For What It's Worth: The Story of Buffalo Springfield [Paperback]

John Einarson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 17, 2004

For What It's Worth is a revealing insiders look at an influential and groundbreaking rock group whose remendous talents have gone on to achieve legendary status in the annals of rock music history. Besides chronicling Buffalo Springfield's roots and career, the book offers rare and personal glimpses into several seminal music scenes, notably the Greenwich Village folk movement, the embryonic San Francisco scene, and LA's Sunset Strip, along with a lesson in the pitfalls of the music industry. Written with founding member Richie Furay and including the insights, recollections, and reflections of band members, managers, close friends, associates, and contemporaries, the book paints a unique portrait of one of rock music's most beloved groups. Updated edition includes new epilogue.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This proves to be more than just another look at an influential yet hort-lived band. Furay and Einarson truly take the reader inside the life of these musicians, the time and the band, not to mention the music. A fun read, I found it engrossing and captivating. (John Koenig Discoveries For Record and Cd Collectors )

John Einarson and Richie Furay, a founding band member, look at the history and effect of the band's short, tumultous life, before various issues ripped them apart. (Wayne Youngblood Goldmine )

About the Author

John Einarson is a respected music history writer with several titles published worldwide including the best-selling biography Neil Young: Don't Be Denied (1550820443), Randy Bachman (1552781607), Desperados (0815410654). John has written for both radio and television and hosted his own series on Canadian rock music history for CBC. He lives in Winnipeg, Canada. Richie Furay was a founding member of Buffalo Springfield and still a pivotal member of the california rock music scene. He lives in Dana Point, California.

John Einarson is a respected music history writer with several titles published worldwide including the best-selling biography Neil Young: Don't Be Denied (1550820443), Randy Bachman (1552781607), Desperados (0815410654). John has written for both radio and television and hosted his own series on Canadian rock music history for CBC. He lives in Winnipeg, Canada.

Richie Furay was a founding member of Buffalo Springfield and still a pivotal member of the california rock music scene. He lives in Dana Point, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Cooper Square Press; Updated edition (May 17, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0815412819
• ISBN-13: 978-0815412816
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #294,025 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For What It's Worth...a review, March 8, 2005

By 

D. Chesnut (Murphys, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: For What It's Worth: The Story of Buffalo Springfield (Paperback)

I guess I missed this book when it was first published back in the 90s...

Anyone who appreciates the music of the Buffalo Springfield will likewise appreciate this book, simply because of the detailed rise and fall of the band. Most of us have heard of the mythological meeting of Stills, Young, Palmer, and Furay in SoCal; most of us already were aware of the struggles the band went through trying to break into the popular music world of the mid-60s. Not all of us, though, have been privvy to the internal hassles and love/hate relationships experienced by the bandmates, all of which seems to be described here by the author and Richie Furay.

Some of the information gets repititive, especially Furay's continuous remarks about "the family," the original five members of the band and how, when things were falling apart and replacement members were brought in to cover for the likes of Palmer, Young and drummer Dewey Martin, the sense of family no longer existed for him. On the other hand, Furay seems to have worked harder than any of the others to keep the Springfield going, even after it all seemed a bust.

What comes across the most pointedly is the amazing connections in the music world that developed as a result of the Buffalo Springfield's influence, many of which continue to this day. Truly a musical phenomenon in their time, the Buffalo Springfield's recordings are as important today as they were 35+ years ago.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost Complete!!!!, May 23, 2007

By 

Robert Ronis "Roots Music" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: For What It's Worth: The Story of Buffalo Springfield (Paperback)

First off, I'd like to compliment both Richie Furay and the author John Einarson, for the great job they did with the resources they had. It seems they had open dialogue with everyone who was in/around Buffalo Springfield. The only exepmtion was Neil Young (what a shock), who's quotes were archived from other publications. Still contributed, minimally, but did contribute.

This book gives a great history of not only the band, but inside the men who made this short lived, but significant band in music history. This book just proves further that Buffalo Springfield is really where it all began.

Another great thing is that you get to know more about musicians like Bruce Palmer and Dewey Martin. It's easy to find information on Neil, Steve, Richie.. but Bruce and Dewey are less accessible.

The book covers, but does not go into depth on what the band members do after Buffalo Springfield, and that's a good thing. Afterall, it is "The Story of Buffalo Springfield".

I gave it 4 stars, not because of the content or writing. It is because the one enigma in the band, the one member who left numerous times and essentially made it impossible for the band to continue, Neil Young, did not contribute his thoughts and memories.

Overall, a great read. I learned a lot, and enjoyed it from cover to cover.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's Worth It, May 8, 2009

By 

Mark Nenadov "arm-chair reader" (Essex, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: For What It's Worth: The Story of Buffalo Springfield (Paperback)

This is a fascinating account of the history of Buffalo Springfield, and well worth purchasing.

I must say that Richie Furay and John Einarson do an excellent job of portraying the ups, downs, turbulence, success, and rivalries that are wound into this narrative. I really get the sense that they treat the characters involved with a great deal of sensitivity and respect. The account has a great deal of objectivity while still capturing subjective perspectives to give it a very personal feel.

It is very apparent that a great deal of care has been taken and a lot of careful research carried out in order to compile this book. Parts of it are rather repetitive, but it remains a very valuable resource in the history of popular music in the 1960s, 1970s, and onward. Buffalo Springfield would only last a couple of years, but they would have a great impact on popular music to this very day, especially in light of what would come out of the careers of Young, Stills, Crosby, and Furay. Along with being a fine book, this title also covers a band that is very critical in understanding the history of rock, folk rock, and other popular musical currents.