Stephen Stills: show your love & appreciation Steve Stills debut and "2" often are recognized as his best, but there are so many solo albums, not to mention his Springfield, CSNY, and recent collaborations well worth our love. Stills' songwriting is untouchable when at his best, and his voice is so distinctively beautiful. And of course his growth on the guitar has been noting short of phenomenal, especially as he progressed so impressively from Springfield's debut to Again! Stills Alone (1991) stands out for me today! I love his "new" reading of "Singing Call" here:
When I get into a Stephen Stills mood nothing else will do. Love his stuff with CSN (and sometimes Y) and his first two solo albums are great too. But! Try as I might I cannot get into the Manassas album. I have tried and tried but it dulls me right out.
There's no way Stephen Stills 2 is more highly regarded than the mighty Manassas, but all three are great!
It's either Stephen Stills 2 or Manassas for me. Anybody know what beautiful guitar Stills is holding in the snow pic. I think it's a vintage Martin, but no idea of the model. Stunning.
He was brilliant through the Manassas album, then he seemed to lose it after that. Just a few great songs afterwards, mostly on the CSN and Daylight Again albums. Super talented multi instrumentalist and songwriter I thought I read somewhere that he has a super high IQ, can't remember where I saw that
The material he recorded and the songs he wrote between 1966 and 1977 was at least as good as anything that any other artist did in that time period. His contributions to Buffalo Springfield, CSN, CSNY, and Manassas, and solo material from that period is an astonishing body of work. Underrated guitarist, electric and acoustic. Brilliant bassist, keyboardist, arranger, and producer.
I love Stills, but I also feel a little frustrated about him because of his patchy output since then.
What a run from: Buffalo Springfield Buffalo Springfield Again Last Time Around Crosby, Stills & Nash Deja Vu Stephen Stills Stephen Stills 2 Manassas Astonishing.
Great list. I would add Stills and CSN. He was great through 77. Great as a writer, a singer, an arranger, and a player. Over time what he did sort of went out of fashion. Too smooth for rock, but not polished enough for pop. Plus Neil started to be seen on a whole different level, and Stills had a hard time with that. Oh, and coke and booze and congenital hearing problems took their toll. I’ll try to say more when I have more time. I’m a big fan of the first decade of Stephen Stills.
Unsure he's often inspired as a songwriter anymore and his singing is erratic. But he can still play with intensity and extreme fluidity, and I wish he'd collaborate with a few peers who aren't named Judy or Neil. Like a band built around him and Clapton could be interesting Or Stills, Ritchie Furay and Chris Hillman. Or Steve Winwood and Steve Van Zandt - "The Steves"
