Ranking 10 Greatest Albums Made Out Of Contractual Obligation

10. Buffalo Springfield - Last Time Around

Often disregarded because it wasn't "a complete group effort" due to the band's dissolution during its recording, Last Time Around stands as a semi-triumph in folk-rock primarily because it was made using a patchwork recording process.

Released after the group had officially called it quits -- to finish out their contract with Atco Records -- the album feels like three separate solo albums crammed into one. That always reads like a bad thing, but listening to Last Time Around sparks plenty of curiosity and hope for the future of members Neil Young, Stephen Stills, and Richie Furay, who constantly trade off songwriting and vocal duties.

Rolling Stone reviewer Barry Gifford called the album "a final testament to their multi-talent", which is the more warmhearted way of describing how Buffalo Springfield had started to sound like a band without direction. That rudderless style is exciting, though, and produced a few of the band's finest songs ("Four Days Gone", "Pretty Girl Why", "On the Way Home").

It may not be as cohesive as some purists would prefer, but Last Time Around is a nice farewell collection that may never have seen the light of day were it not for their indebtedness to the record company.