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BUY THE CD
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You may have thought that political activist/folk legends Crosby, Stills & Nash were long gone as a group. Surprisingly, they’re back, and they’re scheduled to launch a U.S. and European tour this summer. Coinciding with the tour is the release of Demos, which, as the title states, is a compilation of demos recorded between 1968 and 1971.
The 12-cut collection opens with “Marrakesh Express,” which is pretty good for a demo. This is the only song where all three are performing; the rest are acoustic solos, most of which were later to be recorded as a group. Now, here’s an easy quiz for all of you: what gave CSN their unique sound? What made them memorable? If you guessed “superb vocal harmonies,” or something to that effect, you get a slap on the back.
Obviously, since these are solos, there are no vocal harmonies. So what you have are a bunch of dated protest songs like David Crosby’s “Almost Cut My Hair.” Even demos to classic hits, such as “Long Time Gone,” will leave you yawning. Yes, I realize that a demo lacks the polish of the finished recording, but these are just too rough. By the time you get to the closing cut, my favorite Stephen Stills solo, “Love the One You’re With,” you’ll be exhausted from boredom. However, the biggest disappointment is “Chicago,” a remembrance of the riots that took place during the 1968 Democratic convention, and another one of my favorites. In this case, Graham Nash’s jagged vocals are accompanied by hokey piano chords.
As a huge fan of CSN in the early 1970s I was hoping for more, or at least something. If you take the harmonies out of these songs, you don’t have Crosby, Stills & Nash. Maybe if Demos provided some sort of historical significance, I would have appreciated it. However, if this album does, Rhino Records has kept it a secret. Maybe they’re trying to show why David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash could never succeed as solo artists. In any case, if you don’t have any Crosby, Stills & Nash albums I would recommend the 2006 re-mastered version of their first, self-titled album or even their re-mastered Greatest Hits. As for this CD, Demos, you may ask who would enjoy it. Well...you sure got me there.
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