CSN on Long Island

[TonyNYC]

A little bit of background on my biases in that I think that Stills was the best songwriter in The Springfield and kept up with Neil (I do like Richie better than them all even though I realize he can't touch Neil either) all the way through Deja Vu and then started to run out of gas. As for Nash, a good solid singer who wrote a few pretty melodies per album (sort of like a Pre-Eagle rich man's Timothy B.) and somehow got it all together to put out a classic solo, Songs For Beginners. And Crosby, who I think completely sucks as a songwriter, but has been fortunate enough to be in two important American bands as a solid background singer and a surrogate father for hire.

Saw CSNY the night Nixon resigned and that was one of the best, most memorable concerts I ever witnessed. Saw CSN in probably the mid to late 70s when that CSN album was out and that was real good even though Stills' voice was already half way gone. Then saw CSN at No Nukes a couple of times and they were good, but they couldn't touch MR Springsteen and neither could anyone else. And I also saw the Stills-Young Band (Poco opened and outplayed them) where Young was great and Stills sucked....

I was sitting in the last row of Jones Beach with my guys from work on a perfect night-the rain held-for music when CSN came out acoustically with Helplessly Hoping and Wasted On The Way played a little too low. (I'm thinking the instruments were muted to feature, protect and hide the limitations of their singing.) The vocals were okay and usually restrained and every now and then they would soar and hit the marks they used to nicely and then at others they'd try and fall short or end up way too shrill as Nash-who sounds best-tries to make up for the others, especially Stills.

They then did a bunch of covers which I could have passed on. I know, they have an album coming out with all these old songs by a bunch of other great songwriters, but I'd much rather hear some of their own solo stuff live. They did pretty faithful and solid versions of Ruby Tuesday and James Taylor's Sunny Skies (now there's one harmless song), but I didn't go for their Girl From The North Country-even Dylan's croak sounds better than Stills-and a downright peppy, soul less Uncle John's Band and when I closed my eyes I pictured myself in the waiting room of my dentist with muzak playing and Garcia overturning in his grave. UGH. Of course, the crowd loved it.

Stills went off stage and C&N did that incredibly boring Guinnivere which sounded so incredibly beautiful last night. They threw in a relatively new Crosby song which left me flat and one by Nash which was a prayer for peace and sounded nice and sweet like pretty much everything he does. The first highlight of the show was when they did a rousing Cathedral which was as powerful as I remembered. The first set finished off with Our House, infectious as ever, and Stills' Southern Cross which injected a little life in the show, but when the chorus came around showed just how much their voices can no longer get close to doing what they used to be able to do.

I liked the second set a whole lot better.

It opened with a solid Love The One You're With that still could have used higher volume when the dit dits came rushing in. Marrakesh Express was pleasantly alright and then the first great surprise of the night came when they did a solid Rock N Roll Woman with Stills blistering on the guitar. I even liked Crosby's Long Time Comin' and he used his voice nicely-kind of like a forty year old pitcher who knows he has only a few fastballs in the mid-nineties each game-by reaching back for some power. They threw in the instantly forgettable Just A Song Before I Go and a rocking version of Stills' Bluebird. No, not as adventurous a version of any of The Springfield's, but still strong and thumping with a powerful guitar breaks and memorable melody

Somewhere in there, they did Deja Vu which I always got up and skipped the needle over when I played the record, but this time it sounded good with all the players getting their turn to stretch out a bit.

The two closers were two of my least favorite hippie anthems, the parody-like Almost Cut My Hair and Wooden Ships. The two encores were For What It's Worth and I'm not sure why Stills can't sing it straight like it was pretty much perfectly recorded instead of trying to show off his worn and damaged voice and the sing along Teach Your Children.

No Suite Judy Blue Eyes or Carry On. I guess even they know they had no chance to make those two sound like they were meant to

Okay, overall I'm glad I went. It was a pretty good show, but I won't be seeing them again.

The show was probably 2/3, 3/4 or 4/5 filled and this vendor kept trying to upgrade all of the top level's seats for $10 each (we don't have the budget for that)...So, I'm wondering what this will mean for L&M and POCO and Richie in a couple of weeks. In my mind, CSN is a much bigger draw unless I am underestimating Kenny Loggins, Footloose and the rest of his crappy solo stuff.

Good article in last week's New Yorker on concert tickets and prices.

Good story in Sunday's Times on this upcoming documentary with three guitar players: Page, Jack White and that Edge guy.

[Patm]

A And Crosby, who I think completely sucks as a songwriter, but has been fortunate enough to be in two important American bands as a solid background singer and a surrogate father for hire.
.

Tony, I have to agree with you about Crosby. Other than the song "Lady Friend", his main contribution to the Byrds was good harmonies. I did like his songs on the first two CSN albums, but after that, his song writing skills plummeted.

Last time I saw CSN was in the late 80's, shortly after Crosby was released from prison. They were a major disappointment. Very lackluster performance, no Springfield material other than "For What Its Worth".

However I still like the harmonies so I'll buy the new album, but have no desire to see them live.

[Lonesomedave]

A great review, Tony. I always liked Deja Vu, the song. I had to laugh at your quip about Uncle John's Band. Nice hip shot!
Long Time Coming was always a full volume tune to me and I'm glad Crosby pulled it off.

CSN had their day and for me it didn't extend long enough to get to one of their live shows. In all, the Monkees did much better without Stills. Yeah, they did some great stuff but they lived and died by their first two albums.
Stills did his best solo stuff on Manassas, Crosby never did anything that could equal his non-solo work and Nash was/is predictable as you allude to in your review. Neil is hard to chart. He can be the best or the worst I've ever heard. When he's on, he's hard to top.
Like you, I feel that of all the BS alumni, Richie has the most solid body of good music.
He likes what he does and he does it well and that's the hallmark of a good musician.

Again, good review.

[MartinG]

I read the title as CNN on Long Island and thought it had slipped over from the Political forum !

[Dar]

great review,thanx

[sunsetkidd]

I always enjoy your reviews, Tony; this was no exception

[swandy]

Hi Tony,
While I don't agree with most of your comments, I do agree that of the BS alumni, Richie certainly seems to enjoy what he is doing the most and it comes out in his work and his performances.
I have never been a real lover of Neil - I can take him or leave him. I agree that when he is good (like the early albums with Crazy Horse) he is very good. But a lot of his stuff just leaves me "eh". I do think that when he is part of CSNY he brings out the best in Stills - sort of a semi-friendly competition.
I have always enjoyed Stills music the best of the three CSN people and yes he can also go from very, very good to average at times.
I don't agree that Crosby is not a good song writer. Perhaps not good enough to sustain a true solo career, but each of his solo albums and the various group albums has at least one or two gems from him. (At least IMHO.)
I have seen them several times over the years and while I agree that vocally they can't touch what they did years ago as far as harmonies (especially Stills), they are still great.
Steve
PS - My wife and I saw Loggins & Messina the last time they toured at the PNC Bank Center in NJ (same place at this year with Poco/Richie) and they filled the place. I am not sure, but I don't think that PNC - including the lawn area - is much smaller than Jones Beach. We will see, won't we.

[DrMichaelGalvin]

I hope you folks are joking. Besides owning one of the best voices (if not the best) in rock now Crosby's material imports influences in jazz, folk and rock. His chord patterns are so much more complex (think Joni Mitchell) than most singer songwriters. Never one to use standard tuning his tunings are unique and complex. Relisten to Eight Miles High, Renaissance Fair, Triad, Everybody Has Been Burned, Guenievre, Lee Shore, Deja Vu, Long Time Gone, Song With No Words Tree With No Leaves, Critical Mass, Carry Me, In My Dreams, Morrison, Rusty & Blue, Delta, Shadow Captain, Laughing, etc and then tell me Crosby is not a great songwriter.

Dr. Galvin

[mikec]

Thank you Doc. My thoughts exactly.

[pocojim]

Thanks for the thorough review. I'll be seeing them next month in Santa Barbara, now I have a good idea what to expect.

Jim