Record Reviews

CROSBY & NASH ~ ANOTHER STONEY EVENING BLUE CASTLE 852550031238 (Barcode: 852550031238) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1971 Released: 2011 This is the fifth album by the iconic duo of singer / songwriter friends, American David CrosbyFind albums by this artist and British Graham NashFind albums by this artist, who were also the core members of Crosby, Stills & NashFind albums by this artist and Crosby, Stills, Nash & YoungFind albums by this artist. Although originally released in 1997, this is an archival release documenting a concert recording from October 10, 1971, before the duo was even formally formed and before they recorded their debut album. The album presents acoustic versions of fifteen songs, all but one written separately by Crosby and Nash and one co-written by Crosby, Paul KantnerFind albums by this artist and Stephen StillsFind albums by this artist. The entire performance features Crosby and Nash singing and playing acoustic guitars with the exception of one song on which Nash plays the piano. Most of the songs originate from the two solo albums released by Crosby and Nash earlier that year, and of course from the debut albums by Crosby, Stills & Nash and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, but a few appear here for the first time. The intimate duo versions of these songs are absolutely overwhelming and in some cases they offer the absolutely best renditions of these tunes ever. The superhuman telepathy that Crosby and Nash are able to achieve on stage is absolutely unique and matchless. Crosby and Nash were the voice of their generation (well, my generation too) and at that magical moment in the US history, when thousands strong audiences were actually listening to the lyrics and identifying with the messages was sadly very brief and would never return. The people in the audience, who are a part of this recording, took part in such spiritual experience. These fifteen songs are of course examples of some of the best songwriting of the era and they lost absolutely nothing of their charm, beauty and meaning over time. They are the proof that human voice and minimal instrumental accompaniment are enough to create miracles and move musical mountains. In retrospect this is obviously one the highlights of the entire illustrious career of Crosby and Nash, both individually and collectively and an iconic document of the era. For music lovers this is an essential piece of music history, which inevitably grows better with time.

Updated: 19/11/2018Posted: 19/11/2018

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

GRACE SLICK ~ MANHOLE ACADIA 8015 (Barcode: 805772801523) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1973 Released: 2005 1st album by US singer extraordinaire Grace SlickFind albums by this artist, one of America´s greatest female Rock stars of all times, who fronted the legendary Jefferson AirplaneFind albums by this artist and Jefferson StarshipFind albums by this artist bands for decades. She waited with the recording of her debut solo album for the demise of the original Jefferson Airplane and recorded it in the interim period between Airplane and Starship. Of course many of the Airplane members took part in the recording (reading like a who’s who of American Rock), but surprisingly the album is much more adventurous and "progressive" than any of the Airplane recordings. The title track is a 15+ minutes long suite, recorded with a symphony orchestra, which is described as "Theme from the Movie Manhole", but the movie is completely imaginary and never existed in fact. Slick simply realizes here her life-long fascination with cinematography and her wish to create a soundtrack for a movie, even if an imaginary one. She composed all but one of the tracks on the album, with several being co-composed with her Airplane (and life) buddies David FreibergFind albums by this artist and Paul KantnerFind albums by this artist. There is some incredible instrumental work present and of course her singing abilities were never better. Strangely this album remained unreleased on CD for almost three decades, hiding away one of the best moments of the Airplane family ever recorded. This new edition reveals a piece of musical history, which deserves to be appreciated and introduced to new generation of listeners, pointing the way to how music should be treated. This is a must to all Airplane fans and an invitation to those listeners, who never managed to get acquainted with that part of the American music scene.

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

STEPHEN STILLS ~ JUST ROLL TAPE RHINO 081227997915 (Barcode: 081227997915) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1968 Released: 2007 This is a wonderful album with archival material by the iconic American singer / guitarist / composer Stephen StillsFind albums by this artist. Stills recorded this material using some spare studio time following a recording session he played on, singing early versions of songs, some of which were destined to become anthems of his generation. He is completely alone in the studio with his acoustic guitar. The album includes twelve songs, eleven of which he wrote and one, the epic "Wooden Ships" he co-wrote with David CrosbyFind albums by this artist and Paul KantnerFind albums by this artist. The album also includes a bonus track, the source of which remains undisclosed. The original master tapes of these recordings were considered to be lost for decades and the fact we can listen to this music is a pure miracle. At the time these songs were recorded Stills was playing the last gigs with the disintegrating Buffalo SpringfieldFind albums by this artist and obviously already planning the forthcoming super trio of Crosby, Stills & NashFind albums by this artist. Three of the songs present here would be part of the eponymous debut album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, others appeared on the first two solo albums by Stills and on his first album with his group ManassasFind albums by this artist. Other great demo material by Crosby, Stills & Nash can be heard on their great archival "DemosFind albums with this title" album. This album shows Stills completely "naked" and as such emphasizes his enormous talent as a songwriter and performer. Although completely informal, this music is the sound of an era, where music stood at the centre of human Culture, not only as a symbol of Art, but also as a form of philosophical, social and political expression. Side Note: Just a few months ago I had the pleasure to attend the Crosby, Stills & Nash concert in Rome. Hearing four thousand people singing along with the legends on stage was a deeply moving experience, and so was their timeless exquisite music.

Updated: 09/02/2016Posted: 09/02/2016

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend