Last Time Around by Buffalo Springfield: Farewell Album Review

Last Time Around

Buffalo Springfield – 1968 – Atco Records

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Buffalo Springfield’s Journey to Last Time Around

By early 1968, Buffalo Springfield was falling apart from internal tensions that had plagued the band since its formation in 1966.

Neil Young’s frequent absences from shows and recording sessions, combined with bassist Bruce Palmer’s deportation issues and drug-related arrests, created an unstable foundation that eventually crumbled.

Last Time Around emerged from this chaos not as a unified artistic statement but as a contractual obligation assembled by Jim Messina and Richie Furay to fulfill the band’s agreement with Atco Records.

The group held a final meeting with Atlantic Records executive Ahmet Ertegun on May 5, 1968, following a performance at the Long Beach Auditorium, where they officially arranged their breakup.

By the time the album hit stores in July 1968, Stephen Stills was already jamming with David Crosby and Graham Nash, Furay and Messina were forming Poco with pedal steel guitarist Rusty Young, and Neil Young was launching his solo career.

The Recording Process

The album was primarily recorded at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles between November 1967 and March 1968, with additional work done at Atlantic Studios in New York City.

Unlike their previous albums where the band worked together, most tracks featured individual members working separately, augmented by session musicians.

Jim Messina, who had joined as bassist replacing the unreliable Bruce Palmer, took over production duties and painstakingly assembled the final album from various recording sessions.

Notably, only one song on the entire album featured all five original members playing together: “On the Way Home,” Neil Young’s melodic gem that opens the record.

“Pretty Girl Why” dated back to February 1967 sessions for an unreleased album called “Stampede,” highlighting how disparate the source material truly was.

Album Concept and Direction

There was no overarching concept to Last Time Around beyond fulfilling a contractual obligation and preserving worthwhile recordings from the Springfield vaults.

The album’s cover art tellingly showed a photomontage of the individual members rather than a group photo, with Neil Young looking away from the others, a symbolic representation of the band’s fractured state.

Despite lacking cohesion, the album inadvertently documents each member’s emerging solo identity and the musical directions they would pursue in their post-Springfield careers.

Where their previous album “Buffalo Springfield Again” showcased psychedelic experimentation and electric power, this final effort leaned heavily into country rock and folk influences that would define the next decade.

What Is Last Time Around About? Complete Track Listing & Analysis

The twelve songs on Last Time Around range from Neil Young’s introspective folk to Stephen Stills’ ambitious rock compositions and Richie Furay’s country-tinged gems, creating a stylistically diverse farewell.

Complete Track Listing

Track 1: “On the Way Home”

Length: 2:31

Songwriter: Neil Young

Neil Young opens the album with this melodic pop-rock gem that became the album’s most successful single, reaching #82 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song features all five original members playing together, making it unique on the album, with Young’s optimistic lyrics about returning home contrasting poignantly with the band’s imminent breakup.

The arrangement showcases the band’s trademark harmonies and features a memorable bass line that drives the entire track forward with infectious energy.

Young would perform this song throughout his career, both solo and with CSNY, the Transband, and the Bluenotes, testament to its enduring appeal.

Track 2: “It’s So Hard to Wait”

Length: 2:09

Songwriter: Stephen Stills

Stills contributes this punchy rocker that builds on the energy of the opening track, featuring his aggressive guitar work and urgent vocal delivery.

The song’s brevity works in its favor, packing maximum impact into just over two minutes of concentrated rock energy.

Track 3: “Pretty Girl Why”

Length: 2:31

Songwriter: Stephen Stills

Dating back to the February 1967 sessions for the unreleased “Stampede” album, this track features Stills channeling a Roy Orbison-style vocal approach.

The production includes additional work done at Atlantic Studios in New York City, giving it a fuller, more polished sound than some of the rougher tracks.

Track 4: “Four Days Gone”

Length: 2:58

Songwriter: Stephen Stills

This Latin-influenced track showcases Stills’ willingness to experiment with different musical styles, though it remains one of the album’s more divisive songs among fans.

The percussion-heavy arrangement and Spanish guitar flourishes point toward the world music influences Stills would explore in his solo career.

Track 5: “Carefree Country Day”

Length: 2:43

Songwriter: Jim Messina

Jim Messina’s sole lead vocal on the album delivers a throwback rockabilly shuffle that sounds more like 1956 than 1968.

While charming in its retro simplicity, the track feels somewhat out of place among the more progressive material surrounding it.

Track 6: “Special Care”

Length: 3:39

Songwriter: Stephen Stills

One of the album’s strongest tracks, “Special Care” features Stills at his most soulful, with a gospel-influenced arrangement that builds to an emotional crescendo.

The song was released as a single and bubbled under at #107 on the Billboard Hot 100, deserving better recognition for its passionate performance and sophisticated arrangement.

Track 7: “The Hour of Not Quite Rain”

Length: 3:51

Songwriter: Stephen Stills (music), Micki Callen (lyrics)

This unique collaboration resulted from an August 1967 contest run by Los Angeles radio station KHJ, where listeners submitted poems to be set to music by Buffalo Springfield.

Micki Callen won $1,000 plus publishing royalties for her winning entry, which Stills transformed into a moody, atmospheric piece featuring orchestral arrangements.

The song’s contemplative nature and extended runtime make it the album’s most experimental moment.

Track 8: “Questions”

Length: 3:01

Songwriter: Stephen Stills

Perhaps the album’s most historically significant track, “Questions” showcases Stills working through the complex arrangement that would later become the second half of “Carry On” on Crosby, Stills & Nash’s “Déjà Vu” album.

The song’s intricate structure moves from folk-influenced verses to hard rock passages, demonstrating Stills’ ambition as an arranger and his ability to blend disparate musical elements.

This version stands on its own merits, offering a rawer, more immediate take than the polished CSN rendition.

Stills would record “Questions” again with Judy Collins on their 2017 collaborative album, proving the song’s lasting appeal.

Track 9: “I Am a Child”

Length: 2:26

Songwriter: Neil Young

Neil Young delivers one of his most beloved compositions, a deceptively simple folk song that captures childlike wonder with profound emotional depth.

The sparse arrangement featuring Young’s acoustic guitar, harmonica, and plaintive vocal creates an intimate atmosphere that has resonated with listeners for decades.

Young has performed this song throughout his entire career, recognizing it as one of his finest early compositions.

The lyrics’ themes of innocence and self-discovery feel universal despite their personal origin.

Track 10: “Merry-Go-Round”

Length: 2:09

Songwriter: Richie Furay

Furay contributes this upbeat country-rock number that showcases his increasingly confident songwriting and his ability to craft infectious melodies.

The song’s bright harmonies and toe-tapping rhythm hint at the direction Furay would take with Poco.

Track 11: “Uno Mundo”

Length: 2:06

Songwriter: Richie Furay

This Latin-flavored track released as a single (peaking at #105 on the Bubbling Under chart) features playful Spanish lyrics and a carnival atmosphere.

While some fans find it dated, others appreciate its lighthearted energy and willingness to embrace diverse musical influences.

Track 12: “Kind Woman”

Length: 4:15

Songwriter: Richie Furay

The album closes with its undisputed masterpiece, Richie Furay’s “Kind Woman,” a country-rock landmark that essentially created the template for Poco’s entire sound.

Featuring Rusty Young’s ethereal pedal steel guitar and Furay’s heartfelt vocal, the song builds from gentle verses to soaring choruses that showcase the group’s vocal harmonies at their finest.

The production work by Jim Messina, completed at Atlantic Studios in New York City, gives the track a polish that elevates it above much of the album’s patchwork nature.

“Kind Woman” became one of Furay’s signature songs, performed by Poco throughout their career and in his solo shows, cementing its status as a country-rock essential.

Is Last Time Around Worth Listening To? Musical Themes and Innovations

Last Time Around showcases Buffalo Springfield at a crossroads, with three distinct songwriters pulling in different musical directions that would define 1970s rock.

Neil Young’s introspective folk-rock, Stephen Stills’ ambitious progressive arrangements, and Richie Furay’s country-rock innovations all coexist on this album, creating a fascinating if uneven listening experience.

The album’s most significant innovation was its embrace of country rock as a legitimate artistic direction, particularly on Furay’s contributions.

Where their previous albums emphasized psychedelic experimentation and folk-rock fusion, this final effort pointed toward the Laurel Canyon sound that would dominate the early 1970s.

Rusty Young’s pedal steel guitar work on “Kind Woman” essentially wrote the blueprint for country rock as a genre, influencing countless bands from Poco to the Eagles to Gram Parsons’ Flying Burrito Brothers.

Lyrically, the album ranges from Young’s childlike observations to Stills’ complex ruminations on relationships and identity, with Furay providing a middle ground of accessible romanticism.

The production techniques employed by Jim Messina, particularly his use of overdubbing and careful track selection, demonstrated how a skilled producer could salvage meaningful work from chaotic recording sessions.

What Do Critics Say About Last Time Around? Critical Reception and Chart Performance

Upon its release in July 1968, Last Time Around received surprisingly positive reviews despite its obviously troubled genesis, with many critics recognizing the individual brilliance within its fragmented whole.

Barry Gifford of Rolling Stone called it Buffalo Springfield’s “most beautiful record” and “a final testament to their multi-talent,” praising the album’s diversity and emotional depth.

Initial Reviews and Contemporary Reactions

Robert Christgau, writing for Esquire, described it as a “beautiful farewell album” of “countrified music” where “country elements are incorporated into a total style.”

Cashbox noted that “While retaining a strong creative identity, the quintet manages, on the set, to produce ultra-commercial sides with wide appeal.”

Ellen Sander of The New York Times gushed that “they have made an art out of music that is unfailingly pleasant; no less moving for its tasteful, understated neatness.”

She continued: “The entire album has a fresh, natural feeling about it, not unlike a soft summer rain.”

However, Neil Young himself became the album’s harshest critic, saying in interviews that “It was such a disgraceful mess that I can’t bear to listen to it again.”

Young complained specifically about the mixes, calling them “incredibly awful, a very disturbing point,” and stating that “the Springfield’s last real album was ‘Buffalo Springfield Again’.”

How Did Last Time Around Perform? Commercial Success and Chart History

Last Time Around debuted on Billboard magazine’s Top LP’s chart in the issue dated August 17, 1968, beginning a nineteen-week run that peaked at #42.

The album performed better on other major music magazines’ charts, reaching #18 on Cash Box (September 14, 1968) and #16 on Record World (September 7, 1968).

Three singles were released from the album with modest success: “On the Way Home” reached #82 on the Billboard Hot 100, “Un-Mundo” peaked at #105 on the Bubbling Under chart, and “Special Care” reached #107 on the Bubbling Under chart.

While the album never achieved gold or platinum certification, it sold steadily over the years as Buffalo Springfield’s reputation grew and their influence on country rock and folk rock became more widely recognized.

The album’s commercial performance was respectable given that the band had already broken up before its release and could not tour to support it.

Cultural Impact and Legacy

Last Time Around holds a unique position in rock history as both an ending and multiple beginnings, documenting the final moment when three legendary careers intersected before diverging into separate paths.

The album’s most significant legacy lies in its role as a bridge between the folk rock and psychedelic rock of the mid-1960s and the country rock and singer-songwriter movements of the 1970s.

Influence on Future Artists and Genres

“Kind Woman” particularly influenced the emerging country rock movement, with bands like the Eagles, Pure Prairie League, and Firefall citing it as inspiration for their sound.

The album demonstrated that contractual obligation releases need not be throwaway products, inspiring other bands to take similar care when assembling posthumous compilations.

Neil Young’s contributions showed his emerging voice as a solo artist, with “I Am a Child” remaining a concert staple throughout his six-decade career.

Stephen Stills’ work on “Questions” provided the foundation for one of Crosby, Stills & Nash’s most beloved songs, demonstrating how material could evolve beyond its original context.

The album proved that superstar talent could transcend even the most difficult recording circumstances, a lesson that would be applied to numerous posthumous releases throughout rock history.

Retrospective Evaluations

Modern critics have been more mixed in their assessment than contemporary reviewers, with AllMusic’s Richie Unterberger finding Young’s songs “outstanding” but believing Stills’ songwriting represented a decline from previous albums.

The album was voted number 505 in the third edition of Colin Larkin’s “All Time Top 1000 Albums” (2000), recognizing its historical importance if not ranking it among the absolute elite.

Many retrospective reviews acknowledge the album’s uneven nature while celebrating its highest peaks, particularly “Kind Woman,” “I Am a Child,” “On the Way Home,” and “Questions.”

The album has aged better than Neil Young’s harsh assessment might suggest, with modern listeners appreciating its raw, unpolished quality and the way it captures a transitional moment in rock history.

Buffalo Springfield’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 brought renewed attention to their entire catalog, including this final album, elevating its status among collectors and historians.

Production Credits and Album Personnel

Buffalo Springfield Members:

Neil Young – Guitar, Harmonica, Piano, Vocals

Stephen Stills – Guitar, Piano, B3 Organ, Bass, Clavinet, Vibes, Percussion, Vocals

Richie Furay – Guitar, Vocals

Dewey Martin – Drums, Vocals

Bruce Palmer – Bass (credited but not on most tracks)

Jim Messina – Bass, Vocals, Producer, Mixing Engineer

Guest Musicians:

Rusty Young – Pedal Steel Guitar

Various uncredited session musicians

Production Team:

Jim Messina – Producer, Mixing Engineer

Richie Furay – Co-Producer (input)

Recording Details:

Recorded: November 1967 – March 1968

Studios: Sunset Sound, Los Angeles; Atlantic Studios, New York City

Label: Atco Records (Atlantic Recording Corporation)

Released: July 30, 1968

Catalog Number: SD 33-256

Frequently Asked Questions About Last Time Around