Buffalo Springfield Again (as a member of Buffalo Springfield)

So in a sense, Buffalo Springfield Again marks an improvement for the band. It rocks a little harder, feels a little more distinct, draws a little more from different genres for a more eclectic sound. "Bluebird" is a pretty sweet song with some awesome acoustic guitar jammin', and "Sad Memory" is an extremely pleasant little ballad.

But as a Neil Young fan, this is a major disappointment. Neil only wrote 3 songs on this one, and there aren't exactly any timeless classics amongst them. "Mr. Soul" is a mildly rocking tune, but also an aimless, derivative drone, and "Expecting to Fly" is a passable ballad, but morose and overlong. Only the 6 minute, ambitious, experimental "Broken Arrow," with its weird interludes (breaking into "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" at one point) and layered soundscapes really holds up to analysis. You can hear that Neil is further developing his sound, and starting to show signs of the iconoclast songwriter that he'll someday become... but he just ain't there yet.

Rating: C -