Reviews (page 4 of 7)
GIRAFEEEEE ROUGE A POISSSS je pensais pas trop kiffé mais c'est vraiment pas mal me likey
Perfectly fine while it was on, not a poor album by any means but it gave off a very delible impression across most of its duration, aside from a couple of numbers such as the opener "Love the One You're With" and "Old Times Good Times".
Getting this in a period where CSNY's Deja Vu has been in constant rotation for me is sorta fantastic timing. Stills' core contributions to that album (specifically his work on side A, "Carry On" and "Woodstock") rank among my favorite songs from that record, so I was very excited to get this record. And I gotta say I'm a little disappointed. Stills has a soft yet soulful voice and has a knack for pretty arrangements (even still, I think "gospel folk" is a much cooler concept on paper), but there's nothing particularly gripping about these songs. Even the one song I knew beforehand, "Love The One You're With" has always sorta grated on me subconsciously. Hendrix and Clapton, guitar gods and creators of their own masterful records, turn their respective songs into tacky schlock fests. Maybe this one is a grower, but I'm not as in love with this as I should be. I do think part of that has to do with my present obsession with Deja Vu and hoping that everything in its orbit sounds just like it, so I plan to revisit this in the future at some point. It's not like After the Gold Rush is a Deja Vu clone either.
i mean its alright
This was very nice, but little more than that. Much like David Crosby before him, it feels like Stephen Stills is discovering that life without Neil Young might be less annoying, but it's also a good deal less musically rewarding.
Love The One You’re With: buena pero ahí Do for the others: me gustó más, peor tampoco wow Church: meh Old Time Good Time: mejor que la anterior pero también mej Go Back Home: la instrumental increíble mal, pero no me gusta tanto el tipo. es la que más me gustó Sit Yourself Down: esta también está muy buena To a Flame: volvió el meh Black Queen: no Cherokee: esta está bien pero no tan bien We Are Not Helpless: mala
Some good tunes
I was hoping for more.
Good
Well then, a Stephen Stills solo album. One of two in the book even. This is my first experience with Stephen Stills outside of the context of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Based on the low score, I really had no idea what I was going to be in for, and having listened to it, I can say it’s pretty damn close to a 4 star album. Not quite there yet, but I don’t get why it’s rated so low. Sure, some of these songs are pretty boring. He’s not Neil Young, not many people can be. But as a solo artist, he’s still got a lot to bring to the table. Notably, guest musicians. I’d really love to know how my 2 favorite songs on this album came to be. “Old Times Good Times” has Jimi Hendrix come out of nowhere to play guitar, and “Go Back Home” has Eric Clapton playing guitar. These are the only songs each respective guitarist plays on, and they’re right after each other on this album. What the hell???? Not only does that feel very random, but it’s specifically what pushes this album to almost be a 4. It’s actually quite jarring when you come to the realization that yes, you did just hear those 2 back to back on an album, and yes, the album did just continue on like normal, as if it didn’t just hit you with some of the coolest shit imaginable. The rest is just alright at best and boring at worst, but it’s way too slow for my personal liking. Some great chords come through occasionally, but this album is mostly just pretty as a whole. It’s got great features by Crosby and Nash, but not much that I’d personally return to. “Black Queen” is a pretty neat song, as it exemplifies how good of a singer and a guitarist Stills is by himself. I actually did enjoy that song a lot as well. “Cherokee” feels like an acid trip and is also kind of neat. Having a running time of 38 minutes is actually the perfect length for this album, as it doesn’t overstay its welcome. Going on to my favorite song on the album, it’s genuinely hilarious that I’d have to pick between 2 of the best guitarists in human history as my favorite song on someone else’s album, but I’ve gotta give the edge to Jimi here. I’d actually heard “Old Times Good Times” previously, but his immaculate guitar playing mixed in tandem with the cool singing truly elevates this one to goated status. This song particularly works better as a tandem in my opinion, and it just ROCKS as a whole. That isn’t to say that “Go Back Home” doesn’t absolutely rock itself though. Eric Clapton can do no wrong, and this song proves it. There was a point in the day where I considered giving this a 4, but I came to my senses when I realized I only really loved those 2 songs, and not even strictly because of Stills. Again, it’s a fine album as a whole. He’s a great singer, but besides the classic “Love the One You're With” and my 2 favorite songs on the album, you can kind of take or leave the rest. Nevertheless, this album was an enjoyable time, and my first taste of Stills music has me wanting more. Fun album if not just a little teeny tiny bit too slow at times. Immensely front loaded, and then a whole lot of filler. Not necessarily bad filler, just kind of unmemorable as a whole. But when I tell you those 2 guitar solos are worth the price of admission, you best freaking believe it. This was a really neat album to check out, and I’m very glad I listened to it today.
As I digest the tunes and lore of the era, I cant help but think if the CSNY boys were a thing today there would be heaps of Tumblr pages and fanfic dedicated to their comings and goings.
Ok, but not my style. ★★★
I'm not a fan of CSNY, mainly because I cannot fathom Neil Young. So Stills was not on my list of musicians I must listen to. The opener is a banger, and the next few are also quite good. Then it ebbs off, with Black Queen as the low point. We are not helpless is too much White Man Gospel for me.
I had a fun time listening to this. The first song is so good. I love the song “Movin On Up” by Primal Scream, I had no idea it was a Stephen Stills ripoff. The rest of the album varies a bit though. White dudes gotta be careful with their gospel choirs for real. 3.5
........i mean sure man i guess. ------------ me personally i wouldn't have checked for the solo stuff of the 4th most famous CSNY member but. that's what this is for. anyways. lowk overproduced paul simon (paul simon always manages to be the right amount of produced) flow. i like it tho. stills is a high work rate (one of the things i was gonna say about jack white {i forgor 💀}) musician. the songs take their one idea and wring out as much as they can (do for the others, church, old times good times, to a flame). unfortunately the lyrics are letting him down a bit. a real "folk" (scrappy, plays guitar the right way) man writes songs about the same topic matter as mick jagger. and i'm supposed to care? unfortunately i do. jimi hendrix and eric clapton on guitar back2back are brilliant pulls. ironic. these licks hit like a baby on manhattan pavement. "it's like saying goodbye to paris for the first time" is a great line. a whole song of poker metaphors for evil woman™️? less so. a song has never been less about its stated topic (emo boys copied this bar for bar). --------- 2.8-4.1. (did need to hear some of this before i kicked bucket). yada yada meridian white guy guitar bathroom graffiti. a testament to what was possible when all the best session guys lived near each other.
A better than expected album. Really enjoyed the flute and other orchestral elements. Didn’t love the song Black Queen, more white guy blues. Wish I could give it 3.5
The guitar riff on Old Times Good Times is spectacular (and unexpected for an otherwise much less ambitious album), so I looked it up and of course it's Hendrix on lead. It's a really good album, otherwise, and a good listen. Not that I see myself coming back for anything except the singles though sadly. Fav tracks: Old Times Good Times, Cherokee
Dude was one of the names back in the day. Now kids might not know him but some of the tunes they will know. I realized I knew WAY more of this album than I realized. It was wild listening to it going, wait, he did this? So although you won't hear him played now your grandparents and parents did. So because of him being in like three huge bands and his solo work it's worth listening to just for the historical context. Although Love the one your with is still a weird song.
"Stephen Stills" is the debut studio album by American musician Stephen Stills. Folk rock and hard rock are the Wiki-listed genres. The album was one of four high-profile albums released by members of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young with all albums charting within the the top 15 of US album sales. The album themes were common to the 1960's counterculture beliefs and inspired by ongoing and previous girlfriend relationships. Stills sang vocals, played the guitar, bass, piano, organ, steelpan and percussion and arranged the strings. He enlisted an all-star lineup including Jimi Hendrix (guitar), Eric Clapton (guitar), Booker T. Jones (organ, backing vocals), Ringo Starr (drums), Conrad Isidore (drums) and backing vocalists Rita Coolidge, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Priscilla Jones and John Sebastian. Commercially, the album reached #3 on the US Billboard Top LP's and #8 in the UK and, critically, it had mixed reviews. An organ and strumming acoustic guitar open the hit single "Love the One You're With." Congas, an organ solo and, of course, a host of notable backing vocalists in chorus including Rita Coolidge, David Crosby and Graham Nash. Stills said the title was inspired by a remark from Billy Preston. A song that is meant to be about acceptance and enjoying the moment; Stills has been married three times to date. "Church (Part of Someone)" takes the album in a gospel direction. A loud, striking piano. Stills with heartfelt and soulful vocals. A soaring gospel chorus. Strings are also added. The pace picks up with a rock and funky beat in "Old Times Good Times." And why wouldn't as Jimi Hendrix joins Stills on guitar. That's never a bad idea as we get Jimi riffs and a solo. The album follows up Hendrix with Eric Clapton in "Go Back Home." This is more bluesy with Clapton on a wah-wah guitar. The guitar interplay between Stills and Clapton is outstanding. The other released-single "Sit Yourself Down" has the same backing vocal chorus as the album opener. Piano and drums in an anthemic song about self reflection and desire for peace. The album closes with "We Are Not Helpless." The tone turns to more gospel-like with an organ and piano. No this not a response to Neil Young's "Helpless" but it does call for active participation in the community. The music on this album delves into folk, rock, gospel, ballads, blues and even some funk. It appears that the additional guest musicians and vocalists probably contributed to that variety and that is a strength. The album has a nice sounding mix with guitars, organs, piano, strings and even horns. Yes, 70's flute guy makes an appearance. The lyrics are very 1960's-ish with hope for peace, love and openness but Stills does have songs on self-reflection, loneliness and relationships. This album has a fairly strong collection of songs and is recommended for fans of folk rock and/or late 60's/early 70's rock.
I was not familiar with Stephen stills before this but I guess I have to see more of his stuff because this record was pretty good. The album cover made it seem more acoustic but this was a Great multinational album. It had great guitar solos and I like his voice. The lyrics on it were good especially the closing track. Over all I think this album is a strong 7
it's fine maar pakte me niet
Talented musicians!
Good stuff, got a little repetitive towards the halfway point
Ho, hum. I am not overly invested in CSNY (more interested in Neil Young's work than the others). I am iffy on the lyrics: "'cause she's a girl and you're a boy" tells me the singer is only singing to other males and both persons are reducible to sexual identity, eurrk. On the other hand,, if I don't focus on lyrics, there are soul and funk vibes in some of this, that I like. Wikipedia article is mildly interesting - not for the social scene from which the album sprung - but for the stuff about Hendrix, fact he played on "Old Times, Good Times" was a good reason to listen to that song twice, trying to pick his parts. Overall I think it's Mix of Good and Bad, 5/10.
Bookended by two good songs, with a bunch of okay songs in the middle. Solid guitar antics, good vocals, the heavy parts ain't so heavy, the soft parts are often dull. Feels like three stars to me.
Nice instrumentals, great guitar work. Nothing in particular stood out to me
6.5 / 10
It's alright, I'm genuinely beyond tired of soft rock at this point, though.
Love the One Your With is played so much it’s almost background noise and I forget Stephen Sills has an incredible voice and I like his voice best in the Crosby, Stills, and Nash songs. Some songs didn’t age well, but still a good album.
It was fine I guess
I thought that Stephen Stills was a very solid album. Stephen Stills is in a lot of places on this list so i more or less expected what this album was gonna sound like. And even though i could easily see the sound of this album coming, that doesn't mean that it wasn't any good because it very much was. The songs here had a very acoustic vibe to them as they were slow moving and generally focused on the vocals and lyrics but there were points where this album could get quite extravagant and very textured. Those were the parts i liked most from this album. I also thought that this is a better album than Manassas since it's not nearly as long. Real solid album here. Best Song: We Are Not Helpless Worst Song: Black Queen
Muy bueno
'Love the One You're With' has no right to be that good because everything else on here is so bland... *yawn* Also are we not gonna address the giraffe in the room
Good, easy listen Fave track: Love the One You're With
It’s fine, but ultimately forgettable. 3/5
I have sat myself down and I’m taking a look around. Dude the middle of this is nasty the beginning maybe I wasn’t paying attention but I am blown away by the progression is on these. How is it that it’s so folky but ethereal and psychedelic What a misleading album cover it is so amazing after the 3rd song
Enjoyed this more than I expected.
OK, but it didn't get better with age.
Banger opening track, pretty good record by this boy.
Love the vibe and this kind of music is right up my alley. Songs are a bit below those in CSNY, but I still enjoyed it. Love the Hendrix track and the guitar playing in general.
Starts strong and keeps going pretty good. The acoustic guitar strumming parts are layered well as well as the vocal harmonies. 3.6/5.0
Love the One You're With is familiar. Fine.
Goo guitar work and some nice songs tbh
This is a record that I should love on paper, and Stills’ talent is certainly apparent here. I just find it a little boring? Stills may have been the greatest musical talent in the CSN&Y ecosystem, but his solo output doesn’t really hit with me as well as Crosby and certainly Neil. Still (lol) there is some impressive guitar and vocal work here. It’s the songs themselves that fall short for me. Love The One You’re With falls especially flat for me and feels like hippie bullshit. I think the message in the song is “if you can’t convince the person you love to love you back you should bang whoever is closest to you”.
This is a STRONG 3. Side A is as good an output that any CSNY members has ever produced and side B tends to meander a bit. Real sleeper here though, not to mention the underrated cover, like wtf is going on here?ha
the first half of this clears the latter, its not bad by any means, its actually pretty enjoyable, but it strays from the folk rock and goes into blues and funk more and more. Also this guy sounds a lot like Chilliwack at times, especially Go Back Home.
Front loaded as frick. And super disappointing that Black Queen was about a card game and not about Stephen Stills love of beautiful black women. Church might have been my favorite track surprisingly
This was a solid album. Love The One You're With is a really good song that I have liked for a while. The rest of it is very solid folk-rock. It is a very high 3 for me. It's an easy listen and I like the instrumentation and the guitar work, but probably not something I'll go back to.
Amazing guest stars that somehow don’t take over the album. Prolific few years for Stills. But it’s still rich, famous white guy vs. the blues and gospel. Can’t wrap my head around that… In the immortal words of Mama Cass, “Aaarrggghhhh!!!” 2.5⭐️
Quite groovy at times, different sounds across the album. Interesting for a quick album
Started out pretty optimistic for this album and by the end it lost me.
3.5
Great blues rock, but a couple of real duds
The album starts boring. It almost hits 2 stars for me. Then Black Queen and We are not Helpless shows me I don't hate everything this man produces. So okay, three stars Stills, but get your head in the game!
Good stuff 3
Opener was captivating, didn’t really do much for me after that.
3.5/5. I wasn't expecting Hendrix, Clapton, Booker T, Ringo, and Mama Cass to all show up on this album.
I've always liked "Love the One You're With," and I enjoyed the second track, "Do for the Others." At that point, I thought this album was going to be a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, it was downhill from there. I can't even pinpoint what's wrong with this. It feels like I *should* like it on paper, if I look at all the elements. But there's just something missing.
Surprising. I was expecting mellow harmony rich folk rock (just more csny I guess) and instead got a surprising amount of blues guitar. There is some beautiful songwriting there too for sure and actually - as much as I don't get on with all the blues guitar on this list - it's very well executed.
Damn, I really loved “Love the One You’re With,” but the rest was kind of a letdown
I liked a couple of songs
Fairly by the numbers folk rock album, decent enough I suppose if you enjoy that sort of thing but nothing remarkable happening here 3*
Of all the white guy blues and CSNY, i think this is my favorite
Sounds like it would be more fun to play on the instruments than it is to listen to. It was ok, but not something I see myself listening to again.
It's like Neil Young if he could sing and wasn't a ****
Decent 3,5
you gotta love what you have and this is what i have
Definitely my favorite of the Crosby, Nash, & Stills tree that I've gotten so far. But this particular branch has a very corny feel to it. Like Christian Rock. There's some tasty guitar solos though.
70
Didn’t expect to like this but to be fair it was a good easy listening album. Played it a few times just to make sure.
Really smooth country singing really makes me want to lay back in the sun and just enjoy the breeze and this album makes me wish for summer today (despite the album art). I really like the vibes he creates coherently throughout the album.
bing chilling
Skimmed throught it but seems like singer songwriter type of music. Doesnt seem bad quality. He can sing for sure. Not my thing.
Pleasantly surprised by this album, prog-rock mixed with gospel was a surprising combo, but worked pretty well.
It’s ok, I guess. It’s not bad, but it’s not good either, it’s just very mediocre. Certainly doesn’t compare well with Neil Young’s output (on the whole).
Like the other albums I've heard from Stills and his supergroups, this is an album that's hard to pin down because of the variety of styles on display. There's some gritty rock. There's some blues, both a bit trippy ("Go Back Home") and more traditional ("Black Queen"). There's some flute on "Cherokee." And, in contrast to all of that, there's some pop stuff. The opener is the hit, and it's got big backing vocals. "Church" and the closer are big songs with strings, kind of touching but also bordering on sappy. All this variety is nice, but the mix of stark blues with the more produced stuff makes it feel like the album doesn't know what it wants to be. An enjoyable listen, but also - again like the other albums of his I've heard - unimpressive compared to what similar artists were doing better at the time.
This is one of the most passive listening experiences I have ever had, I forgot I was even listening to music for like 15 minutes. Nothing here is bad (maybe besides Black Queen, there is no reason for that song to be 5 and a half minutes). The only good thing I can say about this album is that I like the backup singers, that was a nice touch. Also what's with the scan of the album cover on this site, why is there a piece of hair on it? Mid 3.
Stephen Stills is one of those artists I don't think of much, and that's fine. I was only familiar with Love The One You're With on this album, stuff like Old Times, Good Times and Black Queen stick out to me. It's a fine album.
I wasn't really familiar with his solo material besides the opener, which is... odd. "If you're not with the one you love, love the one you're with?" What the hell is that? Anyways, the rest of the album isn't bad. Kinda catchy in places. Nothing Earth-shaking. That pink giraffe thing on the cover is cool.
Enjoyed some songs more than others, but nice album for my commute.
Not bad, not good, solid white people music
I used to hate the song Love the One You're With. Heard it too many times working retail. Listening to it again now many years later - it's a fantastic album opener and one of the best songs on the album. I still don't love this music but I can appreciate it more now.
Folky, rocky, good enough. But maybe not really a great album.
A joyful and funky delight where world-class guitar work is front and center, hardly surprising given that legendary guests like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton make appearances. Tracks like "Love The One You’re With" and "Church" offer a rich blend of gospel soul and bluesy jams that feel earnest and sincere. A fixture of the era that serves as a perfect, easy to absorb companion for a long drive.
A fun and low stakes listening experience with a variety of styles represented and some exciting choral arrangements that nicely buttress Stills’ limited vocal ability. Stills is a jack of all trades and master of none- he doesn’t have anything much to say and he’s a middle of the road songwriter, but he plays a lot of instruments, is a talented arranger and knows a lot of cool artists. In particular, guest spots from Hendrix and Clapton elevate tracks that would be forgettable otherwise. This record is impressive but not quite affecting.
Love the One You're With is a tune (although like every song covered by the Isley Brothers, their version is better). The rest of it was decent but not that memorable - it has the sound of a classic album but not the songs, if that makes any kind of sense.
Starts out great but it is pretty average after that. 3 stars or C+.
3 out of 5. Better than I thought it'd be, this album was a good time.
Generic
Chill, folksy, not my vibe but okay. Was this groundbreaking, or is it on the list because of who he is??
i’ve been lacking with this project, as i listened to all but one song on this album. regardless, i still think i can give it a fair rating. i thought this album was a bit slow, but i would recommend! my top three songs were: - church (pt. of someone) - sit yourself down - we are not helpless
this was fine but didn't grab me
Enjoyed this but definitely prefer CSN/CSNY. I liked the style but nothing particularly caught my attention. A nice album to have listened to, but not one I’d reach for over his group stuff. Fav song: Love the One You’re With Least fav: Sit Yourself Down
Insane cast of characters on this album. I like the folky feeling songs more than the gospel and funky guitar ones (but maybe that's me imposing my expectations for the album...). I don't like this album as much as when he's in the bigger groups but I'm still very glad to have listened to it! Favourite song: Do For The Others Least: Cherokee
Just not all that interesting
3 - decent
It's good, but it gets absolutely bodied by every other CSNY solo album that came out around this time.
I mean I guess sure
Egentlig okay hyggeligt Americana
Weak opening, but it's not that bad
Love the One You’re With is a certified first-ballot hall of fame banger. After that, things get pretty boring. Great musicianship, some sick guitar solos from Jimi and Clapton (imagine having Jimi Hendrix as a sideman on your album!), but overall the songwriting is not great — and the lyrics in particular are just terrible. Stills also isn’t a great singer, though he has his moments. All-time banger + great guitar playing - boring songs - terrible lyrics = 3 stars.
I really feel like I should be more familiar with the music of CSNY, I like what I've heard of them but I hardly know it, and I get the impression that being more familiar with their music would give me the proper context to appreciate this fully, and actually all of their other solo works too. But that being said, I can still enjoy this as a nice simple folk rock album, but I just know that I could enjoy it more if I give it more time to grow on me as well as being more familiar with the essentials from the while CSNY gang.
Never heard anything from Stills as solo so got into album with interest. It was ok, some good moments, but will probably never listen again.
Had heard of Stephen Stills before, but had just made the assumption he was a folk singer kinda like a Simon & Garfunkel sound. Turns out he's quite the guitarist with some good pop rock and gospel rock chops! Highlights were "Love the One You're With" and "Go Back Home"
6.5/10
Folk, funk, soul and rock all bundled up into one record. I didn’t know what to expect from this one but I’m pleasantly surprised. A lot of great tracks and moods, complemented by nice vocals. I dig this one.
10 song•38 minutes Combination of singer, songwriter, and psychedelic guitar and heart Church choir it’s a fun album. If there’s a Kruse room to be had, they said it’s too many genres blues, psychedelic, singer songwriter, choral church but a good listen.
Take me to church, Stephen.
Fourth album in a row from 1969... So I'll def give 1969 range. As for this album, solidly OK.
I really liked the first few songs, and then the rest were kinda boring. It’s a little folksy and a little balad-y but upbeat and fun. The later stuff is fine, but less interesting. The second song kinda sounds like Cat’s in the Cradle
This has way more balls than I was expecting. It was also quite soulful in places. The hammond organ hangs it all together.
Pretty soft and nice rock(?) album. Didn't mind it, but probably wouldn't go out of my way to listen again.
one heater and a bunch of alright songs
not bad but not good.
6/10
Good
How can an album be this bland when Stephen Stills was producing such great music, this very same year no less, with Crosby, Nash, and Young? Jimi Hendrix is on track four (IKR!!) and yet... even this falls flat. How does that even happen?? I don't blame Stills or Hendrix, I blame the Seventies. Clearly the Seventies were determined to smooth the edges of the Sixties, emboldened by what they were able to do to Paul McCartney. There were forces at work here we may never fully understand.
It is good to hear an album like this. It really helps contextualize the contributions that Stephen Stills makes when partnering up with David Crosby, Graham Nash, and whenever possible, Neil Young. I love the range of music on this album, and while it doesn’t measure up to his work with Buffalo Springfield and CSN & Young, it is worth a listen… despite the emotionally dubious “Love the One You’re With.”
Meh…
I wrote something and then it got lost for some reason. So this album basically is really good at the beginning, sort of loses me near the end. It has a lot of all-stars (Jimi, Clapton, Ringo, Cass, Crosby, Nash, etc.) which really make it shine. A lot of it is good, but ending is eh. Shoutout Scott Pilgrim and that pink giraffe (7/10, 4/5 on this scale) (Update: 3/5 on this scale)
Some goods and some ehs
LTOYW plus a handful of decent deep tracks 👍
3.5
3.5
Pleasant, some really good songs, but doesn't feel really essential either. 3.5 stars
I thought this was just kind of average. I think "Love the One Your With" is a great song, and I also like the Hendrix feature, "Old Times Good Times", but most of it is pretty generic 70s folk rock. 3 stars.
3.5
Honestly pretty underwhelming for the primary songwriter behind CSN(Y). Felt very generic and didn't do a whole lot for me. The best tracks included the guest guitarists, which maybe speaks to why CSN(Y) works so well when I find all their solo albums fall short of the mark. Top tracks: Old Times Good Times, Go Back Home, Cherokee
Stephen Stills' self titled album is... fine? There are tracks that are incredibly strong ("Love the One You're With," and "Black Queen"), and some that I found incredibly drab (I am not a fan of gospel music), the net result is that this averages out into an average album. Stills is FAR from untalented, but his showing here has just furthered my belief that Neil Young is the strongest member of Crosby Stills Nash & Young 3/5
Average
Pretty run of the mill 70s singer-songwriter stuff. Not the best at it, but has a few decent songs.
Best Song: Love the One You're With. Really great gang vocals that give the song a bright, lively feel. Worst Song: Black Queen. I have no idea what compelled him to think that this series of grunts and "bluesy" groaning constituted a song. Overall: Who knew that one of the middle guys from CSNY could actually rock on their own? Exceeded my expectations with great pseudo-psychedelic folk rock.
Hey it's the guy from Scott Pilgrim! This album was nice. Just nice.
Solid album where you can tell he was just fine on his own without Buffalo Springfield, Crosby or Nash. Opening with "Love the One You're With" was strong & didn't realize that was just his song. This would be a great album for camping.
Heard Before: No Fav Tracks: Old Times Good Times, To a Flame. Would I listen again: likely A dynamic album with a lot of different sounds and feels to the song, but cohesive. I enjoyed listening and would likely listen again. Rating: Strong 3
++: Old Times Good Times, Go Back Home, Cherokee +: Love the One You're With, Do for the Others, Church (Part of Someone), To a Flame, Black Queen +-: Sit Yourself Down, We Are Not Helpless 6,7/10
Situation: once again sat at my desk working, didn't feel the need to skip any songs or turn it off. Stand out songs: 'love the one you're with' & 'old times good times' 3/5, seems to be my score for when I can appreciate the album is good, just not necessarily my type of music. reminded me of the band that feature in 'jack frost'
Loved the hint of blues & gospel. Aside from that not my absolute favorite but good nonetheless.
Love The One You’re With is a work of genius, the rest was pretty decent.
Meh. Just avg. 3/5
Jimi saved it
A lot more “electric” than I was expecting! I really quite liked it and would listen to it again I think.
Stephen Stills has long been my favorite member of CSNY. Having said that, I think this album is just fine. “Love The One You’re With” (which features Crosby and Nash on backing vocals) is the standout track, but none of the other songs quite approach the greatness of CSNY.
Good at times, less good at others. Generally not bad though.
Way better than the David Crosby album I had to listen to earlier in the year! Great guitar work throughout, and Love The One You’re With was the only track I recognised going in. A strong, enjoyable listen.
Mm.. maybe 2
I kinda liked this, the gospel inspired tracks especially.
They are calling it the whitest album of all time.
Too similar to his work with csn so overall I liked it but was not something I feel was a masterpiece
Not really my scene but a good listen, and clearly top notch musicianship.
Today I learned "love the one you're with" is not a will young original!!!! 🤣😂😅 Some great guitar but a bit twee and one-dimensional in other places.
Great mix of folk, gospel, and blues. Really liked the instrumentation on this one.
I generally favor singer/ songwriters. One of Stephen Stills contemporaries is one of my favorite musicians of all time, and they have collaborated many times. In fact, as a collaborator, Stephen Stills is amazing. I do not feel quite the same listening to him as a solo artist. I do not know why, but I find his music "OK." Maybe it ages itself? maybe it feels ... less interesting? I don't know. So for me this album was, while not "bad" in any way, simply just not all that interesting either.
Stephen Stills’ self-titled album offers strong musicianship and a few standout moments, but its mix of styles and pacing makes it a solid, if not consistently compelling, listen.
Throughout my listening of this recording I was often surprised by how good it was. The cover, with Stephen Stills sitting outside next to a garden gnome, is honestly terrible, but his songs landed well. I have always liked the CSNY catalogue, and that same blend of well placed acoustics and layered vocals builds a rich soundscape here too. It is not as multidimensional as CSNY, yet you can clearly hear how Stills is the mind behind much of that creative direction. The first track, though, is rough. Has anyone ever managed to write a genuinely good song that uses eagles as a metaphor. It is such a pretentious shortcut for the idea of freedom. Eagles, America, heroic symbolism, all that. Instead of lifting the music, it disconnects me as a listener.
It was okay.
6.2/10
Dude! Something about self titled albums man. I will say that my favs off this record were not the single hits. Tracks like Cherokee and the organs on Old Times Good Times I found much more interesting. I like the pink giraffe on the cover.
Generally decent - enjoyed without being gripped/blown away by an of the tracks
Very nice album. I listened to the whole album on a drive home and it was relaxing.
I don’t have a ton of thoughts on this album. These songs were pretty good and I liked them pretty well. I do like CSNY a lot so it’s interesting to hear Stills in his individual capacity. I didn’t know that Love The One You’re With was one of his, which is a very good song.
Love The One You're With is a banger and until just now, I thought it was a CSN song. I enjoyed this though I was not a fan of the songs with strings/big band.
Meget chill faktisk, udmærket album. Man kan godt høre at han havde meget indflydelse over musikken i Crosby Still & Nash
Forventede ren folk fra coveret, men det var en del mere varieret. Ret cool!
Diverse and most songs are pretty good!
Pretty good, would listen again, but I liked his other album on this list better.
Middle of the road, as expected from Stephen Stills.
Obviously Love the One You Are With is massive. Some of the songs feel like outtakes of a CSN album. But also has some great jams.
Nicely performed and produced debut album by Stills. It sounds fresh and something ahead of its time. The songwriting is not that memorable, though - I like Crosby, Stills and Nash more than the solo stuff.
This was fine.
Я б поставив мабуть 3.5. Хороший рок/фолк, досить різноманітний, а лей й дефолтний місцями. Перша пісня дуже гарна. Кросбі цікавіше зробив
Кросбі послухали, послухаємо і Стіллза (до цього якось не доводилось його сольне слухати). Ну таке, нічого особливого, якщо чесно. Типовий РОК тих часів.
Not awful. Few decent 70s style classic Americana songs, few just okay, and a few others pretty weak.
= the Beatles Should stick with Crosby, Nash and sometimes Young
Out of the gates with a freaking Classic!! Stephen Stills might be arguably the most underrated Rock musician.
Love the one you’re with is such a banger. The rest was good and worth coming back to
Interesting to compare the CSNY-verse
This is pretty good but a tad inconsistent.
92/1089 love the one you’re with is certainly a way to set the tone of an album… musically it’s alright but not something i’m interested in. Do for the Others is more my style, quite rich and more folky sounding it’s a decent singer-songwritery album, with some moments that are pretty nice but on the whole just didn’t grab my interest fully faves: Do for the Others, Old Times Good Times 55/100
I know nothing of Stephen Stills except he is in the Neil Young musical universe, so have not explored further. This is alright. Meat and potatoes 70s dad music but done well, especially side 1. When there's a bit of gospel or Booker T on the organ in there, it's better, where he just plays blues it's a bit dull. It's not a great album though. Eric Clapton on a song called "Go Back Home" though... Do we think he didn't see the lyrics and just assumed it was his kind of thing?
Cool record
Hah the CSNY other work… stills is ultimately not something I want to listen to without the rest of the gang
Stephen Stills - 10 songs, 38 mins Feel good rock - guitar focused man knows how to shred Love the one you’re with - put him on the map for rock Old Time Good Times - SHREDDDSSS Go back home and Cherokee are funkyyyy 🕺🕺🕺 We are not helpless - such a great end to the album amen, great finishing song like the end of a movie
When Stephen Stills writes a good song, he writes a GOOD song, holy fuck. But then he’ll turn around and write some weird song that appropriates Black music and Native music in a way that makes me ask, “Is this kind of racist?” And unfortunately, this album is very much a ping-pong between both those issues.
To jest jakieś plumkanie nawiedzonego grajka. Teksty wzniosłe, muzyka przeciętna. Wszystko inne też średnio ciekawe. 5/10 i to chyba z litości.
Another singer/songwriter album that I actually enjoyed. A few standout tracks that push it out of boring territory.
Some pretty mediocre folk rock. Not much else to say.
260/1089 - Sorta like Prince (I know Stills is earlier) in where I respect that he plays all the instruments himself but I don't really like the music too much. Cherokee was a really cool song though and I thought it was overall a mildly good album.
6/10
Went in with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised
Sounds like the generic soundtrack to a Vietnam War movie.
Don’t judge an album by its cover!
Really liked a couple of songs - We will not be lovers and The stolen girl
This was honestly quite a bit better than I thought. When this came out, folk rock was admittedly kind of oversaturated. Like, this was in the middle of a run in which every member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young had an album crack the top 15. So, while it's hard to say this really feels essential, it is good. Honestly, Love The One You're With is actually *really* good, and earlier this week I heard Aretha Franklin's cover of this song. And, while this may be controversial, I actually *do* prefer Stills' original. While this is definitely the best song, this album is actually pretty consistent, especially side one. The rest isn't bad, but I just think it's a little choppier. Honestly, it's not changing anyone's life, but I think this is largely worth a listen, even though it kind of seems to be overshadowed by Stills' other projects, and also Neil Young's whole career, due to a storied history between them. This does have an identity all it's own. Also, as a quick aside, I like the photo on the cover quite a bit.
Great music to lay wooden flooring to A little folksy, a little gospel Makes me feel like a carpenter
Expected to be really boring, but actually quite a few tracks I liked. Go Back Home, Cherokee, We Are Not Helpless
I'm finally getting to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young through this project (as an 80s teen, I ignored that sort of thing). I've enjoyed getting to know Neil Young; I didn't know anything about SS, so I had no expectations here. Well, perhaps I was expecting it to be a snooze, from the cover pic. It wasn't bad, in fact. I enjoyed Jimi H's contribution to Old Times Good Times, which built to a dated, but satisfying romp. I also thought SS's own guitar-playing on Black Queen was terrific. I thought To A Flame's attempt at slow grandeur was unsuccessful, though. But most of this was very listenable; accomplished musicians (often just SS himself!) having a good time. Definitely dated, including in the lyrics, but I did feel like I was in a 70s movie at times, which was kinda fun. It improved after I cranked the volume up a couple of notches. I don't think I was vibing with the final, rousing concluding number, but there are a few tracks I might revisit.
At some point I thought this would be a 4 but it’s not that interesting in the end…
I'll allow it. 3.4
I've always liked "Love the One You're With" ... I had not noticed the congas before. Some of the songs are a bit on the "Lite Rock" side. But I like the lean toward spirituals.
This was about what I expected from Mr. Stills. At it's core it's just decent folk rock, nothing bad but nothing great either. It's start off great with the first side and the second side being a tad lackluster. The album as a whole was a breeze to listen to and I did enjoy it for the most part. There's nothing really to dog on besides the lack of variety in sound. Pretty good if I do say so myself. Top 3: Love The One You're With, Do For Others, and Go Back Home no bad songs 3.00-3.50/5
Was it listenable? Yeah sure, I felt like I'd heard every track without having heard it before. Will I listen to it again? No, because I left like I'd heard every track before.
you do you girl
This was completely forgettable and I am not a huge fan of the lead track. Basically don’t try to be better. Don’t Follow your dreams. Settle for where you are no matter how unhappy you are. Boring record.
It was pretty decent, good for road tripping. No overly strong feelings
Shocked by the STRONG gospel influence. Old Times Good Times and Go Back Home were the highlight. Liked the closer. Lots of boring stretches
In the guitarist vanity genre, this is one of the better projects this list has served up. The songwriting is less a vehicle for mastubatory guitar playing than is usually the case with these; in fact, the best moments of this have nothing to do with Stills' guitar playing at all (the strings and piano on Church, for example). Low 3.
After Manassas I thought this was going to be hellish. Pleasantly surprised though! This is concise, and has some beautiful gospel infusion. Stills will never be Neil Young though ✨
beetje tss Buffalo Springfield en Neil Young in (wat niet echt verwonderlijk is)...
For an album with so much hype behind it this was disappointing.
Really great guitar but definitely closer to pop than rock for me.
That’s a strong debut from Stephen. Love the One Your With was the big hit and got plenty of radio play. Didn’t know he was friends with Hendrix and Clapton, and they definitely make the album better. To a Flame is a skipper, but the rest of the songs are good. L = (2.5*s) Enjoyed the guitar work by Jimmi and Eric. J = (3.3*s) Never heard it until this listen, don’t know anyone that had this album, and I’m surprised because it’s a good one.
Not bad, out of the other “white guy with an acoustic guitar” genre that’s been on here so far.
It started well with songs I’d give 4, maybe 5, but then I started skipping. If I were playing the actual record, I’d probably swap after side A. ———————————— My non-musician scoring system. 5 - Love it. Would play anytime, buy, see live… 4 - Good music. 3 - Average playlist. Depends on time and setting. 2 - I can’t listen to whole songs. 1 - No.
Another album in my folk-rock sweet spot.
Let’s go
Not very memorable, except for the Jimi Hendrix solo on song 4. Not bad, just forgettable.
Love the one you’re with is great I also really like Church and We Are Not Helpless He rest was good but did rather blend together
Ok.
Not bad but not for me
good, solid album. missing some edge for me, got a little bit bored by the end
Folk
Cherokee is a banger. That’s going on the camping play list
Not too bad! Interesting album cover.
Very pleasant to listen to.
Listening to Stills without Crosby and Nash is kind of like having a lettuce sandwich without bacon and tomato. Not bad, but definitely missing something that would make it a lot better.
A nice relaxing acoustic sound and style. Reminds me of like a Paul Simon sound maybe. Got groovy at times. Easy to have on in the background
something to play after a funeral
This was quite a nice listen on a Saturday morning, would probably score more with a few more listens
I kinda liked Church. I did just watch Sister Act last night though. So I might have a temporary nostalgic favorable outlook on choirs. Which I will bring this up to a 3 (for the album, the movie is of course a 5).
Crosby Stills Nash and Young are like the Avengers, they have some great solo work but it's when the team comes together that things really get exciting. In this metaphor, Stephen Stills is Thor. Favorite track: probably "Go Back Home"
Pretty nice. I liked most of the other songs more than the famous sone.
acceptable!
Interesting, but not something I would revisit
sing your shit white man!
3.5
Helt ok ändå, bäst när det är kör och gospel. Sämst när den är slow-bluesig. Gillar röst ändå. Och som helhet lite roligare än the average man med gitarr. Lyssna igen: kanske Bästa spår: D - Love the one you’re with DW- we are not helpless Betyg: D- 5av 10 (3 av 5) DW - 5 av 10 (3 av 5)
A decent enough folk/funk album. It feels a bit lost at times, jumps around in style and I imagine that is a lot to do with the guest musicians on the album influencing the sound and songwriting. I like Stills voice, much better than the solo offerings from Kermit (Young). Appreciate the length, 39mins is nice and punchy. Production could be better. It's a 2.5 for me but pushing it up to a 3 because I appreciate the talent and his voice
Never heard him solo - it’s good but never particularly great and really let down by the production..
Good sound except for when you have two sleeping babies in the back, it gets just a little too rousing.
It's alright
#DÍA 11: 1001 Discos Que Hay Que Escuchar Antes De Morir (English Translation Below) 4 álbumes seguidos de los 70’ me hace feliz, aunque éste en concreto no tanto. No conozco a Stephen Stills, pero al investigar el personal del LP quedé bastante sorprendido y me dio muchas ganas de escucharlo. Tenemos un cameo de Hendrix, otro de Clapton (aunque es un absoluto idiota supongo que es inegable que toca bien su instrumento), a Ringo Starr y como ingeniero de sonido a Andy Johns, responsable de los álbumes de Led Zeppelin y otros clásicos. Hay otros nombres poderosos en la lista, pero el disco termina siendo bastante decepcionante, principalmente por la falta de distinción de su artista principal. Literalmente el mayor toque de personalidad de este proyecto está en la jirafa rosa de su portada… Suena bien, en general es sólido, las vocals de Stephen Stills son agradables e inofensivas, aunque cuando intenta añadir algo de vigor y energía a su tono en ocasiones se vuelve ridículo para mí, sobre todo en Black Queen. La canción más pegadiza es Love the One You’re With, aunque la letra es bastante simple (problema constante en el LP) y el mensaje se me hace algo extraño… El mejor tema es en el que Hendrix hace su aparición, tiene más alma y ritmo, posiblemente esto deje ver cierta preferencia mía hacia la leyenda del blues, pero es lo que hay cuando un invitado brilla el cuádruple que el músico de cabeza. Me sabe mal porque la intención tras la música de Stephen Stills posiblemente sea la mejor, pero pienso que es un hueco desaprovechado en la lista. Favoritas: Old Times Good Times, Cherokee Menos favorita: Black Queen #DAY 11: 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die Four consecutive albums from the '70s make me happy, although this one in particular not so much. I didn’t know Stephen Stills, but while researching the personnel involved in the LP, I was quite surprised and really wanted to give it a listen. We’ve got a cameo from Hendrix, another from Clapton (even though he’s an absolute jerk, I guess it’s undeniable that he plays his instrument well), Ringo Starr, and as sound engineer, Andy Johns—responsible for Led Zeppelin albums and other classics. There are other big names on the list, but the album ends up being quite disappointing, mainly because of the lack of distinction of its main artist. Literally, the biggest touch of personality in this project is the pink giraffe on the cover… It sounds good overall, it’s solid, and Stephen Stills’ vocals are pleasant and harmless. But when he tries to add some vigor and energy to his tone, it occasionally comes off as ridiculous to me—especially in Black Queen. The catchiest song is Love the One You’re With, though the lyrics are quite simple (a constant issue throughout the LP) and the message feels a bit strange to me… The best track is the one where Hendrix makes his appearance—it simply has more soul and rhythm. Maybe that just shows my personal preference for the blues legend, but it is what it is when a guest outshines the headlining musician so carelessly. I feel bad because the intent behind Stephen Stills’ music might genuinely be good, but I think it ends up being a missed opportunity in the overall list. Favorites: Old Times Good Times, Cherokee Least favorite: Black Queen
“Love the one you’re with” is a triumph but honestly, the rest of the album is a bit dull.
Kind of interested to know what the pink giraffe thinks about this. It was so-so 70a rock but did get into it a bit more as it went on.
Interesting blend of styles like folk, blues, gospel. Great guitar work. But the lyrics didn’t resonate with me, and the overall style isn’t really my thing.
Very nice 😊
3.33
I liked this album fine, but it’s been my least favorite from the Crosby Stills Nash and Young team and its associated offshoots. Something about it being soulful, but missing the mark a bit, weakens it for me.
Pretty good
Yes, a nice but not amazing album.
This album was exactly what I expected. 70s acoustic guitar rock. I liked it for what it was, but I'm not feeling the need to revisit it
A bit too gospel for me but there were some decent tracks on here
I don't know what exactly I expected from this album, but I don't think it was anything good. The last time I encountered Stephen Stills, he was in a group called Manassas, which I still pronounce "man-ASS-iz," no matter how much I know that's wrong. It might not even be a real band at all, but that's besides the point. MANASSAS was so overwhelmingly fiiiiine that it verged on being boring. Nothing bad at all on the record, just... Bleeeh. So I had to wonder, "Was **this** what I had to look forward to on this album? More crushing fiiiiiine-ness?" Much to my surprise: no, actually. I wouldn't say it was just fiiiiine at all. In fact, I think it's... Pretty good, actually. It doesn't reach much higher than "pretty good," but given what a slog MANASSAS was (72 minutes, too!) I will **gladly** take this. It's not even a very complicated album anyway. It's just some very good 70's guitar rock, whether acoustic or electric, or played by Stills himself or (yes) Jimi Hendrix, who makes a cameo on track 4. Even Eric Clapton, playing his dusty ol' blues licks, does a good job. And when the guitar isn't the focus, there's enough neat organ and piano and stuff to keep me entertained — again: track 4. Seriously, "Good Times Old Times", between the Hendrix guitar and the organ... I love it. Beyond that.... I mean, the guitar and organ **do** very much carry this thing. Certainly, it didn't give me any terribly compelling reason to care about Stephen Stills on his own. Besides his guitar playing, I don't have much to think about his vocals, and as for his lyrics... To be honest, I was too busy focusing on the guitar and organ to figure out what he was actually saying. This is all to say: as a sound, I'm more than fine with this album. I **did** enjoy it. I could honestly see myself occasionally revisiting it whenever I want a taste of this specific sound. But it wouldn't be **that** often, let's be clear. As well, it's not exactly gonna make me wanna dive deeper into Stills's solo discography. Matter of fact, it might just make me wanna listen to that first CSN album. So, yeah: a massive step up over MANASSAS, but only just such.
Breezy folk-rock and funky blues. The music is soulful too. It's a great collection of songs all around. Very good classic rock. "Love the One You're With" is a staple of classic rock radio, but the lyrics have always annoyed me a bit. I feel bad for the girl he's settling for. Like, who wants to be loved when the person who's loving you is still thinking about somebody else? The music is gorgeous though. 3.5
Solid classic rock album with lots of layers and ideas. I actually felt a little overwhelmed at times- like "Love the One You're With" has so much going on that it's hard to focus on one thing when there's a lot of competition for my attention. I also kind of dislike how the bass is mixed on this track because it is so boomy and gives this idea of "fake" volume. Still, it's a great song and the obvious standout on the album. There's some nice contrasts on this record and it goes in a lot of different directions, which I like. "Black Queen" was really a surprise. Great album cover. I love the pink giraffe- what an inclusion in the image.
I read some of the reviews before listening, and I kinda expected to dislike this album. But it was quite nice. I particularly like the instruments on this. Nothing really blew me away or anything. But enjoyable nevertheless
#19 Stephen Stills ~ Stephen Stills It need not be understated that Stills is a very talented technical musician. His skills for composing each keyboard, rhythm guitar, bass and organ for each song is nothing short of impressive. It's for this reason why some consider him the best part of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Without those skills of composition and guitar work, that supergroup wouldn't have the sound it has. Plus the cameos of Hendrix and Clapton are very, very pleasant. Overall, each song is filled with a very endless and effortless groove. And that's about it. Stills is not Crosby, Nash and definitely not Young in terms of songwriting. And I have major gripes with the songwriting. His lyricism is just so painfully dull and unpolished. It's just a bunch of empty climaxes and cheesy runnings of the mouth in some songs, at its worst its arrogant and pretentious. Now I'm all for pretension, but you got to sell me on your inflated mental world, and Stills doesn't really do that. In fact, the more I paid close attention to the lyrics, the more frustrated I found. So good advice to people, just groove to this album. Don't take it so seriously. The music does the job well, and just imagine Stills is speaking in tongues. Then suddenly this album feels quite pleasing. Verdict: That really good guitarist in CSNY
Surprised I got this a few days after Deja Vu. Not as good as that but this utilizes many big name guest appearances including Hendrix, Clapton, and Ringo. Brilliantly produced, sounds great and seems to be a very underrated album both then and now.
nice!
I’m on a bit of a roll with “okay” albums. I don’t hate that de website recommended them to me, but to say they are absolute must hears - no. Stills and his other work with Crosby & co. is always pleasant on the ear and this album is no different. Just a good folky rocky record, with not too many standouts. 3/5
Yllättäen vallan kivaa kuunneltavaa. Gospeltyyli toimii groovaavasti. Vähän ehkä jopa liian taitavaa, vaikka kitaralla ei virtuosoidakaan.
Random thoughts: * The lead track is still so great. I think I heard a little steel drum in the background that I never picked up on before. There's always something new to hear in even longtime favorite tracks. * I got a lot of Joe Cocker vibes from this album. Maybe it was the gospel/soul influence but it was definitely there. * Overall, solid record but none of the other tracks really rose to the level of "Love The One You're With".
Solid if not captivating.
Given the sometimes problematic genre for me and the rather negative reviews on the forum, I was expecting bad things. But no, the album wasn't bad at all, in fact it was quite enjoyable. If it had thrilled me a little more, I might even want to listen to it again. 3/5
A nice album to listen to, not bad, not overly exciting either, showcases his musical diversity, blends the folk rock CSNY type stuff he is known for with blues, gospel, and rock, May come back to it but not in a hurry.
Some nice bluesy rock in here
Very chill. Good chores music
I think, with a gun to my head, I would have attributed Love The One You're With to Fleetwood Mac. Ya learn something new every day I guess
2.5 rounding up....this was pleasant and, like, a little forgettable but not in as bad of a way as other albums on the list. I found a lot of the instrumentation enjoyable to listen to.
One solo Album from Crosby Gut
Good ol' timey songs! Quite church-y! Not my cuppa!
Du skal ikke skue hunden på hårene, men hva skjedde her??? Ok musikk, traust singer-songwriter med kassegitar.
Although this isn’t really the kind of folk rock I’m usually drawn to, this album was still pretty solid. There’s also a nice mix of gospel and blues throughout that adds some variety. One standout element is the lineup of guest musicians, such as Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton both appear on guitar, with Ringo Starr and Booker T. Jones contributing as well. I doubt I’ll come back to this album, but it was definitely worth the listen.
Great music with thoughtful lyrics
So wanted to give this a 4 but some was hit and miss. I reckon with more listens the misses would turn more to hits. Love the One Your With is great.
I didn't think I'd ever heard of Stephen Stills before, or anything he'd done, but the opening track set me straight, at least on the latter count (and the opening paragraph of the Wikipedia entry set me straight on the former count, as of course I've heard of Stills as in Crosby, Stills and Nash/Young). I'm not sure I'll be able to remember the connection long-term, or that Crosby and Nash provided harmonies on it, but it's so nice to have a name to fit with the classic "Love the one you're with". The rest of the album is solid, especially if you enjoy the whole CSN harmonies and humming and soft rock style (which I'll admit isn't really my cup of tea); the highlights for me were probably the Jimi-Hendrix-backed "Old times good times" and "Black queen"; I was hoping the Eric-Clapton-backed "Go back home" too, but it's missing...something...much like a lot of the album. I was also struck by how Stills' solo style occasionally sounds a lot like Joe Cocker, particularly when there's a choir backing him (as on "Church (pt. of someone)"); such a travesty that this is as close as we get to getting a Joe Cocker album in this collection. And how odd that Stills got so many famous artists to join him on the album, yet overall it doesn't rock (or roll) nearly as much as you'd think it should.
"Love the One You're With" is a great song; the rest of the album isn't bad but it's also not as good.
Love The One Your With is a just a classic jam. The production on it is absolutely fantastic. The rest of the album does not come close to meeting the level of quality from the opening song. There are a couple standout songs I enjoyed such as Old Times Good Times (enjoyed all the instrumentals and upbeat pacing) and Black Queen (love the crusty singing and the guitar work). That said, I think this just lands squarely in the 3 territory. Mid-to-high 3.
As corny as it is, I do enjoy Love the One You're With; just a catchy and bright little ditty. Go Back Home is a surprisingly crusty blues jam. Highlight so far for me. Looking at the credits, makes sense given that Clapton is behind the axe. Black Queen was really nice as well, and the funky yazz flute on Cherokee was unexpected, but nice. This was fine-to-good all around. Nothing to get me up out of my seat, but enjoyable nonetheless. 3 / 5.
A lot more jammy than I expected from him. Love the one your with is a classic. A couple songs on here were unexpected shreddy as well. Mid to high 3
On the bright side, it's not a 1. I have had enough of those lately. It's also not a 4 or 5. Is it a 2? Is it a 3? Mostly it's just there. It doesn't suck, but I wouldn't pay money for it. Feeling generous today 2.5 rounded up. Yawn.
It seems like it SHOULD be good, but… At one point I thought a track might’ve been skipped so I went back and listened to the previous song, and didn’t feel sure until the very end that it was in fact the one I had just listened to. That sums up how little impact it made on me.
It was good and there was a lot in it that was influential but not inspiring
No way his fingers aren't frozen in the album cover
Nothing really stood out to me, but it was a nice and chill listen.
Certainly one of the albums of all time. I love Stills as a songwriter, but his songs don't come alive as much without the likes of Crosby and Young. Love The One You're With and Do For The Others are both brilliant songs, but I didn't really have any other stand-out songs on the album. Pleasant enough to listen to but not the most essential thing he's been involved with.
Starts strong, then goes into prolonged jams and lots of noodling I can see why critics like it . Would give another listen but it's not something that has grabbed me
wasn't obsessed!
There are a few pretty good bluesy tracks on this album that I really enjoyed. Then there were some schmaltzier tunes towards the end that will lower its score. Overall though I was pleasantly surprised.
His solo hits. Blusier than I would have given him credit for. Nothing to complain about. Nothing to rave about.
Assuming this is the same guy from CSN(Y), this was, not surprisingly, good. It was livelier than the group stuff so I’ll take it.
Not terrible
- Do for the Others, Go Back Home, To a Flame, Cherokee e We Are The Helpless foram as que mais chamaram atenção. - Bom disco, qualidade de gravação ok, mas não era o que estava no clima para a ouvir no momento.
Other than the last song, which really stands out, it's kind of just your generic 70s singer-songwriter kind of music. Like, I'm honestly not really sure why this is special album other than he's a member of CSNY. And it could just be that I'm missing something or not understanding fully what I'm listening to. That said. "We Are Not Helpless" is a really special song. It saves the album from being a lower/mid-mediocre album to being a good album (in relation to this list). I still don't think as a whole it really does much that's interesting or special, but it's a good listen. Favorite Song(s): We Are Not Helpless
i'm a pretty big csny fan. unfortunately, stephen stills might be 4th out of 4 on my CSNY power rankings. it's not that this album is bad. it's just that, quite frankly, it's kind of nothing. there's one song on it (the one stephen stills solo song anyone knows) and the rest of it is... fine. it's not great. it's not bad. just fine. in the direct aftermath of 'deja vu,' all of his bandmates were doing more interesting, compelling things. this has almost no flavor. the styrofoam of albums.
Solid folk!
Liked it more than anticipated. 3.5
A very OK nothing that special type of album. Nothing offensive but nothing that stands out. 2.5/5 -> 3/5
7/10
Straightforward music. A refreshing change of pace from some of the more artsy concoctions.