CSN (box set)

Last updated
CSN
CSN boxset.jpg
Box set by
ReleasedSeptember 30, 1991
RecordedJune 26, 1968 – April 3, 1990
Genre Rock
Length297:19
Label Atlantic
Producer Graham Nash, Gerry Tolman
Crosby, Stills & Nash chronology
Live It Up
(1990)
CSN
(1991)
Carry On
(1991)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]

CSN is a box set by Crosby, Stills & Nash, issued on Atlantic Records in 1991. It features material spanning from 1968 through 1990 from their catalogue of recordings as a group in addition to selections from Crosby & Nash, Manassas, and their individual solo albums. It peaked at No. 109 on the Billboard 200, and has been certified platinum by the RIAA. [2] The set is "dedicated to the loving memory of Cass Elliot, without whom most of this music may not have been made." A two-disc distillation of the box was released for other markets later in the year.

Contents

Content

The presence of the group's occasional fourth member, Neil Young, is limited to 14 tracks and only two of his compositions for the band, "Helpless" and "Ohio". Of its 77 tracks, 25 had been unreleased previously, although many were alternate takes, alternate mixes, or concert versions of previously issued songs. Included in the unreleased tracks are a CSNY rehearsal of "Helplessly Hoping" prior to their first tour, two outtakes from the Déjà Vu sessions "Horses through a Rainstorm" and "The Lee Shore", and the December 1968 demo of "You Don't Have to Cry", the first recording they made as Crosby, Stills & Nash. [3] Other highlights include a cover of The Beatles' "Blackbird", the full-length take of "Almost Cut My Hair", and three tracks respectively from the aborted CSNY second studio album sessions of 1973, 1974, and 1976: "See the Changes"; "Homeward through the Haze"; and "Taken at All". [3]

No tracks are taken from the following studio albums released either individually or in combination during the time period covered by the box: Down the Road ; Illegal Stills ; Whistling Down the Wire ; Long May You Run ; Innocent Eyes ; and American Dream . [n 1] The orphan single by Young and Nash, "War Song", is also not included and is only available on the Neil Young archives box.

The original recordings were produced by David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, and Neil Young, with assistance from Howard Albert, Ron Albert, Craig Doerge, Bill Halverson, Chris Hillman, Stanley Johnston, Paul Rothchild, Dallas Taylor, and Joe Vitale. Audio engineers on the original recordings include Stephen Barncard, Niko Bolas, Ellen Burke, Larry Cox, Russ Gary, Don Gooch, Steve Gursky, David Hassinger, Andy Johns, Glyn Johns, Gary Kellgren, Henry Lewy, Elliot Mazer, Jim Mitchell, Tim Mulligan, and Doc Storch. The original masters were recorded at the following studios: A&M Studios, Britannia Studios, Devonshire Sound Studio, Wally Heider Studios, The Record Plant, Rudy Recorders, the Sound Lab, Sunset Sound, Sunwest Studio, Village Recorders, and Westlake Audio in Los Angeles; United Studio in Hollywood; The Record Plant in New York City; Wally Heider Studios, His Master's Wheels, and Rudy Recorders in San Francisco; The Record Plant in Sausalito; Criteria Sound Studios in Miami; Island Studios in London; Sol Studio in Maidstone, Kent; Stephen Stills' late 1960s home in Laurel Canyon, Graham Nash's early 1970s home in San Francisco, and Neil Young's Redwood Digital home studio at his ranch in Woodside, California. Live recordings are from the Filmore East in New York in 1970, the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles in 1979, the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland, Oregon in 1982, and the United Nations General Assembly Hall in New York in 1989.

The selections were compiled for this set by Crosby, Stills, Nash, Gerry Tolman, and Yves Beauvais, with additional research by Joel Bernstein. The liner notes include an essay by writer Chet Flippo. Originally in a box set conforming to the size dimensions of a vinyl record, the set was reissued as a compact disc brick on August 13, 2013. The liner notes for the 2013 reissue do not indicate whether or not any additional mastering beyond that from 1991 was undertaken.

Track listing

An asterisk (*) indicates a live recording, two asterisks (**) a previously unreleased mix, (†) a previously unreleased version, and (‡) a previously unreleased song.

Disc one

No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
1."Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" (deleted drum track restored, alternate vocals; original mix on Crosby, Stills & Nash ) Stephen Stills early 1969 **7:28
2."Helplessly Hoping" (CSNY rehearsal)Stephen StillsJune 15, 1969 †2:31
3."You Don't Have to Cry" (first CSN recording)Stephen StillsDecember 1968 †2:40
4."Wooden Ships" (from Crosby, Stills & Nash) David Crosby, Paul Kantner, Stephen StillsFebruary 20, 19695:26
5."Guinnevere" (Crosby demo)David CrosbyJune 26, 1968 †4:45
6."Marrakesh Express" (from Crosby, Stills & Nash) Graham Nash early 19692:36
7."Long Time Gone" (from Crosby, Stills & Nash)David Crosbyearly 19694:17
8."Blackbird" (Crosby, Stills & Nash outtake) John Lennon, Paul McCartney February 11, 1969 ‡2:33
9."Lady of the Island" (from Crosby, Stills & Nash)Graham NashFebruary 11, 19692:36
10."Song With No Words (Tree With No Leaves)" ( Crosby & Nash early version )David CrosbyNovember 17, 1969 †3:14
11."Almost Cut My Hair" (unedited take of track on Déjà Vu )David CrosbyJanuary 8, 1970 †8:49
12."Teach Your Children" (from Déjà Vu)Graham NashOctober 24, 19692:52
13."Horses Through a Rainstorm" (Déjà Vu outtake)Graham Nash, Terry Reid December 28, 1969 ‡3:40
14."Déjà Vu" (from Déjà Vu)David CrosbyNovember 17, 19694:10
15."Helpless" (from Déjà Vu) Neil Young November 17, 19693:36
16."4+20" (original mix on Déjà Vu)Stephen StillsJuly 16, 1969 **2:10
17."Laughing" (from If I Could Only Remember My Name )David CrosbyOctober 24, 19695:24
18."Carry On/Questions" (from Déjà Vu)Stephen StillsDecember 28, 19694:25

Disc two

No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
1."Woodstock" (original mix on Déjà Vu) Joni Mitchell November 5, 1969 **3:50
2."Ohio" (1970 single )Neil YoungMay 21, 19703:00
3."Love the One You're With" (from Stephen Stills )Stephen StillsMarch 19703:03
4."Our House" (from Déjà Vu)Graham NashNovember 5, 19692:58
5."Old Times Good Times" (from Stephen Stills)Stephen Stillsearly 19703:38
6."The Lee Shore" (Déjà Vu outtake with 1991 vocal overdubs)David CrosbyDecember 28, 1969 †5:28
7."Music Is Love" (from If I Could Only Remember My Name)David Crosbyautumn 19703:18
8."I'd Swear There Was Somebody Here" (from If I Could Only Remember My Name)David Crosbyautumn 19701:19
9."Man in the Mirror" (CNY version)Graham NashJune 7, 1970 †*2:52
10."Black Queen" (Stills solo)Stephen StillsJune 7, 1970 †*6:50
11."Military Madness" (from Songs for Beginners )Graham NashFebruary 12, 19712:55
12."Urge for Going" (intended as 1971 Crosby & Nash single)Joni MitchellJune 22, 1971 ‡3:46
13."I Used to Be a King" (from Songs for Beginners)Graham NashJanuary 9, 19714:48
14."Simple Man" (original mix on Songs for Beginners)Graham NashJuly 24, 1970 **2:19
15."Southbound Train" (from Graham Nash David Crosby )Graham NashJanuary 6, 19723:54
16."Change Partners" (from Stephen Stills 2 )Stephen Stillsearly 19713:13
17."My Love Is a Gentle Thing" (Stills solo)Stephen StillsApril 18, 1975 ‡1:23
18."Word Game" (from Stephen Stills 2)Stephen Stillsearly 19714:10
19."Johnny's Garden" (from Manassas )Stephen StillsJanuary 8, 19722:46
20."So Begins the Task" (from Manassas)Stephen StillsJanuary 9, 19724:00
21."Turn Back the Pages" (from Stills )Stephen Stills, Donnie Dacus early 19754:05

Disc three

No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
1."See the Changes" (CSNY version)Stephen StillsJune 28, 1973 †2:44
2."It Doesn't Matter" (from Manassas)Stephen Stills, Chris Hillman January 7, 19722:31
3."Immigration Man" (from Graham Nash David Crosby)Graham NashFebruary 9, 19722:58
4."Chicago/We Can Change the World" (from Songs for Beginners)Graham NashFebruary 28, 19713:58
5."Homeward Through the Haze" (CSNY version)David CrosbyDecember 16, 1974 †4:20
6."Where Will I Be?" (from Graham Nash David Crosby)David CrosbyNovember 22, 19713:22
7."Page 43" (from Graham Nash David Crosby)David CrosbyDecember 13, 19712:55
8."Carry Me" (from Wind on the Water )David CrosbyMarch, 19753:33
9."Cowboy of Dreams" (from Wind on the Water)Graham NashJune 18, 19753:27
10."Bittersweet" (from Wind on the Water)David CrosbyJune 8, 19752:37
11."To the Last Whale..." (from Wind on the Water)David Crosby, Graham NashMay 11, July 1, 19755:30
12."Prison Song" (from Wild Tales )Graham Nashspring 19733:11
13."Another Sleep Song" (from Wild Tales)Graham NashAugust 18, 19724:42
14."Taken at All" (CSNY version)Graham Nash, David CrosbyApril 1, 1976 †2:54
15."In My Dreams" (from CSN )David CrosbyJanuary 12, 19775:11
16."Just a Song Before I Go" (from CSN)Graham NashDecember 19, 19762:12
17."Shadow Captain" (from CSN)David Crosby, Craig Doerge January 14, 19774:31
18."Dark Star" (from Allies )Stephen StillsDecember 5, 1982 *4:57
19."Cathedral" (from CSN)Graham NashJanuary 22, 19775:16

Disc four

No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
1."Wasted on the Way" (from Daylight Again )Graham NashJanuary 30, 19812:46
2."Barrel of Pain (Half-Life)" (from Earth & Sky )Graham NashApril 4, 19794:44
3."Southern Cross" (from Daylight Again)Stephen Stills, Richard Curtis, Michael Curtislate 19814:39
4."Daylight Again" (from Daylight Again)Stephen Stillslate 19812:28
5."Thoroughfare Gap" (from Thoroughfare Gap )Stephen Stillsearly 19783:33
6."Wild Tales" (Nash solo)Graham NashAugust 3, 1979 †*3:09
7."Dear Mr. Fantasy" (Stills & Nash version) Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood November 17, 1980 ‡7:04
8."Cold Rain" (from CSN)Graham NashJanuary 25, 19772:33
9."Got It Made" (Stills & Nash version)Stephen Stills, Neil YoungNovember 18, 1989 †*4:33
10."Tracks in the Dust" (from Oh Yes I Can )David CrosbyJanuary 23, 19894:48
11."As I Come of Age" (CSN remake of track on Stills)Stephen StillsJanuary 1981 †2:48
12."50/50" (from Right by You )Stephen Stills, Joe Lala early 19834:20
13."Drive My Car" (early version of track on Oh Yes I Can)David Crosbylate 1978 †3:50
14."Delta" (from Daylight Again)David CrosbyMay 19804:11
15."Soldiers of Peace" (original on American Dream )Graham Nash, Craig Doerge, Joe Vitalelate 1988 †4:20
16."Yours and Mine" (from Live It Up )David Crosby, Graham Nash, Craig DoergeFebruary 2, 19904:28
17."Haven't We Lost Enough?" (from Live It Up)Stephen Stills, Kevin Cronin April 3, 19903:06
18."After the Dolphin" (from Live It Up)Graham NashFebruary 1, 19894:25
19."Find the Cost of Freedom" ( B-side of the "Ohio" single)Stephen StillsMay 21, 19701:59

Collective personnel

Production personnel

Notes

  1. However, alternate versions of tracks from these albums do appear: "Got It Made" and "Soldiers of Peace" from American Dream, as well as the quartet version of "Taken at All" from Whistling Down the Wire.

Related Research Articles

<i>CSN</i> (album) 1977 studio album by Crosby, Stills & Nash

CSN is the third studio album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, released on Atlantic Records on June 17, 1977. It is the group's second studio release in the trio configuration. It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart; two singles taken from the album, Nash's "Just a Song Before I Go" and Stills' "Fair Game" charted on the Billboard Hot 100. It is currently the trio configuration's best selling record, outselling 1969's Crosby, Stills & Nash by 200,000 copies. It has been certified quadruple platinum by RIAA.

<i>Daylight Again</i> 1982 studio album by Crosby, Stills & Nash

Daylight Again is the fourth studio album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, and their third studio album in the trio configuration. It peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, the final time the band made the top ten before the death of David Crosby in 2023. Three singles were released from the album, all making the Billboard Hot 100: "Wasted on the Way" peaked at No. 9, "Southern Cross" at No. 18, and "Too Much Love to Hide" at No. 69. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA with sales of 1,850,000.

<i>Oh Yes I Can</i> 1989 studio album by David Crosby

Oh Yes I Can is the second solo studio album by David Crosby. It was released on January 23, 1989, 18 years on from his previous solo release, If I Could Only Remember My Name.

<i>Looking Forward</i> 1999 studio album by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Looking Forward is the eighth and final studio album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, and their third with Neil Young. It was released on Reprise Records in 1999 and peaked at number 26 on the Billboard 200, with total sales nearing 400,000.

<i>If I Could Only Remember My Name</i> 1971 studio album by David Crosby

If I Could Only Remember My Name is the debut solo album by American singer-songwriter David Crosby, released on February 22, 1971, by Atlantic Records. It was one of four high-profile albums released by each member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in the wake of their chart-topping 1970 album Déjà Vu. Guests on the album include Jerry Garcia, Graham Nash, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and other prominent West Coast musicians of the era.

<i>Thousand Roads</i> 1993 studio album by David Crosby

Thousand Roads is the third solo studio album by the rock artist David Crosby, a founding member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. It was released on May, 4 1993 on Atlantic Records. It was the last solo studio album from Crosby for 21 years until Croz in 2014.

<i>Replay</i> (Crosby, Stills & Nash album) 1980 compilation album by Crosby, Stills & Nash

Replay is a compilation album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, appearing in 1980 on the Atlantic Records label. It contains no material with Neil Young, but does include CSN solo projects. It peaked at No. 122 on the Billboard 200, their first album not to chart in the top ten.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crosby & Nash</span> Musical duo

Crosby & Nash were a musical duo that maintained a separate career in addition to the solo endeavors of David Crosby and Graham Nash, and separate from the larger aggregate of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Crosby and Nash performed and recorded regularly during the 1970s, issuing five albums including three of original studio material. After the more or less permanent reformation of Crosby, Stills & Nash in 1976, the duo continued to play sporadic concerts from the 1980s through the second decade of the 21st century, issuing another studio album in 2004 and going on an extended concert tour in 2011.

<i>American Dream</i> (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young album) 1988 studio album by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

American Dream is the fifth studio album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, and their second with Neil Young. Released in 1988 on Atlantic Records, it peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. To date, it is their final album of original material to receive either a gold or platinum citation by the RIAA. It is the highest-selling album by Neil Young in the 1980s. The album is dedicated to Jan Crosby, Anne Stills, Susan Nash and Pegi Young.

<i>Live It Up</i> (Crosby, Stills & Nash album) 1990 studio album by Crosby, Stills and Nash

Live It Up is the sixth studio album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, and their fourth studio album in the trio configuration, released on Atlantic Records in 1990. It peaked at No. 57 on the Billboard 200 with current sales of 300,000. It is the first of their studio albums not to gain either a gold or platinum certification by the RIAA. It was issued in all formats at the time and was later released for streaming.

<i>After the Storm</i> (Crosby, Stills & Nash album) 1994 studio album by Crosby, Stills & Nash

After the Storm is the seventh studio album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, and their fifth studio album in the trio configuration, released on Atlantic Records in 1994. It would be their last release on Atlantic, excepting reissues, for almost two decades. It peaked at No. 98 on the Billboard 200, the lowest charting position of their eight studio albums. It is also their lowest selling album, with sales near 200,000.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Crosby, Stills & Nash album) 2005 compilation album by Crosby, Stills & Nash

Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, released by Rhino Records in 2005. It peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard 200, debuting at that position on April 2, 2005 with first week sales of 33,000 copies, and spending eight weeks on the chart. Its current sales sit at over 640,000. The album was dedicated to Cass Elliot with great thanks to Neil Young.

<i>Allies</i> (Crosby, Stills & Nash album) 1983 live album by Crosby, Stills, & Nash

Allies is a live album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, released on Atlantic Records in 1983. A live concert clip for "Wasted on the Way" received some rotation on MTV at the time, as did the single "War Games". It peaked at No. 43 on the Billboard 200.

<i>Wind on the Water</i> 1975 studio album by Crosby & Nash

Wind on the Water is the second album by Crosby & Nash, released on ABC Records in 1975. Cassette and 8-track tape versions of the album were distributed by Atlantic Records, to which Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young were signed. It peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 album chart and was certified gold by the RIAA. Three singles were released from the album, "Carry Me", "Take the Money and Run", and "Love Work Out", of which only the first charted, peaking at No. 52 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

<i>Whistling Down the Wire</i> 1976 studio album by Crosby & Nash

Whistling Down the Wire is the third album by Crosby & Nash, released on ABC Records in 1976, the second of the duo's three-album deal with ABC Records. Cassette and 8-track tape versions of the album were distributed by Atlantic Records, to which Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young were signed. It peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard 200 album chart and was certified gold by the RIAA. Two singles were released from the album, "Out of the Darkness" and "Spotlight," of which only the first charted on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #89.

<i>Crosby–Nash Live</i> 1977 live album by Crosby & Nash

Crosby–Nash Live is a 1977 live album released by Crosby & Nash. It was remastered and re-released in 2000 with one previously unreleased recording ("Bittersweet"), and one previously unreleased recording and song.

<i>Carry On</i> (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young album) 1991 compilation album by Crosby, Stills & Nash

Carry On is a compilation album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, issued on Atlantic Records in 1991, generally for the European and Australian markets. It is a two-disc sampler of their four-disc box set, CSN, released two months previously in the United States and the United Kingdom. It features material spanning 1968 through 1990 from their catalogue of recordings as a group in addition to selections from Crosby & Nash, Manassas, and their individual solo albums. It was reissued on 30 June 1998 on the WEA International record label. This compilation should not be confused with the Stephen Stills box set of the same name released in 2013.

<i>4 Way Street</i> 1971 live album by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

4 Way Street is a live album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, and their second album as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. It was originally released as Atlantic Records SD-2-902, shipping as a gold record and peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. A document of their tour from the previous year, the live recordings presented were taken from shows at the Fillmore East on June 2 through June 7, 1970; The Forum on June 26 through June 28, 1970; and the Auditorium Theatre on July 5, 1970.

<i>CSNY 1974</i> 2014 live album by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

CSNY 1974 is a live album by Crosby, Stills, & Nash, and their seventh in the CSNY quartet configuration. Issued on Rhino Records in 2014, it consists of concert material recorded in 1974 on the band's tour during the summer of that year. It was issued in several formats: a standard compact disc box set consisting of three audio discs and a standard DVD; as one pure audio Blu-ray disc and a Blu-ray DVD; and a more expensively packaged limited deluxe edition consisting of the material on six vinyl records along with the Blu-ray discs and a coffee table book. Three single disc samplers were also issued: one of the acoustic material exclusively available at Starbucks in the United States and Canada; a second at normal retail outlets; and a third included as a covermount disc to the 250th anniversary issue of the UK music magazine Mojo issued as "an exclusive audio-visual sampler of the new CSNY 1974 box set." Each of the non-sampler sets also contained a 188-page booklet, and all formats were released the same day, with the Mojo sampler arriving with the September 2014 publication of that edition. The three-disc and DVD package peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200, while the Starbucks sampler peaked at No. 37 and the selections sampler at No. 81.

References

  1. Eder, B. (2011). "CSN [Box Set]| AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  2. RIAA Gold and Platinum searchable database retrieved 23 August 2015
  3. 1 2 CSN Box Set Tracklist, Atlantic Records, archived from the original on June 20, 2017, retrieved May 10, 2016