Last Time Around

Last Time Around
Studio album by Buffalo Springfield
Released	30 July 1968
Recorded	February 1967-April 1968
Genre	Folk rock, rock
Length	32:54
Label	Atco
Producer	Jim Messina
Buffalo Springfield chronology
Buffalo Springfield Again (1967) Last Time Around (1968) Retrospective: The Best of Buffalo Springfield (1969)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Rolling Stone	(not rated)[2]

Last Time Around is the third and final album by folk rock band Buffalo Springfield. Released 1968, it featured Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay, Dewey Martin, Bruce Palmer, and Jim Messina, who also worked as producer and a recording engineer.^[3]

History

Last Time Around was released to fulfill contractual commitments. By the time it was completed the group had functionally disbanded: nowhere do all members appear together on any track, and even the cover photo of the group is a montage.

Bruce Palmer appeared on six tracks: 'On the Way Home,' 'It's So Hard to Wait,' 'Pretty Girl Why,' 'Uno Mundo,' 'Merry-Go-Round,' and 'Questions'. His face and name were both omitted from the album sleeve.^[4]

The lyrics to "The Hour of Not Quite Rain" were the result of an August 1967 contest run by Los Angeles radio station KHJ. Entrants would write a poem to be set to music and recorded by the Buffalo Springfield. The prize was $1000 plus publishing royalties. The winning entry was written by Micki Callen.^[5]

The album did contain three songs that were very important to the authors. Neil Young performed "I Am a Child" in live acoustic sets throughout his career. "Kind Woman" become one of Richie Furay's best known tunes; he performed it with Poco and throughout his solo career. Stephen Stills merged "Questions" with another song to create "Carry On", which appeared on Déjà Vu and was a major part of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's concert repertoire.

Track listing

Side One

1. "On the Way Home" (Young) – 2:25
   • Recorded November 15-December 13, 1967, Sunset Sound, Los Angeles, California. Vocals: Richie Furay, Neil Young; bass: Bruce Palmer; piano: Neil Young.
2. "It's So Hard to Wait" (Furay, Young) – 2:03
   • Recorded March 9, 1968, Sunset Sound, Los Angeles, California. Lead vocals: Richie Furay; bass: Bruce Palmer.
3. "Pretty Girl Why" (Stills) – 2:24
   • Recorded February 26 & May 1967, Sound Recorders, Hollywood and Atlantic Studios, New York City. Lead vocals: Stephen Stills; bass: Bruce Palmer. Jim Fielder version recorded February 26, 1967 at Atlantic Studios, NYC, was unfinished and not used.
4. "Four Days Gone" (Stills) – 2:53
   • Recorded late 1967-early 1968. Lead vocals:Stephen Stills.
5. "Carefree Country Day" (Messina) – 2:35
   • Recorded late 1967-early 1968. Lead vocals: Jim Messina.
6. "Special Care" (Stills) – 3:30
   • Recorded January 3–20, 1968. Sunset Sound, Hollywood. Lead vocals: Stephen Stills; drums: Buddy Miles.

Side Two

1. "The Hour of Not Quite Rain" (Callen, Furay) – 3:45
   • Recorded late 1967-February 1968. Lead vocals: Richie Furay.
2. "Questions" (Stills) – 2:52
   • Recorded February 16, 1968, Sunset Sound, Los Angeles, California. Lead vocals: Stephen Stills; bass: Bruce Palmer; drums: Jimmy Karstein.
3. "I Am a Child" (Young) – 2:15
   • Recorded February 5, 1968, Sunset Sound, Los Angeles, California. Lead vocals: Neil Young; bass: Gary Marker.
4. "Merry-Go-Round" (Furay) – 2:02
   • Recorded February 16-March 1968, Sunset Sound, Los Angeles, California. Lead vocals: Richie Furay; bass: Bruce Palmer; drums: Jimmy Karstein. Harpsichord, calliope, bells: Jeremy Stuart.
5. "Uno Mundo" (Stills) – 2:00
   • Recorded February–March 1968, Sunset Sound, Los Angeles, California. Lead vocals: Stephen Stills; bass: Bruce Palmer.
6. "Kind Woman" (Furay) – 4:10
   • Recorded February–March 6, 1968, Atlantic Studios, New York City & Sunset Sound, Los Angeles, California. Lead vocals: Richie Furay; pedal steel guitar: Rusty Young; bass: Richard Davis.(not Dickie Davis)

Personnel

• Richie Furay - guitar (1,2,3,8,10,11,12), vocals (1,2,3,5,10,12)
• Dewey Martin - drums (1,2,3,9,11)
• Jim Messina - bass, vocals (5,12)
• Stephen Stills - guitar (1,2,3,4,6,8,10,11), piano (4,6,8), organ (6,8,11), bass (6), vibes (1), percussion (11), Handclaps (11), background vocals (1,5,10), vocals (3,4,6,8,11)
• Neil Young - guitar (3,9,10), harmonica (9), piano (1), background vocals (1), vocals (9), appears in some capacity on (5)
• Bruce Palmer - bass guitar (1,2,3,8,10,11), vocals (12)

with

• Buddy Miles : drums (6)
• Jimmy Karstein : drums (8,10)
• Gary Marker : bass (9)
• Jeremy Stuart : harpsichord, calliope, bells (10)
• Rusty Young : pedal steel guitar (12)
• Richard Davis : bass (12)
• unidentified: horns (1), saxophone, clarinet (2), drums (4), bass, drums, harpsichord, orchestra (7), piano, drums (12)

Production

• Producer: Jim Messina
• Engineers: Adrian Barber, Phil Iehle, Jim Messina

Charts

Chart (1968)	Peak position
Billboard Pop Albums	42

References

1. Unterberger, Richie. Last Time Around at AllMusic
2. Rolling Stone review
3. http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,58861,00.html
4. For What It's Worth, John Einarson with Richie Furay, page 260
5. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/micki-callen-mn0001809447/biography