Stephen Stills, renowned for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY), is often overlooked despite being an accomplished guitarist and fingerstyle master. As the driving force behind Buffalo Springfield and the visionary behind CSNY, he has left an indelible mark on music history.
Stills’ innovative use of fingerpicking and alternate tunings was groundbreaking at a time when standard tuning dominated the music scene. By moving away from traditional methods, he explored different genres and delved into lower registers to realize his creative vision. His contributions include iconic tracks like “For What It’s Worth” and the beautiful CSN opener, “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.”
When CSN formed in 1968, Buffalo Springfield had already disbanded, giving Stills the opportunity to explore new artistic directions. While David Crosby added atmospheric lyrics and Graham Nash contributed catchy pop hooks, it was Stills’ skills that brought their vision to life on their debut album, CSN.
Stills played a pivotal role in the recording process, handling most of the instrumentation. Although Crosby and Nash played guitar on their songs and drummers Dallas Taylor and Jim Gordon contributed rhythm, Stills was responsible for the bass, organ, and lead guitar parts. “The other guys won’t be offended when I say that one was my baby, and I kind of had the tracks in my head,” Stills famously remarked afterward.
Despite his significant contributions to CSN’s success, Graham Nash revealed that Stills was not performing at his peak during this time. It took the involvement of another guitarist to inspire Stills to elevate his playing. In a 1999 interview with Debbie Kruger, Nash explained that they brought in Neil Young, a former member of Buffalo Springfield and another guitar legend, to serve as a sonic counterpart for Stills. This decision proved to be a stroke of genius, enhancing not just Stills’ performance but also the band’s overall sound.
Nash reflected on the necessity of this addition, saying, “In 1969 when CSN had finished the album, we knew that we would be going on the road. Stephen, as a great lead guitarist, needed someone to ‘play off’, to inspire him to play better. Neither David nor I were that person. We play good rhythm guitar but ‘lead’ guitar is something different altogether. We decided that we would ask Neil to come along and join the band. At first, I was a little reticent to have this happen. I thought that we had a complete ‘band’ and a wonderful vocal blend.”
Ultimately, Nash’s concerns were unfounded. Young’s influence on the group was immediate and transformative. The addition of his unique sound pushed all the members to improve their musicianship. A single listen to “Helpless” exemplifies the profound impact Young had on their creative output, solidifying Déjà Vu—the first album featuring Young—as their masterpiece.
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