Spotlight on Crosby Stills & Nash (and Young?)
I just had a weird moment where I discovered a band I've known about for a couple of decades for the first time. I've always been a little bit enchanted by CS&N songs when they come on the radio (especially Carry On/Questions), but somehow, in all these years, I never did catch the name of the band. Sometimes I also confused the songs with other artists, like Simon and Garfunkle. The other night at work someone was playing CS&N on the boom box at their workstation. I was too chicken to ask the name of the band because I figured everyone is supposed to know that, as though I were asking him who the president of the United States was. But then suddenly I heard someone solo out, and I thought holy smokes, is that Neil Young in there? It blew me away. No... it can't be... but who else could sound like Neil Young? Just now I remembered that and did a little googling, and sure enough, there is a connection between Neil Young and Crosby Stills Nash, but I'm still slightly confused as to what it is, since its not Crosby Stills Nash Young. If someone can fill me in, please do.
Meanwhile, check em out on Amazon and give them a listen, and take a moment to realize what a great band they were/are. This might soon become the newest member of my CD collection... even if Suite: Judy Blue Eyes is #2 on Strong Bad's Bottom 10.
Their look is also drastically different than I imagined, although really its what I should have expected. I guess one thing that confused me there is that CS&N's signiture harmony is not unlike the harmonies of Chicago sometimes, a band with a very different look, image, and overall sound. I hadn't pictured CS&N as a Woodstock-type band, but totally see it now. Sort of a paradigm-shift I guess, a-la Thomas Kuhn.
I think this (re)discovery may help me on my road to my goal of learning to appreciate country music, a quest that began after seeing the movie "Oh Brother Where Art Thou". CS&N isn't country, but there are some elements (even some steel guitar here and there). (Ok, I need to cut down on my use of parentheses(don't you think?)!).
Update: Here's a website that answered many of my questions: (click) To everyone thinking "well, duh"... go easy on me. :) I'm a little embarrassed that I didn't know all this already.
Meanwhile, check em out on Amazon and give them a listen, and take a moment to realize what a great band they were/are. This might soon become the newest member of my CD collection... even if Suite: Judy Blue Eyes is #2 on Strong Bad's Bottom 10.
Their look is also drastically different than I imagined, although really its what I should have expected. I guess one thing that confused me there is that CS&N's signiture harmony is not unlike the harmonies of Chicago sometimes, a band with a very different look, image, and overall sound. I hadn't pictured CS&N as a Woodstock-type band, but totally see it now. Sort of a paradigm-shift I guess, a-la Thomas Kuhn.
I think this (re)discovery may help me on my road to my goal of learning to appreciate country music, a quest that began after seeing the movie "Oh Brother Where Art Thou". CS&N isn't country, but there are some elements (even some steel guitar here and there). (Ok, I need to cut down on my use of parentheses(don't you think?)!).
Update: Here's a website that answered many of my questions: (click) To everyone thinking "well, duh"... go easy on me. :) I'm a little embarrassed that I didn't know all this already.
To direct-link to this post, click here.
3 Comments:
Sure is. Suddenly I feel like the world is my.... place where I know who "Crosby, Stills & Nash" is. :)
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young was their name... pickin and a strummin their game. Have you ever heard the Neil Young & Crazy Horse record "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere"? Also amazing.
True! Yep, the link at the end of my post goes to a website (that was pointed out to me by a reader after I originally posted) that explains all. Young was included in their band name... sometimes. Not on many of their albums. And not in the Rock N Roll hall of fame. Young is there, and CS&N are there, but the 4 are not combined there. But it turns out they were together often enough to sometimes be officially called Crosby Stills Nash & Young.
I haven't heard of "Everybody Knows this is Nowhere", but I have now! Time to zip over to Amazon to check it on out....
:)
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