Stephen Stills: Just Roll Tape: April 26, 1968 CD Track Listing

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Stephen Stills Just Roll Tape: April 26, 1968 (1968)
Just Roll Tape: April 26, 1968\n2007 Eyewall Records/Rhino Entertainment Company\n\nOriginally Released July 10, 2007\nOriginally Recorded April 26, 1968\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: When listening to this rather remarkable document, it becomes alarmingly clear what the post-Buffalo Springfield Stephen Stills brought to the partnership of Crosby, Stills & Nash. This 13-song set was recorded solo with an acoustic in a recording studio in 1968, preceding by a few months the first CS&N recording (he bribed a recording engineer after a Judy Collins session). According to Stills' brief liner notes, the tape had been lost for nearly 40 years, until the release of this edition. Meaning, of course, that these versions of these songs haven't been widely available on the bootleg circuit, either. The tracks contain early versions of cuts recorded in the trio such as "Suite: Judy Blues Eyes," "Helplessly Hoping," and "Wooden Ships." But these are near the very end of the collection. There are also a number of cuts here that Stills recorded on his solo records such as "Black Queen," from his self-titled debut, "Change Partners" and "Know You Got to Run" from Two Originals, "So Begins the Task" from Manassas, and even a very earlier and much longer version of "Treetop Flyer" with Stills playing dobro. In addition to the better-known material are the haunting "The Doctor Will See You Now," the melancholy yet tender melodrama of "Dreaming of Snakes," and "Judy," a short tune that is, coincidentally and perhaps, a precursor to the "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes." These are demos, unpolished, unfinished, sketches -- albeit most of them fully realized -- of classic material. It's unexplainable as to why some of the unreleased material didn't ultimately make it onto finished records: quality is not the issue. The sound is a little distorted and uneven but the quality is very good considering this tape sat basically neglected for nearly four decades. Sadly, the sheer quality of the material, even in this raw state, also brings into the glaring light of day the fact that Stills is now but a ghost of his former self creatively. His reunion appearances with CS&N and CSN&Y, and latter recordings reveal his songwriting well to be run dry. One has to wonder if he could ever again be so inspired and what it might take. (Many still wonder what inspired Dylan to scale the heights once more after a long period of lackluster recordings.) Nonetheless, Stills' lack of good material in later years doesn't diminish his lasting contribution. The work from those early years is so substantial that his songs remain a watermark for anyone who aspires to be a songwriter. [A U.K. version of the CD was also released.] -- Thom Jurek\n\n\nAmazon.com Editorial Review\nThe title and cover art effectively tell the story of this dusty gem. Captured fly-on-the-wall style in an impromptu live-in-the-studio burst after a Judy Collins session on which the 23-year-old Stephen Stills played, the soon-to-be ex-leader of Buffalo Springfield (and Collins's ex-boyfriend) unleashes unplugged, occasionally incomplete versions of songs he had recently written and wanted to get on tape. Discovered in 1978 and nearly discarded, the reels found their way to Graham Nash in 2003, who encouraged Stills to release them. He finally did so in 2007, nearly 40 years after the original session, and the result is the most revelatory album in Stills's bulging catalog. Even with remastering, the sound is on the crude side. Nevertheless, early takes of "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," "Helplessly Hoping," and "Wooden Ships," all of which would appear in far more polished versions on Crosby, Stills & Nash's self-titled debut, are sung with a passion and honesty seldom exposed by the singer/songwriter. Stills's voice sometimes cracks, his guitar work intermittently sounds muddy, and these are definitely works in progress, some of which never appeared on an official release. Yet the artist is caught arguably at the peak of his substantial talents, laying down soon-to-be-classic melodies while they were fresh in his head. Folk/rock historians and Stills fans will surely be thrilled with this nascent, unvarnished set. Though Just Roll Tape may be too raw for some, it finds Stills at the crucial stage right before superstardom changed his--and popular music's--future forever. --Hal Horowitz \n\nAmazon.com Product Description\nStephen Stills found himself in a New York recording studio, laid down a few hundred dollars, told the engineer to roll tape, and this collection of songs is what came about. Finally remastered and released to the public, this album shows the beginnings of Crosby, Still, and Nash. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nThrilled Stills fan, August 11, 2007 \nBy Donald R. Hickman "Don Hickman" (Central Minnesota)\nI'm a hard core Stephen Stills fan, and purchase everything he releases (not matter how erractic it is!) but this release exceeded my expectations. For these not already familiar (or hooked) on Stills this is likely not the ideal introduction, but for those seeking insight on his creative processes and early talent the re-discovery of these demo tapes is an absolute gift. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nNot as good as I had hoped for., August 9, 2007 \nBy R. S. Chance "Bob" (Adelaide Australia)\nRhino's latest offering from Stephen Stills has been rated very high for what is basically a demo session. This over rates the album compared with Stills previous excellent works such as "Stephen Stills" (5 stars) "Stephen Stills2 (4.5 stars) "Stills" (4.5 stars) etc. I like many others looked forward to this release, however, I cannot not rate this in the top 10 Stills (and related CSN, CSNY, BS) albums and hope future releases will be of better quality. On the positive side there are three good versions of previously released tracks "Black Queen", "Wooden Ships", "Tree Top Flyer" (nice dobro but the track is a much later recording). The unreleased "Bumblebee", "Judy", "Dreaming of Snakes" are also interesting and with the aforementioned released tracks represent the high points (both musically and sound quality). On the down side "Change Partners" and "Suite Judy Blue Eyes" are awful, the recordings of both guitar and vocals are dismal. In conclusion I would have preferred to see the better tracks in a box set, Stephen Stills is a fine artist and these demos don't seem to do him justice. Recommend for Fans. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nGreat Solo Session- Stills Acoustic!, July 29, 2007 \nBy H. M Rivera (Carolina, Puerto Rico Puerto Rico)\nGreat solo showcase for Stephen Stills with a new batch of songs, about to be unleashed (some of them) with CSN. The half finished Wooden Ships does indicate that Crosby and Kantner did contribute to this Stills idea for a song. And Suite:Judy Blue Eyes was just waiting for Crosby to add his DOO-DOO-DOO-DOOS to make it into a complete masterpiece. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nA Master at Work, July 29, 2007 \nBy Michael DENNISUK (trenton, michigan USA)\nWOW!! This is truly a long lost treasure! An acoustic studio session recorded after a Judy Collins recording session. Stills is just beginning to reach the height of his powers, Buffalo Springfield is breaking up and CSN is yet to be. These "demos" are more powerful than most of what passes for music today. It is interesting to listen to these grittier versions of "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" and "Helplessly Hoping" and compare them to the more polished CSN versions. This "American Idol" generation of listeners may not get the "singer/songwriter" generation , so if you are looking for something slick, look elsewhere. BUT if you want see inner the workings of a man who help change the face of rock music for a generation this is a great entre. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nMagic moment frozen in time...., July 28, 2007 \nBy Howard Huddleston (Jefferson City, MO)\nFirst, to the guy who said when Stills picks up an electric, "forget it", please be referred to (1) his latest effort, "Man Alive", and (2) the Judy Collins record, "Who Knows Where the Time Goes", during which sessions he recorded these demos. That was a long time ago, and he plays immensely tasteful licks behind Collins. Second, thank God they left the hiss in, which is why the whole thing sounds like Stills had just recorded it and handed you his demo! The beauty of something like this is simply that it gives you a window into something you never thought you'd be able to experience. At this point Stills was creating some of the most finely-crafted stuff around, in full and remarkable voice, and better still, was completely uninhibited by the demands of an audience or stardom. Sure, this material is for fans. There are a lot of them, too. What a beautiful gift this is to all of them. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nAs it should be..., July 28, 2007 \nBy Wicked "Cheesehead" (Cabot, VT USA)\n\nMany people have already touched on the key elements of this disk: \nUneven sound, great story in terms historical and personal context, excellent snapshot on some of Stills' biggest hits, etc. I have always been a huge fan of CSNY and all their configurations, but have also been supremely frustrated by so much of the over produced crap that has come out over the years. The irony is that a lot of the studio manipulation was at the hands of Stills who could apparently not leave well enough alone. Neil has been much better about putting things out warts and all, allowing his soul to pour out of the speakers. Well, Mr. Stills and Rhino Records, thank you VERY MUCH for pulling this one out of the dusty stack. This is great stuff peaking with an incredible Helplessly Hoping, which I listened to three times while sitting in the driveway after buying this disk. It has been a number of years, but this more than makes up for the hideous alternate version of H.H. found on the CSN box set. Stills has always had tremendous soul, but he would not allow it to really come through on an official release. Any other raw treasures you have, I will snap them up... \n\nThanks again! \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nThe best thing that could happen to a Stephen Stills fan!, July 26, 2007 \nBy J's Ebie (NC)\n\nI have followed Stephen Stills' music since his days with Buffalo Springfield. I was first drawn to his voice and then to his abilities with acoustic guitar. This recording is everything the TRUE Stills fan could want. For the person who spoke of distortion in the sound, just remember this recording was made years before digital music came along -- just the man, his guitar and rolling tape -- who could ask for anything more? I am transported to 1968 as I listen. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nStephen as he was meant to be..., July 20, 2007 \nBy M. Bucek (chicago)\nAs a long time fan of CSN and CSNY, etc, I agree with a previous reviewer that this man was meant to play the acoustic guitar. His acoustic music has long been my favorite at his, and CSN and CSNY shows. He is at his best here. Listening to these great songs, like Suite Judy Blue Eyes, Helplessly Hoping, and So Now Begins the Task, with his wonderfull soulfull voice and his just incredible guitar playing is such a treat. Like Joni, with her "Blue" album, these songs are among Stephen's finest, and this style I believe suits his talent the best. Although I'm sure artists need to branch out and always do the new and different, Stephen early acoustic songs are his classic best, and this cd is a chance to listen to them with Stephen's young voice! \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nHeads-up on the sound quality...., July 16, 2007 \nBy R. Smith (Minnesota)\nLots of good comments already written... \nBut heads up again on the tape hiss - it's thick - & heads up on the guitar distortion. Fine on the finger-picked songs like "Helplessly Hoping" - but noticably distorted on the strummed or flat-picked songs. \n\nObviously not recorded for official release - or meant for the mainstream music market - but still great that it's seeing the light of day! \n\nJust be aware that it's not at all clean. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nCharming and unpretentious, July 16, 2007 \nBy o dubhthaigh (north rustico, pei, canada)\nespecially for Stills. Most of the material has appeared elsewhere, but there is an unpretentious charm to these quick takes by Stills. The unfamiliar pieces will have bits and pieces reshaped in later tunes, but it is an honest effort by Stills to preserve some moments of genuine inspiration before he awoke from their spell. \nWhat amazes me as well is that listening to Stills sing on these and miss on more than once is that it is likely only Crosby who can hit a melody and keep it in tune on the first go and every go thereafter. Stills frequently misses by a country mile. Tha rawness of these efforts though compensates for the errors. That he can run through BLACK QUEEN so selflessly and with such a simplified honesty somehow makes it a different, if not stronger song than the version on his first solo record. The two songs for Judy Collins are touching. For all the bravado he too often succumbs to, Stills at this point must still have been smarting from the break-up. At this point in his career he was without a girlfriend, without a contract and without his compadre Young. This is a Stills with his tail between his legs. I believe this also represents the first recording of TREETOP FLYER, one of the truly great Stills workouts and great Stills lyrics that in 2006 would be seamlessly paired with Young's classic OVER AND OUT, GOOD BUDDY during the Freedom of Speech tour of last summer. \nIn most cases with demos, notably Elvis Costello, it's enough already - you get the sense it was a bloody miracle that a song happened. In the case of Stills, the raw material is compelling in its own right and knowing what you do of his golden period from CSN through the first Manassas record, you have to admire the level of inspiration and craftsmanship on display. \nAnd then there is the guitar playing - Stills is actually more impressive when he is not showing off, and thus this record is a keeper for any Stills fan. The only negative elements of this release are that some of the songs are second tier, and the sound quality is very hissy. Very. Given that these takes exist at all, it is a small price to pay to catch a glimpse of someone on the cusp of incredible inspiration. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nGood Album -- Worth Buying, July 13, 2007 \nBy R. McCalla (SF Bay Area)\nI was lucky enough to be at the Stephen Stills concert in Santa Cruz on July 10 when the album came out. They had stacks of CDs on hand for the guests to purchase. I grabbed it and listened to it on the way home from the show. \n\nJust beautiful. It's not as much of a discovery as Massey Hall (5+++ stars -- there should be a separate category for legendary material -- Abbey Road, Steel Wheels, Massey Hall), but "Just Roll Tape" is still worth buying. I just love the solo performances of Stills and Young. A man, a guitar and a mike. With the right artist behind the mike, nothing more is required to send chills down your spine. \n\nStephen might disagree, but this man was born to be an acoustic player. The moment he picks up an electric, forget it. This album is all acoustic and completely unmolested. Perfect natural sound. Very well worth your greenbacks, folks. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nExcellent Archival Release, July 11, 2007 \nBy J. Gemmill "Fan of music, movies and more." (Oreland, PA USA)\nFirst, a little context: in April '68, the 23-year-old Stephen Stills is nearing the end of his Buffalo Springfield days - in less than two weeks (May 5th), that fabled group will play its final concert, w/the band's patched-together final LP, Last Time Around, being released that August. While Crosby, Stills & Nash is (obviously) on the horizon, at this juncture it's by no means definitive - Nash is still w/the Hollies, after all; and Crosby and Stills, while pals, have yet to commit to a partnership together. In other words, for Stills - everything's in flux. \n\nSo what's a young singer-songwriter-guitarist to do? Apparently, after a session guesting on Judy Collins' "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" album, it's slipping the engineer a couple hundred bucks so that he can lay down demos of a handful of new songs ... and what songs! "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," "Helplessly Hoping" and the Crosby, Stills and Kantner-penned "Wooden Ships" turn up the following spring on Crosby, Stills & Nash's debut; "Black Queen" graces Stills' first solo LP; "Change Partners" and "Know You Got to Run" highlight his second solo album; and "So Begins the Task," which he played live with CSNY in '69 and '70, appears on the classic two-LP Manassass set. "Treetop Flyer" (which was recorded elsewhere) shows up on Stills' overlooked 1991 acoustic set, "Stills Alone." \n\nI add the context just so I could say this: "Just Roll Tape" is a tremendous set that shows Stills at the peak of his song-writing prowess. While it may not be the perfect pick for casual fans or neophytes, for those of us who are the opposite, it's a godsend. It's unbelievable that some of these (like "Change Partners") were held back for years and others ("All I Know Is What You Tell Me," "The Doctor Will See You Now," "Judy" and "Dreaming of Snakes") were left behind. \n\nLet's hope this is the first of many releases from Stills' vault. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nAn Interesting Look Back In Time, July 10, 2007 \nBy Jim Jocko "southern rocker/drummer" (Gainesville, Florida United States)\nI'm sure some folks will complain about the stripped down production, but how many times do we listeners get a chance to hear an artist bursting at the seams, and on the verge of super-stardom? Now I'm not discounting Buffalo Springfield, but any fan of Crosby, Stills and Nash, will surely love this historic disc. The cd really heats up during the second half. The complex "Suite Judy Blue Eyes", (I was always convinced C,S and N must've worked it out together), but here it is by Stephen himself. What a treat. If Neil Young ever released anything like this raw studio recording, people would line up around the block to get it, and then proclaim it;Genius. I think Stills has always been under-rated, and maybe something like this will finally get him some of his overdue props! \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nAcoustic memories, July 10, 2007 \nBy Josef S. Olsavsky\nIf you're looking for polished studio material, this cd is not for you. If, however, you are a fan of acoustic Stills and like to hear him in good voice,you should give this one a listen. This is just Stills with a guitar. As advertised, this cd contains material left behind from an impromptu recording session which followed the recording of a Judy Collins album. Not surprisingly, there is a previously unheard version of Suite: Judy Blue Eyes. With no harmonies to accompany it, it may sound a bit bare at first, but Stills is in fine voice throughout this product and he is hitting notes much higher than I remember ever before. He has added another rather simple love song simply entitled Judy. Altogether, there are five previously unheard tracks, two of which are great: The Doctor Will See You Now opens with a Neil Young sounding riff. It also features a high-pitched voice, one that is amazingly in tune; Bumblebee is a fun, upbeat number. Helplessly Hoping, Wooden Ships and Know You Got to Run all sound different without the csn harmonies, but all are good. Wooden Ships does not contain the entire song as csn recorded it, but is still quite listenable. Helplessly Hoping is great even without the harmonies; it would have been a hit either way. The cd also contains different versions of Change Partners and Manassas's So Begins the Task. A longer version of Treetop Flyer is included, probably to capitalize on the song's current popularity. It is not a part of the 1968 sessions as is evident in the voice. Any fan of early Stills will be pleased with this effort. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nBravo, Mr Stills!, July 10, 2007 \nBy J. Davis (Marion, OH United States)\nI have been waiting two months for this release and I am pleased to say that I love it! These stripped-down versions of the tunes we're familiar with and the previously unreleased one's as well really give you insight into how great of a writer Stills is. Especially interesting are the snippets of lines that became lyrics in other tunes Stills was to release later on. Extra thanks to Stephen for finally providing us with an audio version of "Treetop Flyer"! \n\nWe Stills fans can't thank Joe Colasurdo enough for getting this long lost tape to Stephen all these years later. Its nice to know that music still means more than money to someone out there. Now if we can just get CSN to release an album of all-new material in an acoustic format \n\n\nHalf.com Album Notes\nPersonnel: Stephen Stills (dobro).\n\nRecording information: New York, NY (04/28/1968).\n\nOver the years since Neil Young's godlike status has grown, it is easy to forget about the jaw-dropping breadth of talent that was Crosby, Stills & Nash, his sometimes former bandmates. Crosby had the silken voice, Nash the impossibly high harmony, but as the remarkable official bootleg JUST ROLL TAPE: April 26th 1968 proves the trio was Stephen Stills's. Reportedly recorded in one long take after he bribed the engineer of a Judy Collins session on the titular date to continue recording long into the night, JUST ROLL TAPE is what its title suggests: a roll of inspired performances of songs from Still's embryonic catalog just before Crosby and Nash's angelic voices stormed the pop charts with him.\nIn fact, the whole night seems designed by the infamously raw producer David Briggs: tracks are brisk, mistakes are kept, the sound is rough, and every song sounds like a first take. And what a string of first takes: "So Begins the Task"--later released on MANASSAS--presages the finger-picked bleakness of DEJA VU's "4 & 20"; "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" finds particular starkness as a solo song despite the jubilant open chords; and "The Doctor Will See You Now" holds its own against anything in Young's catalog. While his songwriting and guitar playing are stellar, Stills' voice is equally stunning, with its tender, affecting rasp making an AM weeper like "Helplessly Hoping" sound tough. A rough gem of a listen, but a must-have for any fans of Stills or Crosby, Stills & Nash.
This blues cd contains 13 tracks and runs 40min 18sec.
Freedb: b309700d

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