, worked with the likes of Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix, who both had walk on parts for this release, Stephen is one of the most miserable, self centered people I’ve ever met. Makes me wonder where all of the beauty for his music came from ... perhaps it was his failed audition for the Monkees [though he claims that he just stood in line for days to sell his songs to the show], or his stint as the house band the ‘Au Go Go Singers’ that gave him such an attitude problem.

I realize that I don’t need to go into his history, The Herd, which became the Buffalo Springfield, who released Stephen's amazing song ‘For What It’s Worth,’ and his adventures with Crosby, Stills & Nash, which became Crosby, Stills Nash & Young, and their break ups and reforms ... his catalog is nothing short of breathtaking. The most important, the seminal point in his musical career, was his work with Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield on the ‘Super Session’ album; a piece of work which will stand alone and unparalleled for all time, certainly in anyone’s top fifty records.

Stephen’s work draws a strange time line. His early pieces with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby & Nash seem to be all about the music, there is very little of the life of Stephen presented on these releases. And while ‘Super Session’ is about the music as well, it is a live jam on a hot summer night in New York City, and gives us some nice feelings for the direction and history of his music. It isn’t until this release ‘Stephen Stills’ that we hear from the man himself, regarding his musical journey. We learn about his love for the blues, the fact that he took off for New Orleans at age 15 playing in clubs and bars for the sheer pleasure of learning his trade, the life of a wide eyed boy on the road alone, learning, experimenting and finding his own footing.

With this release Stephen draws deeply on his experience with Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper. He mixes that up with his early work in New Orleans, and as I said, brings in Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton to attempt to recreate the feel of that early live session. Now, while this release may seem over the top, I feel it is his best and most consistant body of work. He holds nothing back here, there are many who will say that he’s a bit self indulgent, but for me, that’s all right, because the music he’s laid down is transparent, compelling, rich, textured and fills all of my needs. His voice is strong, full of longing and at time like a hallelujah chorus. His guitar playing is clean with the fine little twangs so reminiscent of CS&N. ‘Old Times Good Times’ is one of the finest rock blues cross overs you are ever going to hear. He rolls out each verse as quickly and jazzed as the Hammond B that carries the under current. ‘Go Back Home’ will not fail to get your head to nodding, or from slapping your thigh with a smile on your face, wishing you could have written this song. Sometimes a person just needs stretch out on their own, discover who they are without being in the context or shadow of anyone else.

The album has a real live feel to it, and I will say, that when I saw him this release, it was flat out wonderful. This album came out during a strange period in musical history, and for that reason, aside from the hit ‘Love The One You’re With’ was very much over looked in general. But you know, if you go back with fresh ears and pick up on this release again, as if it were the first time you heard it, maybe even skip the hit song, you will walk away a pleasantly surprise person.

Say what you will, but say it only after you’ve sat down and given this record a second spin.

*** The must keep numbers are "Do For Others, Church, Old Times Good Times, Go Back Home, Sit Yourself Down, Black Queen, Cherokee and We Are Not Helpless" Sure, you can pick up on "Love The One You're With" but for me it's one of the weakest, but most like CSN&Y, songs on the album [which is probaby why it was the single].

And now the Post Script...

When my friend Jeff put on the CS&N show in Grass Valley, it gave me my first experience with a poor attitude and the huge egos in a rock entourage. Although there was plenty of good homemade food of all varieties available on the grounds, Mr. Stills [his hair already thinning] said he wanted some chili and he refused to go onstage until he got some chili. Jeff had to take his best man off the site and send him into town to find a restaurant that made chili. When he returned, and “Mr.” Stills was presented with his chili, he took one bite and pushed it away. It's called a ‘mind fuck’ and done just for sport, like having NO red M&M’s in the bowl. I’ve run into it in the R&R game several times since, but never with the spirit of meanness found here. Jeff has always been too sincere to call the bluff. So hoops are jumped to fill the request of fragile, inflated egos. People who like to mind fuck are Alpha Hotels. “Mr.” Stills despite his great music, as an individual, when dealing on a personal level with others, when he can be, which is often the case, is usually an alpha hotel.

Review by Jenell Kesler