Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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55 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
These vintage, intimate solo recordings are a must for Stephen Stills fans, 15 Jul 2007
Stephen Stills and Judy Collins were lovers at the time that she recorded her beautiful "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" album. The Buffalo Springfield was about to break up for good while nothing was sure about the Crosby, Stills & Nash project (the trio would actually begin recording in the autumn of 1968.)
Stills played guitar and bass on Collins' album. On a Friday night, at the end of one of her recording sessions held in New York on April 26, 1968, he managed to record 12 demos of his latest songs. The superb "Treetop Flyer", which closes the UK album, was recorded a bit later.
Released for the first time after almost 40 years, this album carries an undeniable "historical tag" with it. These professional recordings may not be "state-of-the-art" but they are truly enjoyable and insightful.
The CD cover, depicting a box of magnetic tape complete with a title sheet, suggests that the material is presented in the same order in which it was recorded.
What is most striking when one listens to these songs is how soon Stills came up with so much quality material. Most of it, like "Change Partners", "Black Queen", "So Begins the Task", "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" and "Helplessly Hoping" would appear later on records released by Crosby, Stills & Nash, Manassas as well as on Stills' solo albums.
What is also readily apparent is how much these already fully formed songs would benefit from the refinement brought on the better-known versions issued later.
These then future collaborations would produce the polished and definitive gems that everybody knows. What we have here are high-quality, intimate diamonds in the rough. They offer a glimpse of Stills' creative process. Stephen Stills is in fine vocal form throughout. Listen to him hit those high notes on "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes." He accompanies himself with solid, fluid acoustic guitar playing (except for the last track on which he plays dobro.)
Actually, one wonders why songs as good as "All I Know Is What You Tell Me," "The Doctor Will See You Now," "Judy" and "Dreaming of Snakes" were never used. Surely a missed opportunity!
Stephen Stills' "Just Roll Tape" album is a must for any fan of this wonderful musician and of his musical acolytes. Enjoy!
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27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Simple Stills, 16 Aug 2007
Not really sure if this is going to appeal to anyone outside of Stills hard core fans but it may interest those who wondered what all the fuss was back in the late 60's/70's.
Don't think this is anything else than what it says on the sleeve. It is simply Stills and an acoustic guitar running through some songs that would become well known in the months and years to come (Suite. Judy Blue Eyes, Black Queen, Helplessly Hoping) and some that wouldn't make the cut (Judy, All I Know Is What You Tell Me). Absolutely no frills, one take and a very live feel. Its good to hear his voice in such great shape and amazing how high (vocally) he could get in those days. But the really striking thing is just how good these songs were without any embellishment. Stripped of all the harmonies, intrumentation and studio production, they stand on their own merits.
Stills fans can buy this without any hesitation. Its a great historical addition to a somewhat patchy back catalogue and hopefully there is more to come. These were after all Stills most creative years and Just Roll Tape is ample evidence of his talent. It is raw, some of the strummed guitar playing a bit distorted in places (Change Partners) and although the sound quality is pretty amazing considering the well documented history of the original tape, perfectionists might take issue.Its probably not a CD you'll listen to time and time again, but it is a wonderful insight into the beginnings of songs that for many, formed the soundtrack of their 60's/70's.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Unplugged (rehearsal style) but none the worse for that, 22 Sep 2007
Recorded post Buffalo Springfield's demise, at the time in April 1968 when he was involved with Judy Collins (this tape was done after a Collins recording session) and kicking around with the likes of Al Kooper & Mike Bloomfield, this recording finds Stills clearly in hot form and getting his act together just before CSN was to materialise later that year.
Done solo and acoustically Stills covers a good mix of songs either later recorded solo or with other groups he was involved with plus others that have yet to see the light, and was clearly in fine form. The more now well known items(Change Partners, Wooden Ships and Suite:Judy Blue Eyes) were in fact very well developed structurally changing little in the final recording. A great insight to his creative process and with the great feature of just hearing and enjoying his great vocal range again.
The only strange aspect is Stills apparently left the master tape with the studio (where it was later put into a skip when the studio closed down before being rescued by a fan who recently approached Graham Nash) and simply took away a cassette tape at the end of the session - bet you wouldn't get many new or old acts permitting that type of naive enthusiasm these days!
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