Record basics

• Album name: Retrospective: The Best of Buffalo Springfield
• Group name: Buffalo Springfield
• Year: 1969
• Number of discs: one
• Label: Atco
• Collection: Brenner / Gessner
• Distinguishing characteristics: my parents had two copies of this album. My mother’s has no markings, and my father’s has a “G” written on top left of album.
• Buy it on Amazon: $12.97

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

For whatever reason, I don’t think I’ve ever listened to this record, though I am familiar with Buffalo Springfield and with Neil Young and Stephen Stills (Déjà Vu, So Far, Woodstock, 2).

What I expected

Rock, folk rock.

What it was actually like

Besides the iconic For What It’s Worth, that I thought might be the only Buffalo Springfield song I could name, it turns out that I am well acquainted with a lot of their work, with Mr. Soul and Go and Say Goodbye also both classic hits.

I assumed this record would be all right, but I enjoyed it a lot! It was especially cool to hear how much influence Neil Young had on the group and how great a songwriter and how Neil-Youngy a singer he already was in the mid 1960s, with songs like Broken Arrow, Sit Down, I Think I love You and I Am A Child almost belonging more on “Harvest” or “After the Gold Rush.”

There were some down points on the record, like the slower and more bluesy Kind Woman, but overall, even the non-hits were great.

Grade

5/5: love it