With respect to the Buffalo Springfield, there are those who greatly admired Neil Young, and his solo recording career and others liked Steve Stills, or if you are a connoisseur, Richie Furay. For me, I prefer Bruce Palmer, the bassist in Buffalo Springfield, who in most cases refused to be photographed with the Springfield, and was on live TV with his back to the camera facing the band. To me, that was punk rock before punk rock. Palmer had a mystique that the others in the band didn't have. When he left the band, I think due to a pot bust, one would think he disappears into the mist. And he did. Except in 1970, he released a solo album. "The Cycle is Complete" is very much an improvised work, with soulful singing from Rick James. Stong congas playing by Big Black, who at the time was considered to be the king of Congas and played with Thelonious Monk and Sun Ra. Palmer handles the bass and guitar, also a violinist Templeton Parcely who played with the band Kaleidoscope. Four songs that are more mood pieces made for late night listening. There's an Indian or Eastern influence, which is not uncommon for music made in the late 60s or early 70s. In actuality, the Bruce Palmer album is my favorite Buffalo Springfield solo album.
In parts, it reminds me of Miles Davis "In a Silent Way" in that there is a quiet groove that goes through the album. It is also interesting that the record was engineered by the legendary Dave Hassinger who did the classic Stones cuts at the RCA building in Hollywood. For those who have a taste of adventure, this is a good album for you. I'm not sure if Buffalo Springfield fans will like it, but they should. It is really the best solo album from that group.
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