CROSBY STILLS NASH
"If you're looking for assistance, babe,
Or if you just want some company
Or if you just want a friend you can talk to,
Honey, come and see about me." BOB DYLAN
Updated
03/30/02 9:47pm eastern
"...Love like a mountain springtime,
Flashing through the rivers of my mind..."
Paul Kantner
APRIL NEWS
Suitelorraine in the News... along with GRAHAM NASH
NEW NASH IS COMING...NEW NASH IS COMING...NEW NASH IS COMING...
the actual cover art
The album cover art was given to my site 03/29/02 from Loring Kohrt @ Valley Entertainment
I originally posted the cover 03/18 /02 from a pre-release fax
I received from the manager @ Tower Records Paramus-NJ
That image was gray, since I cut and pasted it from my fax. The
above is now the correct image.
READ ABOUT THE RECORD HERE
NEW NASH IS COMING...NEW NASH IS COMING...NEW NASH IS COMING...
Loring Kohrt from Valley Entertainment contacted me 03/29/02 regarding
the new NASH record.
I asked her how someone who did not have 5.1 capabilities could
listen to the record and
she assured me it was possible. Read below:
"...If you don't have a 5.1 Home Theatre
system you can still enjoy the music from the 2.0 (Stereo) Track
on the
DVD-A. There is a menu screen that will pop up on your TV when
you put the
disc into any DVD Player. Then you choose with your remote control
how you
want to listen."
*Thanks Loring*
NEW NASH IS COMING...NEW NASH IS COMING...NEW NASH IS COMING...
READ ABOUT THE MCI SHOW HERE
*thanks buzz*
These next 2 photos were sent to the site by John Proctor.
I like these shots... nice hat!
THANKS JOHN!!!
September 30, 1983
Stephen Stills Band
Oklahoma City Zoo Amphitheater
photos by John Proctor ©
BUY IT NOW THE NEW HOLLIES BOOK
GRAHAM NASH
New record
Street Date: 04/30/02
SONGS FOR SURVIVORS - DTS 1092
available on DVD audio DTS 5.1
Track listing:
01. Dirty Little Secret
02. Blizzard of Lies
03. Lost Another One
04. The Chelsea Hotel
05. I'll Be There for You
06. Nothing in the World
07. Where Love Lies Tonight
08. Pavanne
09. Liars Nightmare
10. Come With Me
Co-founder of The Hollies and of the legendary
Crosby, Stills & Nash, Graham Nash has written and performed on
hundreds of music recordings.
Songs for Survivors contains elements of his work with CSN as
well as songs that take his
songwriting into a new era. Always an artistic pioneer, Graham
is one of the first rock legends to
release his most recent material in the new DVD-audio format,
and he was intimately involved with the entire 5.1 surround
sound mixing process. From "Dirty Little Secret," to "Lost Another
One," this disc is rich with
musicianship and social commentary. A talented photographer as
well, Graham shares many of his images in a
special Gallery section on the disc. Take your place in the midst
of these incredible surround sound mixes
and enjoy SONGS FOR SURVIVORS on any DVD player.
*special thanks to CR for this advance notice.*
!!!THANK YOU!!!
Can't wait till we can all spin this disc. Good luck with it GRAHAM!
GRAHAM NASH in
Sound and Vision Magazine April 2002
Page #84
5.1 Way Street
"I tend to get carried away with technology," admits Graham Nash,
one-third of the sweet harmonic equation that comprises the signature
sound of Crosby, Stills and Nash (and sometimes Young). Nash,
60, has
just come offstage after a loose, jam-oriented soundcheck before
CSN
performs at Monster Cable's VIP-only awards shindig here is Las
Vegas. Right as he sits down at a table in the Grand Ballroom
of the
Mirage Hotel for an exclusive interview, Nash grins and notes,
"I'm
really excited about recording in 5.1"
by Mike Mettler.
I typed this brief interview in Q&A format it was presently differently
in the original.- Lorraine
Art Carey was kind enough to fax me, and then snail mail the original
Q: The recent CSN and CSNY tours have been musically quite
interesting, musically speaking. I think alot of people didn't
expect
to hear new arrangements of alot of your classic material...
A: That's right. And neither did we (both laughlng).
Q: Last year, Herbie Hancock shared an interesting observation
with
us about how a performance is heard in the audience and how
performers hear it onstage. For example, you've never heard yourself
as the audience hears you, except on live recordings...
A: ...And you've never heard how it sounds to us in the studio,
recording in the middle of a band. That's one of the things I
really
love about the 5.1 channel mixes. Finally, we're able to put you
in
the middle of the studio or in front of the band, right as we
perform. I think that's a very interesting perspective.
Q: What have you done in 5.1?
A: Several things. I did my new solo record, Songs for Survivor's,
in
both stereo and 5.1 on the DTS label. And I've also done 1971's
Songs
for Beginners in 5.1. I wish the technology had been available
in the
early 60's!
Q: Did you find you had to rethink any of the original mixes from
Beginners?
A: One thing I found was that we had to do the stereo mix first
and
then the 5.1. If I tried to do the 5.1 mix of, say, "Chicago"
first,
I found that the subsequent stereo mix would suck, but only because
it would sound confining and not as open as it does in 5.1.
Q: What did you do with 5.1 on your new record?
A: I wanted to keep the heartbeat of the music as the central
focus,
which meant that the snare drum, the kick drum, and the bass are
right in the middle. If (drummer) Russell Kunkel did a four -lorn
run, I'd use that in the middle too. Background vocals were separate
from the main vocal, but there's some part of everybody in the
front
three speakers. I've only "filled in" the surrounds. I'm not crazy
about separating things just because I can, like putting the kick
drum in the front speakers, the snare in the back and the high
hat
off to the left. I don't think that's the way music sounds naturally.
Q: Has 5.1 caused you to rethink how you'll records other new
material?
A: No, not yet. But its made me rethink what I will do with older
albums. I'd love to do (CSNY 's 1972 studio album) Deja Vu in
5.1.
Now, alot of people will be screaming, "It's in stereo, so it
should
remain in stereo!" But I want to find out what it sounds like
to put
you in the middle of us jamming at the end of "Carry On." Because
of
the limitations of only 19 or 20 minutes per side of a vinyl record
in those days, we had to fade, "Carry On," 'Woodstock," and "Almost
Cut My Hair" because of time considerations. But now, those time
considerations don't exist. So I'd lke to redo Deja Vu from start
to
finish so that you can hear all 8 1/2 minutes of "Almost Cut My
Hair," from the moment (drummer) Dallas Taylor counts it off to
when
he puts his sticks down after we crumbled to an end.
Q: This reminds me of what you had to do at the outset of (1971's
live CSNY album) 4 Way Street.
A: Exactly! "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" had to start in the middle
of a
fade in because we just didn't have the time available to put
eveything on the album. But I'm not sure that because you can
put
tons of songs on a cd you should. We've been trained to listen
to 10
or 12 songs per album, and people get antsy after much more than
that.
end
Thanks to Art Carey for this article submission!
ac slide show HERE
March 9th, 2002 Issue
Tour Stats
Act: CSNY
Date: 02/06/02
Venue: Palace of Auburn Hills - Detroit
Gross/Ticket price: 862,340. / 228.50-43.
Attendance / Capacity: 15,519 / 23,315
Promoter: Clear Channel
Tour Stats
Act: CSNY
Date: 02/15/02
Venue: Saavis Center - St Louis
Gross/Ticket price: 732,908. / 201-40.50
Attendance / Capacity: 11,006 / 19,268
Promoter: Clear Channel
Tour Stats
Act: CSNY
Date: 02/17/02
Venue: United Center - Chicago
Gross/Ticket price: 1,218,627. / 226.-40.50
Attendance / Capacity: 13,442 / 13,832
Promoter: Clear Channel
FEATURE STORY inside...BILLBOARD
Touring Quarterly issue #1
Some quotes regarding CSNY:
RE: Selling tickets and mechandise.
“Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young are off to a strong start at the
box office.”
“CSNY will reunite for another run this year and have also notched
strong onsales.”
“Superstar attractions, including the Stones, Bill Joel and Elton
John and CSNY are pretty much
immune to economic fluctuations and ticket price sensitivity,
but, for the vast majority of
touring acts, price, venue, time frame and radio airplay all impact
success or the lack there-of.”
“MSG is #1
Tops among all arenas in 2001 was NYC’s Madison Square Garden,
which grossed more
than 73 million from 59 diverse events. First quarter successes
for 2002 include 2 sellouts with CSNY...”
“there is money being earned by the merchadiser of someone like
Neil Diamond, or Neil Young,
who have fan bases they continue to connect with. And, when they
connect, people go
home with more than just ringing in their ears.”
Also from BILLBOARD
On the MAINSTREAM ROCK TRACKS Chart
“Let’s Roll” is @ #39. Last week @ #32. This is the 9th week since
it re-entered the chart.
Rhino Leads The Band Through One 'Last Waltz'
Rhino Records, United Artists, and MGM Home Entertainment have
teamed
for a variety of projects to celebrate the 25th anniversary of
the
final concert by the original incarnation of the Band, later released
as an album and a film under the name "The Last Waltz." United
Artists is re-releasing the Martin Scorsese-directed film for
a
limited theatrical run beginning April 5, while Rhino will issue a
four-CD boxed set version of the album on April 16. A special
edition
DVD from MGM arrives May 7.
The five-hour show, held on Thanksgiving Day at the Winterland
Theatre in San Francisco, found the Band's Robbie Robertson, Levon
Helm, Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, and Richard Manuel backed by a
dazzling array of guests, including Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Ringo
Starr, Joni Mitchell, Muddy Waters, Emmylou Harris, and Van Morrison.
The original 30-track album documenting the show was released
by
Warner Bros. in 1978.
The new boxed set, supervised and remastered by Robertson, tacks
on
24 more tracks from the concert and rehearsals. Among them are
Band
performances with Mitchell, Clapton, Dylan, and Young; Robertson's
demo for "The Last Waltz" theme; two previously unreleased jams;
and
more. Robertson also wrote the introduction for the 80-page CD
booklet, which features rare photos and memorabilia.
Beyond digital transfers and sound mixes, MGM's special-edition
DVD
sports a featurette with interviews of Robertson and Scorsese,
plus
the latter's original storyboards. A previously unseen "jam footage"
series features the Band with such guests as Young, Clapton, Starr,
Stephen Stills, Ron Wood, and Dr. John. Robertson and Scorsese also
offer a shot-by-shot commentary track, while Helm, Hudson, and
various other participating musicians and crew members supply
a
second commentary of their own.
The film returns to theaters April 5 in San Francisco, and will
also
open in New York (April 10), Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, San
Diego, Seattle, Washington D.C., and Toronto (April 19). Robertson
also supervised a digital remix of the soundtrack, which will
be
heard for the first time in Dolby 5.1 stereo sound.
Although its members pursued various projects following "The Last
Waltz," the Band reformed -- minus Robertson, who was a vocal
critic
of the decision -- in 1993 to record the album "Jericho." Two
more
sets followed, but Danko's death in late 1999 deactivated the
Band
yet again. Helm continues to tour; Robertson's most recent solo
album
was 1998's "Contact From the Underworld of Red Boy" (Capitol).
-- Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
The Hollies
The Hollies' Greatest Hits
(EK 086463)
Release Date: Mar 26, 2002
This Expanded Edition of their all-time classics including: "Bus
Stop," "Carrie-Anne," "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," and,
for the first time, "The Air That I Breathe" – all remastered
to sound better than ever!
The Hollies began making musical history in the early 1960s when
they were first signed after a performance at Liverpool's famed
Cavern Club, where they followed in The Beatles' footsteps. Quickly
becoming one of the most popular acts of the entire British Invasion,
they in fact rivaled The Beatles and the Rolling Stones in chart
success. Heavily influenced by The Everly Brothers, The Hollies
were – and are – revered for their peerless three-part harmonies,
crisp rock 'n roll guitar sound, and hook-heavy pop sensibilities.
Co-founded by boyhood friends Allan Clarke and Graham Nash, the
band, ever since their very first recording session in 1963 at
London's famed Abbey Road Studios, turned out hit after hit, both
of original compositions and masterfully interpreted covers. When
Nash departed in '68 to form Crosby, Stills and Nash, Terry Sylvester
of Swinging Blue Jeans ("Hippy Hippy Shake") fame stepped in to
harmonize. The Hollies continued on topping the charts, and some
of their biggest smashes were released in the '70s. All their
greatest hits are collected here, with this package – newly remastered
for optimal sound – for the first time including the unforgettable,
international hit single "The Air That I Breathe," a Top Ten track
in the U.S. Booklet includes expanded track-by-track historical
info.
Track listing for CD
1. Bus Stop
2. Carrie-Anne
3. Look Through Any Window
4. Stop, Stop, Stop
5. Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress
6. Dear Eloise
7. He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
8. Just One Look
9. King Midas In Reverse
10. Long Dark Road
11. Pay You Back With Interest
12. On A Carousel
13. The Air That I Breathe
Bonus Track
new csny sticker from 2002 tour
Graham Nash
"Songs For Survivors" (LP will be released in 5.1 mix and stereo)
(Artemis, spring 2002)
http://www.pauseandplay.com/
...While some people slow down with age, Nash is moving ahead
full steam
with several projects.
He gave us a quick description of his next solo
album, Songs For Survivors, which will be released by Artemis Records
sometime during the CSNY tour: "(It's) 10 brand new songs that
you haven't heard. I'm very proud of it. I think it's a really
fine
piece of work. I really do. You'll recognize it as a Graham Nash
album, and I don't think I've ever been recorded this well." The
album was co-produced by longtime friend and veteran session drummer
Russ Kunkel.
Nash will also publish a new book of photography this spring called
From Eye To I.
Suitelorraine.com Magazine Corner!
Issue #75 Apr/May 2002
Blues Revue Magazine
From page 91-92
We Remember column
RUFUS THOMAS (1917-2001) is remembered.
by Kenneth Bays.
Stills content here! See below...
The worlds oldest teenager has left us.
Rufus Thomas most widely remembered for his hits Do the Funky
Chicken and
Walking the Dog, died December 14th, 2001 of heart failure at
a Memphis
hospital.
Thomas brand of Memphis soul was aimed equally at provoking laughter
and
inciting listeners to dance. Lighthearted romps like Do the Funky
Chicken
stood in his sizable catalog next to high-energy covers of blues
classics
such as Reconsider, Baby Boom, Boom, and Wang Dang Doodle, and
though Thomas
recorded infrequently in his later years, he remained a force
in the
entertainment world, taking roles in films and co-hosting the
Blues
Foundations WC Handy Blues Awards.
Rufus was one of those people who lit up a room, said Phillip
Towne, a former
agent for Thomas. Everyone respected him because he was the real
deal and was
offering something original.
Born March 26th, 1917, in Cayce, Miss, Thomas first public performances
were
as a dancer and comedian as a teen-age member of the Rabbit Foot
Minstrels.
After immersing himself in the Memphis Music Scene of the 1940s,
serving as a
disc jockey for radio station WDIA and hosting local talent competitions
that
included a young BB King among their participants, he had his
own hit record
in 1953 with Bear Cat, an answer song to Big Momma Thorntons Hound
Dog.
The tune was as important to the development of the fledgling
Sun Records
as it was Thomas career, scoring the label its first major hit
and paving the
way for the early rock and roll and R&B that would follow.
It was at Stax Records that Thomas had his biggest success. Billing
himself
as the worlds oldest teenager, the singer recorded first the raucous
Walking
the Dog, (1964) and later the dance tune Do the Funky Chicken
(1973), earning
a reputation as a purveyor of novelty material that befit his
upbeat,
agreeable onstage personality.
Thomas continued recording, if sporadically, through the 70s and
80s. Never a
road warrior, his particular demands - Thomas expected to be paid
in full
before setting foot onstage, and often only played in locations
where
first-rate local bands could be found to back him - meant that
tours were
less frequent. Towne recalled an incident that took place at one
New Orleans
club:
When we showed up, the club could only pay half of what they owed,
Towne
said. After the first set, Rufus said, Since youre only paying
half, Im only
doing half a show. Then Stephen Stills, who was in town, walks
into the club
and and tells the band, Id love to do some jamming. If you guys
want to back
me up, Ill play the second set. So heres Stephen Stills negotiating
with the
band, pulling out a wad of money to pay them! He ended up doing
a set with
Rufus band while Rufus sat upstairs talking to Robert Lockwood
Jr. for the
rest of the evening.
Thomas found something of a second career in the late 80s after
director
Jim Jarmusch came to Memphis to work on his film Mystery Train.
A role in
that movie led to an appearance in A Family Thing (1996), alongside
Robert
Duvall and James Earl Jones, and Cookie Fortune (1999). Still,
he hadnt
completely abandoned music, as a comeback album for Alligator
Records, That
Woman Is Poison!, proved. In recent years he had helped host the
Handy
Awards, bringing his gregarious, whimsical persona to the stage
of Memphis
Orpheum Theatre.
Rufus stepped in as Joe Louis Walkers co-host when Ruth Brown
fell ill, and
Rufus showed us how amazing he was, said the Blues Foundations
Howard
Stovall.
LIFE
Rock and Roll at 50
Special Edition
Soft bound book
out on newsstands currently - Spring 2002
Pertinent Content Inside....
-CSNY are listed @ #12 in the
Top 100 Rock and Rollers of All Time
A collective as much as a band, CSNY is never-the-less one of
the
magnificent acts in rock history. Stephen Stills and Neil Young
had already
made ground-breaking country rock with Buffalo Springfield, and
Young was
embarked on what would become a tremendous, enduring solo career,
when CSN
bowed @ bowed @ Woodstock in 1969. Graham Nash was a veteran of
the British
Invasion hit machine the Hollies, and David Crosby was ex of the
Byrds. The
1970 album Deja Vu, made them the biggest thing in rock. For a
moment they
embodied the era, harmonizing beautifully in songs of peace and
love. Then
they were gone, occasionally to reunite, often to create great
music
individually, but never again to be quite so fine.
The Byrds are listed @ #52
The harmonies of Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman, David Crosby and
Gene Clark
rising above McGuinns jangly 12-string and the steady drumming
of Michael
Clarke, were thrilling to hear in 1965 as Mr Tamborine Man kick-started
folk
rock. Later incarnations of the McGuinn-led Byrds were alternately
trippy
(Eight Miles High) and trad (Sweetheart of the Rodeo) as this
great American
band continued to invent new subgenres in rock.
These following 2 photos originally ran in a 1971 LIFE cover story
of Rock n Rollers and
their elders! They are published again in this special edition
of LIFE.
Photo's by John Olson©.
David and Floyd Crosby @ his dads home in Ojai, CA. ©
Grace Slick with her mom Virginia Wing @ her moms place in Palo
Alto, CA.©
VISIT OUR TOUR 2002 SECTION
From Rolling Stone Issue#892 - March 28th, 2002
It arrived in my mailbox yesterday and look what I found...
A mighty fine looking bunch of gents!
from left ERIC IDLE, STEPHEN STILLS, GRAHAM NASH and PETER FONDA
@ Graham's Birthday party
From: The Everett Herald Newspaper-Everett, WA
left to right - Graham, Mrs & Mr Stephen Stills
Another Birthday shot.. this one was sent in by Colleen Headley
Thanks Colleen!
CSNY hit Philly 03/05/02
Review by Al Babcock
Ok, Giraffes, Cream Cheese & Graham finally
screws up.
The show was BORING but I mean that in a GOOD way.
They are just in a groove. They sound great despite the dinny
hockey
arenas. Stephen continues to shine, yes, he doesn't hit those
high notes
anymore but, damn, he's doing a helluva job.
He nailed Southern Cross tonight & he gave himself a big thumbs
up.
The interplay between him & Neil is beauty to behold. Oh, to have
had this
back in 1976.
Same old setlist but that doesn't matter because they sound so
much better.
There is less screeching then there was the first time around.
I get the chills with the opening of Carry on/Questions. It was
good but
not quite as good as 2/23 MSG(I think the slight pause really
did it for me
that night-don't no why).
1. There is a giraffe on stage in the background/Nash side. Has
to do with
SS1?
2. Cream cheese-Apparently Stephen has developed a fondness for
Philadelphia
brand cream cheese because Cros mentioned that "we" should send
Stephen
some. Just ask me(Croz) for his address.
3. Graham finally screws up! After a particularly poignant(The
crowd
finally shut up for a couple of minutes) Half Your Angels, Stephen
started
in on the Suite. They completely blew the second lyric but it
wasn't Stephen
or Croz! It was Nash. Crosby threw up his hands and said "Finally
it
wasn't me who screwed up!" & both he & Stephen pointed at Nash
who cowered
in mock embarrassment. They were all laughing so hard that when
Stephen
restarted the song he cracked up & they had to stop again. Third
time was
the charm as they the finally nailed it. We got the "Fly away"
from Stephen.
Philly crowd was into it. A fan jumped onstage during a rocking
Stills/Young Woodstock interplay. He ran over and bear-hugged
Nash (He was
the only one without a guitar strapped on at that time) & Nash
held him for
a brief moment before security grabbed him.
Seemed like Neil threw in a couple more "Weld" endings this time
which I
thought he had toned down considerably this tour. I wish he'd
lose those
altogether.
Setlist:
Carry On/Questions
Military Madness
Going Home
Wooden Ships
(cream cheese)
Feed The People(gets better with each listen)
You're My Girl
I Used to be a King
Southern Man
Southern Cross
ACMH
Cinnamon Girl(Philly crowd on it's feet & rockin')
HH
Our House
Old Man
Carry Me
Guinnevere
Harvest Moon
Old Man Trouble(Nicely done)
Half You Angels
SJBE
Lets Roll
LTG(Neil in "Weld" mode)
Two Old Friends
Woodstock(Neil in "Weld" mode)
RITFW(Neil in "Weld" mode)
encore:
8 Miles High(slight "Weld" mode)
LMYR
Are You Passionate?
New street date 04/09/02
NEIL YOUNG's forth-coming record...
On March 12th at midnight Reprise Records will launch the on-line Neil
Young player. Hear Are You Passionate in its entirety four weeks
before
it's latest official release date of April 9th.
MARCH 2002 Issue of UK magazine UNCUT.
Sure is nice to see csny grace ANY magazine cover..
20 page article with many color photo's.
A few Ahmet Ertegun quotes from article:
Ertegun remembers it as though it were yesterday, "When I first heard the harmonies of those three,
it was the best sound I'd heard vocally," says the near octogenarian visionary on the phone to Uncut from
his New York office. "I couldn't think of anything that came close to it. I'd never
heard any harmony as soulful."
RE: Buffalo Springfield
"I thought they were going to be one of the biggest bands we ever
had," he says ruefully today.
"In person, they were the most exciting band I've ever heard."
"...Stephen Stills was still in his late teens and I thought he
had a brilliant future. Very good looking,
played very funky guitar, had a gravelly voice. He looked like
a young French movie star....when they told
me they were breaking up - I think I wept."
In the USA most Barnes and Noble carry this magazine
Thanks to M.White for sending forth this copy to the site from
across the pond.
Scanner has been out of commission.. thus these delayed items...
Keep em coming!
* * *
Inside of the UNCUT article...
Stephen and Neil as Siamese twins (see that meld thang)... aka
Lorraine's bad but fun scan!
This ad ran in last week's VILLAGE VOICE
Note mention of the 2 MSG sellouts...
More tour stats to come soon..
Check out the SLIDE SHOW
of CSNY in CHICAGO
Photo's by BUZZ PERSON
Fan Forum!
Friends of the site Greg Bladecki and Vinny the K...
David Crosby and Gregory Bladecki @ Cleveland 2002 ©
Vinny K and his prized custom painted surf board.
Any takers.... he is looking for CSNY to sign it.
SURF'S UP!
From the February 25th Issue of magazine
In the Mainstream Rock Tracks
LET'S ROLL is at # 34 - It re-entered the charts 7 weeks ago.
* * *
BOX OFFICE REPORT
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
United Center
Chicago, Ill.
Feb. 17, 2002
GROSS: $1,218,627
TICKETS SOLD: 13,442 / CAPACITY: 13,832
TICKET PRICES: $226-$40.50
Clear Channel Entertainment
* * *
REVIEW by Wes Orshoski, N.Y.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young / Feb. 22, 2002 / New York (Madison
Square Garden)
It's funny. Even though they just reunited two years ago, the
thrill of seeing the reassembled Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
onstage hasn't worn off. As a friend leaned over to me and said
early into the group's show Friday (Feb. 22) at New York's Madison
Square Garden, "It's like seeing Mount Rushmore."
But what's more surprising is that the members of CSN&Y -- now
well into their 50s -- are somehow able to retain much of the
excitement of that initial jolt and stretch it out over more than
two hours and three sets. It's thanks in large part to the kinetic
Neil Young, who still very much fuels his partners live, especially
longtime friend and collaborator Stephen Stills.
Sure, there were missteps -- David Crosby's general sloppiness
in "Long Time Gone" and Graham Nash's sappy Sept. 11th tribute,
"Half Your Angels" -- but when the songs were sweet (Young's "Harvest
Moon," Nash's "Our House"), they were for the most part wonderful.
When the songs were rousing, they were mostly ferocious (Young's
"Rockin' in the Free World," Crosby's "Almost Cut My Hair").
Stomping his way through solo after solo, often unconsciously
jamming and/or trading solos with Stills -- and thus leaving the
other bandmates, almost hilariously at times, to just strum out
the rest of the tune and try to keep up -- Young provided the
vast majority of the highlights, including "Southern Man," "Harvest
Moon," "Cinnamon Girl," and "Rockin' in the Free World," as well
as four new songs from his forthcoming "Are You Passionate?" album,
including "You're My Girl," a wonderful song he wrote for and
dedicated to his daughter, Amber.
Considering all the back-pats and smiles they exchanged, Young
seems totally thrilled to be reunited with the now-raspy-voiced
Stills, his former Buffalo Springfield bandmate (who presumably
inspired "Good to See You" and "Buffalo Springfield Again," off
Young's last studio set, 2000's "Silver and Gold"). And it didn't
hurt that CSNY's backup band (handpicked by Young) featured the
hard-riffing Donald "Duck" Dunn and keyboardist and one-time Otis
Redding collaborator Booker T. Jones from Booker T. & the MGs,
who made Stills' cover of the late Redding's "Ole Man Trouble"
all the more perfect.
Even still, each had their moment to woo the crowd, which spanned
generations. And without question the evening's most climactic
moment -- the arrival of the "do-do-dos" late in "Suite: Judy
Blues Eyes" -- occurred when Young wasn't even on stage.
As the often-political band played its first New York show since
Sept. 11, the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of that day figured
prominently in Friday's concert, the first of two at MSG last
weekend. At the back of the stage was a 10-foot wall plastered
with some of the actual fliers that covered lower Manhattan last
fall with photocopied images of lost and presumed dead World Trade
Center employees.
The dimly-lit wall, standing several feet behind the band's drums
and row of amps, seemed a moving gesture initially -- and especially
during "Half Your Angels," "Let's Roll," Young's tribute to United
Airlines Flight 93 passenger Todd Beamer, and the ever-appropriate,
surprisingly electric version of Nash's wonderful "Military Madness."
But, at other times, it seemed to cast a bit of an inescapable
shadow on the proceedings.
Divided into thirds, with the bulk of the material, and most of
the night's more rousing songs delivered in the first set, the
show saw the foursome return for a group of acoustic songs ("Old
Man," "Guinnevere," "Helplessly Hoping," others) after a short
intermission.
About 10 songs later, the lights remained dim and late Chicago
Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray's version of "Take Me Out to the
Ballgame" came over the PA. After the band's seventh inning stretch,
it returned to an again-reconfigured stage for the homestretch:
"Let's Roll," "Long Time Gone," "Woodstock," and "Rockin' in the
Free World."
By the time the group finished its apropos, single-song encore,
"Long May You Run," there was no doubt that, like the old, classic
car in that song, the crowd dreamed of a CSN&Y motoring forward,
taking short breaks in between tours, instead of splitting for
decades. Though that may remain just a dream, there was no question
that it was indeed good to see some old friends again.
Here is CSNY's set list:
first set:
"Carry On/Questions"
"Goin' Home"
"Military Madness"
"Wooden Ships"
"Feed the People"
"You're My Girl"
"Eight Miles High"
"I Used to Be a King"
"Southern Man"
"Southern Cross"
"Almost Cut My Hair"
"Cinnamon Girl"
second set:
"Helplessly Hoping"
"Our House"
"Old Man"
"Carry Me"
"Guinnevere"
"Harvest Moon"
"Old Man Trouble"
"Half Your Angels"
"Suite: Judy Blue Eyes"
third set:
"Let's Roll"
"Long Time Gone"
"Two Old Friends"
"Woodstock"
"Rockin' in the Free World"
encore:
"Long May You Run"
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