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Crosby, Stills & Nash Reissues (Atlantic/Rhino 2006)
 
Crosby, Stills & Nash albums appear to be
on the same reissue schedule as Disney movies. When a new generation of fans
comes along, their albums are overhauled and “improved,” which also serves the
dual purpose of getting old fans to pony up for expanded editions of their
favorite records. Bullz-Eye received two of the CS&N makeovers, the band’s
eponymous debut and 1982’s Daylight Again, and gives them a new spin.
~BE
CS&N (Originally released in 1969)
For a few generations now, the music of Crosby, Stills & Nash has graced the
landscape of our lives. Though David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash
originated from other bands (the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and the Hollies,
respectively) to form one of rock’s first “supergroups,” there was a magic the
trio created together that was far greater than the sum of its parts. Now Rhino
has released a reissue of the group’s self-titled 1969 debut, including
re-mastered versions of defining hit songs such as “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,”
“Wooden Ships,” and “Marrakesh Express.” This is also a good time to celebrate
the lesser-known tracks that were on the original record such as “Long Time
Gone” and “Helplessly Hoping.” Both songs are examples of how the voices of
these three singers create their own instrument with extraordinary harmonies
that sound effortless and beautiful. Bonus tracks on the reissue include songs
that never made it to the record—Crosby’s “Song with No Words,” Stills’ “Do for
the Others” and Nash’s “Teach Your Children,” the latter of which went on to be
a hit on the band’s 1970 Déjà Vu album. Rounding out the collection is a
Stills-led version of Fred Neill’s “Everybody’s Talkin’.” There is always room
for a timeless classic in one’s collection, and CS&N is as timeless as
they come. ~Mike Farley
DAYLIGHT AGAIN (Originally released in 1982)
Before Daylight Again was released in 1982, there was every reason to
believe that there would never be another Crosby, Stills & Nash album. Crosby
was, as Nash puts it in the liner notes of this reissue, “at the height of his
drug madness, so far off the deep end that he was unreachable,” so Stills and
Nash recorded an album together…which was, amazingly enough, rejected by
Atlantic. The pair approached Crosby and decided that he was the missing piece
of the puzzle; fortunately, he already had some songs ready to go…from an album
he’d submitted to Capitol in 1980 that had also been rejected! So,
basically, Daylight Again was compiled from material dismissed by two
different record labels…and, yet, bringing the three voices together enhanced
the material immeasurably. The biggest problem with the album is that some of
the production – handled mostly by the trio themselves – sounds reeeeeeeally
dated nowadays. “Into the Darkness,” in particular, has a sound that leaves no
question that it was recorded in the ‘80s. That having been said, however,
tracks like “Southern Cross” and “Wasted on the Way” are as timeless as anything
from the band’s debut, which is undoubtedly why they were pulled as singles from
the album (not to mention why they remain radio staples to this day). Nash’s
“Song for Susan,” Crosby’s “Delta” and Stills’s rockers, “Since I Met You” and
“Too Much Love to Hide,” are highlights as well. Of the bonus tracks, the synth-heavy
“Raise a Voice” is quaint, but Crosby’s piano demo of “Might As Well Have a Good
Time” is the real highlight. ~Will
Harris
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