The music of Crosby, Stills and Nash and especially their 1969 self-titled debut album, exemplified the Woodstock generation — three men, three voices, one common view of freedom and justice. However, their decision to recruit Neil Young before their first public performance fundamentally altered the CSN band dynamic. Worldwide acclaim and success followed: their first three albums, released 1969–1971, have sold almost 30 million copies. In 1974 they embarked on the biggest stadium tour then attempted, playing baseball and football stadiums and racetracks across the US to thousands of fans. They were also pop stars, securing nine top 40 singles in the USA between 1969 and 1982. And yet today, with Neil Young regarded as a musical legend, via a classic back catalogue, his colleagues Crosby, Stills and Nash, remain far less acclaimed.
They comprised Crosby: the drug-addled hippy with weird songs and golden voice, Stills: the bluesman and guitar genius and Nash: the hard-as-nails balladeer with a strong social conscience. Together, at their best, they were unbeatable. This book tells you why, aiming to set things straight, with an album by album analysis of CSN’s five studio albums, as well as the three they made with Neil Young.
Andrew Wild is a music collector and experienced writer with nine books to his name. His books include The Solo Beatles (Sonicbond 2020) and Queen On Track (Sonicbond 2018). He lives in Rainow, Cheshire, UK.
