Super Session
Nothing on this 1968 album approaches the best work of any of the three principals involved. What's more, the record sounds hopelessly mired in 1968. On the other hand, it's one of the original, groovy jam-rock statements, a spontaneous session filled with enjoyable but dispensable noodling. The first half showcases Bloomfield's piercing, edgy guitar on three blues instrumentals and one modal-jazz extravaganza. The cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Man's Temptation" falls into comic-relief territory, however. Stills and Kooper engage in a countrified Dylan cover and a rambling 11-minute version of Donovan's "Season of the Witch." Ironically, the album's appeal and its ultimate downfall lie in the "tossed-off" vibe.--Marc Greilsamer