Live It Up (Crosby, Stills & Nash album)

Last updated
Live It Up
CSN Live It Up.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 26, 1990
RecordedFebruary 1, 1986 – February 5, 1990
Genre Rock
Length39:17
Label Atlantic
Producer Crosby, Stills & Nash
Joe Vitale, Stanley Johnston
Crosby, Stills and Nash chronology
American Dream
(1988)
Live It Up
(1990)
CSN
(1991)

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. [1] It was issued in all formats at the time (compact disc, cassette tape, and vinyl record) and was later released for streaming.

Contents

Background

After David Crosby's release from prison, he reunited with Stephen Stills and Graham Nash for CSN tours in 1987 and 1988. [2] The recording of the second CSNY studio album with Neil Young took place over the course of those years, but the quartet opted not to tour to promote it. The album was not well received, and Stills viewed it as "contrived". [3] In 1989, Stills and Young commenced tours with their own bands, while Crosby and Nash began work on what was to be a new Crosby & Nash record. Crosby also released his second solo album Oh Yes I Can that same year. [4] Stills regrouped with Crosby and Nash to perform at the collapse of the Berlin Wall in late 1989, and the sessions for the new Crosby & Nash album evolved into the new Crosby, Stills & Nash one instead. [5] Atlantic had encouraged the inclusion of Crosby into the StillsNash project that became Daylight Again back in 1981. [6]

Recording

The album was recorded at several recording studios around Los Angeles, the majority at The Record Plant, although part of "Live It Up" began at the Home-Brew Studio in Ohio and was finished at the professional location. "If Anybody Had a Heart", "Arrows", and "After the Dolphin" were recorded at Devonshire Studios; "(Got to Keep) Open" was recorded at Capitol Records studios.

Nash, the nominal leader of these recordings, expressed misgivings about the sessions. In addition to feeling uncomfortable in a leadership position, he stated that "only once did we sing together on one mike. So in that sense, it was not really a true CSN record." [5]

The band toured to promote the album in 1990, but none of these songs found a permanent place in the group's repertoire, with only "House of Broken Dreams" and "Yours and Mine" being performed a handful of times beyond the 1990 outing. [7]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Entertainment Weekly C+ [9]
Select U+25A0.svgU+25A1.svgU+25A1.svgU+25A1.svgU+25A1.svg [10]

Greg Sandow commented in Entertainment Weekly that Live it Up is dominated by tunes which are catchy but generic and mindless. He added that the songs "Yours and Mine", "Arrows", and in particular "After the Dolphin" offer genuine depth and meaning, but that the overall product is "a strangely bland album that only die-hard fans will love." [9]

Jeff Giles covered Live it Up in his retrospective series "Whoops!", assessing it as an embarrassingly failed attempt to marry the hippie sensibilities of Crosby, Stills & Nash's past with the glossy production values of the era in which the album was recorded. He cited its contemporary, Don Henley's The End of the Innocence , as a much more successful attempt at this combination. [11] In a retrospective review for AllMusic, William Ruhlmann praised both the band's singing and the performances of the session musicians, and argued that it is only a complete lack of good songs which makes Live it Up the weakest Crosby, Stills & Nash studio album. [8]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead VocalsLength
1."Live It Up" Joe Vitale Nash3:54
2."If Anybody Had a Heart" John David Souther, Danny Kortchmar Nash4:28
3."Tomboy" Stephen Stills Stills3:22
4."Haven't We Lost Enough?"Stills, Kevin Cronin Stills with Crosby & Nash3:06
5."Yours and Mine" Craig Doerge, David Crosby, Graham Nash Crosby4:21
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead VocalsLength
1."(Got to Keep) Open"Stills, NashStills4:40
2."Straight Line"Tony BeardNash3:12
3."House of Broken Dreams"NashNash3:18
4."Arrows" Michael Hedges, CrosbyCrosby3:51
5."After the Dolphin"Nash, DoergeNash5:05

Personnel

Crosby, Stills & Nash

Additional personnel

Production

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young</span> American and British folk rock supergroup

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Stills</span> American musician (born 1945)

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".

<i>Long May You Run</i> 1976 album

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.

<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>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.

<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>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>Down the Road</i> (Manassas album) 1973 studio album by Manassas

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.

<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>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>Stephen Stills Live</i> 1975 live album by Stephen Stills

Stephen Stills Live is a live album by Stephen Stills, released on Atlantic Records in 1975. Recorded on his first solo tour since 1971 and released after he had signed to Columbia Records. It peaked at number 42 on the US charts.

<i>Stills</i> (Stephen Stills album) 1975 studio album by Stephen Stills

Stills is a 1975 studio album by American musician Stephen Stills. It is his third solo album and his first release on Columbia Records. The album was a commercial success on release, charting at number 19 on the US album charts, but was released to mixed critical reaction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Just a Song Before I Go</span> 1977 single by Crosby, Stills & Nash

"Just a Song Before I Go" is a song by Crosby, Stills and Nash that appeared on the 1977 album CSN. It was also released as a single and reached number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 for two consecutive weeks ending August 27 and September 3, 1977, becoming the band's highest-charting hit. It is also one of the band's shortest songs, with a running time of only 2:14. In Canada, it peaked at number 10.

<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>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. "RIAA - Soundscan". Greasylakes. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  2. Zimmer, Dave. Crosby, Stills & Nash The Biography. Da Capo Press 2000, ISBN   0-306-80974-5, p. 265.
  3. Zimmer (2000), p. 266.
  4. Zimmer (2000), pp. 267-268.
  5. 1 2 Zimmer (2000), p. 268.
  6. Zimmer (2000), pp. 229.
  7. "Crosby, Stills & Nash Tour Statistics | setlist.fm". www.setlist.fm. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
  8. 1 2 Ruhlmann, William (2011). "Live It Up – Crosby, Stills & Nash | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  9. 1 2 Sandow, Greg (July 20, 1990). "Live it Up". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 30 December 2018.
  10. O'Connell, Clodagh (August 1990). "Crosby Stills And Nash: Live It Up". Select . No. 2. p. 92.
  11. Giles, Jeff (March 4, 2010). "Whoops!: Crosby, Stills & Nash, Live it Up". Pop Dose. Retrieved 30 December 2018.