by Richie Unterberger
The band themselves were displeased with this record, feeling that the production did not capture their on-stage energy and excitement. Yet to most ears, this debut sounds pretty great, featuring some of their most melodic and accomplished songwriting and harmonies, delivered with a hard-rocking punch. &For What It's Worth& was the hit single, but there are several other equally stunning treasures. Stephen Stills' &Go and Say Goodbye& was a pioneering country-rock fusion; his &Sit Down I Think I Love You& was the band at their poppiest and most early Beatlesque; and his &Everybody's Wrong& and &Pay the Price& were tough rockers. Although Neil Young has only two lead vocals on the record (Richie Furay sang three other Young compositions), he's already a songwriter of great talent and enigmatic lyricism, particularly on &Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing,& &Out of My Mind,& and &Flying on the Ground Is Wrong.& The entire album bursts with thrilling guitar and vocal interplay, with a bright exuberance that would tone down considerably by their second record. [A 1997 CD reissue presents both mono and stereo mixes of the album, and includes &Baby Don't Scold Me& (which was on the first pressing of the record, but was soon replaced by &For What It's Worth&).]