Thanks largely to input from Chris Hillman, Stills's 1972 release is more of an ensemble work than any of his other excursions or those from his friends and . This band of famous session players, drawn together by Stills for just under two years, display an integrity, panache and professionalism that was unanticipated by the critics, the band, or, in all probability, even Stills himself. Each side of the original double LP--now on a single CD--bore a heading which (if sometimes vaguely) classified its songs. "The Raven" (side one)--a reference to the nickname of Stills's groupie lover and muse Rita Coolidge--provides a somewhat softer, more country-rock focus. With their fiddle, pedal steel guitar, unison vocals and lyrics about the environment and Jesus, it is the songs on "The Wilderness" (side two) that set this album apart, for they are all genuine excursions into country music. "Consider" (side three) features mainly acoustic numbers. The sound of "Rock & Roll is Here to Stay" (side four) is just what you would expect from such a title, with the addition of the odd fiddle break here and there. Its centerpiece is the eight-minute guitar extravaganza "The Treasure (Take One)" where Stills gets to match the electric mayhem of former band mate . -- James Swift