Stephen Stills’ Artistry— It Super Session 2
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ISSUE #26 MMUSICMAG.COM ISSUE #26 MMUSICMAG.COM MUSICIAN How was recording Can’t Get Enough? We were recording everything, and you ESSENTIAL STILLS It was the most fun I’ve had in the studio hear a lot of loitering on the tapes—people in a long time—and it only took a week. It’s talking and hanging out. I don’t know who just Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Barry was recording what, so I’ll call BS on the BUFFALO Goldberg—from the old Mike Bloomfield days idea there’s an album’s worth. SPRINGFIELD, in Chicago—and me. Barry’s a contemporary AGAIN (1967) of Al Kooper and was on the original Super Did you sense Hendrix was heading Every component of Session album. In fact, we started out calling for a fall? Stephen Stills’ artistry— it Super Session 2. Kenny Wayne plays a No. But he would take everything that well-honed songwriting, mastery of guitar lot like Stevie Ray Vaughan, so it was like anybody threw at him—and a lot of good styles, that burnished voice—was in place having the ghosts of Stevie Ray Vaughan people didn’t make it through that time. in his earliest recordings. On this second and Jimi Hendrix in the studio. Pretty scary. Once I had broken my hand and could Springfield set, he and Neil Young find their only use two fingers. I got this call: “Jimi oddly simpatico groove on classics like What did you learn while assembling Hendrix’s office is calling you. Don’t take the “Bluebird” and “Rock & Roll Woman.” the boxed set? job.” I went, “What job?” I didn’t find out until That I did a lot of stuff real fast—I recorded [Experience drummer] Mitch Mitchell’s book MIKE BLOOMFIELD/ everything I could think of. Some was good, that they were trying to reach me because AL KOOPER/STEVE some was eh. I’d have a great melody and there was a tremendous row between Jimi STILLS, SUPER write really stupid words because I was in and Noel Redding, and they wanted me to SESSION (1968) a hurry. I have songs that are fairly complex finish up the tour with them, on bass. All three principals on this and then I have virtual jingles, like “Love landmark recording were between bands the One You’re With.” That song is actually Recall your first recording? when they got together to jam. In doing multilayered—the line about “the rose in the For reasons known only to my father, we so, they opened up to rock what jazzers fisted glove” refers to an English icon, a went to Costa Rica. I happened to have a had always known: Playing with a defined chainmail glove with a rose in it. It comes guitar, and there was absolutely nothing group is not a requirement. The jam-band from the [15th century] War of the Roses. to do except play the guitar. We’d been movement was born. Living in Britain in the early 1970s was there for a few months, and I played here my salvation. That’s when my creativity in and there at parties. One day a fellow said STEPHEN STILLS Eleanor songwriting exploded. to me, “I’ve got a whole apartment full of (1970) electronic gear, all the good stuff. I’ll record With Crosby, Stills, Nash S tills you because nobody has yet.” I was 16, and and Young already ‘Neil [Young] and I he wasn’t kidding: It was wall-to-wall, two splintering, Stills cut his first rooms of electronic equipment. He had good solo album at a time when he was enjoying just started playing. microphones and maybe a Uher or a Grundig a burst of compositional creativity. Drawing reel-to-reel recorder. It came out beautifully, on his loves—acoustic tunefulness, rock It meshed—we both and I don’t know how it survived, but my guitar, the blues—and with help from friends STEPHEN STILLS sister saved it. The guitar style emerged Eric Clapton, Hendrix, Crosby and Nash, he His career at 60 years and counting, an icon looks back—and forward have the same kind whole—exactly the way I play now. Don’t created a masterwork. know if I have the jackhammer thumb I used By Jeff Tamarkin of mind.’ to—I’ve developed a little carpal tunnel—but MANASSAS, MANASSAS that’s amazing. The song is silly. I’d written (1972) EVEN AT 82 TRACKS PACKED ONTO FOUR CDS, Unlike many of his peers, Stills has maintained a regular How were the demos different from the it about the only thing I knew, moving house, It might have seemed that Carry On, the new Stephen Stills retrospective boxed set, barely presence since those heady classic rock days when Southern final mixes? because we were always moving. I’m glad Stills was drifting when scratches the surface of one of rock’s most iconic careers. After California was the center of the world. But when it came time to With David [Crosby]’s song “The Lee it starts the box because it is the first thing he teamed with ex-Byrd all, how can one afternoon’s listening encapsulate a half-century finally tie together the threads of his career with a boxed set, Stills left Shore,” for example, I was trying to get that I recorded. Chris Hillman and a handful of players of creativity? We first heard Stills in 1966 with Buffalo Springfield what he calls “the heavy lifting” to his old pal Graham Nash and Joel an arrangement. It was like, “Here’s how I to play some folk, blues and a dollop of (“For What It’s Worth” remains a definitive ’60s protest anthem), Bernstein, a photographer and producer who goes back to the CSN picture the song, Dave, what do you think?” Who were your early influences? country. But rather than ramble aimlessly, before he moved on to superstardom with Crosby, Stills and Nash days. “I move forward,” says Stills. “I’m glad this set is done and I can It was more like, “I borrowed your car and My heroes were Elmore James, Howlin’ this overlooked slice of post-’60s madness (and sometimes Young) and finally a prolific solo career. give it to my friends and they can listen to what I’ve been wasting my had it painted. Do you like turquoise?” Wolf, Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley. I liked adheres miraculously. Stills performed at all three of the major ’60s rock festivals— time on for 60 years. That’s how long ago it was when I got paid for Another one is “Forty-Nine Reasons,” which pre-Nashville Appalachian country music, the Monterey, Woodstock and the ill-fated Altamont. Acknowledged as the first time to play music, the start of this nice, comfortable life.” became “49 Bye-Byes.” I played everything real stuff. I also liked Motown, the Shirelles CROSBY, STILLS AND one of rock’s most innovative guitarists, he jammed with Hendrix and While health issues have dogged Stills in recent years—hearing including the drums. The backward guitar and the girl groups. NASH, DAYLIGHT AGAIN was featured, alongside keyboardist Al Kooper, on Super Session, a loss and surgery for prostate cancer—the setbacks haven’t slowed on that really moves. It jerks at you and has (1982) trailblazing 1968 album that virtually launched the jam-band era. Stills’ him one bit. He’s about to release a blues album, Can’t Get Enough, an incredibly graceful melody. What’s your writing process? CSN’s first album and eponymous 1970 debut solo album burnished his reputation as one of recorded with ace guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd and keyboardist You sit down and something goes through CSNY’s Deja Vu remain our most formidable singer-songwriters, as did his stint with Manassas. Barry Goldberg, and he’s excited to hit the road to promote it. Did you record an entire album with your head—a mood, a melody, maybe a gold standards, but this effort reveals hidden Jimi Hendrix? lyric—and you’re off to the races. gems, plus hits like “Southern Cross” and No. There is the “No-Name Jam” on the set. “Wasted on the Way.” Stills’ title track is ‘I have songs that are fairly complex and I have It’s a song that I had prepared, but we didn’t How did you write “For What It’s Worth”? every bit as strong as early CSN material. like the words. I was going to work on them I started writing the song with the bassline. The album has its flaws, but it’s worth virtual jingles, like “Love the One You’re With.’ and put a solo on it but never went further. I’d been working on something else, a reconsidering. 46 47 M mag 26_cs6.indd 46 4/10/13 7:50 AM M mag 26_cs6.indd 47 4/10/13 7:50 AM ISSUE #26 MMUSICMAG.COM ISSUE #26 MMUSICMAG.COM MUSICIAN BOZ SCAGGS TALIB KWELI PATTY GRIFFIN THE BAND PERRY Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for OCRF PARAMORE STEPHEN STILLS Onstage in Wainscott, N.Y., 2011 Playing a new game Carrying on ‘You sit down and something goes DIGITAL DIS Neil Young has been so critical of through your head—a mood, a contemporary digital music playback technology that he’s developed a new high- BEATLES melody, maybe a lyric.’ resolution format called Pono. Stephen Stills shares his friend’s concerns. “The universe, In pictures shout-out to the guys on the line in Vietnam.