Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    

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I know Mike wasn't asking me, but the writing off of Stills, in my 
opinion, had little to do with Neil's Army jacket.  Tonight's the Night is 
a magnificent album -- sloppy, sure, but so is a lot of great rock and 
roll.  After punk and grunge, Tonight's the Night sounds prophetic in 
retrospect.  Ditto for Time Fades Away, if slightly less astonishing.
These albums have only becom more relevant with time.

Down the Road now sounds like exactly what it was:  a much less 
interesting sophomore effort by a fantastic band whose first album was a 
timeless masterpiece.  I happen to like Down the Road quite a bit, but it 
didn't *advance* the musical ideas on the first album by one whit.  And 
Illegal Stills, now, is so lame and unfocused it's tough to get through in 
one listen.  Sure, there are lovely, lovely moments, like "Different 
Tongues," but even that is marred by cheesy synthesizers.  Illegal Stills 
doesn't sound *more* real than Stills' best work, it sounds more like 
generic lounge folk-rock.
  

    
Good to hear from you, mjm ... thanks for the questions ...

>In the CSNY time line at what point do you think Neil became the
critics darling and Stephen Stills some sort of press pariah?

Believe it or not, the media began discounting Stills' work from about
1973 on (with Manassas second album, Down the Road, many notches below
the Manassas double). His '74 work as part of CSNY was not played up
as much as Neil's. Even one of his best solo albums, Stills, in 1975,
was barely reviewed. And it's been downhill from there ... with writers
such as Dave Marsh dismissing his '70s solo work in one insulting
phrase "relics of a burnt out career."

In contrast, Neil became a true "critics darling" around '74 (Time
Fades Away was panned initially), with the release of On the Beach,
followed by Zuma and Tonight's the Night in '75. You're right about
Neil's "ragged realness" never being defined as "burned out and
sloppy." That said, Neil had a tough time with critics in the '80s,
only to revive his standing in 1989 with "Freedom," and he's been
virtually "untouchable" ever since.

Re: The Last Waltz ... I never thought about Stephen's clothes having
anything to do with his "hipness" Q-rating. He was always the clean
looking "country gentlemen," as far back as the Springield. The sports
jacket and Oxford cloth shirt attire was standard gear for him in the
'70s, aside from the football jerseys on the '74 CSNY tour. I never
thought it made him look "uncool."

Re: Stills covering Neil songs. He did that on his last three major
label released solo albums. I've always liked his versions of "New
Mama" and "The Loner." Young never returned the favor; though it would
be interesting to hear Neil sing/play "Change Partners" or "So Begins
the Task" or "Do For the Others" -- not sure how effective, though.

In the world of the rock and roll image game, Stills definitely lost
ground to Young in the early '70s and never caught up ... but on the
CSNY2K2 tour, some critics begrudgingly admitted that Stills played
with "youthful exuberance." And, to my ears, he and Young were shoulder
to shoulder.

 
  

    
Have to agree Stills was smashing this last tour. Great energy and
joyful vibes.
  

    
Barb, yes, Stephen did a lot of Stills fans proud on CSNY2K2 tour...

>Illegal Stills, now, is so lame and unfocused it's tough to get
through in one listen.  Sure, there are lovely, lovely moments ...

Steve ... must admit I really like "Soldier" from "Illegal Stills,"
for the vocals, guitar solos and piano. "Buyin' Time," though, was much
stronger as an acoustic song (with Young on acoustic lead, which I saw
in person at a Stanford University live show in the fall of 1975).

Economics be damned ... I would still like to hear what would happen
if Stills and Young were told, "OK guys, you have a week to cut a CD,
all tracks 'live in the studio.'" If "Long May You Run" had been cut
that way, the sound of the album would have been more like the
brilliant 1976 CSNY track, "Taken At All," rather than "Ocean Girl" or
"Midnight on the Bay." 

  
  

    
Before signing off the for the night ... I couldn't let the following
pass without comment ...

Lenny B. wrote:  

>I've also read CSN being referred to as "ice cream harmony."

I never read or heard that before ... but the visual image and
metaphorical possibilities spark the imagination ... 

The CSN Super Sundae ... a blend of Honey Walnut (Crosby), Rocky Road
(Stills), and Peppermint Chip (Nash). On the side, a beaker of
"Bittersweet Chocolate Syrup" (Young).

On that note ...   
  

    
Dave, you're right, I forgot about "Buyin' Time."  I even like it on the 
album.

As far as Long May You Run goes, I like a few tunes on it, but the fadeout 
at the end of "Guardian Angel" (a song I like a lot) *right* when it 
seems like Stills and Young are headed toward the Great Apocalyptic 
Mindfuck Jam that you'd been anticipating all through the album, seemed 
almost sadistic.   But you've GOTTA hear Mark Kozelek's cover of "Midnight 
on the Bay" on a benefit CD called The Shanti Project Collection.  If 
you're not hip to Kozelek, he was the founder of a fantastic band called 
the Red House Painters.  He does a brilliant thing with "Midnight on the 
Bay" -- he plays it as if it was Neil doing it in 1970, with mellow 
acoustic beginning, searing guitar solo, and all.  It's the version of the 
song that's been in the back of your mind all along.

The best RHP album is called "Songs for a Blue Guitar," and there are also
great tunes on an album called "Old Ramon."  Kozelek has clearly HEARD
Neil very, very deeply, and his hommages are both a tribute to Neil's
vision and astonishingly original.
  

    
Dave --

In 1984 I saw Neil Young for the first (and last time solo). I went
because a neighbor lady had a couple of tickets she wasn't going to
use.

I took a friend. During the concert, as Neil's doing songs like "Old
Man" and "Sugar Mountain" (at one point during Sugar Mountain he asked
the audience if they were too old to sing loud)I was struck by the
irony that here was a guy singing a song he wrote when he was my age,
but singing it at a time in his life when he was closer to the age of
the people he was singing about. Yes, we kind of looked at him as the
Old Man.

Flash forward 18 years.

CSNY has just finished what must be considered a successful tour. Neil
has yet another new album out.

The Who and the The Rolling Stones are both touring.

What gives?

Did all these guys sell their souls?

Or is MUSIC the real fountain of youth?

Got a take?


 
  

    
Morning, Tony ... before getting to your provocative comments ...

>... the fadeout at the end of "Guardian Angel" (a song I like a lot)
*right* when it seems like Stills and Young are headed toward the Great
Apocalyptic Mindfuck Jam that you'd been anticipating all through the
album, seemed almost sadistic.

How true, Steve. Their signature guitar styles are percolating just as
the song/album fades out. Sheer torture! Why not let the jam continue
and swell for a few minutes? What could have Steve and Neil have been
thinking?  

Meanwhile, I be searching for Kozelek's "Midnight On the Bay" and RHP
... you've got me intrigued!  
  

    
>Did all these guys sell their souls?
>Or is MUSIC the real fountain of youth?

I'm glad you raised this issue,Tony. How old is TOO OLD to rock and
roll? Back in the '60s, age 30 was viewed as a cut-off between the
musical leaders and followers of the revolution and "the straight
generation." Then these musical leaders (CSN&Y, The Rolling Stones, The
Who, etc.)got older and kept playing, kept writing, kept recording.
Now, here in 2002, amazingly age 60 and beyond is apparently not too
old to still deliver kick-ass rock.

In the closing paragraphs of my Crosby, Stills & Nash book, I pondered
how the group's legacy might play out. When will the end occur? Crosby
had the final word, admitting, "You don't sit there in 1969 and say,
'How long is this going to last?' And you don't look back. We've been
lucky ... none of us has died ... you know, I came close ... but none
of us has died ..." That may be the crux of it ... right there. Rock
and rollers don't retire; they literally rock until they drop. 

Still, will we see Crosby singing "Long Time Gone" with a cane in
2112? Or will we see Mick and Keith in wheel-chairs wailing, "You Can't
Always Get What You Want," when they're both 70? Blues singers, of
course, wailed their wares well into their 70s. And I don't believe
they sold their souls to do it.

One of the last times I spoke with Grace Slick, she admitted, "I'm
done. I'm not done with my life, but you won't see me touring again.
I've got sags on my sags ... who wants to see a wrinkled old lady up
there on stage singing 'White Rabbit?' I don't and I won't."

Back in 1980, Nash said, "I could be doing this when I'm 80. If I'm
healthy and I have something to say, why not?"

Why not, indeed. We're experiencing the aging of rock and roll first
hand. Is music the fountain of youth? It certainly keeps the spirit and
drive of rock musicians young. Forever young? We shall see ...
  

    
I have seen Still so fucking out of it (Atlantic City, a few years ago) that
I walked out.  But last year during both CSNY and CSN tours he was on top of
his game.

This year, Madison square Garden was as quiet as a mouse during Stills'
acoustic guitar work on S:JBE.

When Stills has his game on, he is darn hard to top.  Neil brings out the
best in Stills.  Now that they are both a little older and, hopefully, a
little smarter, they now realize that it is okay to have two guitar slingers
in one group.

My only complaint for the 2002 CSNY show was the total lack of
improvisation.  But I still enjoyed myself.
  

    
>When Stills has his game on, he is darn hard to top Neil brings out
thebest in Stills.  Now that they are both a little older and,
hopefully, a little smarter, they now realize that it is okay to have
two guitar slingers in one group.
...

I agree on both counts, Dan. 

Stephen and Neil are playing together better now than they did the
'70s. When will they play together again? Will they ever record
together again? Unfortunately, the disappointing sales of Looking
Forward throws an economic wrench into possible future projects.
Another CSNY tour is certainly possible, though.

>My only complaint for the 2002 CSNY show was the total lack of
improvisation ...

Diga brought this up earlier in the topic discussion. I would never
happen, but I would love to see CSNY, together on stools, sorting
through a pile of index cards with "song requests" on them. 

Nash: "Man In the Mirror?" Neil, you still remember the chords?

Young: I don't know, man. Just start and I'll pick it up.

"Man In the Mirror" is performed.

Four minutes later ...

Stills: "Bluebird?" Help me here Neil. OK?

"Bluebird" is performed.

Beyond the song selections, though, I agree that more instrumental
improvization and arrangement variety would have been nice to hear in
2002.
  

    
The only reason why we have reason to think they could DO it, if you think 
about it, is "4 Way Street."  The electric sides of "4 Way Street" are a 
JAM BAND album, not to coin a phrase.  Those jams are better than
the Springfield jams I've heard, and better than recent vintage CSNY 
"jamming," and even better, in some ways, than Neil's own monster jamming 
with Crazy Horse.

That's why we hope, I think.
  

    
Sure, there is hope, Steve. I agree that the 4-Way Street electric
jams on "Southern Man" and "Carry On," in particular, go in so many
interesting directions. On the last two CSNY tours, however, both songs
were performed with "solo spots," but no jams. Only "Down By the
River" drifted into jam territory. Too bad. I would think Stills and
Young would enjoy the challenge and the freedom...
  

    
I am only up to 130but there are two details to mention .....I did the
harmonies to Kids and Dogs during the IICORMN sessions and I met James
AFTER the operation .....small stuff .....this discussion is
fascinating and very insightful .....more later....need to feed the
Djangster breakfast
  

    
I'm happy you're checking out the topic, David. Thanks, and thanks for
the corrections. It's been a wild ride ...
  

    
I was hoping <croz> would be here.

I agree with <digaman> on the jam band comment.

Hell, Neil's solo electric tours go out there, why not CSNY?

oh and maybe with the crozman reading this, we can get some live CPR!!!????
  

    
Re the request scenario, A&E periodically does these Live By Request
things, and i can't think of a better bunch to do it!
  

    
Welcome back, croz!

croz, actually, you did one set of harmonies for Kids and Dogs during the
IICORMN sessions *and* sang extra tracks at Criteria a few years later, as
far as I understand it. That's what barncard sez, and I believe him,
because the extra-extra harmonies sound like later you.  But no matter -- 
they were all great.
  

    
Mary E. wrote:

>Re the request scenario, A&E periodically does these Live By Request
things, and i can't think of a better bunch to do it!

Right you are, Mary. CSN or CSNY would be perfect. I remember
watching/listening to a Willie Nelson "Live By Request" two-hour A&E
special. Was fascinating. Willie played a few songs that he had to
really search back through the cobwebs in his mind for. 
  

    
Yup. How do we get this to happen?:-)
  

    
I have a somewhat off-the-wall question: what is Richie Furay doing
these days? There are a couple of his songs I really love, both 
Springfield and Poco, and it would be a treat to hear them with
some configuration that included all Springfield voices, at least.

(I'm having major 60s flashbacks today, having picked up a Beach Boys
CD they were selling at Starbucks because it had Do It Again on it, 
and now that that song has reduced me to tears SEVERAL times I am
now thinking how nice it would be to hear "On the Way Home" again...)
  

    
Interview with Richie Furay 1999
<http://one-way.org/jesusmusic/interviews/furay/interview.htm>
  

    
Thanks!!
  

    
>I am now thinking how nice it would be to hear "On the Way Home"
again...

Neil Young, the writer of "On the Way Home" (even though Richie sang
it in the Springfield), used to perform an excellent acoustic version
of it with CSNY (check out the first full song on 4-Way Street), with
Stills providing beautiful treble lead runs. Neil also featured a sweet
solo acoustic version in his 1999 tour.

As for Richie, with that pure, angelic voice, could probably still do
a nice take on the song -- but he doesn't perform much these days (as
the interview <frako> showed, his ministry and family are now his
priority). I'd say the odds of him playing with Neil or Stephen again
anytime soon are not high. But you never know. 

For more insights into Richie and Buffalo Springfield, I highly
recommend my friend John Einarson's excellent Buffalo Springfield book
(co-authored with Furay). I understand that an updated version of the
book will be coming out on Cooper Square Press in 2003.