Buffalo Springfield - Selftitled (2017 Mono Remaster US 1966)

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Source: 24-Bit Remaster 2017

Buffalo Springfield is the eponymous debut album by the folk rock band Buffalo Springfield, released in December 1966 on Atco Records. It peaked at #80 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart. It is the first album to feature the songwriting of future stars Stephen Stills and Neil Young.

Background and content:
Buffalo Springfield were formed in early 1966, playing their first gig at The Troubadour club in Hollywood in April of that year. An initial single that appeared on this album, Young's "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing" sung by Richie Furay, failed to reach the national charts but made the Top 40 locally in Los Angeles during August. This album was recorded in the summer of 1966 at Gold Star Studios where Phil Spector created his "Wall of Sound" and Brian Wilson produced recordings by The Beach Boys, including Pet Sounds the same year. Young sings lead on only two of his five compositions, Furay singing lead on the other three.

The album was produced by the group's managers, Charles Greene and Brian Stone, both of whom had minimal experience as record producers. The group was reportedly unhappy with the sound of the album, feeling that it didn't reflect the intensity of their live shows. 

The band asked Atco for time to re-record the album, but not wanting to miss the Christmas holiday season the label insisted that the record be released as it was. However, they did give Stills and Young permission to personally mix the mono version of the album themselves, and the members of the band have long insisted that their mono version is superior to the stereo version.

Buffalo Springfield was originally released in both mono and stereo versions as Atco SD 33-200. The inner sleeve contained band profiles of each member in the mode of those for Tiger Beat. Recorded the day the LP was released and issued soon after, the band's new single by Stills "For What It's Worth" became a national hit, making the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in March 1967. For the second pressing of March 6, 1967, the album was reissued as Atco SD 33-200A with the hit as the lead track, dropping "Baby Don't Scold Me" and slightly reconfiguring the running order. "Baby Don't Scold Me" has never been reissued in stereo; all compact disc releases feature only the mono mix.

The album was remastered in HDCD and reissued on June 24, 1997 with two versions on one disc, the mono tracks from Atco 33-200 first with the stereo tracks from SD 33-200A following. Not contained were the stereo mix of "Baby Don't Scold Me" from Atco SD 33-200 or the mono mix of "For What It's Worth" from Atco 33-200A. Strangely, "Burned" has also never been issued in stereo for unknown reasons. It redundantly appears twice on this disc in mono.

Recording sessions took place at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles from July 18 to September 11, 1966, with "For What It's Worth" recorded at Columbia Studios in Los Angeles on December 5, 1966.

The band themselves were displeased with this record, feeling that the production did not capture their on-stage energy and excitement. Yet to most ears, this debut sounds pretty great, featuring some of their most melodic and accomplished songwriting and harmonies, delivered with a hard-rocking punch. 

"For What It's Worth" was the hit single, but there are several other equally stunning treasures. Stephen Stills' "Go and Say Goodbye" was a pioneering country-rock fusion; his "Sit Down I Think I Love You" was the band at their poppiest and most early Beatlesque; and his "Everybody's Wrong" and "Pay the Price" were tough rockers. 
Although Neil Young has only two lead vocals on the record (Richie Furay sang three other Young compositions), he's already a songwriter of great talent and enigmatic lyricism, particularly on "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing," "Out of My Mind," and "Flying on the Ground Is Wrong." 

The entire album bursts with thrilling guitar and vocal interplay, with a bright exuberance that would tone down considerably by their second record. [Some reissues present both mono and stereo mixes of the album, and include "Baby Don't Scold Me" (which was on the first pressing of the record, but was soon replaced by "For What It's Worth").

Mono Album:
This was our first recording, and, as you might imagine, we were all excited. Our managers were producing us. We did not know much about making records and neither did they. The recording hasflaws, but the songs were good. This Rhino-Remaster was done by our team, who used the original (not copies) mono tapes. This version is superior to any pre-existing version, including the last edition. The Bass, which was low in the first version release, is now back the way it was in the studio. The sonic landscape ia at it was in the beginning, especially on the vinyl version. That version is superior. The CD version is good, too, better than any previous edition. (Neil Young)

★ Stephen Stills — vocals, guitars, keyboards
★ Neil Young — vocals, guitars, harmonica, piano
★ Richie Furay — vocals, rhythm guitar
★ Bruce Palmer — bass guitar
★ Dewey Martin — drums, backing vocals

01. "Go and Say Goodbye" (July 18)  Stephen Stills, Richie and Steve  02:20
02. "Sit Down, I Think I Love You" (August)  Stephen Stills,Richie and Steve  02:30
03. "Leave" (August) Stephen Stills Steve with Richie  02:42
04. "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing" (July 18) Neil Young, Richie with Steve and Neil  03:24
05. "Hot Dusty Roads" (August) Stephen Stills, Steve with Richie  02:47
06. "Everybody's Wrong" (August)  Stephen Stills, Richie with Steve and Neil  02:25
07. "Flying on the Ground Is Wrong" (September 10)  Neil Young, Richie with Steve and Neil  02:40
08. "Burned" (August) Neil Young, with Richie and Steve  02:15
09. "Do I Have to Come Right Out and Say It" (August)  Neil Young, Richie with Steve and Neil  03:04
10. "Baby Don't Scold Me" (August)  Stephen Stills, Richie and Steve  03:04
11. "Out of My Mind" (August)  Neil Young, with Richie and Steve  03:06
12. "Pay the Price" (August)  Stephen Stills, Steve with Richie  02:36
13. "For What It's Worth" (December 5)  Stephen Stills, with Richie and Dewey  02:40

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