Customer Reviews

CSNY/Deja Vu Live

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I'll ignore the politics of previous reviews, though the tour had strong (and for me postitive) political impetus.
The music overall is very good, clearly Neil's driving and the boys respond. The mix at some points seems a little muddy both for the guitars and harmonies; other times not. And most of Neil's songs are straight up from "Living with War"; no reworks or extended jams a la Crazy Horse or 4 way street.
But what is here is good. Military Madness rocks and has two awesome (but short) Neil distortion workouts. I love Let's Impeach the Prez even if no different from studio. Deja Vu and Wooden Ships are resurrected magnificently. Crosby and Nash still sound great together! Ships also has some great guitar interplay. For What It's Worth does get an overhaul, kind of bluesy and heavier,which I like. My favorite from "Living with war" is Roger and Out and it is faithfully recreated here. Freedom and Children are both excellent; vocals very strong.
I would love some more guitar workouts (Wooden ships is great but brief), but overall this is a solid release. CSNY might have lost 1/2 a notch, it ain't 1969, but they still deliver. PS - check out photos! Stills looks like holy Hell!!!

This is both an excellent live album and soundtrack of the film, the old boys are alive and well. The political content is upsetting a few people,apparently, and even more so considering it is coming from a Canadian(the songs attacking the government were written by Young), however the U.S promotes itself as leader of the Free World and should expect feedback from people of the free world. Fortunately most people understand this.

The record kicks off with the band and audience singing a rousing version of Crosby's "What Are Their Names?" Then Young's solo piano introduces the Living with war theme. "After the Garden" and Nash's "Military Madness" are followed by Young's "Let's Impeach The President" that concludes with much booing and heckling together with applause, about a 50/50 mix, and then Young's wry comment - "Thank you, freedom of speech".

The record contains several Crosby and Nash cuts from their back catalogue as well as Stills' "For What It's Worth" the remainder are from Young's Living With War CD's and the added vocals of CS&N give these new life.These guys still have wonderful voices, a crack band with Chad Cromwell, Rick Rosas, Ben Keith and Spooner Oldham and thought provoking lyrics that make this a very entertaining piece of music.

I don't want to be insulting, but if you dis this CD for purely political (not musical) reasons, you're being idiotic. This CD is fantastic, has heart and rocks surprisingly hard. My favorite tracks are Military Madness, Let's Impeach the President and the super rocking Shock and Awe. I enjoyed how, at the end of Let's Impeach the President, half of the audience boos.....and Mr. Young replies, "Thank you, freedom of speech." I was also surprised how well older songs like Deja Vu and Wooden Ships are performed...both excellently. Stephen Stills sounds & plays great on For What It's Worth...my only minor quibble with the CD is, I would've liked to hear more of Mr. Stills...but it doesn't matter. This CD is GREAT! If you're considering buying it but are hesitant due to the age of the performers or whatever, I urge you to ignore your hesitancy and get it. What a pleasant surprise it is.

While it's good to have some of CSNY's live show documented, it's seems like a little more could be made available. Yeah, Neil has assured that this "soundtrack" complements his documentary and it does. But, what about the rest of the songs peformed at the shows? CSNY was doing 2 1/2 or 3 hour show and trotting out a really excellent set. Hopefully, the team (Neil) will take the fans into consideration and make more available when the DVD is released. (What about a bonus DVD of one of the concerts to complement the documentary? That would be nice).

It seems folks have had a LOT to say about the politics of
this CD, sooo...let's get to the MUSIC!!! The album starts off with a rousing
acapella version of Crosby's "What Are Their Names?" from his first solo
album released in 1971.This song is STILL relevant.Neil has created
a "Living with War" piano introduction that was not on his album of the same name.The melody without the vocals is very haunting and should
add greatly to the film(which I have NOT seen). There are eight songs from LIVING WITH WAR and seven various CSN songs.It proves to be a good mixture.The threesome add a lot to Neil's LWW songs and he, in turn, adds his muscular guitar tones to their songs.When the"Wooden Ships" intro comes on,Crosby does a fantastic job on his part.I wait to hear Stephen and then....NO STILLS!!! It's Nash who sings Stephen's part!!!That was a little disappointing... but the song still worked. When Stills sang "For What it's Worth" he sounded fine but the mix on his vocal was so low I had to work to hear it. There wasn't a problem hearing the mix on his guitar playing...he sounded like the legend he is.As the soundtrack to the film of the same name,this release serves up more music than the film probably will.Lucky for us.As someone else wrote recently,these songs make you think.When's the last time music made you do that?

I'm not sure if I fall into old school or new school (I'm 35 in a few weeks) about my review. But I'll agree with some of the other reviewers, it's about damned time someone with some cajones put out an album like this. Welcome to America, where you can believe what you want, agree or disagree about whatever you want to, protest for or against what you believe in, etc. If you can't handle it, leave.
This is a great album, with great music, and great lyrics. I think with Neil, this is more of an album of "Here is what I believe, do with it what you like." There is no quarter asked, none given on this album. It was also great to hear the four of them singing. I feel they are the best harmonizing band ever. And they also have enough guts to take a stand, whether you like or agree with it or not. I only wish "Ohio" had made it on the album.
All in all, a great album, a great listen, and great protest music. It's your patriotic duty to be out there banging the drums of protest about what you believe in and Neil and CSN do that brilliantly here.
Whether you agree with this album or not, thank a vet you get to live in a country where you have freedom of belief and can say the things on this album without getting arrested and/or shot for saying it.

As a fan of C/S/N/Y, I own dozens of albums by the four guys in various combinations and solo. Again in different combinations, I've seen them in concert several times and enjoyed the shows each time. But this Deja Vu Live CD is excrutiatingly bad. It's a bad recording, something like a third-rate soundboard mix. Their harmonies, once a trademark and a major reason I've liked their music, are at different volume levels so they don't sound balanced. (Ex., on the sadly poor version of "Find the Cost of Freedom," C is at about volume 4 out of 10, N is at a 6, S is a 3, and Y is a 7. So the harmonies aren't right at all.) The vocals, guitars, etc. are often very sloppy, I think possibly from boredom at having to play these songs for the five thousandth time or whatever. Stills has a terribly muttered and slurred way of singing "For What It's Worth" that made me cringe. And on and on. There are just too many problems with this CD for me to list them all!

Neil Young, appalled and angered by the actions of the Bush Crime Family, put out the caustic and accusatory CD, "Living with War," a couple of years ago. It was a blistering indictment of the Iraq War and the crimes and misdemeanors perpetrated by the current administrtion. He quickly realized that the material on "Living with War" would lend itself beautifully to sounds and philosophy of his old bandmates in Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young -- the ultimate troubadours.

CSN&Y cut their teeth as social protestors with their music from the '60s and '70s. Songs like "Ohio," "Wooden Ships," "Chicago," "For What it's Worth," and "Find the Cost of Freedom," galvanized a generation and helped expeidate Nixon's departure from the White House. Many of those songs are indeed included here, next to Young's latest anti-war rants.

I'm not sure that protest music has the same power it once had. In fact, some people were angry and confused with CSN&Y's "Freedom of Speech" tour, reacting the same way the Dixie Chick's redneck-fan base did when that group spoke out against the Bush Insanity. All I can think of to explain that is that these people weren't actual CSN&Y fans and had only come to the shows to hear them play "Our House" for 90 minutes.

Most of the "Living with War" tunes are reimagined here. Especially fun is the boys' version of "Let's Impeach the President," which benefits from the four-part harmony and crisper production values than found on the studio album. Old protest chestnuts are included, such as Nash's "Military Madness" and Crosby's "Who Are The People?"

The album is fun, cool, historical, well-performed and well-produced. Better yet, it will raise the blood pressure of every mouth-breathing neo-con from Tallahassee to Telluride. The sad part is that they had to do it all.

I thoroughly enjoyed Deja Vu Live. The music is excellent. It reveals the band members' enthusiasm and true belief (particulary that of Neil Young) of what they're trying to get across.
I admire they they're taking a stand. This country is really screwed up, and somebody has to stand up and say something!

Democracy is a messy thing sometimes and free speech is a vital component.

Free speech is exactly like this......Frustrating, inspiring, motivating,
saddening, raw and emotional......eliciting extreme responses.

This tour was driven by Neil and all that makes him a complex and sometimes maddening genius. Never one to compromise, Neil gives it to us straight from the heart and soul....whether we love it, like it or hate it.

It's great to live in a country where we are free to disagree...free to buy this CD or not.

My reactions are all over the map on this one....but I respect CSNY's attempt to put it all out there.....especially without overdubs or sweetening of vocals. Buy this at the risk of having it make you think and feel......and really, how much new music these days really makes you think, feel, and decide for yourself ?