Crosby, Stills & Nash: Greatest Hits
A fine, era-spanning compilation from Crosby, Stills & Nash. It is my favourite compilation of theirs, as the earlier 1974 one - So Far - was not nearly comprehensive enough - why, it didn't have Marrakesh Express on it!
The group were an example of the way that the late sixties/early seventies sub-genre of country rock could combine acoustic, folky material with rock. They are, in that way, very much the sound of their era. They were hugely influential too, something that is sometimes overlooked.
So, let's charm some cobras and blow some smoke rings......
Firstly, put on the tour de force that is the ever-changing Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, open the windows and summer’s here again. Although I love some of the instrumentation on this - the frantic congas and strummed guitars - I have to say, however, that just sometimes when either Nash or Stills go high-voiced it can grate a bit, such as on the "catch a sparrow" bit here, sung, I think, by Nash. I love the "latin" bit, however.
One of my favourites is where the group rock out a bit, such as on the excellent Long Time Gone. Check out that lovely bass, organ, guitar and drum backing. This is as bluesy as they got, in many ways. The vocals are still typically harmonious but the individual bits are robust and gritty. It's definitely one of their best for me - just something about its whole dark, mysterious vibe appeals to me.
A serving of absolutely delicious soft rock is up next in Graham Nash's Just A Song Before You Go. Once more, it features some totally lovely guitar work. Southern Cross, from 1982's Daylight Again album, has a rousing sound to it - I love that backing riff - I like it so much when CSN rock out. It is a really powerful track.
Helplessly Hoping is a gentle, acoustic and mightily harmonious ballad. Its main vocal refrain is instantly recognisable as indeed is its second "they are one person" bit. It is pretty much archetypal CSN, isn't it? I can only say as I do with so many on this album, that it is simply a beautiful song. Just get a load of those gorgeous, harmonised vocals. David Crosby's beautiful, quietly attractive and mysterious Shadow Captain is similarly appealing. Those harmonies are again wonderful and it is packed full of chilled-out atmosphere.
CSNY's lovely, evocative, McCartney-ish and utterly catchy Our House, the closest thing to a hit the foursome had, taken from their 1970 Déjà Vu album, has made it on to here, as has the gorgeous Teach Your Children from the same album. They may as well have put Neil Young's Ohio and Helpless on here too then, along with Almost Cut My Hair and Woodstock, but they didn't. Anyway, back to this album - listen to the bass on David Cosby's haunting, always mis-spelt (it should have only one 'n') Guinnevere - sublime. Equally impressive is the lovely See The Changes, from 1977.
Wooden Ships has a thoroughly-entrancing lead guitar and bass intro. It is one of my favourites of theirs, another when they up the muscularity a bit. Just a bit, mind, it is still pretty much blissed-out fare. I love that organ and guitar break halfway through. They almost get a little funky. The song was also covered by Jefferson Airplane before CSN's debut album (from whence it came) was released. Great song, by either of them.
David Crosby's Delta is classic CSN harmonious, slow country fare, featuring a sleepy vocal against a tinkling piano backing. It gets a bit bulkier halfway through when some drums arrive. 49 Bye-byes is a Simon & Garfunkel-ish lively number backed by a sort of cute, melodic organ sound and some subtle guitar.
Wasted On The Way is deliciously airy, melodic and so very early seventies in feel. It has a lovely violin solo mid-song too. I love it.
Time for some rock, however? Sure. There is a live version of Carry On/Questions (not included on here, I might add) which is as rockingly heavy as the trio got. It is full of killer riffs and pounding drums, totally unrecognisable from much of the material on here. The original version we get here is still pretty lively, but the main riff is an acoustic one before the drums and a slightly more subtle guitar come in. There's a great wah-wah style guitar solo near the end too. The song is very familiar to me, but I can't work out from where.
In My Dreams, from 1977, sees us return to gentle acoustic tranquility. The guitar-picking throughout the song is beautiful as are the three-part vocal harmonies. From the same CSN album, hippy nostalgia like Nash's Cathedral, a song that saw him recalling getting high in Winchester Cathedral, surely had no place in 1977? Maybe it did, as the song was popular at the time (at least in the US) and remained so.
This fine collection ends with the gentle strains of 1982's Daylight Again.
The collection has excellent sound quality too.
I have reviewed three of their albums as well - click on the label link at the bottom of this page - but this review covers most of the best stuff.
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