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Buffalo Springfield Box Set

Buffalo Springfield - Buffalo Springfield Box Set Audio CD

A fair review of the Buffalo Springfield "Buffalo Springfield Box Set" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Buffalo Springfield reviews here, or go back to the Buffalo Springfield tabs.

Band: Buffalo Springfield
Title: Buffalo Springfield Box Set
Rating:

Release Date: 2001-07-17
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: There Goes My Babe (demo) 2: Come On (demo) 3: Hello, I've Returned (demo) 4: Out Of My Mind (demo) 5: Flying On The Ground Is Wrong (demo) 6: I'm Your Kind Of Guy (demo) 7: Baby Don't Scold Me (demo) 8: Neighbor Don't You Worry (demo) 9: We'll See (demo) 10: Sad Memory (demo) 11: Can't Keep Me Down (demo) 12: Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing 13: Go And Say Goodbye 14: Sit Down I Think I Love You 15: Leave 16: Hot DustyRoads 17: Everybody's Wrong 18: . Burned 19: Do I Have To Come Right Out And Say It 20: Out Of My Mind 21: Pa The PRice 22: Down Down Down (demo) 23: Flying On The Ground Is Wrong 24: Neighbor Don't You Worry (remix) 25: Down Down Down (remix) 26: Kahuna Sunset 27: Buffalo Stomp (raga) 28: Baby Don't Scold Me 29: For What's Worth 30: Mr. Soul 31: We'll See 32: My Kind Of Love 33: Pretty Girl Why (previously unreleased mix) 34: Words I Must Say (demo) 35: Nobody's Fool 36: So You've Got A Lover 37: My Angel 38: No Sun Today 39: Everydays 40: Down To The Wire 41: Bluebird 42: Expecting To Fly 43: Hung Upside Down (demo) 44: A Child's Claim To Fame 45: Rock & Roll Woman 46: Hung Upside Down 47: Good Time Boy 48: One More Sign (demo) 49: The Rent Is Always Due (demo) 50: Round And Round And Round 51: Old Laughing Lady (demo) 52: Broken Arrow 53: Sad Memory 54: On The Way Home 55: Whatever Happened To Saturday Night (remix) 56: Special Care 57: Falcon Lake (Ash On The Floor; remix) 58: What A Day 59: I Am A Child 60: Questions 61: Merry-G-Round 62: Uno Mondo 63: Kind Of Woman 64: It's So Hard To Wait 65: Four Days Gone (demo) 66: For What It's Worth 67: Go And Say Goodbye 68: Sit Down I Think I Love You 69: Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing 70: Hot Dusty Roads 71: Everybody's Wrong 72: Flying On The Ground Is Wrong 73: Burned 74: Do I Have To Come Right Out And Say It 75: Leave 76: Out Of My Mind 77: Pay The Price 78: Baby Don't Scold Me 79: Mr. Soul 80: Child's Claim To Fame 81: Everydays 82: Expecting To Fly 83: Bluebird 84: Hung Upside Down 85: Sad Memory 86: Good Time Boy 87: Rock & Roll Womm 88: Broken Arrow

A Quality Box Set...No Broken Arrows!!!
I am not going to quibble with the lack of the 10-minute (or is it 11??) version of Bluebird. Simply put, this is an extremely listenable box set. Or the lack of live material: I''ve heard lots of rough tapes of BS live and though they are excellent, the quality is very poor. The HDCD mastering by Neil Young's team (John Nowland-Redwood Digital) is plainly and simply the best Springfield you'll ever hear. There are plenty of demos from the writers (Stills, Furay and Young) and I think each is given his fair share of space on the box. There are many different versions of songs and some hidden unreleased gems. But, as one other reviewer said to all the complainers: It's the listenability of these discs and the way they flow that gives the box set it's value. And no, I am not biased toward Neil Young. . . I will not buy his archives. Yes, there is some repetition here. . . but it's really not a flaw, just a way of grouping and listening. Too bad this box is out of print. . . worth looking around and buying used!.

HOW TO ENJOY THE BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD BOX SET
But never the less, here I am, reviewing the somewhat controversial Buffalo Springfield box set, all these years later! I was introduced to this band at the age of four when I pulled out a copy of their debut album from out of my mother's record collection, took it to her and asked "Is this The Beatles?" ANYWHO! I got 1969's "Retrospective" on cassette when I was just ten years old and fell in love with every single song. Well, as usual, I'm a day late and a dollar short (literally) when it comes to reviewing a music release that I should have purchased and reviewed the DAY it was released. When I was in the fifth grade, Buffalo Springfield was probably my second favorite band, right after The Beatles.

So what's up with this box set?!?! Is it good? Is it bad? It it the result of Neil Young's ego? Do you care? What do you make of what appears to be a confusing mess of tracks with no rhyme or reason? Well, there is a rhyme and there is a reason and here's how a fan might want to approach it in order to enjoy this four disc collection. It's basically the STORY of The Buffalo Springfield. Think of it as a an audio documentary, going through demos and finished songs as the story of the band unfolds track by track. The first three discs combine demos and finished album cuts in order of how they were recorded, complete with recording dates listed in the accompanying booklet. Disc One: 1966, Disc Two: 1966-1967, Disc Three: 1967-1968. For disc four, we have the two studio albums in their entirety that the band consider their TRUE albums, "Buffalo Springfield" and "Buffalo Springfield Again. " "Last Time Around" was issued by Atco in July of 1968 and was put together by the record company. The band had already split up by the time of it's release so the tracks from "Last Time Around" are presented individually as tracks recorded from their last sessions, not as a complete album in the band's catalog. Makes sense to me. However three cuts are missing from "Last Time Around. " Why? I don't know but I could offer up a few theories.

Where is "In The Hour Of Not Quite Rain?" Well, it's my guess that there may have been copyright issues with this particular track. A one Micki Callen of Reseda, CA wrote the song's lyrics (credited to Callen/Furray), as the winner of KHJ's Radio "Words" Contest. He (she?) won $1,000 plus publishing royalties for the song so there may be red tape involved. The track was included on 1973's anthology album, but that was 1973 and not 2001. You know how it is nowadays. As for "Carefree Country Day," COM'ON! It may be just my personal opinion but I'd like to know how many people really, really like this song. I find it a bit lame myself. It would have been a nice song for Loggins and Messina or possibly a Country Time Lemonade commercial (seriously, who didn't think of that). I think the previously unreleased track from Ritchie Furray, "Whatever Happened To Saturday Night?" would have made a much better contender for the album.

What about the album version of "On The Way Home?" Well, in Neil's eyes, this "original" version was probably more appropriate for the box set. I'm missing the punch of that horn section though! Mind you this is the ONLY track from the band's end stage that features all five original members playing on it and listen to how great it is! Makes you wish the Springfield could have just got their crap together and continued on as a recording/performing band! Since the horns were added after the fact, Neil most likely wanted to keep it real for this set. Still missing those horns though. If the Springfield HAD pulled together for one last record, no doubt it would've been a killer. .

Not a Treasure
" I bring that bit of trivia up not to provide another piece of evidence that I misspent my youth, but rather to establish that I really did have high hopes of being bowled over by this release. Back in 1969 I used to wear a beat-up cloth jacket on which I had written in big, bright letters across the back, "Buffalo Sringfield Lives. Alas, that was not to be.

Of the four disks in this set, only the final two merit any sort of repeat listening. The first two have their moments, but overall there is just too much demo material and filler that sounds awfully weak. Disk 3 is an interesting assortment of alternate cuts, demos, and hits, and the 4th disk contains remastered versions of the group's first two albums. Particularly enjoyable on Disk 3 are some early versions of tunes that Neil Young would later record on his solo album.

The booklet consists largely of old press clippings, and is somewhat disappointing in not providing a more in-depth history of the group. (And hey, whatever happened to Jim Messina? None of his music is included in the four disks. ) All in all, there some interesting things to be found in this box, but when you get right down to it, the music of Buffalo Springfield sounds better when played back in the imagination than on a 21st-century stereo system.

It could have been better
He was my least favorite in the band. Neil Young and his overblown ego compiled this, so there are more Neil Young tunes and more variations on those tunes than anyone else. . I much prefer Furay and Stills. Richie Furay seems to be the only one who is not totally full of himself and is appreciative of what the band had done to music and his friendship with the surviving members continue.
His book on Buffalo Springfield seems like a fair representaion of what went on and he is not one to place blame. He always has a respectful view on what happened.
He is a Pastor now and a devout Christian. . and if for some reason that puts you off. . . you should still read his autobiography.
He just seemed like the right guy to tell the honest story and he should have been the one to put this collection together.

Pickin' Up the Pieces: The Heart and Soul of Country Rock Pioneer Richie Furay

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The most legendary song was left out
I remember listening to Stereo X FM Underground while growing up in SoCal in the 60's and from time to time they would play the 11-minute version of Bluebird. I'm a rabid Buffalo Springfield fan and have covered their music in a number of bands. The 9-minute version exists on the 1971 compilation vinyl (I have it), but unfortunately the full 11-minute version wasn't included on this boxed set. I spoke with Stills a few years ago at Summer NAMM in Nashville and he told me the master tape containing the 11-minute version still exists but that he didn't want it on the boxed set because the final jam falls apart. Still for those of us who are major fans of the Buffalo Springfield, this would not have mattered. What we want is special historical music insights and golden moments, and the 11-minute version would have gone a long way to making a so-so boxed set into a far better collector's treasure.

You can see a complete list of all Buffalo Springfield discography, or go back to the Buffalo Springfield tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.