Record Reviews

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 IN L.A. IMMORTAL 8712177052240 (Barcode: 8712177052240) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1982 Released: 2007 This is a little known, although seemingly perfectly legal live album by the iconic Classic Rock group Crosby, Stills & NashFind albums by this artist recorded during their 1982 tour which promoted their third studio album "Daylight AgainFind albums with this title". They were accompanied by a great band which included guitarist Michael StergisFind albums by this artist, keyboardists Michael FinniganFind albums by this artist and James Newton HowardFind albums by this artist, bassist George PerryFind albums by this artist, drummer Joe VitaleFind albums by this artist and percussionist Efrain ToroFind albums by this artist. The shows were taped and filmed for a TV special on the Thanksgiving Day weekend in November 1982 at the New Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, CA and later released as a home video also entitled "Daylight Again". This 2CD album originates from the audio recordings and presents twenty one songs. Some of the songs included here were also included on the Crosby, Stills & Nash first formal live album "AlliesFind albums with this title" released in 1983. The trio and the band are in superb form and go through the material included on their three albums as well as material recorded by the Crosby & Nash duo and their solo albums. The superb vocal harmonies and excellent instrumental work turn this album into a classic display of the combined talents of these superbly gifted musicians that sounds as good decades later as it did at the time of its recording. Some of the songs included here don´t exist in live versions on any other recording by the group. In retrospect it is a wonderful document of the Crosby, Stills & Nash musical ingenuity, which has almost no equals in quality and class among their musical cohorts over the decades. With superb sound quality, top notch material and brilliant performances this album is a breeze of fresh air among contemporary clatter which is considered music by some people. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 19/01/2019Posted: 19/01/2019

CD 2 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

STEPHEN STILLS ~ LIVE IN CONCERT ROX VOX 1006 (Barcode: 5292317100626) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1976 - 1977 Released: 2015 This is a live recording of two concerts by the iconic American singer / multi-instrumentalist / songwriter Stephen StillsFind albums by this artist, which were originally broadcast by the legendary radio show King Biscuit Flower Hour. The concerts were recorded just three months one after the other (October 1976 and January 1977), the first of which was recorded completely solo and the second in a trio setting with bassist George PerryFind albums by this artist and drummer Joe VitaleFind albums by this artist. Together the album presents nineteen songs, most of which were written by Stills, spanning his entire career to date and including material from the Buffalo SpringfieldFind albums by this artist, Crosby, Stills, Nash & YoungFind albums by this artist and his solo albums. The music showcases the extraordinary qualities of Stills as a singer, brilliant guitarist and of course seminal songwriter. These performances are significantly different from other available recordings of this material and therefore should be highly interesting to the many Stills fans and considering the fine sound quality of this material, it is absolutely worth investigating. It seems Stills is largely underappreciated and somewhat forgotten today, which is a great pity as in retrospect he surely is one of the brightest stars of American Classic Rock – and don´t you forget it! Side Note Obiterdictum Ltd, a company based in Cyprus (oh well you know the story… copyright laws and legal issues) releases mostly live recorded radio broadcasts from the 1960s on and offers an amazing source of music which was never officially released by some of the best Classic Rock and Jazz artists. The catalogue offers five hundred releases, which is an absolute treasure chest of music history, often appearing for the first time. Although the sound quality and sometimes also music quality range from absolutely brilliant to pretty poor, most of the material is surely listenable, especially after being remastered recently, and more importantly offers music which is not available elsewhere. The company releases the albums under several sub-labels: Air CutsFind albums on this label, EchoesFind albums on this label, Hi HatFind albums on this label, HotspurFind albums on this label, InterferenceFind albums on this label, KeyholeFind albums on this label, KlondikeFind albums on this label, Live On VinylFind albums on this label, London CallingFind albums on this label, OrbitFind albums on this label, Rox VoxFind albums on this label and Sound StageFind albums on this label. There is no ironclad logic as to what material appears on which label, except perhaps some internal considerations by the Obiterdictum owners. Approach with caution, but keep in mind that some of these releases are absolutely brilliant!

Updated: 24/05/2019Posted: 24/05/2019

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend