Is there such thing as the "perfect" Greatest Hits collection? In a lot of cases the assembling of such LPs sometimes over-look an artist (or group's) best work. Often times the "radio-friendly" material is the first to make the cut while other inspiring songs fall prey to limitations imposed by the distributing record label. In the case of the 1970's (and still going strong) super group Crosby, Still and Nash there is a central place where the "essential" songs can be found. What are some of these songs and what is the title of the collection?
Released in March of 2005 Crosby, Stills and Nash Greatest Hits is a compilation that comes quite close to a "perfect" collection. This 19 song CD draws from albums and songs dating back to the original days of Crosby, Stills and Nash including their debut LP Crosby, Stills and Nash (1969) and their subsequent album Deja' Vu which was released in 1970 and introduced Neil Young as the fourth member of the group.
While the previously released "hits" album (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - So Far) included songs penned by Neil Young, Crosby, Stills and Nash Greatest Hits sticks strictly to the songs written and sung by the group's core: David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash. (Singer/Songwriter Neil Young's song "hits" catalogue is so rich we will devote a future article to this Canadian songwriter's gems.)
Drawing from their hit LPs Crosby, Stills and Nash, Deja' Vu, CSN and Daylight Again this "hits" collection does not miss a beat. While it is interesting to note the exclusion of Neil Young's songs (his work appeared on Deja' Vu and Daylight Again), from a CSN fan's perspective there is not a wasted choice on this CD. The album opens with "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes", a tune written by Stephen Stills to his then-love interest (and songstress) Judy Collins. This classic CSN tune completely captures the essence of CSN: Vocal Harmonies, masterful songwriting, immediately accessible melody, folk/rock rhythms etc. all delivered through world-class musicianship. With its time, feel and melody changes "Suite" is literally a "one-of-a kind" type of song. Clocking in at seven minutes and twenty eight seconds (the single was edited down to 4:35) the song reached number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop charts.
Released in 1977 on the group's CSN album, Graham Nash's "Just a Song Before I Go" was #7 on the Billboard singles charts. According to Nash, the song was written in response to a tongue-in-cheek challenge from friend who told Nash (before Nash left for the airport) "You've got half an hour, why don't you just write a song before you go?" The resulting piece is another example of CSN artistry. With Stills haunting guitar, Nash's lead vocal (conveying the heartache of leaving loved ones behind) and Crosby's (always) unusual harmony lines this two minute fourteen second piece is near-musical perfection.
"Our House", "Teach Your Children", "Southern Cross" and "Wasted On The Way" charted at # 30, 16, 18 and 9 respectively and are sprinkled throughout this CD with other CSN hits and classics. But what makes this album special is the inclusion of lesser-known cuts including Nash's "Cathedral", Crosby's "Delta" and Stills' "Daylight Again". These songs reveal the almost non-existent line between CSN's "hits" and their "other" songs. In other words even a random sampling of this collection would leave most music lovers satisfied.
With a perfect mixture of "known" and "not-so-known" tunes, Crosby Stills and Nash Greatest Hits is a good example of a "perfect" hits collection that should satisfy new-comers as well as hard-core fans.
Kenn Morr is an internationally acclaimed Singer/Songwriter, Producer and Author with six albums to his credit http://www.kennmorrmusic.com/ Originally from Long Island, NY, Kenn lives in the foothills of New England's Berkshire Mountains with his wife and two young sons and credits CSN as a major influence in his writing.
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