Ken's Album of The Day - 12/16

[Ken]

Well better late than not at all - a busy day today

Here is today's pick

Crosby , Stills & Nash - CS & N






Year - 1969

Label - Atlantic

Produced By - C S & N

Billboard Chart Position - #6

Singles released

- Suite: Judy Blue Eyes (1969 - #21)

- Marrakesh Express(1969 - #28)

Cover Photo - Henry Diltz

Drums - Dallas Taylor


1. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes (Stills) - 7:25
2. Marrakesh Express (Nash) - 2:39
3. Guinnevere (Crosby) - 4:40
4. You Don't Have to Cry (Stills) - 2:45
5. Pre-Road Downs - 3:01
6. Wooden Ships - 5:29
7. Lady of the Island (Nash) - 2:39
8. Helplessly Hoping (Stills) - 2:41
9. Long Time Gone (Crosby) - 4:17
10. 49 Bye-Byes - 5:16


This is IMO one of the best debut albums ever. I don't have this on CD but a very nice copy on vinyl - with gatefold cover and lyric sheet) that I bought back in the mid 80's.

One of the first tunes I heard from the album was Suite: Judy Blue Eyes - I loved it!


Suite : Judy Blue Eyes - Written about Judy Collins - those soaring harmonies and Stephen's wonderful acoustic playing make this an awesome tune.


Marrakesh Express - One of Graham's best - I love the line -"Looking at the world through the sunset in your eyes" - very cool. Nice playing from Dallas.


Guinnevere - A beautiful song from David. Nice chord progression

You Don't Have To Cry - Among my favorite tunes from the album. Nice guitar pickin' from Stills. Love the arrangment.

Pre Road Downs - Cool backward guitar on the intro as well as throughout the song. And how about that drug reference? "Be sure to hide the roaches"

Wooden Ships - This begins the second side of the vinyl album A very haunting song that I always thought was about surviving nuclear war.


Lady of The Island - A love song - a very nice little tune.


Helplessly Hoping - Flawless harmonies and my third favorite tune.

Long Time Gone - David wrote this shortly after the assassination of Robert Kennedy . This was also featured in the opening sequence of the Woodstock film . Some very nice electric guitar playing from Stephen.
Love the hammond organ as well

49 Bye Bye's - Love this one too!! - I like the tempo change from the verse to the chorus.

BTW - When Henry shot the picture for the cover - he realized after that the guys were sitting in the wrong order Nash , Stills and Crosby instead of course CS and N - well the next day they all went back to the little house that was somewhere in L.A. and the house had been demolished!


I hope you enjoyed my review this is a classic record

[athompsen]

I've heard of Crosby Stills and Nash of course, but I'm only familar with their radio hits. Especially the one that goes, "I have been around the world"...I like that one, but I know it's not on this album. Anyway, enough of me babbling, wonderful review Ken!

[SAT-I need more room!!]

athompsen said:

I've heard of Crosby Stills and Nash of course, but I'm only familar with their radio hits. Especially the one that goes, "I have been around the world"...I like that one, but I know it's not on this album. Anyway, enough of me babbling, wonderful review Ken!

Andrea, the song you are thinking of is Southern Cross from 1982's Daylight Again. That and Wasted on the Way were the two big hits on that album.

[lora]

Great review. I'm kind of in the same boat as Andrea here, LOL. By the way, Long Time Gone - that's not the same one that the Dixie Chicks sing is it?

[SAT-I need more room!!]

Lora said:

Great review. I'm kind of in the same boat as Andrea here, LOL. By the way, Long Time Gone - that's not the same one that the Dixie Chicks sing is it?

Most definitely not! LOL! Both are good songs though!

[55dodger]

Great album, a "must have."

Suite: Judy Blue Eyes is one of my all-time favorite songs. Marrakesh Express is a great song as well. Loaded with great album cuts like Helplessly Hoping, Guinnevere, & Wooden Ships. Got this on vinyl shortly after it came out, still got it. Great review of a great album.

[athompsen]

SAT-Sissy's said:

Andrea, the song you are thinking of is Southern Cross from 1982's Daylight Again. That and Wasted on the Way were the two big hits on that album.

Thank you for refreshing my memory. I didn't know that was released in 82. I thought it was more 78-79. I learn something new everyday! That's such a good song.

[SAT-I need more room!!]

athompsen said:

Thank you for refreshing my memory. I didn't know that was released in 82. I thought it was more 78-79. I learn something new everyday! That's such a good song.

You're welcome! It IS a good song, and shows how timeless they are because it mixes so well with their earlier songs, like you thought.

[Dawn]

Great review, Ken!

I agree with you about this being one of the best debut albums. Lots of great cuts, with those signature harmonies. Two of my favorite CSN songs are on this album - 'Wooden Ships' and 'Long Time Gone'. 'Suite: Judy Blue Eyes' is another excellent song - I remember hearing it on the radio when I was very young - probably about 3 years old.

That's interesting about the cover photo - I hadn't known that!

[KittyKat - RIP Luciano]

My first post was eaten -

This is a truly legendary and brilliant album that is one of the most important of its era IMO.
As a kid I loved the cover photo. There was just something about the expressions on their faces. Anyway, in general my favorite tracks are the ones that weren't singles or hits:

You Don't Have To Cry
Wooden Ships
Helplessly Hoping
49 Bye Byes

Marakesh Express has a special place in my heart because my mom would sing it to me as a bath-time song to make me laugh, and later when I lived in Morocco with my dad when we would take the train to Marakesh my dad and I would sing it together as a way to pass the time. I can't imagine how strange we looked.

[Pete70s]

A great choice! I knew several of the cuts from the "So Far" collection my brother had on 8-track. I also knew the single of "Marakesh Express". But I didn't have the album until years later.

You can hear the individual styles of each of them in their own compositions. Yet it all works together as a whole.

My favorites are Crosby's songs. My least favorite is "Lady Of The Island" (apparently Nash left the Hollies because they didn't want to do this song, the same way Crosby left the Byrds over them not wanting to do "Triad". Maybe the other Hollies had a point...) I never was a big fan of Nash's songwriting, the only song of his that I really like is "Just A Song Before I Go"

[beatles4ever]

Geez!I have always loved the heck out of this great album.Truly one of their best,IMO.

[Laura--I wuv u all :)]

I love these guys! I don't have anything of theirs--yet. I will have to look for this CD. I didn't like "Marrakesh Express" when I first heard it--I thought it was rather corny--but it grew on me. I like it now!