Stephen Stills 2

Ahmet Ertegun suggested Miami, and it was the first album Stills recorded at Criteria Studios, from February to March 1971 with the Albert Brothers, who engineered most of his 1970s work. He wrote and recorded 23 songs, planned a double album, and Ertegun insisted on a single record.

Stills held marathon sessions, and two teams of engineers worked shifts around the clock to keep up with him. Howard Albert recalled that Stills turned up to his first session at 2 am on the night he landed. Jerry Garcia remembered being flown to Miami for a week to play pedal steel on "Change Partners", working at the weirdest hours. Stills introduced the Memphis Horns, influenced by the success of bands such as Chicago and Blood, Sweat and Tears, and Eric Clapton played on "Fishes and Scorpions". The lyrics were printed inside the gatefold with errors, which led Atlantic to affix a correction sticker to the shrink wrap.

The album peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and No. 22 in the UK. "Change Partners" reached No. 43 and "Marianne" No. 42. Reception was mixed. John Mendelsohn in Rolling Stone was harshly critical, Nick Logan in the NME praised "Open Secret", and Robert Christgau gave it a C. Stills toured behind it in summer 1971, a 52-date run with the Memphis Horns.