Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Album: “Looking Forward”

From reading many reviews of "Looking Forward", I've learned that it is a record most CSNY fans either love or hate. Let me propose that this record is neither as bad as some would lead you to believe, or as good as others would lead you to believe.

Let's start with the songs. Neil Young weighs in with three good ones and another, less-than- serious song(Queen of Them All) that you'll like if you catch the humor in it. Nash and Crosby offer two good tunes apiece. Sanibel, the final song, was written by an outside composer, and it is good, if anything, because it shows that the CSN studio-produced harmonies are still intact. The problem is Stills. While still a formidable musician, his three songs on this record are weak both lyrically and musically, including "Faith in Me", the lead-off track. CSN/CSNY need to rely on Stills to write the classic Rock tracks, and he fails on this record. This is a major problem.

Regarding the harmonies, CSNY rely on their "live" voices, which were never spectacular to begin with and have only weakened with age. This will come as a surprise to long-time fans (who haven't seen CSN in concert lately). The last track, Sanibel, shows what the CSNY harmonies can be like when produced in a studio environment. By the way, the individual CSNY solo voices are up-to-par, abeit weaker than they were when the band members were younger, which is understandable.

Regarding the musicianship, the band's "chops" are fine, particularly Stills and Young. No problem there.

In summation, I would rate this record three stars out of five. I find that I generally enjoy it. If CSNY hang in there, I think it portends well for future collaborations.

The new Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young CD is enjoyable. The harmonies are still appealing, and the individual voices sound strong. The production quality is so-so, and not all of the cuts are terrific (Stills' Have Some Faith In Me is a clinker and gets the CD off to an ominous start), although Young's Slowpoke, Nash's Heartland and the title track are of the same fine, acoustic quality of their work a generation ago. Even Stills' societal diatribe (Seen Enough) is easy enough to handle. He's certainly seen it all.

The point needs to be made that the societal elements which endeared CSN&Y to so many in 1969 are long gone. These men, all of them still fine singer/songwriters, have come through with a solid, likeable effort. No, it won't be the best album you've ever bought, and it really won't hold a candle to Deja Vu or any of the CSN stuff from 1969-1970. But how well would albums by Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and The Doors be received at this point in time, were those legends alive and recording? They might also be making solid, likeable records as well.

O.K. I bought the CD and was not immediately impressed but as a huge fan of CSN&Y I kept playing the thing and gradually started to appreciate most of the cuts. Earlier this month, however, I finally had my long time dream come true of seeing them play live in Los Angeles. It's amazing how much more appreciation you can gain from music that you've heard live! Like most fan's I wasn't "looking forward" to hearing the new songs as much as my favorites from the past. However, the concert really rocked from door to door and the new songs added something fresh that gave an edge to the whole experience. Buy the CD if you can but you must see them live if they tour near your hometown. Classic Rock with a capital C!

As a fan of their earlier work, I was hoping to hear songs that contained the harmonies of "Helplessly Hoping" or the energy of "Sweet Judy Blue Eyes." Unfortunately, I found neither. In my opinion, Neil Young's diversion into Country Music forever changed him. Their were some faint moments when I thought the CD might shine, but it never happened. If your a fan of the old, don't look for it in this CD

I find it amazing that people are very disappointed with Croz's contributions to this album. 'Stand and Be Counted' and 'Dream for Him' are not the best musically but the message is unlike anything out there today (they should have been recorded 100% live as they are excellent live). Have people really given up when it comes to dreaming and standing up for their rights? Sad. Stills and Nash have given a great effort. Heartland is perfect. Backing vocals a bit high pitched but a beautiful-beautiful song. 'Seen Enough' should have also been recorded 100% live. The song is there but it is a tad over-produced. Neil, of course, is one of the greatest artist to ever live. I feel greatly blessed to have been placed on this earth in the same time frame as him. His songs are the strongest musically on this album and rank near the top lyrically. Slowpoke and Looking Forward are instant Neil Classics. Overall, this album is great. Although, it takes a couple of listens to realize this. Ultimately, if I could change two things, it would be that Ben Keith would have produced the entire album and it would have been recorded live. C, S, and N should follow Neils recording habits. Also, this album is by far better than most albums out today. Sheep, however, probably have a different view. So if your a fan of C, S, N, and/or Y, you must buy this album. If you like the overpriced, overproduced, underwritten, lack of conviction, overcommercialized, same beat as everyone else pseudo-music that is out today - you better quit reading - your diaper probably needs changed.