David Crosby: If I Could Only Remember My Name - 1971

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Like all David Crosby’s work, this, his first solo album from 1971, is an automatic de-stresser. It should be available on prescription. It is the musical equivalent of putting some tiger balm on your forehead. 

The album is comparatively sparse, lyrically, but is big on laid-back, almost trippy atmosphere. The trippy, laid-back acoustic vibe of Music Is Love sort of exemplifies that. Although the song is a bit hippily directionless I love its deep, melodic bassline. 

Cowboy Movie is an intoxicating eight minute-plus workout that has Neil Young's imprint all over it, although it is The Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia who plays the Young-esque guitar. 

Tamalpais High (At About 3) has no proper words, save some typically harmonious backing vocals with Graham Nash, yet, because of its sublime bass (again) and drum sound it works incredibly well. Jefferson Airplane's Jorma Kaukonen is on guitar too. 

What Are Their Names begins with some superb bits of electric guitar picking, duetting over an gently rumbling bass line, then the drums kick in - big and bold. If you thought the folky Crosby wasn’t much for rock, think again - he rocks in solid, brooding fashion for a few minutes before the politically-motivated vocals eventually arrive, Crosby questioning just what the hell is going on. Listen to that huge, throbbing bass again - beautiful. "Peace is not an awful lot to ask" sings a yearning Crosby. Indeed. 

The album ends as quietly as it had begun with two short vocal-acoustic numbers. Firstly the medieval chorale vocals and stunningly clear acoustic guitar of Orleans and then the mysterious, trippy I’d Swear There Was Somebody Here, which is an even shorter bit of instrumental and vocal gymnastics that doesn’t quite work as well as some of the other material. It is a bit of a shame that the album ends on a comparative low(er) point because overall it was an enchanting piece of work.

 

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