At the peak of the so-called Summer of Love back in 1967, the idea of the Rock supergroup was prominent, which was about the idea of many talented Rock musicians working together to make great music. Buffalo Springfield was technically one of such groups. With future stars, such as Stephen Stills and Neil Young as band members, this album is seen as an absolute classic of a fusion of Rock, Psychedelia and Country music. This is likely going to be a strange melting pot of inspired musical influences, so without any further delay, let’s take a listen to this album and hear where it takes us.

Mr. Soul begins with pounding drums, bass guitar riffs and electric guitar parts in separate channels. This is a decent and catchy tune and sounds very much like a late 1960s classic tune. The musicianship on this is amazing and the lyrics are very surreal and psychedelic. There is a nicely edited guitar solo on this tune which sounds really cool. This is instantly fantastic listening, and the mixture of forwards and backwards guitars sounds really cool. Nonetheless, a really cool and enjoyable tune that fades out with repeated lyrics. A good start to an interesting record ahead, by the sounds of it.

A Child’s Claim To Fame begins with lovely acoustic guitars and some very gorgeous Country Music styled singing. This is instantly loveable, and indeed this tune is very much in line with Southern USA styled sound. There are multitracked slide guitars on this song as well, adding to the Country and Western feel. A very pretty tune nonetheless, and it sounds very well delivered. A good listen if you ever feel old-fashioned and nostalgic. Lyrically, it covers heartbreak and this song finishes after only two minutes. Awesome stuff.

Everydays – Live begins with some fuzz-laden electric guitar, nimble bass playing and spacey Psychedelic organ and piano. This, once again, is a fantastic listen and it just sounds awesome. Music is not made like this these days, and this record really does shine bright. If this is the record so far, it is already a solid gold classic. A nice effortless sounding tune, this is a gentle and relaxing piece of music that does one’s ears justice. It ends with strange fuzz-laden guitar feedback in the left channel.

Expecting To Fly begins with some low-frequency sounds in the right channel with some melodies that enter before this tune hits stereo mode along with some violins and acoustic guitars. This eventually launches into a brilliant song that sounds lyrically wonderful and highly Psychedelic. A fine piece of pretty artwork tied in with music, this sounds ridiculously good. The vocals and musicianship are absolutely brilliant, and although there is an undercurrent of melancholy in this song, it is a genuinely amazing and euphoric listen. A brilliant effort throughout, this does sound magical. The outro is magical. A highlight and a must listen from this album.

Bluebird begins with drums and fuzz guitar in the right channel, electric guitar in the left channel and vocals and oddly recorded acoustic guitar over the top. This is a really pretty tune and it doesn’t matter what element of this song you listen to in this song, it is ridiculously good. “She got soul!” is chanted, before a very proto-Led Zeppelin set of guitar overdubs and soloing make this piece thrive. This is a cool piece of music that lasts very well to this day. The wonderfully played acoustic guitar and instrumental soloing are nothing but fantastic here, it just sounds supremely awesome. Obviously, the idea of a Rock supergroup wasn’t a bad one musically. In the second half, everything goes rather quiet, before a solo acoustic guitar leads into a banjo led piece of conclusion. An excellent song and worth repeated listens. Clever and interesting, Buffalo Springfield will amaze you on this album. Great song, all the way through to the fade out.

Hung Upside Down begins with drums, strange keyboard sounds and great guitar playing. This is a song about being caught between a rock and a hard place, metaphorically speaking. It sounds like a joyous listen regardless, and the melodies present in this tune are very nicely placed and played. The music here is youthful, fresh and inspired. Buffalo Springfield are legendary for songs such as these. This is a nice piece of Pop/Rock perfection that the radio stations today would never have the guts to play. The guitar soloing towards the end is really gorgeous. This song finishes up with chanting, some decent playing and a nice finale. Good work.

Sad Memory begins with some very pretty acoustic guitar, followed by gorgeous vocals that paint a musical picture. Instantly, this is an awesome listen, even if it does detail some sad melancholy sort of listening experience. In any case, this is a good piece that is a Classic Rock tearjerker. It is about missing a lady who one is in love with. Perhaps sad, as the title indicates, but so lovely and interesting listen that this does not bore one at all. Another solid gold classic is here.

Good Time Boy begins with some crashing drums, weird melodies and strange vocal sections before the singing begins. This is a good song with a large variety of musical instrumentation within. Of course, this was 1967 and the era of The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, so this approach is to be expected. This is a decent listen all the same, and it sounds really fun and uplifting here. An awesome dual-tracked set of saxophone solos are in the second half of this super short tune, and this is played marvellously. There are some screamed vocals to conclude this song. Nice work.

Rock & Roll Woman begins with acoustic guitars in the left channel that are intertwined with electric guitars in the right channel. This is about a Georgian (USA state) lady who is into Rock and Roll, as the title says. The mixture of singing and fine musicianship are present on this album, and Buffalo Springfield shows the musical world that they could do very well at their art. In the second half are some beautiful harmonies intertwined with acoustic guitar, which is extremely difficult to find on most records. A nice effort as we approach the end of this amazing album.

Broken Arrow is the last track and the longest, being over six minutes in length. It begins with some crowd cheering before Buffalo Springfield plays this tune to an audience before the studio song kicks in to replace it. An odd mish-mash of live and studio recording. Soon enough, this launches into a wonderful tune that sounds really fine, whimsical and beautiful. The acoustic guitars and smooth vocals sound ridiculously great on this album and song. There is an intermission present with more live recordings being played of a crowd, just before a circus like organ enters. This is followed by some other neat sounds, before launching into the next verse of this song. This is an interesting, intricate and lovely listen that sounds like an emotionally powerful and wonderful piece of music. There are many intermissions throughout this song, but hey, it was 1967 after all, which was the era of weird. This still sounds wonderfully decent and performed fantastically for a song of this sort. A string section then enters the right channel in the second half of the song, adding to the suspense and flavour of the song. Soon enough, a rather bizarre clarinet section enters into the last part of the song, along with cheerful sounding piano and excellent drumming. The tune fades out and the album concludes with the sound of a heartbeat pounding. Excellent work.

This is a very wonderful, nicely played, performed and delivered album that anyone who likes Country Rock mashed up with Psychedelia, or those who love late 1960s music should enjoy and embrace. It paved the way for crossover music from this era, which only became more noticeable as time goes on. If you are bored of hearing The Beatles on repeat, do yourself a favour and check out this album. Sure, it’s a mish-mash but one that fits the musical context of 1967 superbly.

Brilliant.

9/10