Crosby, Stills & Nash | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | May 29, 1969 | |||
Recorded | February–March 1969 | |||
Studio | Wally Heider, Hollywood | |||
Genre | Folk rock [1] | |||
Length | 40:47 | |||
Label | Atlantic | |||
Producer | Crosby, Stills & Nash | |||
Crosby, Stills & Nash chronology | ||||
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Singles from Crosby, Stills & Nash | ||||
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Crosby, Stills & Nash is the debut studio album by the folk rock supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN), released on May 29, 1969, by Atlantic Records. It is the only release by the band prior to adding Neil Young to their lineup. The album spawned two Top 40 singles, "Marrakesh Express" and "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes", which peaked respectively at No. 28 during the week of August 23, 1969, and at No. 21 during the week of December 6, 1969, on the US Billboard Hot 100. The album itself peaked at No. 6 on the US Billboard Top Pop Albums chart. It has been certified four times platinum by the RIAA for sales of 4 million. [2]
The album was a very strong debut for the band, instantly lifting them to stardom. It joined the ranks of albums which were charting a new direction in popular music, including The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo and The Band's Music from Big Pink . "In many ways, the album helped define the California sound," Matt Friedlander wrote. [3] "The songs blended folk, country and rock influences and featured poetic lyrics about relationships and then-current social and political issues." Crosby, Stills & Nash combined the musicians' voices and other strengths; David Crosby's social commentary and atmospheric mood pieces, Stephen Stills' diverse musical skills and capacity to fold folk and country elements subtly into complex rock structures, and Graham Nash's radio-friendly pop melodies.[ according to whom? ] The album features some of their best known songs, including "Helplessly Hoping", "Long Time Gone", "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes", and "Wooden Ships", a collaboration between Crosby and Stills as well as Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane.
Stills dominated the recording of the album. Crosby and Nash played guitar on their own songs, while drummer Dallas Taylor played on most tracks (session drummer Jim Gordon performed in his stead on "Marrakesh Express"). Stills played all the bass, organ, and lead guitar parts, as well as acoustic guitar on his own songs. [4] "The other guys won't be offended when I say that one was my baby, and I kind of had the tracks in my head", Stills said. [5] Even with this dominance, Stills does not appear on the tracks "Guinnevere" and "Lady of the Island", both featuring Crosby and Nash only and a precursor to their partnership on record and stage during the 1970s. [6]
David Crosby bristled over the plan for "Long Time Gone" as he thought he should at least play rhythm guitar on his own song. Stills convinced him to go home for a while and when he returned Crosby was won over by the music track that Stills and Taylor had recorded. [7] In a more recent interview, Crosby contradicted his earlier statement, stating that he had played guitar on the track. [8] He is so credited in the liner notes to the 1991 box set. [9]
The group performed songs from the album at the Woodstock festival in August 1969. In late 1969 the group appeared with Neil Young on the Tom Jones' TV show and performed "Long Time Gone" with Tom Jones sharing vocals. [10]
The album proved very influential on many levels to the dominant popular music scene in America for much of the 1970s. The success of the album generated respect for the group within the industry and galvanized interest in signing similar acts, many of whom came under management and representation by the CSN team of Elliot Roberts and David Geffen. Strong sales, combined with the group's emphasis on personal confession in its writing, paved the way for the success of the singer-songwriter movement of the early 1970s. Their use of personal events in their material without resorting to subterfuge, their talents in vocal harmony, their cultivation of painstaking studio craft, as well as the Laurel Canyon ethos that surrounded the group and their associates, established an aesthetic for a number of acts that came to define the "California sound" of the ensuing decade, including Eagles, Jackson Browne, post-1974 Fleetwood Mac, and others.
The album has been issued on compact disc three times: mastered by Barry Diament at Atlantic Studios in the mid-1980s; [11] remastered by Joe Gastwirt at Ocean View Digital and reissued on August 16, 1994; reissued again by Rhino Records as an expanded edition using the HDCD process on January 24, 2006. On December 6, 2011, a Gold Compact Disc edition of the album was released on the Audio Fidelity label.
On the cover the members are, left to right, Nash, Stills, and Crosby, the reverse of the order of the album title. The photo was taken by their friend and photographer Henry Diltz before they came up with a name for the group. They found an abandoned house with an old, battered sofa outside, located at 815 Palm Avenue, West Hollywood, across from the Santa Palm car wash, that they thought would be a perfect fit for their image. A few days later they decided on the name "Crosby, Stills, and Nash". To prevent confusion, they went back to the house a day or so later to re-shoot the cover in the correct order, but when they got there they found the house had been demolished. [12]
Dallas Taylor can be seen looking through the window of the door on the rear of the sleeve. [13] In the expanded edition, however, he is absent. The original vinyl LP was released in a gatefold sleeve that depicted the band members in large fur parkas with a sunset in the background on the gatefold (shot in Big Bear, California), [14] as well as the iconic cover art. A long folded page inside displayed the album credits, lyrics, track listing, and a quasi-psychedelic pencil drawing.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [15] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [16] |
The Village Voice | B+ [17] |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [18] |
In a contemporary review, Rolling Stone critic Barry Franklin called Crosby, Stills & Nash "an eminently playable record" and "especially satisfying work", finding the songwriting and vocal harmonies particularly exceptional. [19] Robert Christgau was less enthusiastic in The New York Times , writing that "[Crosby, Stills & Nash] is as perfect as has been expected. But it also demonstrates the dangers of perfection: the wildness that should liberate great rock is so well-controlled that when it appears (as on Nash's excellent 'Pre-Road Downs') it seems to have been inserted just to prove the music is rock: the only exception is Crosby's wailing vocal on 'Long Time Gone.'" [20] In his capsule-review column for The Village Voice , he jokingly said the vocal saves the album from "a special castrati award". [17]
In a retrospective review, Jason Ankeny of AllMusic believed some of the songs' themes "haven't dated well" but "the harmonies are absolutely timeless, and the best material remains rock-solid". [15] In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked Crosby, Stills & Nash number 259 on their list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, [21] then was re-ranked 262nd in 2012. [22] It was voted number 83 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums 3rd Edition (2000). [23]
Jefferson Airplane guitarist Paul Kantner was finally credited as co-composer of "Wooden Ships" on the expanded edition reissue, something long acknowledged on his group's version of the song from their Volunteers album, released the same year. [24] David Crosby singing an excerpt of "Come On in My Kitchen" between "Long Time Gone" and "49 Bye-Byes" was left off the 2006 expanded reissue at the request of the late Robert Johnson's estate.[ citation needed ]
In 1999, the album Crosby, Stills & Nash was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. [25]
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
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1970 | Crosby, Stills & Nash (performer) | Best New Artist | Won |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
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1. | "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" | Stephen Stills | Stills | 7:25 |
2. | "Marrakesh Express" | Graham Nash | Nash | 2:39 |
3. | "Guinnevere" | David Crosby | Crosby with Nash | 4:40 |
4. | "You Don't Have to Cry" | Stills | Stills with Crosby & Nash | 2:45 |
5. | "Pre-Road Downs" | Nash | Nash | 2:56 |
Total length: | 20:25 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Wooden Ships" |
| Crosby with Stills | 5:29 |
2. | "Lady of the Island" | Nash | Nash | 2:39 |
3. | "Helplessly Hoping" | Stills | Stills with Crosby & Nash | 2:41 |
4. | "Long Time Gone" | Crosby | Crosby with Stills | 4:17 |
5. | "49 Bye-Byes" | Stills | Stills | 5:16 |
Total length: | 20:22 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
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11. | "Do for the Others" (demo) | Stills | Stills and Nash | 2:49 |
12. | "Song with No Words (Tree with No Leaves)" | Crosby | Crosby and Nash | 3:18 |
13. | "Everybody's Talkin'" | Fred Neil | Stills with Crosby and Nash | 3:14 |
14. | "Teach Your Children" (demo) | Nash | Nash and Crosby | 3:14 |
Total length: | 12:35 |
Year-end charts
| Singles
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [45] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
France (SNEP) | Gold | 100,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI) | Gold | 100,000^ |
United States (RIAA) | 4× Platinum | 4,000,000^ |
*sales figures based on certification alone ^shipments figures based on certification alone |
Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) was a folk-rock supergroup comprising the American singer-songwriters David Crosby and Stephen Stills and the English- American singer-songwriter Graham Nash. When joined by the 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.
Stephen Arthur Stills is an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Manassas. As both a solo act and member of three successful bands, Stills has combined record sales of over 35 million albums. He was ranked number 28 in Rolling Stone's 2003 list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and number 47 in the 2011 list. Stills became the first person to be inducted twice on the same night into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. According to Neil Young, "Stephen is a genius".
After the Gold Rush is the third studio album by the Canadian-American musician Neil Young, released in September 1970 on Reprise Records. It is one of four high-profile solo albums released by the members of folk rock group Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in the wake of their chart-topping 1970 album Déjà Vu. Young's album consists mainly of country folk music along with several rock tracks, including "Southern Man". The material was inspired by the unproduced Dean Stockwell-Herb Bermann screenplay After the Gold Rush.
Déjà Vu, is the second studio album by American folk rock group Crosby, Stills & Nash, and their first as a quartet with Neil Young. Released on March 11, 1970, by Atlantic Records, it topped the Billboard 200 chart for one week and generated three Top 40 singles: "Woodstock", "Teach Your Children", and "Our House". It was re-released in 1977 and an expanded edition was released in 2021 to mark its fiftieth anniversary.
Long May You Run is a studio album credited to the Stills–Young Band, a collaboration between Stephen Stills and Neil Young, released in 1976 on Reprise Records. It peaked at #26 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold in the United States by the RIAA. The album is the sole studio release by Stills and Young as a duo.
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.
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.
"Marrakesh Express" is a song written by Graham Nash and performed by the band Crosby, Stills and Nash (CSN). It was first released in May 1969 on the self-titled album, Crosby, Stills and Nash, and released on a 45-RPM single in July of the same year, with another CSN song, "Helplessly Hoping", as its backing side. The single reached No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 23, 1969. It reached the same position on the Easy Listening chart. The song was best received in the UK and Canada, reaching No. 17 in both nations. As a trio or quartet, this remains their only single to make the UK top 40 chart.
Journey Through the Past is a double LP soundtrack album from the film of the same name by Canadian / American musician Neil Young, released in November 1972 on Reprise Records, catalogue number 2XS 6480. It peaked at #45 on the Billboard 200. Its initial release was on vinyl, cassette tape, reel-to-reel tape, and 8-track tape cartridge. Although its follow-up Time Fades Away was finally released on CD in August 2017, Journey Through the Past remains the only 1970s Neil Young album yet to see an official CD reissue.
So Far is a 1974 compilation album by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Shipping as a gold record and peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart, it was the band's third chart-topping album in a row. It has been certified six times platinum by the RIAA, and is the second best-selling album by any configuration of the quartet in tandem after their 1970 studio album, Déjà Vu.
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.
Manassas was an American rock supergroup formed by Stephen Stills in 1971. Used primarily for Stills' music, the band released two studio albums before disbanding in October 1973. They released a 1972 self titled debut and a second album titled Down the Road in 1973.
Stephen Stills is the debut solo album by American musician Stephen Stills released on Atlantic Records in 1970. It is one of four high-profile albums released by each member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in the wake of their 1970 chart-topping album Déjà Vu, along with After the Gold Rush, If I Could Only Remember My Name and Songs for Beginners. It was primarily recorded between CSNY tours in London and Los Angeles. It was released in the United States on November 16, 1970, and in the United Kingdom on November 27, 1970.
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.
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.
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.
Down the Road is the second and last studio album by Stephen Stills' band Manassas. It was released in April 1973, and peaked at number 26 in the US charts, to mixed reviews. "Isn't It About Time", a protest song, was released as the lead single and reached number 56 on the charts.
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.
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.
"Guinnevere" is a song written by David Crosby in 1968. The song appears on Crosby, Stills & Nash's critically acclaimed eponymous debut album. The song is notable for its serene yet pointed melody and its unique lyrics, which compare Queen Guinevere to the object of the singer's affection, referred to as "m'lady".
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