****Excellent***Good**Fair*Poor : COMPACT DISCS

“Retrospective: The Best of the Buffalo Springfield.” Atco. Led by Neil Young, Stephen Stills and Richie Furay, Buffalo Springfield was one of the most gifted and influential American rock groups of the late ‘60s. Its most memorable songs--including Stills’ “For What It’s Worth”--combined disarming country-rock arrangements with a clear-eyed social realism and/or deeply rooted introspection that was, in part, a model for the Eagles and Crosby, Stills & Nash. A two-record set, released on vinyl and cassette in 1976, provides a better overview of the L.A.-based group than “Retrospective,” but that package ran slightly over the 75-minute, single CD time limit, which means Atco will either have to put it on two discs or trim some music. For most fans, this budget-priced, 40-minute single disc ($10.99 in one local chain) is a reasonable compromise. ****