Tribute: Stephen Stills

I guess when I read about a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young tour this summer, it caused me to pull out my discs from the CSN box set, which helped to pass the time on a long car trip this past weekend(back up to the Erie area). That in turn reminded me of what a stone cold great guitar player Stephen Stills is--whether he's on acoustic or electric, the man is a master, and I never see him listed among the best by the "mainstream" music media, or the alternative/blogger/self-annointed experts.

But I tell you, if you haven't already explored his work, you should--all of it. Buffalo Springfield, CSN, CSNY, Manassas, solo, whatever. A couple that I would particularly recommend are his first solo album(which includes "Old Times, Good Times" with Jimi Hendrix, who he played and practiced with while he lived in England), as well as his live album(divided into electric and acoustic halves).

I just don't feel that he gets the credit he deserves, especially considering how proficient he his in so many styles. While Clapton seems to have spent most of his career mired in the blues, that's just one part of what Stills does. Latin, jazz, folk, rock, blues, reggae, he can do it all. His most recent solo album includes contributions by Herbie Hancock, as well as Neil Young. Let's just say that when Neil Young speaks so admirably about a person, you might want to check him out.

So here's to you, Mr. Stills.