Crosby, Stills and Nash - 1969
The Crosby, Stills and Nash triumvirate shot to immediate superstardom with the
release of their self-titled debut LP, a sparkling set immortalizing the group's
amazing close high harmonies. While elements of the record haven't dated well
— Nash's Eastern-influenced musings on the hit "Marrakesh Express" now seem more
than a little silly, while the anti-war sentiments of"Wooden Ships," though
well-intentioned, are rather hokey — the harmonies are absolutely timeless,
and the best material remains rock-solid. Stills' gorgeous opener "Suite: Judy
Blue Eyes," in particular, is an epic love song remarkable in its musical and
emotional intricacy, Nash's "Pre-Road Downs" is buoyant folk-pop underpinned by
light psychedelic textures, and Crosby's "Long Time Gone" remains a potent
indictment of the assassination of Robert Kennedy. A definitive document of
its era. — Jason Ankeny
1 - Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
2 - Marrakesh Express
3 - Guinnevere
4 - You Don't Have to Cry
5 - Pre-Road Downs
6 - Wooden Ships
7 - Lady of the Island
8 - Helplessly Hoping
9 - Long Time Gone
10 - 49 Bye-Byes