Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Excellent behind the scenes history of the groundbreaking, though short-lived group "Buffalo Springfield". A march down mid sixties memory lane! A must read for the true enthusiast, fan or music historian.

This book was a gift for my husband who is a total Buffalo Springfield freak....he couldn't put it down and is reliving his past joyfully! Thank you so much for the perfect gift....

Having been a fan of Buffalo Springfield in the late '60s, I enjoyed learning the details of how the group came together and, later, how it came apart. It was an enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed this book.
There were a lot of things I didn't know about Buffalo Springfield and the issues with the band staying together. Neil Young was very difficult (even then) and they also had problems with losing bass players etc. Money was also a factor in the band.

Well researched and also up to date.

I've been and on and off fan of Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds, Love, the Doors, (and the bands they sired) and the Sunset Strip music scene of the late 1960's, so I figured I 'd look into this. Richie Furay, one of the singers and rhythm guitarist actually co-wrote the book and his contribution does provide some insight into dynamic of the band---but the dynamic appears to to have revolved around the desire for Stephen Stills and Neil Young to dominate each other, or failing that, in Young's case, to serially quit the band (disclaimer: Neil Young did not make himself available for any input to the book).
They were a remarkably talented and innovative and in retrospect it's too bad that they couldn't find a way to co-exist---but they didn't and it was largely due to ego. Ah well, it's all a very long time ago now and the creative battles of that far off misty yesterday fade into triviality.
Interesting as an analysis of disfunction and as a snapshot into a world still flush with optimism.