We continue our look at the music of 50 years ago…..
In 1970, there were few bigger groups than Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. But they were already splintering as they recorded the awesome LP “Deja Vu”. Young and Stills had excellent solo records out that year as well, and as they went out on tour, you could sense that all four were ready to move on to other projects. I didn’t really notice much of that drama as I entered the summer between junior high and high school in 1971. All I knew was that I could not get enough of the music they made. So when a two record set of CSNY live called ‘Four Way Street” hit the record stores… I was there. The album combined performances from the previous year in LA, Chicago and the Fillmore East in New York. Even though it was a ragged affair at times, the LP had enough magical moments to satisfy. I barely noticed that many of the songs were from the guys solo work…and some had never hit record before. Yeah, the expected hits were there…although just a snippet of Suite:Judy Blue Eyes…and both performances of Teach Your Children and Carry On were not very good. I enjoyed Stills piano led political rant on a medley of 49 Bye Byes/For What It Worth as he name dropped Richard Daley, Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew. Nash also gave us his political song ‘Chicago” which would appear on his solo record later in 1971. But for me the highlights on the record come from Crosby and Young. On the electric side of the record it was Young’s scathing song Ohio which had appeared the previous year…and the band’s solid version of Crosby’s Long Time Gone. But it was the acoustic sides of the album that delivered some real gems. Crosby and Nash gave us a glimpse at the upcoming partnership, that would deliver a number of solid albums through the 70’s, with beautiful versions of Crosby’s Triad and The Lee Shore. And a previously unreleased Nash song called “Right Between The Eyes”. Young gave us acoustic versions of Cowgirl in The Sand, Don’t Let it Bring You Down and a Buffalo Springfield song of his called “On The Way Home”. It’s interesting that Young didn’t even get to sing that song with the Springfield. (Richie Furay sang lead). The group also came together for a spirited version of Stills solo hit “Love The One Your’e With” and an extended version of Young’s “Southern Man”
The band would go their separate ways shortly after these concerts were recorded. They would not gather again until a huge stadium tour in 1974 that included a stop a County Stadium in Milwaukee. (Some friends of mine went to that concert and ended up staying at the same hotel as the band. They ran into Crosby and Neil Young’s dog in the hallway).
As much as 14 year old me played the grooves off this record…it really doesn’t stand up, with the few exceptions I mentioned. It did go to #1 on the charts and ushered in an age of double live LPs that would last for quite awhile.
A re-release in 1991 included an extra record which had more performances that I have included here. Once again, each member of the band includes either solo work or a song from a previous band….King Midas In Reverse, Laughing, Black Queen & a medley of The Loner/Cinamon Girl and Down By The River.
Think of this as a snapshot of the time that seemed better when you first heard it.
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