By now it's getting crowded on my "best albums ever" list. Even a top 100 gets filled eventually. I'm checking the magazine and site ratings and although they differ to some extent, about the same ones comes in high everywhere. A personal list is something else, often connected to memories, emotions and sometimes passion. So even if "Sgt. Pepper", "Dark Side Of The Moon" and "Exile On Main Street" certainly have their place on mine, Stephen Stills' first solo album sometimes provides even better listening for me. Not only because it takes me back to the early seventies, the partying and Mia - a teen true love who adored the song "Church" and sang it with made-up lyrics. This LP has no fillers or mediocre cuts - it's all so well written and performed every second counts. I doubt any other album through the years had a cast even close to this - David Crosby, Graham Nash, Ringo Starr, Booker T, John Sebastian, Rita Coolidge, Cass Elliot, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. Sometimes too many cooks spoil the broth, but not here. With all that skill involved it's still warm and friendly, harmonic and touching. He never topped this - before or after. Favorite cuts - "Church", "Old Times Good Times" and "Cherokee". Premiere US on Atlantic (SD 7202). Early UK had plum label as shown here and E. J. Day fully laminated cover, some of the first in imported US sleeve. Last pic is of Mia and me in the park 1971, at a time we listened a lot to the album. (ÄTHP*) (ZHÄ*)
Cute pic. What year were you born?
SvaraRaderaI have not heard the plum pressing, but my orig. USA press with Artisan symbol on deadwax sounds pretty good. Stills' mixes from this era tend to have goosed bass & boosted highs (also on the first CSN LP). IMO, he should have left a capable engineer to do the work. But a pretty good album. I like how all registers are pulled open on the first track, only to be followed by this downhearted little acoustic song.
Yup everything was cute back then if you didn't inhale too much :) Born 1953 so I reached the big 60 a month ago.
RaderaThe audio on this UK plum isn't 100% to my ears, not all natural so it's probably as You say. Will check the Artisan US if I can find it, would love to hear it with a more open sound.
Belated congrats on your anniversary! 1971 must have been a great time to be alive. Mind you, I wasn't there yet.
SvaraRaderaUSA copies are regularly seen here in the Netherlands. It's actually this UK Plum you have here that I have never encountered before in person. Not too many sold of those here on the mainland, despite CSNY's glory days.
Thanks. Yes it was pretty great - at least in Sweden. No cencorship, few laws and regulations and no Big Brother checking in on everything. There were lots of money and the future was bright - at least that was what we believed :)
SvaraRaderaLate plum was UK only and other European countries mostly got US. I will try a US if I can find the recommended one. Don't expect the plum to blow your mind - the audio is OK, but no more.