Some Guys
Overall Album Score: 8.5 out of 10 Crosby, Stills, and Nash are a supergroup comprised of individuals that I don't even have to name. They're ... um ... Crosby, Stills & Nash. Why they couldn't come up with a fun name for themselves like the Boondock Freebees or something is the stuff of legend... Or maybe not and they just wanted to treat themselves like three independent forces coming together. Neil Young would famously end up joining them in the festivities for Deja Vu, anyway. I almost don't need to tell you where these guys come from, because it's common knowledge in these circles on the Internet. But, I guess anyone visiting my site for the Kylie Minogue reviews and randomly clicking on this link might like to know. David Crosby is arguably the most "important" member of the group --- Well, he's from The Byrds, which is unquestionably one of the '60s most landmark groups. I mean, they're in the Top 10 most important bands ever. That's how serious that is. Pluto Nash is from The Hollies, which I absolutely love. They're not one of the greatest classic bands of the 60s, but they were responsible for some hopelessly wonderful tunes. And then Stephen Stills is from Buffalo Springfield. Together, these Super Heroes band together and --- Well, they form a rather excellent album. You could describe this album as a combination between the members' different powers. There's a bit of uniqueness, poppiness and charm to most of these tracks. It's certainly worth describing this music they're playing! I would have assumed that they would have made country-rock, but this is just your average soft-rock. It sounds like a tone-downed version of 1966 Byrds or something! I almost hate to not be an enthusiastic fan of this body of work. This is one of the few albums that I review on this site that I've actually owned a physical copy of this album for about five years. I worked as a delivery driver at the time, and I remember going to and from delivery locations listening to this album in the car and trying to force myself to be a fan. Yeah, if you have to force yourself to be a fan, you're probably not going to be one! I also remember the first moment I put on The Soft Bulletin, and I was an instant fan!! So, I appreciate this album and I still even indulge in some CSN every once in awhile and enjoy the experience. At this rate, I'm pulling it out once every 18 months or so, but that's a much better track record than that Van Halen album I bought around the same time... It's place in history often gets bastardized by their fans. I've had a few interesting run-ins with an individual over something I wrote about Deja Vu --- he unwaveringly supports that album as being one of the most influential bodies of work of all time. Crosby, Stills & Nash falls under that category, too --- but not as much because Deja Vu has Neil Young in it, and as we all know, Neil Young is Jesus. But anyway... You can call this CSN(Y) formation a landmark if you want to --- but they're just writing nice music based on the well established trends of the times. How do I know that? I listened to The Byrds, man... Honestly, I don't think these guys were interested in pushing any boundaries, anyway. That's the impression I get. If they were trying to push boundaries then, well, they failed miserably!! Overall Score: 8.5 out of 10 (This is an enjoyable and pleasant album, and one that I feel the desire to pull out and hear on occasion. I wish I liked it more, but --- Well, I don't! Some parts are a little boring to be honest...) Average Song Score: 8.4 (There's solid songwriting throughout this effort. Even when it's boring, they're not trying to be cheap in any respect.) Album Tilt: 8.5 (This is a solid album --- Again, the boring stuff still seems to be of high calibre.) Artist Rating: 8.5 (If you call this a revolutionary album, you're probably missing the boat. Or maybe I'm missing the boat?? Well, this is still a valid work of art, and their main aim was to write good songs. That's a quality that's worth a lot.) Track Reviews Suite: Judy Blue Eyes 9.5/10 If you're going to make a seven-minute soft-rock song, this is how you should probably make it. It's the type of song that's excellent to sit back and soak up. The first part is a happy and enjoyable soft-rock bit, and they get a little bit operatic in the middle. The melody is wonderful and even whistle-worthy. Most importantly are the vocal harmonies, which are pretty and make this work seem almost theatrical. Compositionally, it's well written, and even a little bit creative. It's easy for me to underrate their artistic abilities, but I guess that's being unfair --- This is a little bit unusual. They're obviously riding on the coattails of their "parent groups," but there is a decent amount of strange ideas packed in here. Notably, they end this on a bit of a tropicana vibe... That was a fun idea that worked. Marrakesh Express 10/10 Yay! This is a shorter and remarkably catchy soft-rock tune. Those guitar tones are unusual enough to give the sound of the track considerable novelty value even though the songwriting itself might not be that strange. I like the drums, which produce a good "train" feel! How excellent! Guinnevere 9/10 This is strongly reminiscent of a Simon & Garfunkel tune. It's a slow and engaging ballad with a rather thick and beautiful atmosphere. I also like the melody, and I'm glad they're not forgetting their melodic duties just because they're writing an atmospheric song. At the same time, I'm having to struggle with myself to keep my senses from getting dulled. You Don't Have to Cry 7.5/10 Even more boring than the previous one although at least they use a happy tambourine to keep the beat! The vocal harmonies are very well used, but it seems like they're sleepwalking through those. There's an unfortunate tendency for these guys to just use those vocal harmonies out of habit instead of having any purpose for it... Pre Road Downs 7.5/10 This is even more upbeat than the last one and utilizes instruments such as rhythm guitar and regular drums! They also predomenantly use a guitar that sounds like they're playing it backwards. It's a weird effect --- and nothing else. My big problem is the rudimentary melody just doesn't capture me. I want to be captured, you know! Sorry though... Wooden Signs 8/10 Begins strangely with some guitar tones that sound like they were holding the strings too tightly! What quickly emerges after that is another slow song, but it unfortunately doesn't manage to be engaging as "Guinnevere." Perhaps this is one place where the three-part harmonies would have been beneficial if they were to use them all the way through. (Maybe I don't know when I want three-part harmonies... I'd be a horrible band manager.) But I like the cool, rhythm of this song, though, and the instrumental choices utilized throughout it were wisely arranged and performed. This is solid, and I sure like it a heck of a lot better than the previous two tracks! Lady of the Island 7/10 Yet another slow song. Would it kill them to make another "Marrakesh Express" type pop song? Anyway, this track manages to truly succeed at being boring! It's minimal, and it just consists of someone singing a very dull melody to an acoustic guitar. It does seem to pick up a little bit in the middle, but it's too little too late. I can't complain about the overall composition, though, because it does have a nicely composed melody, and the whole experience seems genuine. Plus, it's only two minutes long, so it doesn't have enough time to actually bore me, anyway. I give this song a thumbs down but with severe reservations... Helplessly Hoping 8.5/10 This one sounds like a folky roots song! As usual, I dig the three-part harmonies and they give this particular song more body than it would have had otherwise. The melody is pretty good though nothing that's going to be running through my head after it's done playing. I can't say I would define this experience as "special," but this is a solid song beyond everything else. This is obviously not one of the highlights, but that's just because it's not "Marrakesh Express." Long Time Gone 8.5/10 This is a mid-tempoed track that seems to be on more of a bluesy vein. It's extremely well done and it turns out to be one of the album's more solid works. I don't normally enjoy blues songs, so that distinction is surprising! Anyway, the melody and structure of the song, however, are done especially well for the genre. You still get the feeling that it's soft-rock, so they're not trying to be "soulful" or anything like that. 49 Bye-Byes 8/10 The one aspect about this song that's most gripping is that it's impossible to hate it. Not that I'd really want to, but --- Well, it's just a nice song. It's a tad bit unconventional, so there's no way I can throw the "generic" card at it. The melody is certainly pleasant and the development is followable. You wonder what was with that silly operatic singing at the beginning of it, but --- well, don't dwell on it! The song picks up dramatics as it ends, which actually makes it sound like a good conclusion to the album. But despite all of those pleasantries, it doesn't strike me in any real way. I just listen to it with my numb brain... Grumble about this shoddy review here. |
All reviews are copyrighted by Michael Lawrence. He still wets the bed, and he's proud of it.
