Record Reviews

CPR ~ CPR BMG 4050538588613 (Barcode: 4050538588613) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1998 Released: 2020 This is a reissue of the debut studio album by the American Classic Rock trio, CPRFind albums by this artist, led by the iconic singer / songwriter David CrosbyFind albums by this artist, guitarist / vocalist Jeff PevarFind albums by this artist and Crosby’s son keyboardist / vocalist James RaymondFind albums by this artist. The trio is accompanied by several bassists like Leland SklarFind albums by this artist and James HutchinsonFind albums by this artist and drummers like Steve DiStanislaoFind albums by this artist and Michael BlandFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven original songs, written or co-written by the trio members. The trio’s sound and musical direction is remarkably similar to the Crosby, Stills & NashFind albums by this artist legacy, with brilliant vocal harmonies, beautiful lyrical songwriting and heartfelt performances, but it had its own somewhat different slightly Jazzy tinge due to Pevar’s inclination in that direction. The group was founded shortly after Crosby’s liver transplant and his meeting with Raymond, who grew up with foster parents. The two clicked immediately and remain inseparable to this very day, making music together. Founding of the trio marked Crosby’s remarkable return to music making, which resulted in one more studio album with CPR and two live albums, as well as a string of solo albums and tours with Crosby, Stills & Nash. Overall this is a remarkable Classic Rock album, with every song just perfect, sublime singing and harmony, in short an instant classic. It is great to have it reissued and readily available again and since this is absolutely timeless music, anybody who missed at the time – here is an opportunity to make things right!

Updated: 25/02/2022Posted: 15/02/2022

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

CPR ~ JUST LIKE GRAVITY BMG 4050538588637 (Barcode: 4050538588637) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2001 Released: 2020 This is a reissue of the second studio album by the American Classic Rock trio CPRFind albums by this artist, led by the iconic singer / songwriter David CrosbyFind albums by this artist, guitarist / vocalist Jeff PevarFind albums by this artist and Crosby’s son keyboardist / vocalist James RaymondFind albums by this artist. The trio is accompanied by bassist Andy FordFind albums by this artist (or Leland SklarFind albums by this artist on one track) and drummer Steve DiStanislaoFind albums by this artist. The album presents twelve original songs, written or co-written by the trio members. The trio’s sound and musical direction is remarkably similar to the Crosby, Stills & NashFind albums by this artist legacy, with brilliant vocal harmonies, beautiful lyrical songwriting and heartfelt performances, but it had its own somewhat different slightly Jazzy tinge due to Pevar’s inclination in that direction. The group was founded shortly after Crosby’s liver transplant and his meeting with Raymond, who grew up with foster parents. The two clicked immediately and remain inseparable to this very day, making music together. Founding of the trio marked Crosby’s remarkable return to music making, which resulted in two studio and two live albums with CPR, as well as a string of solo albums and tours with Crosby, Stills & Nash. Overall this is a remarkable Classic Rock album, with every song just perfect, sublime singing and harmony, in short an instant classic. It is great to have it reissued and readily available again and since this is absolutely timeless music, anybody who missed at the time – here is an opportunity to make things right!

Updated: 25/02/2022Posted: 25/02/2022

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

CROSBY & NASH ~ CROSBY NASH SANCTUARY 293 (Barcode: 5050159029327) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2004 Released: 2004 This is the sixth (fourth studio and so far the last) album by the celebrated team of singer / songwriter friends, American David CrosbyFind albums by this artist and British Graham NashFind albums by this artist, known as Crosby & NashFind albums by this artist. Supported by a superb team of musicians, which includes Crosby´s son James RaymondFind albums by this artist, who plays keyboards, guitarists Dean ParksFind albums by this artist and Jeff PevarFind albums by this artist, bassist Leland SklarFind albums by this artist and drummer Russell KunkelFind albums by this artist, Crosby and Nash present no less than twenty new songs spread over two CDs. Crosby wrote five of the songs, Raymond wrote also five songs and Nash wrote seven songs. Of the remaining three songs, one was written by Mark CohnFind albums by this artist, one is a traditional tune and one was co-written by Nash and three other musicians. Musically the album seems to be a time capsule, which goes back over three decades to the times when Crosby & Nash recorded their debut album together. Heartfelt melodies, meaningful lyrics, wonderful musicianship and an overall atmosphere of harmony, both musical and spiritual, had of course absolutely nothing to do with the music market at the time of the recording. Some critics accused Crosby & Nash to be stuck in the past, but hey, what greater praise can be bestowed upon a musician than saying his music sounds like being recorded in the early 1970s? Indeed the album could have been recorded in 1974 rather than in 2004 and nobody could have spotted the difference. Crosby, Raymond and Nash manage to weave wonderful songs, perfectly suited to the individual vocal abilities and the vocal harmonies, which are the duo´s trademark. The elegant, perfectly arranged instrumental accompaniment brings the beauty of the melodies to the front and remains respectfully supportive, without interfering with the vocal parts. Overall this is undoubtedly the strongest album by the duo since their debut recorded thirty two years earlier. It is great to see that Crosby and Raymond found their common musical destiny, which thrives to this very day, as evident on the recent solo albums by Crosby ("CrozFind albums with this title", "Sky TrailsFind albums with this title"). Sadly this may probably be the last recording by the duo although Crosby still performs live with Nash and Stills and I had the immense pleasure to hear them live in 2015. We must never cease to hope of course! This is a brilliant album from start to finish and a must have to any true Classic Rock fan, regardless of age. Although they don´t make music like this any more, miracles do happen ;)

Updated: 05/06/2018Posted: 05/06/2018

CD 2 Recommend To A Friend

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 ~ 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 ~ OH YES I CAN A&M 600753650158 (Barcode: 600753650158) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1989 Released: 2015 This is the second album by the iconic American singer / songwriter David CrosbyFind albums by this artist, released eighteen years after the release of his epic debut album "If I Could Only Remember My NameFind albums with this title" in 1971. The prolonged silence, caused by the chaotic circumstances of his private and artistic life, was broken by a relatively short period of solo recording activity, which produced this album and the follow up album "Thousand RoadsFind albums with this title" (1993) as well as the live album "It`s All Coming Back To Me NowFind albums with this title" (1995), but then another long (nineteen years) period followed again until the resurrection of his recording career in 2014, which so far produced three new albums: "CrozFind albums with this title", "LighthouseFind albums with this title" and "Sky TrailsFind albums with this title". The album presents eleven songs, nine of which were written or co-written by Crosby, and a great support band featuring some of Rock´s most reliable studio players like drummers: Russell KunkelFind albums by this artist and Jim KeltnerFind albums by this artist, bassist Leland SklarFind albums by this artist, guest guitarists: Steve LukatherFind albums by this artist and Larry CarltonFind albums by this artist and guest vocalist and old buddies: James TaylorFind albums by this artist, Graham NashFind albums by this artist, Jackson BrowneFind albums by this artist and others. The album presents the usual mixture of Rocky songs and heartwrenching ballads that only Crosby is able to write. His vocal abilities are at their best and the superb instrumental (and vocal) support are as usual top rate, The album does not disclose any new facets in Crosby´s songwriting, but proves that his creativity remains intact. Of course Crosby´s figure has a meaning way beyond his musical activity. For people my age Crosby is a voice of a generation and in retrospect a symbol of the tragically short lived American cultural and social Revolution of the late 1960s, which is sadly almost completely forgotten by now. His recent activity is a proof that our generation is not completely dead yet, although the light at the end of the tunnel is getting dimmer. Everything Crosby touched during his lifetime eventually turned to gold, and this album is a classic of the genre, definitely worth returning to or being discovered by the generation of our children and grandchildren. Peace!

Updated: 03/06/2018Posted: 23/03/2018

CD 1 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