Buffalo Springfield
Last Time Around - AM Records 1969 Comments:Buffalo Springfield´s last album is a somewhat uneven affair. Neil Young was out of the band before the album was finished, and he only contributes 2 and a half songs. Vocally he is only audible on the fine country-styled “I Am a Child”. Young's opening track, “On the Way Home”, is another highlight sung by Richie Furay.
With Young out, it was up to Steven Stills and Richie Furay to come up with new material. Stills is a fine songwriter, but some of his songs here sound a little uninspired. The light “Pretty Girl Why” is a pleasant classical Buffalo Springfield song. “Special Care” ( the “heaviest” track on the album ) and “Questions” are both great recordings.
Richie Furay has penned two fine ( and two weak ) songs for the album. The catchy “Merry-Go-Round” is a fine song that may have had hit-potentials. His closing track “Kind Woman” is a strong country ballad - actually there is also a lot of “soul” in the song, and I would have loved to hear Otis Redding do a version.
The rest of the album is more or less throwaways. One is almost unlistenable ( the sirupy “The Hour of not Quite Rain”)
With at least 6 strong tracks this is a must have for any fan of Stills and Young.
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