80. Buffalo Springfield - Buffalo Springfield Again

Artist: Buffalo Springfield
Album: Buffalo Springfield Again
Year: 1967

Buffalo Springfield Again was Buffalo Springfield's second album. Shocker.

These guys were best known for the era-defining "For What It's Worth," and for launching the careers of Stephen Stills and a young Canadian by the name of Neil Young. These two would reunite as half of Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young in due time--one of rock's first "supergroups."

Outside of "For What It's Worth" I hadn't really heard anything else by Buffalo Springfield. I was expecting psychedelia-tinged folk-rock, and that's exactly what this album was. I've gotta say, there are some really, really good songs in this set.

It didn't start off too hot in my opinion. "Mr. Soul" is the opening number here, a Young-penned tune that is kind of a Byrds-ian take on The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction." I've gotta say, I really do not understand the appeal of Neil Young's voice. I respect the man as a songwriter, but there's a whiny quality to his voice that I can't really get past. Anyhow, this song had Young on vocals and was derivative of the Stones--a bad combo if there ever was one, seeing as The Rolling Stones are the most overrated band in the history of music.

After that, though, this was a really pleasing set of songs. There are gentle folk-rockers like "A Child's Claim to Fame" and "Rock and Roll Woman," forays into jazzy psychedelia as on "Everydays," and CSNY-harbingers like "Bluebird." I feel like some of these songs really could've been big hits, and if they were, I hadn't heard them. "Bluebird" in particular seems like it should've had a place on the Forrest Gump soundtrack or something. I guess "For What It's Worth" made the cut instead. Tough to compete there. I think I've heard "Rock and Roll Woman" on classic rock radio before. Maybe. It could've been a number of CSNY songs instead that sound virtually the same. It's got that nice early 70's soft-rock sound going on, like America's "Ventura Highway." I guess what we're seeing here is that maybe Stills and Young were the true purveyors of that band's songwriting.

I would stop short of calling Buffalo Springfield Again absolutely essential, but I enjoyed this album more than most I've heard lately. That's saying something.

Rating: Worth repeated listens