Long time gone (Crosby Stills & Nash) (LP 2229 - 2236)

Crosby Stills & Nash   Crosby Stills & Nash (Vinyl, Atlantic Records, 1969) *****  

Crosby Stills & Nash     CSN (Vinyl, Atlantic Records, 1977) ***  

Crosby Stills & Nash     Daylight Again (Vinyl, Atlantic Records, 1982) **** 

Crosby Stills & Nash  Allies (Vinyl, Atlantic Records, 1983) **

Crosby Stills & Nash  Santa Cruz Earthquake Benefit 1989 (CD, Shady Grove Records, 2016) ***

Crosby Stills & Nash  Live It Up (Vinyl, Atlantic Records, 1990) **

Crosby Stills & Nash  After The Storm (CD, Atlantic Records, 1994) ****

Crosby Stills & Nash  Demos (CD, Rhino Records, 2009) *

Genre: pop rock

Places I remember: Either Marbecks Records; Real Groovy Records; JB Hi-Fi.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Long Time Gone

Gear costume: Suite: Judy Blue Eyes

Active compensatory factors: From humble beginnings grew a multi-headed behemoth. 

In 1969 it was just the titular three plus Dallas Taylor (drums) making a warm, mainly acoustic sounding classic. I'm as guilty as the next blogger misusing that word, but in this case it is the 5 star classic record that leads towards all the grander and more bloated drug fueled excess of the seventies and eighties.

All three came from successful groups offering superior material and, I guess with all those egos in play, they had to present their best songs to be able to make the cut. So, Stills has Suite: Judy Blue Eyes (what a song to lead off the album!!), Crosby has Guinnevere (gasp) and Long Time Gone, Nash has Marrakesh Express.

Oh, and like John/Paul/George and the Wilson/Love voices, the harmonies are a once-in-a-lifetime mesh of three distinctive singers that could never be replicated elsewhere.

What a glorious noise. They would never sound this simple and pure, this sharp, this crystal clear, this together, again.

Record covers reveal lots. Although presented in reverse order on the old couch, this one is a perfect summation of the trio - together but different. Crosby and Nash meet the viewer's gaze, Stills looks left slightly in Henry Ditz' superb portrait. They are confident young men, comfortable in their clothes, individuals but knowing they have strength by being in a trio.

By 1977 a lot had changed - other records, other tours, other influences, other songs. When they reconvened, they had strong material from each member and CSN became their strongest selling album. I like it, but not as much as the 1969 version.

CSN's cover also reveals a lot! This time, although set out in correct CSN order, on board The Mayan, only Stills meets the viewer, while Crosby looks distracted to his right and Nash smiles away to his left. Changes.

Key highlight: Nash's Just A Song Before I Go.

Five years later came their third Daylight Again, and if I continue to analyse covers, this one is just plain weird. Are the three flying saucers supposed to be CSN? Who knows - maybe it's their version of that Byrds album where a horse replaced Crosby on the cover, because he was pretty much AWOL from Daylight Again - only one song, albeit one of his absolute best - Delta, and only drafted onto the album because the record execs demanded Stills and Nash include him rather than use a substitute.

Why? Because this is 1982 and Croz was a mess!! It would take him reaching rock bottom and a jail term in the mid-eighties before he'd turn things around. A careful look at the cover reveals that Crosby actually only appears on two tracks, the rest have Timothy B Schmit or Michael Finnigan doing Crosby's harmony parts.

Perversely, I really like Daylight Again. It has some strong material from Nash and Stills. Highlights are the aforementioned Delta, plus Wasted On The Way, Southern Cross and Daylight Again/Find The Cost Of Freedom.

It is hard hearing Song To Susan though, given Nash's actions in 2016. I bet even he winces if he hears it these days.

Allies came out a year later but it is in some ways an exercise in papering over the cracks (no pun intended). Some stray studio tracks (War Games is good though) and some live tracks from various tours make up the album. Tellingly the two Crosby songs come from a 1977 tour.

Highlights are few and far between - did we really need live versions from a year before? The one exception would be Crosby's version of For Free from 1977 (revisited on his final studio album).

The cover? A real mess which is appropriate for 1983. Crosby was still giving in to his addictions and hardly with it in a live situation.

After a pause of a few years came their next studio album, Live It Up (featuring another shockingly bad cover - sausages on sticks??). Around the same time Crosby was back to good form on the late eighties tours. 

The live double CD at Santa Cruz is testament to his recovery. It's just the three guys on guitars and vocals. They do well - harmonies quickly lock in on Wasted On The Way and we're off! It's going really well and then they do a sublime version of Guinnevere. 

It's a radio broadcast from The Catalyst (KUSP-FM) on Nov 9, 1989, and worth seeking out! The between song banter/humour is heartwarming and you can skip some of the lengthy speeches if you wish.

Live It Up came just after the Santa Cruz show and for some reason Crosby is fairly anonymous again - only a couple of co-writes on offer. The album is a bit meh - the drum and synth sounds are of the time and the material is okay but apart from Still's Haven't We Had Enough (him solo with no drums) there isn't much that's truly memorable.

After The Storm continues the CSN story in a stronger vein, albeit with diminishing returns - it was their lowest selling album. Although only Crosby/Stills' Camera is worthy of being called a real highlight, the rest is pleasant, standard CSN fare (which is to say - high quality musicianship and harmonies). It's helpful that the drum sound has improved markedly, plus Croz is more of a presence. One of my favourite CSN albums.

I've included the Demos album for completion sake, even though it includes solo and CSN material. It's interesting, like all demos are as blueprints, but given they were never supposed to be heard, it's one for collectors (so one star).

Having said that, Crosby's tentative lyrics and music for Long Time Gone is a nice way to finish the CSN run down.

Where do they all belong? Next up in this series that began with Crosby and then Crosby/Nash is the third and final installment when Shakey joins the party. Deep breath! There are a lot of CSN&Y albums to come.

All of me (Lee Kontiz) (LP 2227 -2228)

Lee Konitz  Very Cool (Vinyl, Not Now Music, originally on Verve 1957) ****  

Lee Konitz  Motion (Vinyl, Not Now Music, originally on Verve 1961) ****  

Genre: Jazz 

Places I remember: The Warehouse

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: All Of Me

Gear costume: I Remember You

Active compensatory factors: I am not that familiar with alto saxophonist Lee Konitz's work. These are the only albums I own by him. 

They came on a two disc CD set - I took a punt on it because I love the alto sax sound and the presence of Elvin Jones on Motion grabbed my attention.

Elvin Jones has freakish talents on the drums so I knew that was going to be worth investigating. Sure enough - he raises the bar. All Of Me is a standout - Lee is fluid and his tone is smooth, Elvin sounds possessed - he's all other the kit and even has a solo mid-way through it to great effect. Sonny Dallas on bass is also terrific. They gell well as a trio. 

Very Cool is also of high quality. So much great music came out in my birth year. This one has Lee's alto sax joined with piano and trumpet. It sounds great to me! 

Where do they all belong? An excellent addition to the jazz catalogue. Next up is Jackie Mclean in the jazz section.

Faith in you (Marc Johnson) (LP 2226)

Marc Johnson  The Sound Of Summer Running (CD, Verve Records, 1998) *** 

Genre: Jazz 

Places I remember: Music store in Doha, Qatar

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: With My Boots On

Gear costume: Union Pacific

Active compensatory factors: I bought this because of the personnel (Bill Frissell and Pat Metheny on guitars) and the title - living in Doha was like living in a perennial summer.

Marc Johnson plays bass and he leads this album with some laid back tunes perfect for hot summer days.

It's quite understated and relaxed. Methany's guitar is so distinctive he tends to dominate proceedings without even trying to, but Frissell's playing is also beautiful on this album.

It all eventually gets a bit too slow and mannered towards the end of the album hence the three stars.

Where do they all belong? A worthy addition to the jazz catalogue.

All nights, all days (Yusef/Cat Stevens) (LP 2225)

Yusef/ Cat Stevens  King Of A Land (Vinyl, Dark Horse Records/ Cat O Log Records, 2023) ***  

Genre: Pop rock, Dark Horse Records, children's music

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Highness

Gear costume: King Of A Land

Active compensatory factors: I must admit to a tinge of disappointment with this record. While reading a review of it in Mojo Magazine, I noticed it came out via Dhani Harrison's rebuilt Dark Horse Records.

So, I needed a copy. When it arrived the record's label is a bespoke one with an illustration used instead of the familiar Dark Horse icon. I get that this is partly a kid's record (as you can tell from the cover) but still, c'mon.

The theme/message of peace and light are well conveyed in the music and there is no doubting Yusef's sincerity, but I'm not sure how many times I'll play this in the future, compared to say, Tea For The Tillerman.

Having noted that, it's still a lovely sounding record (nice to see Bruce Lynch still appearing with Yusef - I admire that kind of loyalty), and Yusef/Cat still sounds great vocally.

Where do they all belong? More Cat Stevens on the way when we get to the S's.

As it happens (James/ Klugh) (LP 2224)

Bob James/ Earl Klugh  Cool (CD, Warner Bros. Records, 1992) ****  

Genre: Jazz

Places I remember: Slow Boat Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: As It Happens

Gear costume: The Sponge 

Active compensatory factors: This is the third and final collaboration so far between Bob James and Earl Klugh.

They continue to dish out cool modern jazz sounds that sound right in nearly all situations (okay maybe not so much on a cold and rainy winter's day). So, morning, night, sunny skies, breezy spring days, then. 

Where do they all belong? I think I have enough Bob James albums now. My go to albums will always be the double live album, the two CD compilation and Touchdown I think.

Free rain (One) (LP 2223)

One  Come (Vinyl, Grunt Records, 1974) ***

Genre: Grunt Records 

Places I remember: M

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: 3 Songs (not available on Spotify or YouTube)

Gear costume: Free Rain (not available on Spotify or YouTube)

Active compensatory factors: I had been after this for a loooong time when I stumbled upon a copy in a record store in Santa Monica while visiting my daughter and her partner who live in LA.

I had all the rest of the Grunt Records catalogue except this one and so I was thrilled to find it.

It's weird in the extreme, and not easy to pin down genre wise. There are folk elements (acoustic guitar, dulcimer), some prog touches (the flute), some easy listening aspects (the female choir), some jazz moves (piano), and some definite world music leanings (sitar). It's even ambient/drone like in parts, and pop/rock hints at others. 

As I said - weird. But it's gentle, hippy weird, rather than atonal free jazz weird.

I think the link to Jefferson Airplane comes via Paul and Grace (some of it is recorded at their place).

Where do they all belong? A one-off (sorry).

The Surrey with the fringe on top (Tubby Hayes) (LP 2220 - 2222)

The Jazz Couriers  In Concert: The Jazz Couriers (CD, Avid Jazz Records, 1958) *****  

The Jazz Couriers  The Couriers of Jazz (CD, Avid Jazz Records, 1959) *****  

The Tubby Hayes Quartet  Tubby's Groove (CD, Avid Jazz Records, 1959) *****  

Genre: Jazz 

Places I remember: Ray's Jazz (in Foyles Bookstore, London)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: The Serpent

Gear costume: Cheek To Cheek

Active compensatory factors: I'm not quite sure how I became clued into Tubby Hayes. I must have read about him somewhere - probably in Mojo Magazine (I find a lot of great undiscovered by me talent this way).

Anyway, Tubby Hayes was on my list when I went into Foyles on Charing Cross Road and approached Ray's Jazz corner which is off to the side of the music book aisles. 

Lo and behold - a Three Classic Albums Plus CD under the 'Tubby Hayes featuring Ronnie Scott' banner headline.

What a revelation when I got home to Caterham and put it on. Amazing.

That first selection makes me feel like I'm in a dim smokey soho jazz club in 1959 (I was aged 2 at the time but I have a fertile imagination).

The mono sound is appropriately cluttered and the (hilarious) stage announcements are discernible if the speaker is close to the mic. I love it!!

No duds, no bad moves as Tubby lets rip across these three albums. This is a glorious noise!!

Where do they all belong? I'll continue to search for Tubby Hayes' records but they are pretty scarce.

Bittersweet (Crosby/Nash) (LP 2213 - 2219)

Graham Nash David Crosby  Graham Nash David Crosby (Vinyl, Atlantic Records, 1972) ***  

David Crosby/ Graham Nash  Wind On The Water (Vinyl and CD, Polydor Records, 1975) *** 

Crosby/ Nash  Whistling Down The Wire (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1976) *** 

Crosby/ Nash  Crosby - Nash Live (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1977) *** 

Crosby/ Nash  Another Stoney Evening (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1976) **** 

Crosby/ Nash  Crosby Nash (CD, Sanctuary Records, 2004) *** 

Crosby & Nash with Neil Young  The San Francisco Broadcast (a.k.a. The 1972 Broadcast) (CD, Plastic Soho, 2012) *** 

Genre: Pop rock 

Places I remember: Roger Marbeck gave me his vinyl copy of their first album; Wind, Whistling, Live - Real Groovy Records; Another Stoney Evening - Marbecks Records; Crosby Nash - music shop in Cambridge; CS and Y - The Warehouse.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Page 43 (the debut); Carry Me (WOTW)

Gear costume: Southbound Train (the debut)

Active compensatory factors: The duo partnership gets off to a great start with the debut in 1972. 

After they got their debut solo albums out of the way, they joined up for a tour and thus began a kind of duo career parallel with their solo albums and their work with Stills and then Young.

It all got very complicated eventually but right up until their acrimonious split in 2016 they were always appearing on each other's records or as an on-off duo. 

The uneven debut has some key songs in their canon: Southbound Train; Page 43; Immigration Man. Musicians came from Grateful Dead or The Section (a loose collection of session players).

Three years later came the more consistently good Wind on the Water, again with The Section helping out. After the '74 tour by CSN&Y they tried and failed to make a studio album, so Croz and Willy went their separate ways again. To good effect too.

It's an interesting album with some strong material on it: Carry Me (referencing the death of Crosby's mother is particularly effective); Homeward through The Haze; Fieldworker (great David Lindley guitar).

Whistling Down The Wire, by comparison, is short of strong material, but is much maligned. It's not bad, just that it could have been better and suffers a bit in comparison to Wind On The Water.

The live album from 1977 is a good'un with a stellar backing band - Tim Drummond, David Lindley, Craig Doerge, Russ Kunkel and Danny Kortchmar, and a fine selection of songs.

Highlights are: The Lee Shore (I'm a tad biased because I love every version of this song); Fieldworker; Deja Vu.

Their other official live album, Another Stoney Evening, is the 1971 unplugged concert which was eventually released in 1998.

The pair are in laid back easy rapport form, Crosby has a cold! The set list is made up of their solo songs, material from their past, or a few titles destined for their debut studio record from 1972.

Their final studio album came out unceremoniously in 2004 with a cover that made me initially think it was a Greatest Hits type compilation.

Not so! It's a good collection from the duo, but it's far too long! It's a double CD collection! Twenty songs!! Yikes. Could they actually write that much good material was my first thought.

The answer was - kinda. James Raymond writes a lot of the material and it's okay! Crosby and Nash sing his songs as if they were their own. Other songs are co-writes with Jeff Pevar or others.

Unfortunately, the Nash songs are the weak element here. Usually, his pop inclinations lift the albums but in this instance he's very downbeat. Not cool.

Best moment - a redo of My Country 'tis of Thee. 

All up, it's a bit like Whistling Down The Wire - not enough memorable moments in a loong album.

I've included the Crosby Nash and Young San Francisco broadcast here to complete the duo albums.

I first heard this on a bootleg and it all flows with great between song banter (Young arrives towards the end of the gig). Unfortunately the CD copies have separation between the songs which removes the banter and affects the flow. Pity. But it was still a great gig and the friendship between all three stars is very evident.

Where do they all belong? On to CSN albums next. Before that I'll head off to the other genre titles for a bit just to draw breath.

That's just the way it is (Phil Collins) (LP 2212)

Phil Collins  ...But Seriously (CD, Virgin Records, 1989) **

Genre: pop rock 

Places I remember: Lindsay Hope Collection.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Another Day In Paradise

Gear costume: That's Just The Way It Is

Active compensatory factors: I forgot to include this album when I covered Face Value a few posts ago. Truth to tell, I'd actually forgotten I had it in the CD collection, and in retrospect I probably only hung on to it because of David Crosby's appearance.

As I said in that Face Value post, while I like his early work as a vocalist in Genesis, I don't really enjoy his solo albums (Face Value being the notable exception).

Apparently, he dialed back on the synths and drum machine for this one but it still sounds too much like eighties music by numbers to me.

However, as aforementioned, this one will remain in the collection because of the presence of David Crosby on the Gear Costume track.

Where do they all belong? And, seriously, that's enough Phil Collins now.

Webbed Feet (Chicken Shack) (LP 2211)

Chicken Shack  Forty Blue Fingers Freshly Packed & Ready To Serve (Vinyl, Blue Horizon Records, 1968) ****

Genre: Blues; rock 

Places I remember: JB Hi-Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: When The Train Comes Back

Gear costume: You Ain't No Good; See See Baby 

Active compensatory factors: Chicken Shack's 1968 debut album is a glorious thing.

Twenty-five year old Christine Perfect (soon to be Christine McVie) is terrific on piano and Stan Webb's vocals and guitar are the real thing, maan. These two are ably supported by Andy Sylvester (bass) and Dave Bidwell (drums).

That wonderful voice of Christine's is a thing of beauty and a force of nature. It's also good to have that female perspective in a blues band - she contributes two key songs from a woman's point of view that are invaluable to Chicken Shack's relevance and longevity.

Where do they all belong? I must search out more of Christine McVie's solo albums. That voice is soooooo good.

I got my mojo working (Muddy Waters) (LP 2210)

Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated  R&B from The Marquee (Vinyl, Ace of Clubs Records, 1962, reissue 2016) *****  

Genre: Blues; R&B

Places I remember: JB Hi-Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: I Got My Mojo Working

Gear costume: Spooky But Nice

Active compensatory factors: I saw this in JB's recently and did a quick search on my phone in the store - 5 stars from All Music!! Oh yeah!

In these days of high priced vinyl, $25 is a bargain and given that if I ever found a copy of this secondhand, the chances are it would be a mess, I decided to go for it.

As it is, this pristine new copy reveals a hot, dynamic ensemble, in thrall to Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon, firing on all cylinders. Clearly, they'd been listening to Muddy Live at Newport, and given the Brits couldn't access the real thing, Alexis Korner et al provided a wonderful substitute.

Cyril Davies (looking like a friendly bank manager) is the star of the show - spirited vocals and gob iron. Sadly, he would pass away two years later.

Where do they all belong? A great find - straight to the A's.

Hidden shadows (Herbie Hancock) (LP 2209)

Herbie Hancock  Sextant (Vinyl, Columbia Records, 1973) ****  

Genre: Jazz fusion

Places I remember: Melbourne Record store

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Rain Dance

Gear costume: Hidden Shadows

Active compensatory factors: Only three tracks on this 'uncompromising avant-funk masterpiece' (Paste Magazine), so Herbie and his sextet get plenty of space to explore and create.

The cover is perfect - some tribal celebration under a moonscape. The music recreates that atmosphere with Miles Davis style meanderings via synthesizers and electronic effects.

It's not easy listening by any stretch but once you get into the zone and let it all wash over you, it's very rewarding.

Where do they all belong? Always on the look out for more Herbie Hancock albums. This one fits nicely in the jazz fusion collection.

On Green Dolphin Street (Pete Jolly) (LP 2208)

 

Pete Jolly  Impossible (Vinyl, MGM Records, 1959?) *** 

Genre: Jazz  

Places I remember: A five dollar purchase from the Little Red Bookstore.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: On Green Dolphin Street

Gear costume: Russian Lullaby 

Active compensatory factors: I love a bargain. This was a punt but for $5 not much of one really.

Pete Jolly is on piano and Ralph Pena on bass - that combo alone is pretty cool and unusual I'd have thought. Apparently Jolly is well known for TV and movie soundtracks but this is a lovely series of expressive songs between the two musicians. Very much of its time - my parents would have loved this!

Anyway, someone bought this about 60 years ago in New Zealand and looked after it well. Now it's my turn.

BTW - I thought I'd take this photo of the label - I love old labels like this and the 'Unbreakable' tag made me smile. 

It's also super heavy vinyl - they knew how to make quality records back in the fifties in New Zealand!

Where do they all belong? A one off but still sounds great on a summer's day (and evening with a cocktail).

Dynamo snackbar (Peter Kaukonen) (LP 2207)

Peter Kaukonen  Black Kangaroo (Vinyl, Grunt Records, 1972) ***  

Genre: rock; Grunt Records 

Places I remember: Marbecks Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: What We All Know And Love

Gear costume: Prisoner 

Active compensatory factors: I bought this back in the seventies because of his association with Jefferson Airplane and their satellites (the album is on their Grunt label), and of course - he's Jorma's younger brother (born Benson Kaukonen).

At times, there is a cosmic Hendrix-y vibe going on in Peter's guitar style, at other times he sounds like he's channeling Johnny Winter.

Joey Covington appears on drums and this album is very much in simpatico with Covington's own record on Grunt.

The Hot Tuna/ Jorma Kaukonen influence isn't too obvious, maybe only on Barking Dog Blues and Prisoner.

Where do they all belong? In the Grunt Records section.

Natty never get weary (Dean Fraser) (LP 2206)

Dean Fraser  Big Up! (CD, Island Jamaica Jazz Records, 1997) ***  

Genre: Jazz 

Places I remember: Shona Walding collection

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Dick Tracy

Gear costume: Big Up - Armageddon Time

Active compensatory factors: I kept this one from Shona's collection. It's a breezy, sun drenched reggae style jazz outing from Dean Fraser.

Although this title is not acknowledged in their discography, Dean Fraser, according to Wikipedia, has contributed to hundreds of reggae recordings since the mid-seventies, and who am I to argue.

His sax sound is a solid fit for the reggae genre and each of the instrumentals on offer here is pleasant and easy to engage with (that reggae beat!!).

Where do they all belong? A one off - Jamaica jazz! 

BTW - you may be wondering why I've shifted from the C's (David Crosby) to this one: although I collapsed nearly all the genres into an alphabetical list, I retained Jazz/ Jazz fusion as separate genres to pop/rock plus this also goes for the three music labels I collect (Apple, Dark Horse, Grunt), so coming up next will be albums in those categories before I eventually return to Crosby/Nash collaborations. 

Uppers and downers (Eric Burdon) (LP 2204 - 2205)

Eric Burdon & The Animals  Every One Of Us (Vinyl, MGM Records, 1968) *** 

Eric Burdon & The Animals  Love Is (Vinyl, MGM Records, 1968) *** 

Genre: Pop rock 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: White Houses (EOOU)

Gear costume:  River Deep Mountain High (Love Is) - Tina Turner gets an extended shout out!

Active compensatory factors: The post original Animals years were uppers and downers for Eric (see what I did there?).

Every One Of Us and Love Is both come from 1968 and are typical of his new approach - try a different voice and move between different genres.

The gritty northern Nu-Cas-tle immigrant laddish version (Eric the rocker) is eventually replaced by a hippyish American laid back maan version and it takes a while to get used to that.

It's all a bit of a jolt. I mean Serenade To A Sweet Lady is a lovely instrumental but what's it doing on an Eric Burdon album?!

All up, one reviewer summed Every One Of Us up as 'a good psychedelic blues album, filled with excellent musicianship' and I mostly go along with that!

Love Is is a more energetic album, although he does like to draw things out, does he not? This is a double album with 9 tracks on it!

Personnel remain similar although a young Andy Summers is drafted in - he would later be one of the three men in The Police.

Where do they all belong? Overall, I prefer the post original Animals Burdon when he's with War.

Laughing (David Crosby) (LP 2190 - 2203)

David Crosby  If I Could Only Remember My Name  (Vinyl and CDs, Atlantic Records, 1971) *****  

David Crosby  Oh Yes I Can  (Vinyl, A&M Records, 1989) **** 

David Crosby  Thousand Roads (CD, Atlantic Records, 1993) ****  

David Crosby  Croz (CD, Blue Castle Records, 2014) ***** 

David Crosby  Lighthouse (CD, GroundUP Records, 2016) **** 

David Crosby  Sky Trails (CD, BMG Music, 2017) **** 

David Crosby  Here If You Listen (CD, BMG Music, 2018) **** 

David Crosby  For Free (CD, BMG Music, 2021) **** 

David Crosby  It's All Coming Back To Me Now (CD, Atlantic Records, 1995) **** 

David Crosby  King Biscuit Flower Hour (CD, King Biscuit Records, 1996) **** 

David Crosby  Deja Vu (CD, Disky Records, 2001) * 

David Crosby  Live (CD, EMI Records, 2000) * 

David Crosby & The Lighthouse Band  Live At The Capitol Theater (CD + DVD, BMG Music, 2022) ***** 

Genre: pop rock

Places I remember: 1 Real Groovy Records for the vinyl, CD original album - music shop in Taupo, CD original + bonus tracks CD from Amoeba Music in Hollywood; 2 Marbecks Records; 3 a mail order music club I belonged to briefly while living in Wakefield; 4 - 6 JB Hi-Fi; 7, 8 HMV; 9 - 12 JB Hi-Fi; 13 Fopp.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Laughing (If I Could Only...) 

Gear costume: Too Young To Die (Thousand Roads); 1967 (Here If You Listen)

Active compensatory factors: David Crosby - shitty human being, peerless musician. I had to get that out from the get-go. I love his music and I slavishly buy anything he puts out (or released, past tense, sadly), but his life is a cautionary tale about how not to live.

How he functioned throughout his drug fueled years is absolutely beyond me, and how his voice retained its beauty and power right up to the end is staggering. He should by rights have died in the eighties but he managed to not only survive, but thrive as a musician in his later years.

Extraordinary!

His first album is truly a stand-alone classic that he would never better, but he'd come damn close. 

Such a great cast of San Francisco's finest musicians appear on it - from Santana, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane plus Joni, Neil, Graham and his brother Ethan.

For the longest time I figured it was going to be his only solo album, as he teamed up with Nash or they joined Stills, or they all joined Neil. It certainly appears in my top ten albums of all time list.

Then, out of the blue (pre internet remember), he was back in 1989, with a new album. Not only that - he sounded...great. What the hell? Hadn't he been a wasted junkie for like, forever??

How is it he sounds so in the pocket? I have no idea, but he sounds vital, sincere and clear eyed. 

The songs tell the tales - Monkey And The Underdog outlines the struggles and Oh Yes I Can is an honest plea for Jan Crosby's love (that she gave unconditionally it seems).

Into the nineties and just a mere four years between drinks came Thousand Roads. It came out on a new format - a compact disc. I was a hold out for a while (vinyl is my first love) but I bought a copy from the music club and ended up playing the album a lot in 1993 and 1994.

It reminds me of George Harrison (by George Harrison) - a calm, peaceful approach and sound that rewards repeat listening.

The songs are strong and confident. It feels like he got a lot of things out of his system with Oh Yes I Can, so Thousand Roads, even though he still wasn't writing too many songs yet, feels like a rebirth of sorts. Hero is a strong lead off song and the album never looks back.

It was a 21 year wait until the next Crosby album - Croz, in 2014. But at that point the creative floodgates opened and it seemed like every other week there was a new Crosby studio album: Lighthouse 2016, Sky Trails 2017, Here If You Listen 2018, For Free 2021. 

Clearly he'd built up a head of steam by 2014 because Croz is a major work in the canon. It's production values are superb, which matches the delivery and the songs. Plus Croz himself sounds amazing still!

From Lighthouse onwards he would return to some core musicians - primarily Michael League, Becca Stevens and Michelle Willis, a.k.a. The Lighthouse Band.

Indeed, by the time he bowed out he was billed as David Crosby &The Lighthouse Band.

Given this shift he moves slightly away from the jazzy rock inspired by James Raymond on Croz to freer, more spacious arrangements. Plus, he highlights a Joni composition on each album to excellent effect.

For Free was his last studio album. It maintains a remarkable career long degree of artistic quality.

He even names this album for the Joni tune used this time out (others were Amelia, and Woodstock on previous albums).

Somehow his choir boy like voice is undiminished. This is remarkable given he was 80 when For Free came out.

The final concert recording with The Lighthouse Band came out a year later. The DVD that accompanies the CD shows him in fine form. Also remarkable given he was die a year later, aged 81.

The other four releases listed above are also live albums from concerts in 1989 and the early nineties. 

It's All Coming Back To Me is from a 1993 gig at Hollywood's Whiskey-A-Go-Go. Graham Nash guests on three tracks at the end of the concert and The Black Crowe's Chris Robinson is on Almost Cut My Hair.

I like the album - it builds well from a quiet, tasteful start with In My Dreams into more electric band numbers. It's great to hear a song like Cowboy Movie done live. 

What I especially like is that it sounds like a complete performance - not cobbled together from various sources. It also starts and ends well. Long Time Gone is one of my all time favourite songs so I enjoy it each time and Croz does a passionate version here. The band like it too!

I could say the same about Wooden Ships. They are juiced by the time they end the show with this classic.

The King Biscuit Flower Hour album documents a 1989 concert from Philadelphia.

It's before Oh Yes I Can was released so it features a number of 'new' songs destined for that record.

Again, it's a complete performance that has been recorded well. He starts off with just him on acoustic guitar and he fully captures the audience with his performance.

The other two albums in the list are The King Biscuit Flower Hour songs reshuffled and marketed in el cheapo packaging - hence the one star.

Where do they all belong? A great talent. I'll miss him. RIP David Crosby.