#82 Crosby, Stills & Nash: s/t (1969)

To my own surprise I have never heard this before, even though I have owned and liked the Deja vù for decades. Strange. Well, now it is time to correct the fact.

My initial expectation proved to be right. I thought this would be great vocal record with great arrangements and clever musicianship while perhaps lacking a bit on the intense guitarwork in the CSNY. True, but this has other charms. One of them is the complicity of songwriting, exemplifies by the opening track Suite: Judy Blue Eyes. This multipart work for Judy Collins is an interesting song and have to be listened many times more. I also liked the second track, Marrakesh Express which includes all the essential features of later AOR-music, but in a more interesting way: nice singing, light sound and catchability.

Anyway, most of the songs are good on this album. For example, Guinevere has that Byrds vibe to it and Pro-Road Downs nice sound experimentation. On the downside, I miss the edge Neil Young – this is somehow so cute and without urgency (although I like Still’s playing – check out Wooden Ships). Clever, but mostly bit too mellow. Anyway, I think I will get this to my collection.