Stills (Stephen Stills album)
Stills is a 1975 studio album by American musician Stephen Stills. It is his third solo album and his first release on Columbia Records. The album was a commercial success on release charting at number 19 on the US album charts, but was released to mixed critical reaction.
Stills | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 23, 1975 | |||
Recorded | 1971, 1973-1975 | |||
Studio | Criteria Studios, Miami, The Record Plant, Los Angeles, The Record Plant, Sausalito, Island Studios, London | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 38:19 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Producer | Stephen Stills with Bill Halverson and The Albert Brothers | |||
Stephen Stills chronology | ||||
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Singles from Stills | ||||
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Background
Stills began recording a solo album in 1973 under the tentative title As I Come of Age, and it was "almost completed" by February 1974.[1] He may have recorded more in early 1974, but from May to December Stills was busy with a reunited Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.[2] Stills signed with Columbia early in 1975 and turned in this album, "a collection of tracks Stephen had been working on over the preceding several years" including "much of the material recorded for As I Come of Age".[3] He recorded an early unissued version of "Guardian Angel" on January 23, 1975, at The Record Plant, the next day Crosby and Nash joined him.[4]
Content
The piano and drum tracks by Stills and Ringo Starr for "As I Come of Age" date back to 1971,[5] while "Turn Back the Pages" was recorded in 1975.[6] Although "My Angel" is credited to Stills and Dallas Taylor, and Stills calls it a "jam on a set of Dallas' changes",[5] Stills recorded a demo of the song in March 1967.[7] "First Things First" written by Stills and the bass player for Three Dog Night Joe Schermie and was played quite frequently along with the 'Myth of Sisyphus' and 'My Angel' on the CSNY 1974 tour.
The cover photo was shot as Neil Young's Broken Arrow Ranch during rehearsals for the CSNY 1974 tour.[8] The back cover features Donnie Dacus and Stills playing acoustic guitars together.
As per the sleeve notes:[5]
"Turn Back The Pages". 1975, Cut late in sessions, at Criteria, with Ron and Howie.
"My Favourite Changes". 1974, The track was cut in Sausalito with Stephen and Don Dacus playing guitars in the control booth and Leland Skar and Lala playing gin the studio. Danny Hutton put some vocals on it. Later in Colorado vocals were completed by Stephen, Kenny and Peggy Clinger.
"My Angel". 1974, Jam on a set of Dallas' changes edited into a song. Dallas played drums, Lala percussion. Stephen played bass, piano, clarinet and organ. Thanks to Sylvester.
"In The Way". 1974, Track cut live in studio in Sausalito and then Kenny recut the bass. Vocals, recorded by Jeff Geurico at Caribou, are Stephen, Don, and Kenny.
"Love Story". 1973, Back track is Russ on drums, Leland bass, Stephen piano. Organ and electric piano overdubs are also Stephen. Vocals, are Stephen, Rick, and Kenny and Don. Tried strings but to no avail. The vocals took twenty hours. The track took two hours. The song sat for four years before it was recorded.
"To Mama From Christopher and the Old Man". 1975.. Christopher was written after a long session where 7am caught Papa coming in the door just after Christopher was getting up and we hung out for a while. Cut the song that night and ended up with me and a drummer. Cut the basic, bass and second rhythm, then Tubby overdubbed the drums, with Stills hanging over his shoulder with a tambourine. We got smokin' and did it in eight hours, including mix down.
"First Things First". 1973. Dallas Taylor played drums, Joe Lala on percussion. Vocals are by Stephen, Kenny Passarelli, David Crosby and Graham Nash. A touch of Patoi.
"New Mama", 1973. Neil says this one his own way. The basic for this version was Leland on bass, Russ drums, Lala percussion and Stephen playing guitar and electric guitar simultaneously. Only instrument overdub is additional guitar by Don. Vocals are Stephen, Rick and Don.
"As I Come Of Age", 1973. Track cut on London in 1971 with Stephen on piano and Ringo on drums. Stephen overdubbed organ and bass. Lead guitar is Don and vocals are by Crosby, Stills and Nash.
"Shuffle Just As Bad", 1974. Russ played drums, Jerry piano and organ. Stephen played bass on the basic and overdubbed guitar and electric piano. Vocals are by Stephen and Kenny.
"Cold Cold World", 1975. Another Donnie and Stephen collaboration, with Stephen doing lead vocal, Donnie and Betty Wright going backups. Stills on lead and rhythm guitars as well as bass. Old friend Conrad Isidore on drums, Joe's conga and percussion, Jerry on piano and organ, Donnie on rhythm guitar. Another criteria track with Ron and Howie.
"Myth Of Sisyphus", 1974. Jimmy Fox played drums and Stephen played piano and just sang the song. Cut in Miami by the Albert Bros., first take. Don and Claudia Lanier later got background vocals together with Halverson in Los Angeles.
Release
The album was released 23 June 1975, and reached No 19 on the Billboard album charts during a chart run of 17 weeks,[9], number 11 on the Record World charts and number 12 on the Cash Box charts. The lead single from the album was "Turn Back The Pages" and charted at a disappointing No 84 on the Billboard charts.[9] In late 1975, CBS records were quoted saying it was close to reaching Gold in the US, with sales of 400,000-450,000.[10] A quadraphonic version was also released in 1975.
In retrospect Stills has commented on his mid-70's solo period saying he "short-circuited for a while, things were moving to fast. I got a little crazed. Too much drinking, too many drugs. What can I say."[11]
Critical reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Christgau's Record Guide | C[13] |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Critical reception to Stills was mixed. Reviewing in 1975 for Rolling Stone, Bud Scopa called it a "concerted attempt at candid expression" but one resulting in "mixed, middling results".[16] Record World said "Stills was back with that patented mellow sound" and cited "My Angel", "First Things First", and "Shuffle Just As Bad" as highlights.[17] Cash Box said Stills "takes his best lyrical and instrumental chops to form a springboard from which he moves easily amid different musical shades", and pointed to "As I Come of Age" as a highlight.[18] Village Voice critic Robert Christgau was largely unenthusiastic, describing the album as the one "in which Stills recycles his 'favorite set of changes/Already good for a couple of songs.' His admirers might find that endearing, I know. They might even dig him copping a lick from Alice Cooper later on in the lyric. But me, I find it pathetic."[13] Chris Charlesworth wrote in Melody Maker 1975, saying 'CBS came up with the cash and Stills has come up with a good album, but which in the main doesn't rank with his classics, two or three tracks excepted. It's a laid-back record, to use a hackneyed term, and deliberately underproduced to the extent where the music oozes rather than bounces from the speakers."[11]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Stephen Stills; except where indicated.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Turn Back the Pages" | Donnie Dacus, Stills | 4:04 |
2. | "My Favorite Changes" | 2:50 | |
3. | "My Angel" | Stills, Dallas Taylor | 2:25 |
4. | "In the Way" | 3:35 | |
5. | "Love Story" | 4:11 | |
6. | "To Mama from Christopher and the Old Man" | 2:15 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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7. | "First Things First" | Joe Schermie, Jon Smith, Stills | 2:10 |
8. | "New Mama" | Neil Young | 2:21 |
9. | "As I Come of Age" | 2:33 | |
10. | "Shuffle Just as Bad" | 2:39 | |
11. | "Cold Cold World" | Dacus, Stills | 4:38 |
12. | "Myth of Sisyphus" | Kenny Passarelli, Stills | 4:28 |
Total length: | 38:19 |
Personnel
- Stephen Stills - Lead Vocals (1-12), Lead Guitar (1,11), Rhythm Guitar (1,6,11), Guitar (2,10), Bass (1,3,6,9,10,11), Piano (1,3,5,9,12), Clavinet (3), Organ (3,5,9), Electric Piano (5,10), Tambourine (6)
- Donnie Dacus - Rhythm Guitar (1,11), Guitar (2,8), Lead Guitar (9), Vocals (1,4,5,8,11,12)
- Tubby (Ron) Ziegler - Drums (1,6)
- Joe Lala - Percussion (1,2,3,7,8,11), Conga (11)
- Jerry Aeillo - Organ (1,10,11), Piano (10,11)
- Marcy Levy - Vocals (1)
- Leland Sklar - Bass (2,5,8)
- Danny Hutton - Vocals (2)
- Kenny Passarelli - Bass (4), Vocals (2,4,5,7,10)
- Peggy Clinger - Vocals (2)
- Dallas Taylor - Drums (3,7) Cowrote 'First Things First' under the pseudonym Jon Smith
- Russ Kunkel - Drums (5,8,10)
- Rick Roberts - Vocals (5,8), Guitar (?)
- David Crosby - Vocals (7,9)
- Graham Nash - Vocals (7,9)
- Ringo Starr - Drums (9)
- Betty Wright - Vocals (11)
- Conrad Isidore - Drums (11)
- Jimmy Fox - Drums (12)
- Claudia Lennear - Vocals (12)
- George Terry - Guitar, Vocals (named on the sleeve but not credited under any song)
- Robert Margouleff - Mastering
Technical Personnel
- Produced and arranged by Stephen Stills with Bill Halverson and Ron and Howie Albert.
- Engineers - Bill Halverson, The Albert Brothers, Jeff Guerico, Don Gehman, Stephen Stills
- Mix down Engineers - Stephen Stills, The Albert Brothers
- Mastering Engineer - Alex Sadkin
- Mastering - Robert Margouleff
- Management - Michael John Bowen
- Front cover photography - Joel Bernstein
- Back cover photography - Bill Ray
- Design - John Berg, Andy Engel
Charts
Chart (1975) | Peak
position |
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US Billboard Top LPs & Tape[19] | 19 |
UK Album Charts[20] | 33 |
Canadian RPM 100 Albums[21] | 25 |
Norwegian VG-lista Albums[22] | 19 |
US Cash Box Top 100 Albums[23] | 12 |
US Record World Album Chart[24] | 11 |
Chart (1975) | Peak
position |
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US Billboard Hot 100[25] | 84 |
US Top Singles (Record World) [26] | 115 |
US Top Singles (Cash Box) [27] | 76 |
Tour
The 8 December 1975 date at the Paramount Theatre, Seattle was professionally recorded. A version of Know You Got To Run, recorded then, was used on Stills' Carry On boxset.
1975 Summer Tour[28] | ||||
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Date | City | Country | Venue | Gross/Notes |
20 June 1975 | Clarkston | United States | Pine Knob Music Theatre | Sold Out[29] |
21 June 1975 | ||||
23 June 1975 | Rochester | Dome Arena | ||
24 June 1975 | Kutztown | Kutztown Auditorium | ||
28 June 1975 | Tanglewood | Tanglewood Theatre | ||
29 June 1975 | New York | Saratoga Performing Arts Festival | ||
1 July 1975 | Edwardsville | Mississippi River Festival | ||
2 July 1975 | Fort Wayne | Fort Wayne Coliseum | ||
4 July 1975 | Green Bay | Brown County Arena | ||
5 July 1975 | Schereville | Omni 41 | ||
6 July 1975 | Milwaukee | Milwaukee Auditorium | ||
9 July 1975 | Omaha | Civic Arena | ||
10 July 1975 | Minneapolis | Minneapolis Auditorium | ||
12 July 1975 | Kansas City | Memorial Hall | ||
13 July 1975 | Oklahoma City | |||
15 July 1975 | Fort Worth | Tarrant County Convention Centre | ||
17 July 1975 | Denver | Red Rocks Amphitheatre | 9,000/9,000[30] | |
18 July 1975 | Albuquerque | |||
19 July 1975 | Tucson | |||
22 July 1975 | San Diego | San Diego Sports Arena | Sold Out[10] | |
23 July 1975 | Toronto | Canada | CBS Records Showcase[10] | |
25 July 1975 | Los Angeles | United States | Hollywood Bowl | |
26 July 1975 | Berkeley | Greek Theatre | 5,600[31] Neil Young Guests | |
27 July 1975 | Sacramento | Sacramento Convention Center | ||
29 July 1975 | Fresno | Celland Arena | ||
30 July 1975 | Bakersfield | |||
3 August 1975 | Honolulu | Hawaii | HIC | |
4 August 1975 | ||||
1975 Winter Tour | ||||
26 October 1975 | Scranton | United States | John Long Center | |
29 October 1975 | Passaic | Capitol Theatre | ||
4 November 1975 | Albany | Palace Theatre | ||
6 November 1975 | Villanova | Villanova Field House | ||
12 November 1975 | Chapel Hill | Carmichael Theatre | ||
15 November 1975 | Nashville | Memorial Gymnasium | ||
22 November 1975 | Palo Alto | Maples Pavilion | Neil Young Guests | |
23 November 1975 | Los Angeles | Pauley Pavilion | 9,500/10,000[32] Neil Young Guests | |
25 November 1975 | Reno | University Of Nevada | ||
2 December 1975 | Salt Lake City | Special Events Theatre | ||
5 December 1975 | Idaho | Idaho State University Minidome | ||
6 December 1975 | Missoula | Harry Adams Fieldhouse | ||
8 December 1975 | Seattle | Paramount Theater | ||
9 December 1975 | Portland | Paramount Theatre |
Personnel and Setlist
1975 Summer Tour
Personnel
- Stephen Stills - Vocals, Guitar, Piano
- Donnie Dacus - Guitar
- Joe Lala - Percussion
- Jerry Aeillo - Organ
- George Perry - Bass
- Ronald "Tubby" Zeigler - Drums
- Rick Roberts - Guitar
Setlist
All songs written by Stephen Stills, except where noted.
- Love The One You're With
- Johnny's Garden
- Closer To You
- Wooden Ships (Stills, David Crosby, Paul Kantner)
- Change Partners
- Know You Got To Run (Stills, John Hopkins)
- Treetop Flyer
- Myth Of Sisyphus
- Everybody's Talkin' (Freddie Neil)
- Crossroads/ You Can't Catch Me (Robert Johnson, Chuck Berry)
- 4+20
- Do For The Others
- Word Game
- Buyin' Time
- Going To The Country
- Colorado
- In The Way
- Black Queen
- The Loner (Neil Young)
- Turn Back The Pages (Stills, Donnie Dacus)
- New Mama
- The Treasure
- Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
- Find The Cost Of Freedom
1975 Winter Tour
Personnel
- Stephen Stills - Vocals, Guitar
- Donnie Dacus - Vocals, Guitar
- Joe Lala - Percussion
- George Perry - Bass
- Ronald "Tubby" Zeigler - Drums
- Jerry Aeillo - Keyboards
Setlist
All songs written by Stephen Stills, except where noted.
- Love The One You're With
- Johnny's Garden
- Closer To You (Stills, Dacus)
- In The Way
- Wooden Ships (Stills, David Crosby, Paul Kantner)
- Change Partners
- Know You Got To Run (Stills, John Hopkins)
- Treetop Flyer
- Myth Of Sisyphus
- Everybody's Talkin' (Freddie Neil)
- Crossroads/ You Can't Catch Me (Robert Johnson, Chuck Berry)
- 4+20
- Do For The Others
- Word Game
- Instrumental/Band Intros/Jam
- Buyin' Time
- Going To The Country
- Black Queen
- The Loner (Neil Young)
- Turn Back The Pages (Stills, Donnie Dacus)
- The Treasure
- Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
- Find The Cost Of Freedom
References
- Dave Zimmer, Crosby, Stills and Nash, 2000, p.170.
- Zimmer, p.170-178.
- Zimmer, p.181.
- "Atlantic Records Discography: 1975". www.jazzdisco.org. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- Stills LP sleeve notes.
- CSN box set booklet, 1991.
- The demo is in the Buffalo Springfield box set, 2001, and so dated in the booklet.
- Roberts, David (2018). Stephen Stills: Change Partners.
- "Stephen Stills Stills Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-09-15.
- "Stephen Stills" (PDF).
- Uncut (2018). Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: Ultimate Music Guide. pp. 36–37.
- Chrispell, James (2011). "Stills - Stephen Stills | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 13, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
- DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly, eds. (1992). The Rolling Stone Album Guide (3rd ed.). Random House. p. 675. ISBN 0679737294.
- "Stephen Stills: Stills : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". 2009-03-29. Archived from the original on 2009-03-29. Retrieved 2019-09-15.
- "Record World" (PDF).
- "Cashbox" (PDF).
- "Stephen Stills". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
- "STEPHEN STILLS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
- Canada, Library and Archives (2013-04-16). "The RPM story". www.bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
- "norwegiancharts.com - Stephen Stills - Stephen Stills". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
- "CASH BOX MAGAZINE: Music and coin machine magazine 1942 to 1996". worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
- "RECORD WORLD MAGAZINE: 1942 to 1982". worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
- "Stephen Stills". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
- "RECORD WORLD MAGAZINE: 1942 to 1982". worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
- "CASH BOX MAGAZINE: Music and coin machine magazine 1942 to 1996". worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
- www.americanradiohistory.com (PDF) https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Record-World-IDX/IDX/70s/75/RW-1975-07-05-OCR-Page-0041.pdf. Retrieved 2018-12-16. Missing or empty
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(help) - www.americanradiohistory.com (PDF) https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Record-World-IDX/IDX/70s/75/RW-1975-07-05-OCR-Page-0041.pdf. Retrieved 2018-12-16. Missing or empty
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(help) - www.americanradiohistory.com (PDF) https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Billboard-IDX/IDX/70s/1975/Billboard%201975-09-13-OCR-Page-0049.pdf. Retrieved 2018-12-17. Missing or empty
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(help) - "Sugar Mountain". www.sugarmtn.org. Retrieved 2019-09-10.
- www.americanradiohistory.com (PDF) https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Cash-Box-IDX/70s/1975/CB-1975-12-13-OCR-Page-0023.pdf. Retrieved 2018-12-16. Missing or empty
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