Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young

I'm not gonna try to throw any curves or attempt to win any hipster brownie points by rattling off about some obscure out of print psychedelic record from the 60's... I was looking at some of the previous blog posts, and thought it was about time to mention some obvious killer shit that might have flown over some of the buddyhead reader's heads cos it was maybe considered "not cool" by the scene police. Case in point, CSNY... Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young. Yeah, you heard me. Yes, your dad probably smoked a doobie or two to this shit while sportin' some kind of earth-tone corduroy, and yes some of the material is borderline tree-hugger bullshit (most usually from Nash) but these gacked out long hairs could kick some serious jams and harmonize like no motherfucker's business. The importance of CSNY isn't just the band itself, but the extended CSNY family tree, and the associated previous bands and later offshoots. Let's start with the important and obvious crap you should already, and need to know... Stephen Stills and Neil Young were both in Buffalo Springfield, one of the greatest L.A. bands of all time. From them, we here have "Mr. Soul", with a very young Neil Young handling the vocal duties (one of his first attempts doing so) and Stephen Stills shredding the fuck out. A couple of the dudes from Buffalo Springfield besides Stills and Young later also went on to form Poco, who have some stuff worth checking out as well. Another great L.A. band from this era, was The Byrds. Enter David Crosby. These dudes played 12 string guitars, slayed mad ho's, and jacked off thinking about what Bob Dylan ate for breakfast. In hindsight, some of the better moments from their extensive catalogue are their Dylan covers. You can even find all of their Dylan covers now collected on the "Byrds Play Dylan" album. Shit goes off. My favorite is their interpretation of "My Back Pages" from Dylan's "Another Side of Bob Dylan" record. An important snapshot in this whole circle of musicians would be the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. There's an expanded version of the original movie out on dvd now that includes sets from Buffalo Springfield and The Byrds. Funny enough, David Crosby pulls double duty playing with both bands at this concert. With the endless in-fighting of Buffalo Springfield, Neil Young was constantly leaving the group for periods of time. The Monterey concert was during one of these periods, and David Crosby of all people was who replaced Neil at the show. The Byrds set is also noteworthy, because it is one of the last shows Crosby played with them before leaving the group. There is obvious tension between the band members onstage, and an awkwardness stemming from their change in musical direction towards a more "country-rock" style. David Crosby's replacement in The Byrds would be none other than Gram Parsons who has a slew of his own material obviously worth checking out. The Byrds album with Parsons on guitar, "Sweetheart Of the Rodeo" is a classic and deserves it's own blog post, but I'm getting sidetracked here. Anywhoo... Then there's Graham Nash who was in the Hollies whom I'm not a super big fan of, and wrote the frutier hippy dippy songs of the lot ("Our House", "Teach Your Children Well") so we'll skip him cos I've been going off on too many tangents already, and there's more interesting stuff to tackle. Sooo... the most exciting part about CSN becoming CSNY by their second record, was the edge Neil Young added to the group, as well as his solo repertoire being added to the band's live arsenal. The secret weapon of CSNY were the two dudes who weren't cool enough or something to get their own letters in the band name, the rhythm section, Dallas Taylor and Greg Reeves. This lineup performing Neil's songs was seriously bad ass. I just got this SICK bootleg in Japan of them doing "Down By the River" from Neil's second solo record live in 1970. On record, the tune was performed with Crazy Horse, who at that time were barely competent musicians. But with CSNY, the shit smokes. Reeves, an ex-Motown bassist, brings a kick ass low end groove to the whole thing that is undeniable. (The bootleg I got also includes footage of Stills high as shit, beating the shit out of some hippy for heckling him, and then sitting down and playing the softest, sweetest version of "4+20") For another example of CSNY properly handling a song from one of Neil's solo records, check out the version of "Southern Man" from Neil's "After The Goldrush" record that appears on CSNY's "Four Way Street" live album. The interplay between Stills and Young's guitar playing is shit hot. Unfortunately, CSNY only produced one legit album during their classic era together, and don't let the naysayers fuck with you, "Deja Vu" is a classic. "Carry On" has to have the sickest breakdown ever laid down on tape. The groove is DEEP homey. The band prematurely disintegrated due to excessive ego tripping and out of control drug consumption. Funny, somehow, I can relate. In the end, it seemed easier for Neil and the others to go their own way, and through the years they'd come back to each other here and there. There are numerous solo albums and collaborations from the 70's and 80's from all these guys worth checking out. I'm pretty sure Crosby, Stills, and Nash are touring together this winter. I'm just hoping I'll be around and can get tickets. I will jack a man off to get into that show.

(Buffalo Springfield - "Mr. Soul")

(The Byrds - "My Back Pages")

(CSNY - "Southern Man" live)

(CSNY - "Carry On")

Comments

[mendo]

Nice essay there Aaron :) NIN not keeping you busy enough? No but seriously, very decent post, nice tunes. You don't post often but you post well, good on ye.

[Robby Stalk]

Yeah man post more shit in between sleeping with goth groupies! Ahhhhh the life on the road!

That was one of the best posts on this page so far... thanks.

[mendo]

Robby is right to be honest. 'I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now'. How the fuck can you beat that? You just can't.

[Gina]

wow - i don't think you took one breath during that speech. but, all-n-all, you know yer shit (obviously). I dig Poco as i've got an album of theirs. I give Buddyhead props as i'm glad i have finally found a site or rather a sounding board that actually digs deep to reveal true music (not in complete agree-ance?) with everything, but the majority, plus i learn some shit in the process. As i'm not a huge fan of CSN (blashphemy?), i did enjoy the song "4+20" on the Buddyhead playlist #1.

Also, on the Neil Young "tip", loved his version of "Oh Lonesome Me" - fuckin' beautiful shit right there. I believe Don Gibson is the original and well, i don't care for it as it's an upbeat song. doesn't make sense when yer shit-damn lonesome.

just my 2 cents.

[Gina]

Correction to my previous post before people get uptight...i meant i'm not a big fan of CSN cuz i just never exposed myself much to their stuff, will check the aforementioned stuff out tho -my correction also refers to the "4+20" song being CSNY not CSN.(fucking acronyms)

[Satisfied '75]

nice. crosby's 1st solo joint "if i could only remember my name" is phenomenal if you dig this stuff. think i'll put it on now.

[poop]

that was Aaron? oh yeah.
dude that was too funny!! you guys keep saying that the tree-hugger shit is rare to be on the blog but really it's here all the time,I love CSNY and I have a place in my heart for the byrds.
but you guys are getting old. sorry.it's still cool,but old. so Aaron life is hard on the rode that you write for buddyhead? we tought you forgot about us!

[sick bitch]

your old band quit doin drugs go save em with that signature aaron icky guitar.

[Mark]

Hells yeah, deja vu is a fuckin great album.

You know Aaron and Jeordie are seriously chilling to this and exchanging their CSN(+Y) knowledge on the tour bus.

[abraham]

You should post more, Aaron. Deja Vu is incredible. I think the Byrds were better without Gram Parsons, though.

[Alex]

Wow, this live version of Southern Man slays.

[Robby Stalk]

Yeah it's just long enough too.... almost 20 minutes... Mars Volta wish they could write songs this long and rad...

[happy houser]

we're talking Gene Clark in here. Best moments Dylan Covers?. Let's feel uncool with hipster boomerang effect:

5th dimension
younger than yesterday
notorious byrd brothers.

not certainly all dylan covers in that bath of aural bliss. Ask Bob Mould.

(the drug factor of Icarus Line just keeps being really funny.)

[marcdark]

great job on the post, thru all my punk rock, hard core etc days I found myself listening to some of these albums and being in complete awe. I met Nash once sweet guy, but I do agree with you his stuff is nothing compared to Stills and Crosby.

[killing time]

sick bitch-
his old band sucks a fat dick now.
plus nine inch nails vs. black lives-something-golden coast-lets-make-dance-beats-we're-the-icarus-line.. what band would you rather be in?
and i hope i never have to read 'aaron icky' ever again.
plus
who gives a shit if they stopped doing drugs (which id seriously doubt), joe still is having a contorted love affair with an ugly roadent dog, plus hes just busted and sucks..and hes incoherent and creepy as all hell.
more or less..im guessing its got nothing to do with wether or not joe/don/cpt+gay one are doing drugs. dunno why sick bitch irritated me so much, but shit happens.

[patrick Higgins]

check out the documentary "celebraton at big sur" (1971). the rhythm section kills it. they're outside playing in a court yard or poolside or something like that. joni mitchell great in it too

haha the affair with the dog! you obviously know your shit. Apollo is a fucking monster. And he does make that damn dog kiss him. Love affair, you're funny. I like whoever had to kill time.

[pooptoo]

yeah, anyways, fuck all these guys. travis sucked apollo's dick once when he was on ecstacy, i've seen pictures.

[norman]

hey, you guys should check out this band The Doors. They totally rule. They broke up cuz they were all totally high on drugs and shit.

[happy houser]

this is the funniest forum in the whole internet.

[Michael]

Who the hell is apollo? Why the hell does any of this matter? Isn't this site supposed to be about good music?

Does no one else care about the MUSIC?

[bernard shakey]

Stills beating up the hippy is at Big Sur. So maybe what ol' Aaron saw was the Big Sur Festival which also has a bad ass Sea of Madness.

[Jim H]

I like the Cros's voice but it was always in the mix and he didn't get many solo songs although he did do that song about a bisexual experience ("Three"). The prob with Deja Vu is that I've heard it so many times it bores me to hear it again. If the shoe were on the other foot and say Gary Higgins had made it big and CSNY got busted, we'd probably be "discovering" their records as lost classics now.

"All Along The Lee Side" the song Cros did with Nash is an easy listening favorite and more than redeems the rest of the shite on that C&N record (mostly Nash junk).

[suck it]

Apollo is Joe Cardamone's (The Icarus Line) dog that he has lick his balls.

[Michael T]

Hey people, some of you who don't seem to care for Graham Nash's contributions to this legendary foursome, or threesome (whichever the case may be)performances, check out Crosby/Nash Live, "Immigration Man" is a fine tune showcasing Graham's talents as a performer and lyricist, or his 4 Way Street cuts of "King Midas" and "Right Between the Eyes". Call his contributions fluff or cheesy, but its a fact that of the three or four of them, in all the albums put out as a group, its been Graham Nash who has had the most "top 20 singles " than any of the others. This translates to Album sales and profits for the group and record label. Without Graham's "Cheesy" contributions,the group as a whole ,would not have garnered the "Amount" of Popular and Financial success that CSN has enjoyed in its long and storied career.