Change Partners/Nothin' To Do But Today/Fishes & Scorpions/Sugar Babe/Know You Got To Run/Opens Secret/Relaxing Town/Singin' Call/Ecology Song/Word Game/Marianne/Bluebird Revisited
Follow up solo album from Stephen Stills which is similar in style to his first but not nearly as good. Unfortunately, the best of his songwriting was now behind him. (US:8 UK:22)
“Overall this is a good listen. Not as good as his first solo it still has some fine moments of it's own that keep me coming back. Good vocals and guitar playing as always with Stephen Stills, so always a pleasure to listen to.”
“Here again Stills brings out some old material from his CSNY stint but the new songs didn't assure him the success he was used to. The sometimes superfluous and naive compositions make this album less memorable than its predecessor.” ,p> “Identical in style and spirit to the first album, it just lacks a little melodic sparkle to lift it into classic status. Otherwise it is excellent in most departments. One weakness is that most of the tracks are a little short and unclimactic. This kind of vibrant, atmospheric rock was about to vanish, as recording techniques changed to produce the cleaner, more artificial, pasteurised sounds of AOR.”
“Some times this album is better in places than the first one, but in places also seriously worse. Stephen Still 2 is an average enough effort that has a couple of memorable tunes but the poorer songs are just that bit poorer. Change Partners is the only song with any worthwhile theme and tune.”
“This album still treads too much of the same ground. Change Partners might as well be called ‘Love The Next One You're With’. Stills didn't have to resort to a pallid remake of Bluebird to let us know that he was running low on ideas.”
“Just like the majority of Stills' solo work, there a a couple of really fine tunes here, and a lot of no more than OK filler. The good stuff starts right at the beginning. Change Partners is a bittersweet tune about the ending of relationships, and how they are just a normal part of life. It's smart, and one of those songs that really sticks in your head.”
“An enjoyable album with a variety of style and song types. From a phase of his career that was very productive. Not as strong as his first album but a worthy effort by my own personal favourite acoustic guitarist.”
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