Record Reviews

CROSBY & NASH ~ GRAHAM NASH / DAVID CROSBY ATLANTIC 081227992538 (Barcode: 081227992538) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1972 Released: 2008 This is the debut album by the celebrated team of singer / songwriter friends, American David CrosbyFind albums by this artist and British Graham NashFind albums by this artist. After the first split of Crosby, Stills, Nash & YoungFind albums by this artist following the release of the seminal "Déjà VuFind albums with this title" album, all four members released solo albums and later on Crosby and Nash decided to form a duo and started to perform together with great artistic and commercial success, which led to the decision of formalizing the Crosby & NashFind albums by this artist moniker by recording an album together. After all it was the special affinity, both musical and personal, between Crosby and Nash, which led to Nash leaving The HolliesFind albums by this artist and moving to the US to join Crosby and Stephen StillsFind albums by this artist in order to create the magical triumvirate of Crosby, Stills & NashFind albums by this artist. On the album, in addition to both of them singing, Crosby also played guitars and Nash played keyboards. Many friends and musical peers took part in the recording, like guitarist Dave MasonFind albums by this artist, members of The Grateful DeadFind albums by this artist, the famous quartet of studio musicians called The SectionFind albums by this artist, which consisted of guitarist Danny KortchmarFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Craig DoergeFind albums by this artist, bassist Leland SklarFind albums by this artist and drummer Russell KunkelFind albums by this artist, and many others. The album presents eleven songs, six by Nash and five by Crosby. The album is dedicated to Joni MitchellFind albums by this artist. The songs written by Crosby were quite different from those Nash wrote; Crosby, a dreamer and melancholic, wrote heartwrenching, Bluesy tunes, which caused depression and gloom, whereas Nash was his spiritual "nemesis" and wrote absolutely perfect love songs and romantic ballads. It was the combination of the two, which created the special magic, which this album exemplifies, expressed by their vocal harmonies, which are unparalleled to this very day. These songs are all absolutely timeless and withstand the tides of time like stainless steel. Perfectly crafted, beautifully executed, full of harmony and offering meaningful lyrics, they are the epitome of song weaving, which is simply beyond trends, fads and fashions. In retrospect this album stands among the best achievements of the fruitful legacy created by Crosby and Nash, both individually and collectively. It is an absolute must in any decent Rock record collection and a part of music history that is out there waiting to be discovered by younger generations of music lovers. They don´t make music like this any more, but at least we can still enjoy these gems, before we are all covered by heaps of garbage and dirt.

Updated: 21/01/2019Posted: 03/06/2018

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

CROSBY & NASH ~ LIVE MCA 008811205225 (Barcode: 008811205225) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1975 - 1976 Released: 2000 This is the fourth album (and first live release) by the celebrated team of singer / songwriter friends, American David CrosbyFind albums by this artist and British Graham NashFind albums by this artist. It followed the previous two studio releases ("Wind On The WaterFind albums with this title" and "Whistling Down The WireFind albums with this title") presenting material recorded live during the concerts the duo performed promoting these albums and consisting mostly of songs originally included on them, featuring the same team of musicians that recorded them: guitarist Danny KortchmarFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Craig DoergeFind albums by this artist, bassist Tim DrummondFind albums by this artist, drummer Russell KunkelFind albums by this artist and multi-instrumentalist David LindleyFind albums by this artist. Crosby and Nash are in charge of the vocals, Crosby plays guitars and Nash plays guitars and piano. The album presents eleven songs written by Crosby and Nash (five songs each and one by Crosby / Doerge). This is the remastered edition of the album, first time on CD, with a much improved sound clarity, and two bonus tracks. The songs are all exquisite, as expected from this talented team, and very much in the same "spirit" and overall these three albums could be in fact considered as one continuous reflection of the duo´s output at that time (1975-1976), which was certainly the most productive in the Crosby & Nash legacy. The duo and the band accompanying the two singers became a true and very tight band, definitely one of the best out there at the time. As usual the stylistic, personal and cultural differences between Crosby and Nash create a unique amalgam, which combined with their fabulous vocal harmonies results in some of the best Classic Rock music ever recorded. They are simply one of the most perfect partnerships in Rock history. This album emphasizes the incredible rapport between the Artists and the audiences, and their unique ability on stage, which allows them to change and adapt the songs to the atmosphere of each an every venue and the mood of the specific concert. As such it is an electrifying document of Classic Rock performed live, with is almost completely gone these days. Overall in historic perspective this is a milestone album in every possible meaning of the phrase, which lost absolutely nothing over time in any aspect; it is still beautiful, relevant, and meaningful as a piece of an aesthetics that is long gone. Of all the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young many sub-groups, Crosby & Nash have been the most consistently excellent outfit. I can´t imagine any decent Classic Rock collection not including this album.

Updated: 29/06/2018Posted: 29/06/2018

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

CROSBY & NASH ~ WHISTLING DOWN THE WIRE MCA 008811203221 (Barcode: 008811203221) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1975 - 1976 Released: 2000 This is the third album by the celebrated team of singer / songwriter friends, American David CrosbyFind albums by this artist and British Graham NashFind albums by this artist. It followed the previous release ("Wind On The WaterFind albums with this title") just one year later, presenting a new set of songs performed by almost the same team of musicians that recorded that album: guitarist Danny KortchmarFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Craig DoergeFind albums by this artist, bassist Tim DrummondFind albums by this artist, drummer Russell KunkelFind albums by this artist and multi-instrumentalist David LindleyFind albums by this artist. Crosby and Nash are in charge of the vocals, Crosby plays guitars and Nash plays guitars and harmonica. The album presents ten songs. Both Crosby and Nash wrote three songs each, two songs were co-written by them both, one was co-written by Kortchmar and Nash and one by Doerge, Crosby and Nash. This is the remastered edition of the album, first time on CD, with a much improved sound clarity, but with no bonus material. The songs are all exquisite, as expected from this talented team, and very much in the same "spirit" as those on the previous album. Some of them were recorded during the sessions that produced the previous album and overall these two albums could be in fact considered as one continuous reflection of the duo´s output at that time (1975-1976), including also the next album "LiveFind albums with this title", which documents the duo´s concerts, where they performed mostly material from these two albums. The duo and the band accompanying the two singers became a true and very tight band, definitely one of the best out there at the time. As usual the stylistic, personal and cultural differences between Crosby and Nash create a unique amalgam, which combined with their fabulous vocal harmonies results in some of the best Classic Rock music ever recorded. They are simply one of the most perfect partnerships in Rock history. The album also emphasize the political / social opinions both these artists never feared to voice, standing firmly for the values of freedom, social justice, environment issues etc., continuing the "protest song" tradition cultivated in American music since the 1950s, sadly to disappear almost completely by the end of the 1970s. Overall in historic perspective this is a milestone album in every possible meaning of the phrase, which lost absolutely nothing over time in any aspect; it is still beautiful, relevant, and meaningful as a piece of an aesthetics that is long gone. Of all the Crosby, Stills, Nash & YoungFind albums by this artist many sub-groups, Crosby & Nash have been the most consistently excellent outfit. I can´t imagine any decent Classic Rock collection not including this album. Beyond essential!

Updated: 29/06/2018Posted: 29/06/2018

CD 1 Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

CROSBY & NASH ~ WIND ON THE WATER MCA 008811204327 (Barcode: 008811204327) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1975 Released: 2000 This is the second album by the celebrated team of singer / songwriter friends, American David CrosbyFind albums by this artist and British Graham NashFind albums by this artist. It followed the debut after a three years gap, presenting a new set of songs performed by the same team of musicians that recorded the debut: guitarist Danny KortchmarFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Craig DoergeFind albums by this artist, bassist Leland SklarFind albums by this artist and drummer Russell KunkelFind albums by this artist. Multi-instrumentalist David LindleyFind albums by this artist and bassist Tim DrummondFind albums by this artist complete the band. Musical friends: Jackson BrowneFind albums by this artist, James TaylorFind albums by this artist, Carole KingFind albums by this artist and others, perform on some of the songs. Crosby and Nash are in charge of the vocals, Crosby plays guitars and Nash plays the piano. The album presents eleven songs, the last of which is in fact a two song medley. Crosby wrote four of the songs, Nash five songs and two (including the medley) are co-written by them both. This is the remastered edition of the album, first time on CD, with a much improved sound clarity, but with no bonus material. The songs are all exquisite, as expected from this talented team, definitely as strong as those on the stunning debut album. Considering the fact that the band accompanying the two singers is much tighter this time, the album overall sounds even better than the debut in many respects. As usual the stylistic, personal and cultural differences between Crosby and Nash create a unique amalgam, which combined with their fabulous vocal harmonies results in some of the best Classic Rock music ever recorded. They are simply one of the most perfect partnerships in Rock history. The album also emphasize the political / social opinions both these artists never feared to voice, standing firmly for the values of freedom, social justice, environment issues etc., continuing the "protest song" tradition cultivated in American music since the 1950s, sadly to disappear almost completely by the end of the 1970s. Overall in historic perspective this is a milestone album in every possible meaning of the phrase, which lost absolutely nothing over time in any aspect; it is still beautiful, relevant, and meaningful as a piece of an aesthetics that is long gone. Of all the Crosby, Stills, Nash & YoungFind albums by this artist many sub-groups, Crosby & Nash have been the most consistently excellent outfit. I can´t imagine any decent Classic Rock collection not including this album. Beyond essential!

Updated: 29/06/2018Posted: 28/06/2018

CD 1 Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

DAVID CROSBY ~ THOUSAND ROADS ATLANTIC 075678248429 (Barcode: 075678248429) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1993 Released: 1993 This is the third studio album by the iconic American singer / songwriter David CrosbyFind albums by this artist released four years after its predecessor "Oh Yes I CanFind albums with this title". The album was recorded in different studios, with many different musicians (almost fifty), including the "regulars" like bassist Leland SklarFind albums by this artist, drummer Russell KunkelFind albums by this artist and keyboardist Craig DoergeFind albums by this artist, as well as a long list of guest appearances by such legends as Phil CollinsFind albums by this artist, Jimmy WebbFind albums by this artist, Graham NashFind albums by this artist, Jackson BrowneFind albums by this artist and others. The album presents ten songs, only one of which (the title song) was written by Crosby and two were co-written by him (one with Collins and one with Joni MitchellFind albums by this artist). Although this is still very much Crosby at his best as a singer, the fact that the songs are not his in most cases create an overall orientation towards Pop, more apparent than on any of his other albums. The instrumental work is of course superb all the way through, although again suffering a bit from the 1990s production drawbacks (too much keyboards). In retrospect this is still very much an album worth remembering, despite the fact that it was rather neglected by his fans over time. Crosby is simply way too talented to make music not up to par with the best efforts out there. Sadly this album was to mark a twenty one years long period of absence as far as solo albums were concerned, except for the live album "It`s All Coming Back To Me NowFind albums with this title" released in 1995. His triumphant comeback with the album "CrozFind albums with this title" in 2014 marked a new period of ferocious activity, which continues to this very day. This is definitely an album worth being rediscovered by all those Crosby fans that missed it at the time of its release, and of course a valuable lesson to young listeners, to get idea about what music is all about!

Updated: 10/07/2018Posted: 10/07/2018

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

CROSBY, STILLS & NASH ~ AFTER THE STORM ATLANTIC 075678265426 (Barcode: 075678265426) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1994 Released: 1994 This is the fifth (and so far the last) studio album by the iconic Classic Rock trio Crosby, Stills & NashFind albums by this artist. This album celebrated the 25th Anniversary of their legendary debut album and its release was followed by extensive touring. Assisted by a plethora of guest musicians, like keyboardists Craig DoergeFind albums by this artist and Michael FinniganFind albums by this artist, bassist James HutchinsonFind albums by this artist, and also including two Stills´ children and son of the album´s producer, the trio managed to produce eleven splendid new songs, two by David CrosbyFind albums by this artist, four by Stephen StillsFind albums by this artist, three by Graham NashFind albums by this artist and two co-written by Crosby with Nash or Stills. The only song coming from outside the group is an adaptation of a BeatlesFind albums by this artist song. Although poorly received both by the critics and the fans at the time, the music is characterized by the usual amazing vocal harmonies, great melodies and superb instrumental work, which is as good anything they recorded earlier, but might have sounded dated by (then) contemporary listeners. Mature and more experienced, the trio members might have lost some of their spontaneity and edge, but definitely gained finesse and sensitivity, and most importantly depth. The lyrics remain powerful and meaningful, and are an integral part of the overall artistic delivery. In historical perspective this album sadly remains overshadowed by the early work of the trio and the fact that it was released at the time when Classic Rock was being pushed out by other (then) contemporary musical trends, which in time led to the annihilation of Rock Music at large. For the true fans and connoisseurs of the trio´s recorded works, this album is an absolute must of course.

Updated: 02/02/2019Posted: 02/02/2019

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

CROSBY, STILLS & NASH ~ CSN ATLANTIC 075678265020 (Barcode: 075678265020) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1976 - 1977 Released: 1994 This is the second studio album by the iconic Classic Rock trio Crosby, Stills & NashFind albums by this artist. During the eight years that separate the trio´s eponymous debut album and this sophomore release the trio members were involved in the quartet Crosby, Stills, Nash & YoungFind albums by this artist recordings, solo recordings and the Crosby & NashFind albums by this artist duo recordings among other activities, but did not manage to record together as a trio, which of course caused this album to be highly anticipated at the time. Assisted by a plethora of guest musicians like drummers Joe VitaleFind albums by this artist and Russell KunkelFind albums by this artist, keyboardists Craig DoergeFind albums by this artist and Michael FinniganFind albums by this artist, bassist George PerryFind albums by this artist and even including a string section, the trio managed to produce twelve splendid new songs, three by David CrosbyFind albums by this artist, five by Stephen StillsFind albums by this artist and four by Graham NashFind albums by this artist, which stand up to the level of the material included on the legendary debut album. The music is characterized by the usual amazing vocal harmonies, great melodies and superb instrumental work, creating an instant classic, which in retrospect turned out to be the trio´s all time best selling album, outselling even the legendary debut. Mature and more experienced, the trio members might have lost some of their spontaneity and edge, but definitely gained finesse and sensitivity, and most importantly depth. The lyrics remain powerful and meaningful, and are an integral part of the overall artistic delivery. The four songs by Nash turn out to be the strongest songs on the album, especially so the epic "Cathedral", which is probably his strongest song written after leaving the Hollies. But all the songs on this album are up to par with the usual standard expected from these great Artists. In historical perspective this album sadly remains overshadowed by the early work of the trio and the fact that it was released at the time when Classic Rock was being pushed out by other (then) contemporary musical trends, which in time led to the annihilation of Rock Music at large. For the fans and connoisseurs of the trio´s recorded works, this album is an absolute must of course.

Updated: 25/01/2019Posted: 25/01/2019

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

CROSBY, STILLS & NASH ~ LIVE IT UP ATLANTIC 075678210723 (Barcode: 075678210723) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1989 - 1990 Released: 1990 This is the fourth studio album by the iconic Classic Rock trio Crosby, Stills & NashFind albums by this artist. This album started as a Crosby & NashFind albums by this artist project, which than evolved into a trio album with Stephen StillsFind albums by this artist. Assisted by a plethora of guest musicians, like keyboardist Craig DoergeFind albums by this artist, bassist Bob GlaubFind albums by this artist, drummer Joe VitaleFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Branford MarsalisFind albums by this artist and others, the trio managed to produce ten splendid new songs, mostly co-written by the trio members, members of the band and other musicians / friends. Although poorly received both by the critics and the fans at the time, the music is characterized by the usual amazing vocal harmonies, great melodies and superb instrumental work, which is as good as anything they recorded earlier. The 1980s production techniques, synthesized sounds and other atrocities of the time are definitely present, hindering the intrinsic beauty of the music, but to be fair they can be discarded and ignored, certainly in a retrospective glimpse. Perhaps the trio members could have stuck to the acoustic approach and Classic Rock aesthetics, but if they did, they would have been accused of being outdated. You can´t win with the critics. In historical perspective this album sadly remains overshadowed by the early work of the trio and the fact that it was released at the time when Classic Rock was being pushed out by other (then) contemporary musical trends, which in time led to the annihilation of Rock Music at large. For the true fans and connoisseurs of the trio´s recorded works, this album is an absolute must of course.

Updated: 14/02/2019Posted: 14/02/2019

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

GRAHAM NASH ~ EARTH & SKY MAGIC 3700139305003 (Barcode: 3700139305003) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1979 Released: 2001 This is the third solo album by British singer / songwriter Graham NashFind albums by this artist, one of the greatest Classic Rock icons of all times. Nash maintained a more or less steady solo career in parallel to his activity as a member of Crosby & NashFind albums by this artist, Crosby, Stills & NashFind albums by this artist and Crosby, Stills, Nash & YoungFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original songs, all written (music and lyrics) by Nash with one song co-written with American singer / songwriter / multi-instrumentalist Joe VitaleFind albums by this artist, who also plays on the album. The numerous musicians who took part in recording of the album include also bassist Tim DrummondFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Craig DoergeFind albums by this artist and guitarist David LindleyFind albums by this artist. David CrosbyFind albums by this artist plays guitar on one tune and sings backing vocals on two and Stephen StillFind albums by this artist plays guitar on one tune. The album offers an excellent collection of typical Nash songs, based on wonderful melodic motifs and supported by intelligent and often politically oriented lyrics. The superb team of musicians creates a wonderful example of Classic Rock atmosphere, which by the time this album was released was almost completely abandoned by the music scene. The album is full of excellent instrumental performances and superb soloing, in addition to heartwrenching lead vocal parts by Nash himself. In retrospect this is one of the strongest solo efforts by Nash and the fact that it is almost completely forgotten these days is a crying shame. It serves as a closing chapter of the 1970s for Nash´s solo career, which except for the relatively less important mid 1980s album "Innocent Eyes" will have to wake for more than a coupe of decades to flourish again. For the many Nash fans, this forgotten gem is definitely worth to be revisited, although it is not easy to be found. Listening to it almost four decades after it was released was a joyful experience for me, which I recommend to all Classic Rock fans. They don´t make music like this any more and since the mold is almost lost, let´s keep this music alive as long as we can!

Updated: 18/11/2018Posted: 18/11/2018

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

GRAHAM NASH ~ INNOCENT EYES ATLANTIC 081227992569 (Barcode: 081227992569) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1986 Released: 1986 This is the fourth solo album by the iconic British singer / songwriter Graham NashFind albums by this artist recorded in several studios with a huge team of studio musicians led by keyboardist Craig DoergeFind albums by this artist, who also co-produced the album. The album presents ten songs, five of which were composed by Nash and one was co-composed by him and Doerge. Although the album is soaked in the dreadful 1980s synthesizers and drum machines sound, musically it still presents solid songwriting which is able to save the day eventually. It proves that Nash was able to sand shoulder to shoulder with Pop / Rock songwriters / musicians of the next generation and be successful within the changing format. Of course Nash could have stayed within the classic, almost completely acoustic genre, but his exploration of the (then) contemporary Pop / Rock sound and instrumentation is as valid as any other approach. At the time of its release the album was slaughtered by the critics and the conservative Classic Rock listeners were not open to the new approach. Revisiting this album from a perspective of over three decades enables a new look at these songs, which stripped from the mannerisms of the period are all quite nice and withstand the test of time on the songwriting level. For long time Nash fans such a nostalgic journey might prove to be worthwhile, although the album is not that easy to find on the market these days. I have not listened to it since close to its release time and I was pleasantly surprised with the result. Nash earned his place on the pedestal of Classic Rock heroes and nothing is able to take it away, not even less successful releases like this one. If you happen to come across this album in the second hand stall don´t hesitate for a second and give it a chance.

Updated: 26/10/2018Posted: 26/10/2018

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend