Crosby, Stills & Nash Album: “Crosby, Stills & Nash”

From the very beginning it was clear that this was to be the first of the new super-groups, composed of discontented refugees who either quit or were bounced from monster groups like the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and the Hollies. And when the star-crossed trio finally started harmonizing amid the crisp clear echoes of their sparkling acoustic guitar work, it was obvious that the sky was the limit for their wonderful songs and music. This was the album that introduced them to a waiting world, with the album becoming an instant success based on the smash hit of "Suite Judy Blue Eyes", Stephen Stills' love paean to paramour Judy Collins.

The album is full of innovative pop sounds, from Crosby's evocative "Guinevere" to Graham Nash's perky "Marrakesh Express" to Stills' "49 Bye-Byes". Of course, the fact that they were informally introduced to 500,000 potential fans at Woodstock didn't hurt, nor did the fact that the movie version of "Woodstock" prominently featured a number of the songs from this album as part of its soundtrack. Finally, it was their brilliance in quickly following the success of this album with "Déjà Vu" that cemented their rise to the top of the rock world. My favorites here are "Wooden Ships", "You Don't Have To Cry", and of course, "Long Time Gone", David Crosby's moving albeit cynical tribute to Robert F. Kennedy. This is a classic album that every rock fan should have on his or her top shelf, as a part of the history of rock music. Enjoy!

I pre-ordered the CSN 180 gram vinyl Rhino reissue two months before its announced release date and proceeded to wait for it with the highest of expectations. After all, it was reported to have been remastered and cut from the Original Analog Master Tapes by the legendary Bernie Grundman and pressed at the prestigious Pallas facility in Germany. And considering that Rhino had done such a terrific job with their vinyl reissues of the first two Chicago albums earlier this year, I figured how could this NOT be good?

Things started out well enough. The record arrived in timely fashion, curiously packed in a regular Amazon carton with NO BUBBLE WRAP or any other protective padding. How the delicate vinyl record made it all the way to my house unscathed and undamaged is beyond me...but somehow it did! I removed it from the box and admired it as I slowly peeled off the shrink wrap, amazed at how true the album artwork and labeling were to the original 1969 Atlantic issue. Even the included lyric sheet was a dead-on replica.

I slipped the record out of it's lined sleeve and inspected it, immediately noticing some surface irregularities which resembled small scuff marks. They were only on one side, but still, not what I wanted to see on a brand new record. If only that had been the worst of it! I placed the record on my turntable, gave it a quick swipe with my trusty Discwasher brush, and lowered the tonearm, waiting to be blown away by "Audiophile Quality" as proudly proclaimed by the big stick-on label on the plastic wrapping.

People, this reissue is NOT audiophile quality. In fact, it's not even good! There is NO high end! NONE! Everything from the high mids on up sounds like it was put through some kind of repressive electronic filter. None of the crispness and vitality of the classic 1969 issue carries over to the 2009 version. In fact, despite the years of wear and tear, my 40-year-old original LP absolutely BLOWS it away in terms of audio quality. It's not even close!

Bottom line: If you care at all about sound quality and fidelity, do NOT waste your money on this disappointing reissue. Find a used Atlantic SD-8229 original issue in decent condition at a fair price instead and you'll be much happier! My Rhino LP is going back!!

EDIT: I had originally given this product only one star ("I hate it") but I reconsidered and am now bumping it up to three stars ("It's OK"). Based on musical content alone I would give this album 4.5 stars. Unfortunately, the inferior audio quality significantly diminishes its worth!

I've been collecting the fine remastered 24K Gold CDs by a wide variety of popular artists and their classic recordings from Audio Fidelity, the California record label who deals in high quality sound reproduction and superior packaging - the CDs are worth the few pennies more you may pay when compared to standard reproductions. I've been very accepting regarding some of the albums that were not necessarily on the top-of-my-want list, but however piqued my general curiosity about remastered recordings.

When the company released the influential, Crosby, Stills & Nash debut recording by David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash, they were treading on sacred soil.

I always believed there was more that could be pulled from this record than we were given to

hear, as brilliant as it is, as great as the songs are, I felt something sonically was left behind. Very much a studio record, but no air or life to the fidelity. Yes, this album has been released in many forms and configurations over the years and some of the better among them only served to lend credence to my sense of a missing essence while the others were smothered, dead and lacking substance.

And then, BOOM, just like that, in one auriferous explosion everything shifted with the arrival of Audio Fidelity's game-changing reissue - the bar hasn't just been raised, this production is the Mt. Olympus of Crosby, Stills & Nash while nearly every other version of the historical album is merely mortal.

I trusted this CD would sound stunning and though I thought I knew this album sonically and

where the potential for improvement would rest I joyfully underestimated. There's more here to hear than I suspected beginning with the blending of voices and instruments and sounds I

never heard before. There are noteworthy differences in tonality from the individual solo singing to the group vocals. The vocals are a bit more up front or prominent. The harmonies sound so sweet, you can hear deep into the mix of the vocals with a clarity that reveals a true lifelike sound. With this mastering, credited to Steve Hoffman, the musicians are not so much set on a stage in front of you as they are instead placed in the room around you.

The 24K Gold CD offers an unimaginable new level of resolution, it is nice and clear and not

too bright. There's a warm, really nice sound, smooth with resoundingly deep lows. The bass

is crystal clear - amazingly clean and rich bass notes. More definition around the vocals and

instruments that allow a smooth feeling of separation. I've discovered small details I never

noticed such as the guitar strings being touched and played - nuances in the guitars that

simply weren't there before and an exceptional realism in the sound of the drums and

percussion.

For the first time I am hearing the sheer power of this magical music. There are certain lines in "Marrakesh Express" that I've never heard with such clarity. How could "Suite:Judy Blue Eyes" ever sound better than remembered; well, for one and two, it has a smoother sound and better lows.

Nothing is lost on this special release from the David Crosby "come in my kitchen" piece to

the reintroduction of drummer Dallas Taylor peeking out from behind the broken glass pane of

the closed door pictured on the CD art.

Speaking of the art, before I close something must be said about the CD packaging, starting

with the company's unique slip case to the beautiful and authentic booklet that mirrors the

sense of the original LP album cover in color and texture. Included too are all the song lyrics, the original insert pen and ink design drawing, a copy of the original release 12" labels and the 4-color 2-page spread of the famous photo of the band dressed in parkas against a sun drenched backdrop.

Throughout the entire disc, absolutely nothing stands out as not sounding perfect,it is all just so musical. Presence, detail, depth and warmth are the ingredients every great recording should boast. This CD has become my go-to recording of this classic for without a doubt this is not only one of the best CDs Audio Fidelity has ever released, but they can lay claim to producing the definitive version of Crosby, Stills & Nash.

Rightly so, this CD remains a cornerstone record that deserves a place in everyone's library. The writing was superb, and Nash for one, would rarely come up to this standard after this. Stills was determined to prove he was the best damned musician working in the States at that time, and Crosby, oddly enough, was the inspirational glue that held it all together. It wouldn't last, but who knew at this point?

The remastering is the issue here, and this music has always set a fidelity standard that you could measure every other recording by, again, thanks to Stills. Whether on vinyl or in digital formats, there is a presence to this music that is hard to quantify, but its quality is undeniable. The current remastering, on the heels of the superlative solo outing from Stills and the consistently brilliant work by Crosby post clean-up, offers you an intimacy and warmth I hadn't heard on even the very best pressings before. Forget the extra songs, even though they alone would justify a re-purchase, it is the original album that carries the day again and with a dynamic that shows all of Stills' perfectionist tendencies in the best of all possible lights. I'm looking forward, kind of, to the remastering of Daylight Again, and more importantly to Deja Vu, CSN, and Four Way Street, all scheduled for the next two years. Maybe it will be enough to fire up the creative juices for an original release.

Whatever, the point is that this is a worthy remaster that will enlighten the already converted and wow the novitiate. Well done, Stephen.

I'm sure glad I didn't give away my first CD of this album. I'm not a critical listener but the top end of the sound has been dulled very badly. The bonus material is OK but doesn't fit with this album, it's more like from Deja Vu. I hope nothing ever happens to my unremastered disc. P.S. I gave this disc away.