Back in the heyday of classic rock the primal elements, blues, jazz, R&B, funk and folk, were caught in the heady romance of communion; no genre would stay the same after being ushered onto the rock stage. Before CSN, the two most notable fusions of rock and folk could be found in the Byrds, from which David Crosby hailed, and the Buffalo Springfield, featuring guitar prodigy Stephen Stills. Add singer/songwriter for the Hollies, Graham Nash, and a new star is born. At a time when any and every musical style had its airing, the debut of Crosby, Stills & Nash was a landmark for folk, rock, folk/rock, the term “super-group,” and the poetry of the hippie generation. In years to come the sound of the self titled debut created a new category within classic rock.
Scared Shitless
is David Crosby’s confession to the audience at Woodstock, where they played together live for the first time – just the three of them sans the coterie of musicians collaborating on the debut album, which had been released two months prior (May 1969). Their a cappella version of “Suite Judy Blue Eyes” can truly be said to be one of the more transcendent performances of rock music’s ultimate historic festival.
Millions of people ran out afterwards to purchase a copy of the record and were greeted on the first track by the now iconic acoustic guitar riff bringing in “Suite Judy Blue Eyes” (written for folk singer Judy Collins) followed by the unforgettable harmony of the trio – make no mistake, brilliant musical interplay and flawless production aside, the CSN experience lies in the vocals. Each of the three had a strong voice informing the their respective bands, Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds and the Hollies, but, like in other musical cases, the alchemy of these particular musicians is uncanny, resulting in something no one could have imagined.
The “Suite” which has four movements, takes us through a complete musical journey, the ambiguous poetry sung by the three, guided by Stephen Still’s guitar. A variety of instruments take their part in this incredible production, the sparing use of trap-drums paired with the inclusion of a wide variety of percussion instruments heightens the already organic feel of the record. The famous wind-up closing the tune would ensure this to be yet another lengthy radio hit that would air in its entirety. In the tradition of the previous year’s “Hey Jude” (The Beatles) and the following year's “Layla” (Derek & The Dominoes), “Suite” retained its radio length largely due to the anthemic out-chorus.
Are They Talking About…
Crosby’s vocal clowning followed by a quick flurry of Jim Gordon’s brushes brings in the full splendor of “Marrakesh Express,” where Graham Nash takes the lead in what was surely the defining performance of his career at this date. All of the warmth, humor and musical intricacy of this amazing record can be heard in these three minutes.
Truly Troubadours
The words and melody to “Guinnevere” whisper out of the Middle Ages, brought to something that can hardly be described as contemporary. Regardless of how many times heard, the lyrics to “Guinnevere” haunt with beauty and sadness beyond description. A misty, spooky instrumental version of the song was recorded by Miles Davis the following year (1970).
Stephen Stills tickles out a riff, and the three launch into the harmony of “You Don’t Have To Cry,” the absolute perfect tonic to “Guinnevere.” Happy vibes ring.
“Pre-Road Downs” picks up where “Marrakesh Express” left off, another humorous romp through the burgeoning hippie life-style. Stephen Stills employs some groundbreaking guitar effects on this one. Stills also plays bass on every track, his huge sound laying the ground for his brilliantly subtle riffing.
Muted electric strings opens “Wooden Ships” a fantasy go-round, the three alternating narrative parts of a fantastic voyage before meeting for the blissful chorus. Led by more astounding guitar work by Stills this piece is a musical and lyrical tour-de-force. Co-written by Jefferson Airplane’s Paul Kantner, “Wooden Ships” was again recorded later in the year and released on the classic “Volunteers.”
Nash sings solo on the wistful “Lady Of The Island,” a quiet, delicate study in lonely tones. “Helplessly Hoping” is a mournful a cappella, displaying the full harmonic range of what would seem possible in a vocal arrangement.
Dark stormy chords roll in announcing “Long Time Gone,” in another full-bodied musical arrangement. With a lyric winding through menacing admonitions (”You’ve got to speak out against the madness.”), this chilling track lingers long afterward.
The album ends with “49 Bye-Byes” another harmonic extravaganza formed into a lament. In the tradition of the blues (with folk trappings) the entirety of side-two is a suite of warnings, wistful memories and laments and yet, taken as a whole, Crosby, Stills & Nash is undoubtedly one of the happiest, most upbeat records of this or any time.
Scott Cramer - Scott lives in Chicago and is an insufferable know-it-all on certain topics. He writes fiction (primarily short stories) much of which ...
Join the Conversation