Five songs by the Buffalo Springfield. This band was only together for about three years, but what a legacy they left. Three albums and out, the last album was a piecemeal collection of songs recorded mostly separately by new bass player Jim Messina. By the end, Buffalo Springfield was just a name with spirits that had flown.
“For What it’s Worth” From the self-titled 1966 debut album. A protest song, not aimed at the Vietnam War, but rather the protests and police response going on the Sunset Strip over noise and gathering by young people at the music venues. Written by Stephen Stills. “Produced” by managers Charles Greene and Brian Stone, more likely the studio engineers and the band. According to the album notes, Stills and Neil Young contributed keyboards in addition to their guitar work. The song reach number seven on the chart. What I’ve always loved about the song, besides the right-on lyrics, and the great guitar riff, is Stills’ vocal delivery. In a way, it’s a rap style, talking some of the lyrics.
“Expecting to Fly” From Buffalo Springfield Again (1967), the second album. By this time the band was already recording their songs separately from each other. Young produced the song with arranger Jack Nitzsche. From the album notes, Young was the only member of the band to appear on the song. Young would use members of the Wrecking Crew like Carol Kaye, Don Randi and Jim Gordon. “Expecting to Fly” at Canterbury House.
“Sad Memory” Also from Buffalo Springfield Again (1967), the second album. Written by Richie Furay, who also produced. This ballad has sparse instrumentation, with Furay on acoustic guitar and Young on an electric guitar solo. I always loved this song, it’s plaintive and melancholic. Furay is an excellent vocalist and he’s very effective here. Here is Furay playing the song in 2015.
“Bluebird” Album version. Also from Buffalo Springfield Again (1967). Written by Stills, who also produced, with help from Ahmet Ertegun. The song is written with several selections, and recorded in three different versions. The banjo was played by Charlie Chin. This is really a guitar song that incorporates Stills’ fingerpicking acoustic guitar skills along side the raw, electric guitar work of Young. The nine minute, long version, is Stills and Young going at it in a guitar duel, one of the few times other than a live recording, where these two skilled guitar players face off. I’m proving links to two of the three versions of the song. “Bluebird” long version
“On the Way Home” From the final band album, Last Time Round (1968). Written by Young, with lead vocals by Richie Furay, who occasionally sang lead on a Young song. Whether Young lacked the traditional lead vocalist voice, he would soon prove that his voice had a distinctive quality and going forward would sing his own songs.
When the dream came
I held my breath with my eyes closed
I went insane
Like a smoke ring day when the wind blows
Now I won’t be back ’till later on
If I do come back at all
Young displayed his ability to construct intriguing imagery and a tender poignancy to his songs. “On the Way Home” would be in his setlist for several years after he went solo, then it would sporadically reappear later in his career. “On the Way Home” at Massey Hall.
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