I just recently went through the Buffalo Springfield's catalogue. I've always thought the first one is fine, the second one Again is a straight up masterpiece. The perfect amalgamation of what this band was, with everyone firing on all cylinders. Just a great 30-40 minutes of music. That one's the legacy as this article rightly points out.
I forgot how uneven Last Time Around is. I guess thats obviously because its essentially a cobbled together effort and not a true concerted album on their parts. Its just what was left and what they could pull together. And hey, in that respect, its pretty good. You have stone cold classics on there with Kind Woman, I Am A Child, Questions, and On The Way Home. Like all 4 of those were staples for their respective people for the rest of their careers. But on an album all together it just feels off. The record never really takes off. Its like a collection of outtakes, even if those outtakes are legendary songs. But it doesn't groove as an ALBUM. So I've always had a love-hate relationship with the record, in that I don't actually hate it but I guess in terms of its legacy drifting between "its great for what it is" vs "I wouldn't necessarily call it a record." Its like the start of 3 really great albums for all of them.
Good article though. Some really interesting insights about it. Makes it even more amazing that it came together at all. This is a truly great document of their reunion:
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This really highlighted all the best elements of them, with all the guys seemingly really giving it their all. I thought this was more of a fitting cap to the band than Last Time Around is. I wished they'd released a live album from their reunion, cause they killed it for 6 or so shows till Neil was Neil and just bounced. But I highly encourage any Buffalo Springfield fan to watch that as its just fantastic.