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Déjà VuCrosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Having paid their dues with the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and the Hollies -- David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash came together and created an irresistible vocal blend on the fast track to success. Their debut album was an immediate hit and a defining moment in acoustic rock. Reaching beyond their finely tuned voices and acoustic guitars, Crosby, Stills and Nash realized they needed to bring in some additional musicians to fill out their sound. Somewhere along the line, Atlantic Records' CEO Ahmet Ertegun expressed his appreciation for Stills' former Springfield cohort Neil Young. Managers Elliot Roberts and David Geffen took the hint and convinced CSN that adding Young to the line-up would bring a whole other element to the table. Starting with Woodstock, CSN&Y drew an immediate reaction as they intermixed electric and acoustic styles, and adopted a diversity and style all their own. In 1970, they cut a four-prong debut called Déjà Vu. With pre-orders exceeding two million, Déjà Vu isn't necessarily the culmination of everything Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young were capable of. Rather, it illustrates that within the context of an ego-filled environment, the talent can often outshine the personality. Taken as a whole, Déjà Vu is a cross-pollinated hybrid that defies easy categorization. Stills' poignant turn on "4 +20" stands in stark contrast to Crosby's raw, gut-wrenching vocals on "Almost Cut My Hair." Nash nourishes the record with simple and cheerful odes like "Teach Your Children" and "Our House" while Young coherently coos through "Helpless" and "Country Girl." Together, CSNY swing through Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock" somewhere between simpered finesse and total abandon -- injecting far more fuel into its delivery than Mitchell could ever muster. As the finale, "Everybody I Love You" is suffused with creamy harmonies that slip and slide over the rough and ready terrain of guitar work laid down by Stills and Young. With drummer Dallas Taylor and bassist Greg Reeves holding down the rhythm, Déjà Vu remains the quintessential CSNY album. Successive outings have lacked the beauty and immediacy that is forever bound within the replicated leather cover. Even as Young has soared past the others artistically and commercially, his irregular reunions with CSN always seem to take on a magical quality. Actively touring in the new millennium, CSNY have transcended the trends, effectively becoming much more than just the American Beatles. ~ Shawn Perry ©Copyright 1997, 2008 Vintage Rock
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