Stephen Stills Turnin' Back The Pages CD

Recorded between 1968 & 1978. Includes liner notes by Glenn A. Baker.

Australian reissue label Raven fills in a hole in Stephen Stills' catalog by assembling the compilation Turnin' Back the Pages, which surveys Stills' three-LP stint on Columbia Records, 1976-1978. The first two of Stills' Columbia albums, Stills and Illegal Stills, have been issued on CD, but the third, Thoroughfare Gap, has not, so the selections from that disc are making their digital debut here. The 78-plus-minute CD contains more than half of Stills' Columbia output, seven of ten tracks from Stills, eight of ten from Illegal Stills, and five of 12 from Thoroughfare Gap. Annotator Glenn A. Baker (who conceived and compiled the collection) points out that Stills' solo recording career at the time was damaged by a confusing glut of product: in 1975, Stills had to compete with Stills' Live album, issued by Stills' previous label, Atlantic; in 1976, Illegal Stills had both the Stills-Young Band's Long May You Run on Reprise and the Atlantic best-of Still Stills: The Best of Stephen Stills to contend with; and Crosby, Stills & Nash re-formed for Atlantic's CSN in 1977, which undercut the impact of 1978's Thoroughfare Gap. This is true, but it should be pointed out as well that Stills was contributing songs to the Stills-Young and CSN records, in some cases better ones than he reserved for his solo discs. "As I Come of Age," actually a CSN track from an abortive 1974 session, and "Turn Back the Pages," Stills' only charting single on Columbia, were up to his usual standard, but the Columbia albums also found him doing a fair number of unnecessary covers (Neil Young's "New Mama" and "The Loner," Gregg Allman's "Midnight Rider," Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away") and even letting co-writer Donnie Dacus take over lead vocals on "Closer to You" and "Ring of Love." Certainly, there are passages on these sides that remind the listener of Stills' talents as a guitarist and songwriter, but much of the time he seems to have been putting only his second-best efforts into his solo recordings. The Raven collection chooses well (and the decision to end with two tracks from the 1968 Super Session album with Al Kooper is wise), but there is too much weak material here f

Digitally remastered solo recordings including the very best of Stephen Stills solo 70s recordings for the Columbia label. Features guest appearances by David Crosby, Graham Nash, Ringo Starr, Donnie Dacus, Dave Mason, Rick Roberts and Flo & Eddie. Includes six tracks not previously available on CD and two bonus tracks from 1968 Supersession album with Al Kooper.

Compilation producer: Glenn A. Baker.

Personnel: Stephen Stills (vocals, guitar, electric guitar, strings, horns, piano, Clavinet, organ, keyboards, Moog synthesizer, percussion); Donnie Dacus (vocals, guitar, background vocals); Al Kooper (vocals, electric guitar, 12-string guitar, piano, organ); Joe Vitale (vocals, drums); Lisa Roberts, Claudia Lanier, Graham Nash, Betty White, Armando Hurley, Howard Kaylan, Kitty Pritiken, Verna Richardson, Mark Volman, Andy Gibb, George "Chocolate" Perry (vocals); Danny Kortchmar (guitar, percussion); George Terry (guitar, background vocals); Gerry Tolman, Joey Mercia (guitar); Mike Lewis (strings, horns); Albhy Galuten (piano); Jerry Aeillo (keyboards); Eddie Hoh, Tubby Zeigler, Richard O'Connell, Ringo Starr, Russ Kunkel, Jimmy Fox (drums); Joe Lala (percussion); Danny Hutton, Kenny Passarelli, Marcy Levy, Peggy Clinger (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Don Gehman; Alex Sadkin.

Recording information: Caribou Ranch, Caribou, CO; Cherokee studios; Criteria Studios.

Photographers: Jim McCrary; Tom Zimmhoff; Billy Ray.

Personnel includes: Stephen Stills (vocals, guitar, piano, organ, Clavinet, Moog synthesizer, bass, percussion); Al Kooper (vocals, 6 & 12-string guitars, piano, organ, ondioline); Donny Dacus (vocals, guitar); David Crosby, Graham Nash, Howard Kaylan, Mark Volman (vocals); Danny Kortchmar (guita