Again Kostas excels and posts the anniversary of Deja Vu a counter culture classic from 50 years ago and another we all bought when it came out. In their heyday and at their peak there was nobody to match them for musicality, message and sheer beauty of lyrical narrative in songs of our generation . . . . tho’ coke fuelled and indulged to non-existence the beginnings were interstellar super-group status ad we were in awe! Us Brits wondered why Graham left the Hollies and still recall the articles in NME and Melody Maker announcing his departure to form a ‘Supergroup' in that there Americay, the first time I had heard the term!
As Kostas begins . . . . :
"Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) was a folk-rock supergroup comprising American singer-songwriters David Crosby and Stephen Stills and English singer-songwriter Graham Nash. When joined by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young, they were known as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY). They are noted for their intricate vocal harmonies and lasting influence on American music and culture, their political activism and their tumultuous relationships."
Again another gig I went to and worth revisiting in that it is an upgrade as So Many Roads’ SPEEDY mentions about the last version we checked out last year!
As I told Speedy "Still stands as one of the most memorable concerts I ever went to. The Band simply blew everyone else away as I have said elsewhere. We went to see CSNY and Joni of course but thus began a lifelong love of The Band. They simply rocked the stadium down to the ground! didn’t know it had been recorded by a TV crew wonder who broadcast it?”
WE sat at the far end of the stadium near the area reserved for stars and we sat Dave Dee, (of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch) and also Robert Plant and his family along with loads of other celeb retires of the time who’s names escape me now. WE saw Roberta nd his wife getting the children into the Landrover when we left and didn’t want to bother them them with small people with them but they smiled and seemed like us to have had the best day of it!
"After spending the early part of 1974 on tour backing Bob Dyaln, The Band once again found themseleves in a supporting role on September 14, 1974, a haldf century ago today. CSNY headlined that day at Wembley Stadium iin London before a crowd of over 100,000, with opening acts Jesse Colin Young, Joni Mitchell, Tom Scott & The LA Express, and The Band. For CSNY, it would be their last show together for over 25 years. For The Band, it would be another monumental rock festival, to go along with their appearances at Woodstock and Watkins Glen. This TV soundboard recording captures The Band's entire set, with all the tracks split out, a big upgrade from the version we posted last year.” Speedy
In bleak times, the world needs heroes such as David Crosby.
I wasn’t going to share this but it is a good read and made me smile actually and despite his supposed ‘hatred’ of some bands, his comments about The Doors strikes me as solely about jealousy but maybe I would say that as a confirmed fan! His opinion about Manzarek is so far off mark it is merely ludicrous! The magnificence and ground breaking drummer in John Densmore fitting jazz licks into rock and the way they all fit together is a testament to a fine fine rock band with a poet of genuine creativity (ask Michael McClure!) as its figurehead. That Jim was a ‘juicer’ who could be an asshole is a given! But we understand the idiot savant that alcohol reveals. The same can be said of those chain smoking weed!
He did cop to his disgusting comments about Darryl Hannah and I guess the dope smoking make you as about opinionated as it possibly to get but he was undoubtedly a curmudgeon of stellar proportions and check him out on his release from prison to see how cool he was! That he posted one of the finest voices in rock music is a given and he didn’t have to work at it. Natural gifts make for arrogant egotists!
"Despite his many flaws, you’d be hard-pressed to find any culturally significant figure who doesn’t have serious pitfalls; this internal dichotomy produces both triumph and the obstacles that make their victories resound even more.
A folk-rock pioneer famed for his work in The Byrds, CSN, and CSNY, there can be no doubt regarding Crosby’s talent as a songwriter, guitarist and vocalist. From the early moments of The Byrds to their psychedelic classic Fifth Dimension and on to the defining opus of the countercultural era, CSNY’s Déjà Vu, he resoundingly showed his genius on many occasions. Furthermore, his unwavering creativity would later be heard with the jazz-rock outfit CPR and his solo work.
Yet, Crosby’s character afforded his many consequential musical efforts a different dimension. A divisive figure unafraid to make his opinions known, he would be fired from The Byrds for voicing those thoughts and later have strained relationships with his CSNY bandmates, particularly Neil Young. Crosby burned that particular bridge after Crosby felt compelled to offensively criticise the Canadian’s wife, actor Daryl Hannah.
Giving a taste of Crosby’s fire and his comical way with words, after things had reached boiling point with Young in 2021, he maintained: “Neil has got a genuine beef. I did say something bad about his girlfriend [Daryl Hannah]. I said I thought she was a predator. OK, he can be mad at me. That’s all right.”
If it wasn’t already clear, the late Californian was unafraid of making his opinions known. From interviews to Twitter – the latter encompassing taking down musical peers and judging fans’ joint rolling skills – he was a real one until the end. Even those he irked will certainly miss his impish character to some degree. Prone to providing challenging insight and pure comedy, bleak times such as the present are made that bit worse without figures as complex and perenially fascinating as he was.
Jim Morrison and The Doors had their fair share of detractors, many of whom were also key driving forces of the countercultural sound, including Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Grace Slick. Crosby was also a part of that set.
When asked to discuss The Doors on Twitter in 2019, the moustachioed weed-smoker was bold in his argument and added to his original assertion in a 1998 interview that frontman Morrison was “obnoxious” and that “I didn’t like him.” This time, though, the Croz attacked the entire group. He said they “Basically sucked …guitar and drums pretty ok …keyboard was awful ..his bass with left hand was abysmal, horrible …square wheel bad.”
After two decades, The Doors frontman was due another volley. “Morrison was no effing good as a singer or poet,” Crosby said, believing him nothing but a “poser.”
In 1998, his band CPR released ‘Morrison’, the track based on The Door’s vocalist, who died aged 27 in 1971. It paints a sympathetic image of the ‘Lizard King’ and only adds to the complexity of Crosby’s character. “He was lost and I don’t think / He wanted it that way,” Crosby sings, indicating compassion for the musician he deemed “mad and lonely”.
Of course, Crosby’s points about The Doors in 2019 attracted fury from their fans. In his classic style, when he was told he was wrong in his claims, he doubled down: “I’m not wrong …they sucked all the time.”
Another band with legions of critics are The Rolling Stones, one of the most successful outfits of all time and a vital part of the story of the 1960s. While Crosby’s views on Mick Jagger and Keith Richards’ group somewhat softened as time wore on, back in the day, the American absolutely hated the Dartford outfit.
A proponent of peace and love right until the very end – despite his numerous critiques of others – it seems that the Laurel Canyon dweller was at spiritual odds with the British rabble of hellraisers and inferred that they were partially at fault for the dream dying. It was the horrific tragedy of 1969’s Altamont Free Concert, where The Rolling Stones hired the Hells Angels as security, leading to fatalities, that was Crosby’s primary source of contempt. Furthermore, the doomed festival is the moment many have pinpointed as the start of the hippie dream fading to black.
Crosby asserted: “I think the major mistake was taking what was essentially a party and turning it into an ego game and a star trip of The Rolling Stones, who… qualify in my book as snobs. I think they’re on a grotesque, negative ego trip, essentially, especially the two leaders.”
He would later comment that while there was range to The Rolling Stones’ music, The Beatles were much better, including at vocal harmonies, which Jagger, Richards and the band couldn’t do “for squat”.
As a lifelong hippie, it makes much sense that David Crosby hated the entire punk genre despite its profoundly countercultural essence and the old saying that hippies are, in fact, punks. Alas, no amount of images showing Johnny Rotten, Joe Strummer and other notable genre names with long hair would change his mind.
Asked for his thoughts on the genre on Twitter in 2017, he simply said “no”. Then, when another fan listed an array of truly great punk acts, including The Clash, The Stooges, Buzzcocks, Ramones and Descendants, Crosby wasn’t having it. He disregarded punk as “Pretty much all dumb stuff,” with “no musical value at all and mostly childish lyrics.”
Following this, one bold user attempted to outline how the childish lyrics were the point of The Ramones, but Crosby chose to stay on his hill. “Yes, but dumb”, he corresponded. Elsewhere, even the lyrical power of the “punk poet laureate” Patti Smith wasn’t enough for Crosby to change his mind. “Not my thing”, he said after being asked for his opinion on her.
Mike Love has been a controversial figure for a long time. Recently, he took The Beach Boys’ name on the road, much to the chagrin of their mastermind, true leader, his cousin and nemesis, Brian Wilson. Notably, in 2020, he was criticised for dragging the group’s reputation through the dirt when he played a fundraiser for Donald Trump’s re-election campaign.
As Crosby was a left-wing legend, in 2020, he was asked about Love using the band’s name without original members Wilson and Al Jardine. He replied: “Those aren’t the Beach Boys, and I doubt they voted. Mike Love is, in the opinion of almost every musician I know, a shithead, most assuredly has no talent at all, and, as you can probably tell… I just don’t like him”.
Kanye West is another detestable figure, recently seeing his cultural value plummet due to his anti-semitism and seemingly sympathetic view towards Hitler, in which he told rightwing pundit Alex Jones, “I see good things about Hitler.” He also wore the “White Lives Matter” t-shirt in Paris.
While West’s politics and personality are the source of much rightful anger, Crosby was already a naysayer, taking issues with his lack of ability years before public opinion swayed.
“Music ?.. He’s an idiot and a poser….has no talent at all,” Crosby said on Twitter in 2015. The following year, he remained unmoved, asserting on Andy Cohen’s chat show Watch What Happens Live: “He can neither sing, nor write, nor play.”
Delivering his knock-out blow, Crosby added: “Somebody needs to drive him over to Stevie Wonder’s house right now so he understands what a real one is. Secondly, they should send him all of Ray Charles’s catalogue so he can learn how to sing.”
Can’t disagree with his comments on West here, nor pro-Trump Mike Love come to that . . . it’s a view!
✍️ Arun Starkey
Upon his release . . .
David Crosby ‘Long Time Gone’ Lowell Summer Music Series 6-14-18 Boarding House
Park
Arrested on drugs and weapons charges . . . . . Crosby look wrecked and no hippie this!
The Doors with the final word . . . . Riders on The Storm
Now this is fun and as Tommy Bolin Archives say the awkwardness of the ‘straight’ hokey ‘square’ Tom Jones featuring folk like Janis and here the CSNY boys on his show and the matter is actually blown away by his sheer talent at singing, check Croz watching and hearing what Tom can do and the smiles that ensue! . . . . .
In the late 1960s, one of the great variety shows on American television was the Tom Jones show. He had a great ear for wanting to book who was hip and happening at that time and then he would sing with them! This is particularly fascinating as back then, Tom was thought of as “square” and CSNY was obviously thought of as completely the opposite. Well, in fact, Tom had always been one of the great singers and here he just knocks it out of the park on a song whose lyrics seem to resonate as much today as they did then! I also find this interesting that when Stills kicks in to sing you can tell he’s trying to reach the same level of intensity as Tom that Tom could do all the time.
Some interesting posts today and one doozie! Firstly this oddity . . . . . . ..
This is hardly worth the download to be fair but a perfectly useable take on 'You Don't have To Cry' but a fascinating version of Tom Jones taking lead vocals on Long Time Gone from his show which it would seem Neil did not want to appear on which frankly reveals him as a colossal snob in retrospect!
The others talked him into such a 'commercial step' and Tom does a fine job . . . . . . plus a version from elsewhere of Down By The River which is a perfunctory version at best to flesh out the slim pickens! (Hah! Joke!)
If Tom was good enough to get it on with Janis then who the heck cares if he sings lead with CSN&Y except you Neil but then he was really anti-TV!
If the music is disappointing it is worth checking if only for So Many Roads's excellent notes as he always makes such things of interest . . . . . . .
Graham Nash - vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica
Booker T. Jones - keyboards
Donald 'Duck' Dunn - bass
Steve 'Smokey' Potts - drums
Three discs worth - count 'em! With back up from Booker T and Donald 'Duck' Dunn of The MGs!! no less!
Bit rough and ready but loud and clear too from the soundboard so none the worse for that and highly listenable!
CD 1:
01. Carry On > Questions
02. Military Madness
03. Goin' Home
04. Wooden Ships
05. Feed The People
06. You're My Girl
07. I Used To Be A King
08. Down By The River
09. Southern Cross
10. Almost Cut My Hair
11. Cinnamon Girl
CD 2:
01. Helplessly Hoping
02. Our House
03. Old Man
04. Guinnevere
05. The Lee Shore
06. Harvest Moon
07. Ole Man Trouble
08. Half Your Angels
09. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
10. 7th Inning Stretch
CD 3:
01. Let's Roll
02. Long Time Gone
03. Two Old Friends
04. Woodstock
05. Rockin' In The Free World
06. Band intros & encore break
07. Ohio
08. Outro: Greensleeves
So Many says:
When they concluded their historic 1974 tour, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young would not go on the road again for over 25 years. Then, with the start of the new century, they launched 3 tours in 6 years. In 2000, they reunited for the first time since 1974 for the CSNY2K tour, the name being derived from the infamous Y2K computer scare that turned out to be much ado about nothing. In 2006, they launched the Freedom Of Speech tour, protesting the policies of then President George W. Bush. In between, in 2002, the quartet embarked on the Tour of America. a 40 concert run that started on February 6 in Detroit and ran until the final show on April 29 in Portland. This soundboard captures the band on April 5, 2002, 19 years ago today, in San Jose near the end of the run. Download this one for a host of CSNY and CSN classics, as well some solo material from each member of the quartet.
I am nit picking but there are much better versions of artwork than this out there from other dates and you could find you own . . . . . or
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
I think we listened to very little when this came out and it still stands as a classic I reckon . . . . .
On this day in music history: March 11, 1970 - “Deja Vu”, the first album by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young is released. Produced by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, it is recorded at Wally Heider’s Studio C in San Francisco, CA, and Wally Heider’s 3 in Los Angeles, CA from July - December 1969. Following their highly successful debut album, which wins them a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1970, Crosby, Stills & Nash start writing and recording their next album, as the first one is still riding the charts. The trio is joined in the studio by Stephen Stills’ former Buffalo Springfield band mate Neil Young, who becomes an on again and off again fourth member of the band. It is recorded at particularly difficult time for David Crosby, whose girlfriend Christine Hinton is killed in a car accident during the sessions. Though emotionally devastated, he contributes the songs “Almost Cut My Hair” and the title track. The album also features guest appearances by Jerry Garcia and John Sebastian. It spins off three singles including “Teach Your Children” (#16 Pop), “Our House” (#30 Pop) and the Joni Mitchell penned “Woodstock” (#11 Pop). Once released, it is an immediate hit, and rivals their debut album as the best of their career. The albums iconic cover art work, designed to look like a leather bound photo album, is created by art director Gary Burden with cover photos shot by Henry Diltz and Tom Gundelfinger. “Deja Vu” spends one week at number one on the Billboard Top 200, and is certified 4x Platinum in the US by the RIAA.
Sunday, September 23, 2018
I was late coming to an appreciation of The Band as anything other than Bob Dylan's backing band (sic) and only really 'got' them after seeing them at Wembley Stadium in 1974 (wow that is SOlate! - ED >>sigh<<) where frankly they blew everyone else away despite a fine set from CSN&Y and the jazz influenced Joni Mitchell and the Tom Scott band which although we all professed to like it I didn't really, it all sounded a bit MOR to me! The Band meanwhile rocked upon Cripple Creek . . . . . . .
On this day in music history: September 22, 1969 - “The Band”, the second album by The Band is released. Produced by John Simon, it is recorded at 8841 Evanview Drive in West Hollywood, CA and The Hit Factory in New York City from Early - Mid 1969. Issued as the follow up to their acclaimed debut “Music From Big Pink”, The Band decide on a dramatic change of scenery to work on their next release. The album is recorded in a rented home in the Hollywood Hills owned by entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr.. The home’s pool cabana is converted into a recording studio for the duration of the sessions. It yields a number of classic songs including “Up On Cripple Creek” (#25 Pop), “Rag Mama Rag” (#57 Pop), and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”. The LP cover features a sepia toned photo of the band by photographer Elliot Landy, becomes known as “The Brown Album” by fans for the brown colored border around the front and back of the album jacket. The original US vinyl pressing of the album cut by mastering engineer Bob Ludwig (indicated by the initials “RL” in the run out groove), is made using the first generation master tapes, is regarded as the best sounding pressing of the LP. Subsequent cuts use 1:1 safety copies including later reissues due to the original masters either being lost or not being accessible. “The Band” is first remastered and reissued in 2000 on CD with seven additional bonus tracks including alternate versions of several songs, and the non-LP B-side “Get Up Jake” in true stereo for the first time (originally issued as the B-side of “Ain’t Got No Home” in 1973, erroneously listed on the single as being from their live album “Rock Of Ages”). It is also reissued as a hybrid SACD (Super Audio Compact Disc) and vinyl LP by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab in 2013. The album is inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 1999, and is selected for preservation by The National Recording Registry of The Library Of Congress in 2009, for its ongoing historic and cultural significance. “The Band” peaks at number nine on the Billboard Top 200, and is certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA.
This is a lovely crisp soundboard recording and good to hear, short but sweet. I was a fan early on of CSNY and saw them at Wembley in 1974 with headliner Joni Mitchell but have said before it was The Band who stole that entire concert from everyone and we danced like crazy people! The Bridge School has had or done a number of benefit concerts and I must find out more about them. This is from Oakland CA so assume the school is there also. There have been an extraordinary range of artists support them from Dylan right on through . . . . . . . .enjoy!
