Crosby « Nash (2004)

 

Though it’s been a couple of decades since this superstar duo put out some new music, David Crosby and Graham Nash maybe should have waited a little longer.  Oh, they can still sing incredibly well, but the material here – two CDs worth – does not do justice to their considerable talents.  There are a couple of standout cuts, several average tunes, and a few clunkers.  The quality control unit at Sanctuary Music unfortunately failed for these two old road warriors.

 

When I heard the first song on Side 1, Lay Me Down, I thought about pulling off the road, parking the car, and devoting my undivided attention to what I thought might be the best stuff I’d heard in years.  It is just an awesome song.  Written and sung by Crosby’s son James Raymond, with heavenly harmony provided by Nash, this song transcends time.  It could have been performed in the early seventies.  James’ voice is a cross between his Dad and Jim Seals (Seals & Crofts) and it blends especially well with Dad’s longtime partner.  The next tune Puppeteer, also written by James, is good too – not a show stopper, but pretty nice.  Side 1 suffers its first fallout with Through Here Quite Often, a blah tune written by Crosby about fantasizing over a waitress -- something all men do from time to time.  The next tune Grace is a short intro to Jesus of Rio, a beautiful Nash song about the huge statue of the Savior overlooking the picturesque Brazilian city.  It’s all about comfort and mercy and it’s clearly the CD’s most uplifting moment.  I Surrender, a Marc Cohn song, is next and it too features outstanding vocals.  It is followed by Luck Dragon, written by the Father-Son team.  If you’ve ever seen “The Never-Ending Story”, you know the luck dragon (a big old flying dog) is an enabler – a force which allows the hero Atreyu to save Fantasia.  The song’s meaning is not clearly understood, but I’m betting that the film left a lasting impression on the lyricist.  In any case, I like it. On the Other Side of Town is a dark tale about drug addiction.  Pretty gloomy stuff.  Half Your Angels, another Nash tune, is apparently about the kids who lost their lives in Oklahoma City in 1995.  It rips against the hatred that caused these senseless deaths.  Not a bad song.  They Want It All, by Crosby, is a rage against the evil corporations (think Enron) who are powered by greed.  The lyrics are cheesy and dumb and clearly very un-GOPish.  I think I heard Howard Dean yelping in the background.  Side 1 ends with How Does It Shine?, a classic harmonizer akin to those found on earlier works like Wind On the Water or If I Could Only Remember My Name.  Very nice.

 

Side 2 begins with an environmental statement called Don’t Dig Here.  You know these two have hugged a few trees and saved a few whales throughout their career.  It’s a powerful unwritten rule that rock stars must help the masses to understand what’s going on in the real world.  Right on, dudes.  It’s an OK song.  The remainder of Side 2 is barely listenable……poorly written, dumb and unnecessary.  Penguin in a Palm Tree (Nash) and Samurai (Crosby) are particularly unworthy of placement on a CD.  What were they thinking?  Please note that I’d listen to David Crosby and Graham Nash sing the “Oscar Mayer” song just to sample their magic.  But maybe they should heed Neil’s warning – “It’s better to burn out than it is to rust” – Not EVERY song, fellas, is a keeper.  Crosby ends the disk with My Country ‘Tis of Thee.  Not very moving.  Crosby « Nash would’vemade one decent CD, but the twofer killed the joy.  GD