Stephen Stills Preps 1971 Live Album

Regardless of circumstance, any live album from an iconic individual allows for a certain measure of nostalgia.

But given the recent passing of Stephen Stills’ bandmate and occasional sparring partner, David Crosby, this particular offering weighs in heavily in terms of both poignancy and perspective.

Recorded live at the 3,500 seat Berkeley Community Theater, Live at Berkeley 1971, which comes out on April 28th, is decidedly intimate in a way that’s rarely experienced given Stills and company’s usual mega-concert settings. As a result, it’s also free from the strains of superstardom that dominated his work with Buffalo Springfield, CSN and CSNY.  The successor of sorts to his two earlier live offerings, Stephen Stills Live and Stills Alone, this particular album comes across as comparatively low-key, and quite naturally so, since the focus is on the solitary Stills.

Regardless, he utilizes an impressive backing band, one that includes singer/songwriter Steve Fromholz, a legend in his own right, and longtime colleagues Paul Harris on organ, Joe Lala playing percussion, Dallas Taylor on drums, Calvin “Fuzzy” Samuels anchoring on bass — the latter two from CSN —  and the Memphis Horns providing added accompaniment as needed.

For the most part however, Stills is left to his own devices and despite the ample cast in tow, it finds Stills taking a more subdued stance. The setting serves him well. His voice is powerful and clearly capable of delivering the passion and feeling each of these offerings possess. The fact that he’s unbound by his supergroup constraints allows for a somewhat more passionate performance, one that finds him putting added emphasis on the full flush of emotion inherent in each of the songs. That said, a special appearance by David Crosby on “You Don’t Have To Cry” and Crosby’s own “Lee Shore” makes for an especially touching encounter, particularly in light of Croz’s recent passing. With all the friction and frustration that would later intrude on their relationship, these songs serve as a reminder that the two always had a special relationship, and that the chemistry they shared was always special indeed.

That said, the song selection naturally digs into Stills’ past glories, with a medley that shares “You Don’t Have to Cry” and “For What It’s Worth” dispensing with a pair of classics and other offerings  — “Love the One You’re With,” “Black Queen” and “Bluebird Revisited” — also given due diligence. However, most of the material is drawn from the then-recently-released Stephen Stills 2, an album that has grown in stature over the years given the fact that Stills’ subsequent solo albums never quite measured up to his efforts with his colleagues. If nothing else, it offers a reexamination of that particular set of songs.

Nevertheless, Live at Berkeley 1971 serves a definitive purpose — that is, to not only capture a special place in time, but to also do due justice to one of the founding fathers of music’s modern era. It’s an ideal solo showcase, one which is decidedly deserved. Both touching and timeless, it’s an excellent artifact and one that’s well worth relishing. 

VIDEO: Stephen Stills Live at Berkeley 1971 ad

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Lee Zimmerman

Lee Zimmerman is a writer and columnist based in beautiful Maryville, Tennessee. Over the past 20 years, his work has appeared in dozens of leading music publications. He is also the author of Americana Music: Voice, Visionaries, and Pioneers of an Honest Sound, which will be published by Texas A&M University Press early next year.

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