Customer Reviews

Demos

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

To my ears these demos are of better quality than the recent Stills release "Just Roll Tape"...The song selection/sequencing and the way the performances/performers vary make it a great disc to listen to from beginning to end. So not only do you get the early skeletal versions of the songs (and they really sound much better than "rough demos") with different twists...you also get a real "album" with various moods that you can enjoy in its own right. Not a lot of harmony singing...so this shouldn't be an introductory cd for anyone, but fans will definitely appreciate these versions!

One disc 41 minutes approximately. The sound,even for demos,is fine. These tracks were overseen by Graham Nash who was in charge of this release.

First David Crosby released his box set. Then Graham Nash released his. Stephen Stills' box set is being assembled as I write this. Plus,with all the talk about the huge Neil Young set released today in various formats,the time was ripe for this collection of demos from CSN.

These twelve tracks,from 1968-1971,all of which ended up either on CSN or various solo albums,are a trip back in time. This is similar to STEVE STILLS' "Just Roll Tapes" release(though not even as "finished" as those tracks) from a while ago. Basically whoever you hear on vocals is the composer of the song,some of which have their own moody feel,much different than the versions released.

The first track,"Marrakesh Express", finds the trio blending their voices together a few months before their first album was released. The only other tracks with more than one member singing together are "Music Is Love",which features Crosby,Young and Nash,and "Long Time Gone",with Crosby and Stills on vocals. The rest of these tracks feature one of the trio on vocals-after all,these are demos,a guide for the rest of the group to flesh out at a later time.

The arrangements,being demos,are skeletal-very simple. As such,this collection is an insight into some of the groups'/members' more famous songs. Is this the great lost collection of CSN(Y) tracks? No. For those looking for that CSN(Y) sound-the seemingly effortless blending of voices,the fine instrumental backdrops-you'll have to stick with the group's various releases. There are some good things on this set. Songs that most everybody is familiar with are here,but even then,they are "work" songs,so the familiar tracks may sound a bit slower in some cases,and some of the lyrics may be missing because the group had not fleshed these tracks out beyond simply getting them down on tape. It's nice to compare and contrast these songs ("Almost Cut My Hair" is a good example) with the finished gems listeners are familiar with. Long time listeners of the group will like to hear how various songs sounded in their embryonic stage. The best thing about this release is both Stills' and Crosby's voices. Even here they propel their tracks with the fine,aching (in Stills case) or with the smooth tenor voice of Crosby. The closest thing to a finished sounding track is "Long Time Gone",which benefits with a rhythm section backing Crosby's voice. Nash has one of his best moment here on his "Chicago",still one of his best compositions.

This collection is for fans who can't get enough of CSN(Y),or the individual members who make up this super group. Listeners who want anything this group records will also have to have this set. Is there worthwhile music here? Yes,for those who want to hear the inner-workings of this group,which will give some insight into what these songs sounded like in their beginning stages. Those who are looking for the groups' fine trademark harmonies and arrangements may want to hear this set before buying. The star rating is for some of the tracks here,which even at this stage are a treat to hear. Some of these tracks benefit from a simple voice (Stills' voice especially) and guitar arrangement,and it would be nice if this group released a finished album in this same vein. Is it worth owning? Absolutely. Is it a crucial release? No.

Usually when I see a collection like this, I'm thinking "another money-grabbing job by the label or the band" and I tend to be highly sceptical. That said, the allure of this collection is such that I simply had to check it out.

"Demos" (12 tracks; 42 min.) brings demos from the early days, the earliest being from August, 1968 and the latest from February, 1971. This compilation starts off with the most "finished" of these demos, a nice "Marrakesh Express" (the only song on here actually performed by CS&N). However, it is followed in two of the next three tracks by 2 demos from David Crosby that are nothing short of jaw-dropping: just David and his guitar on an early version of "Almost Cut My Hair", and a 7 min. version of "Deja Vu", which you have to hear to believe it. Those songs along are worth this CD, period, and we still have two-thirds of the album to go! Stephen Stills' "My Love Is a Gentle Thing" and "Singing Call" are very nice, as is "Music Is Love", accredited to Crosby, Young & Nash (the finished version of this would appear on David Crosby's album "If I Could Only Remember My name"). The last 'can't miss' highlight is the Graham Nash demo of "Chicago" (just Graham and piano), the song's optimism/naivite is touching.

In all, I can't emphasize enough how pleased, even impressed, I am with this album. It's basically having CS&N sitting in your house and crooning their songs unplugged just for you. I wonder if this is it, tough? At just 42 min. there was room on here for a lot more. Or are they going to stretch this out on yet another CD? Stay tuned...

I love CSN, and have almost every album from David, Stephen, Graham and Neil, together or separate. Just Roll Tape is one of my very favorites, as is Massey Hall. As such, I was thrilled to learn of this release. I eagerly bought it looking forward to a new three or four month obsession, leading into the 9/18/09 concert (for which I scored 7th row seats). I was surprised to find that "Demos" really doesn't make the high grade.

"Demos" is worth getting, but it lacks the real inspiriation of Just Roll Tape and Massey Hall, in my opinion. The sound quality is very good, and I think Graham did a nice job of weaving together tracks in the proper order, etc. David's "Voyage" was more satisfying than "Demos." If Just Roll Tape had the sound quality of "Demos," it would be perfect. Massey Hall IS perfect in both sound quality and inspiration. I would recommend those other three before you buy "Demos."

I just wanted the hard-core fans to know that this album is "just OK," not something over which you need get yourself in a frenzy.

For the record, I am NOT a Graham Nash fan. Nice guy, but a genuine lightweight. That said, I hereby eat my words. Nash has done something extraordinary by resisting the urge to do anything but let these songs shine in unadorned beauty. Who knew they could really sing this well without 600 hours in the studio? By virtually not-producing, Nash has assembled a collective statement that packs more emotional wallop in these 12 demos than Young has been abled to deliver over 10 blu-rays. I stand corrected. Beautifully not done, Graham.

CSN - DEMOS

Wow! ... Who woulda thunk it?! ... After all these years, Crosby, Stills & Nash have unearthed these buried gems for all of us to enjoy. You WILL enjoy them, too, because these are all great songs. In good conscience, I cannot say that these songs are better than the originals. ... Why? ... Because these songs ARE the originals! ... Amazing stuff here. These performances are just as good - if not BETTER - than all of the previously released versions of these songs on the records we grew up listening to. Once you put this disc into your player, I guarantee that you will have a hard time taking it out right away to listen to something else. You will not want to. You will want to listen to these tunes over and over again for a while. They are that good. Most of these songs were recorded around 1971, one of the best years for music.

After listening to this album over a dozen times in the past few days, I can safely say that this is one of their greatest albums ever. It is intimate, personal, and powerful. Not all of the recordings are perfect sonically, as you can hear some analog tape hiss at times on a few of them, especially on the songs by Stephen Stills - and though I am delighted to hear a simple, stripped-down version of Love The One You're With (the one released on his first solo album was so overproduced and mixed so sonically busy that you had a hard time hearing everything clearly!), I think the vocals here could still have been raised up a little higher in the mix over the guitar, but maybe that was impossible (even with all the modern computer technology software programs). Still, this raw version is a joy to listen to. It ROCKS!

Track #1, Marrakesh Express, by Graham Nash, is clear and audible, and more folksy in some ways than the one on the first album. The sound is pristine. It has a very bouncy and lively, up-beat feel to it. A great start to a great record!

Track #2, Almost Cut My Hair, by David Crosby, is slower and more intimate - but just as powerful - as the one on Déjà vu. David Crosby's guitar SINGS! When he hits those chords in those special places, it will send chills up your spine! Also, you can really hear the lyrics very clearly for the first time and make out exactly what David Crosby is saying. The recording of this song is OUTSTANDING. This is the way to record music. Russ Gary, the recording engineer, should have recorded all of their music because this guy knows how to make magic in the recording studio. It sounds like it could have been an outtake from the Graham Nash / David Crosby album, their great, first duo album together, released in 1972. It has that mystical, ambient "space" that surrounds the song's sonic character. It's like you're right there. Beautiful!

Track #3, You Don't Have To Cry, by Stephen Stills, suffers from very audible, analog tape hiss - but it does not take away from the beauty of the song, even though the song only lasts for a minute and twenty-three seconds. This is a short and sweet version of this song, and more laid-back. I'm glad it's included on here.

Track #4, Déjà vu, by David Crosby, is a masterpiece! Again, like track #2, it was recorded by Russ Gary, and the sound is amazing. A man, his voice, and his guitar - and it's pure magic! What heart and soul! What sublime, intense power! Feel the magic at the 50 second point in the song, when David ends the introduction and hits one note on his guitar, turning the tone of the tune on a dime into mystical territory! Later, he gets jazzy and starts to scat in his own Crosby-ish way. No, there is no band here to back him up - and he needs none. God bless you, David Crosby!

Track #5, Sleep Song, by Graham Nash, is such a personal and intimate portrait of a man's deep inner feelings about the one he loves. Ah, Joni Mitchell - the Muse of Music has graced you with her wonderful and awesome power! What it does to a sensitive man's soul is beyond words - but Graham Nash comes as close as is humanely possible as a sensitive man may be capable of doing. Whew! Just LISTEN to this charming and precious, even kind of mournful (but not depressing, actually uplifting!), lovely, little lullaby that is as heartbreaking as it is soothing and see how Graham Nash can take you, the listener, right inside of his soul and help you feel exactly how he was feeling when he sang this incredibly moving song. This man has pure soul - and he can hit those high notes perfectly.

Track #6, My Love Is A Gentle Thing, by Stephen Stills, is a beautiful, little song with a pretty melody and great lyrics. Stephen Stills is one of the best finger-pickers out there, and this song makes that clear. Of all the songs on this album, sonically, this one is the most "demo-ish"-sounding. But the song does not suffer for it. Its beauty shines through. It could be that with all his rough and tumble exterior at times, Stephen Stills might be one of the most sensitive singer-songwriters of our generation. This little gem points in that direction.

Track #7, Be Yourself, by Graham Nash and Terry Reid, is my favorite song on this album. It is perfect. It is classic. I cannot get it out of my head. This man knows how to write a great song. You will find yourself whistling away on this tune as it plays in your head at all times of the day and night. You will find yourself singing it out loud as you drive through traffic. You will find yourself falling in love with this amazingly magical song. This could have been a lost, Hollies masterpiece - or even a lost Beatles classic! At times, it even sounds like an Oasis song. It sounds like you're right there. It was recorded magnificently by Larry Cox. Hats-off to you, brother! It may be even better than the released version. It's like you're sitting right there in front of Graham singing his heart out! You will feel your own heart beating as it feels the exhilaration of the thrilling excitement that arises during the choruses. What this song really is, is a waltz - a beautiful and graceful, flowing waltz, with soulful words. ... Come fly with Graham, and everyone sing along out loud during the choruses! Feel the beauty!

Track #8, Music Is Love, by David Crosby, Neil Young, and Graham Nash, is the only song on the album with Neil Young on it. That's okay. You can find plenty of Neil out-takes and rarities on his ARCHIVES box set just released on June 2nd of this year, 2009. This is a laid-back, "stoner-jam" of the kind we all used to do when we would get together in the evenings at the end of a long hard day, unwind, relax with some good friends, break out the instruments, and see what would happen. It reminds me of the kind of stuff we play when I get together with all of my Amherst musician friends. Though recorded in mono, the magic is all there. It's like a children's song, really. It's so nice to have this included here from David Crosby's recording sessions for his first solo album, the archetypal, If I Could Only Remember My Name - a community production with everyone on it who was cool at the time and in the magically musical zone that David shared with all of his friends, fellow travelers, and musical collaborators. You've got to hear that album if you never have. It will take you to a special place that few people know how to take you to. Thankfully for us, David Crosby is one of them. Neil's falsetto fits in perfectly here, and because this version is before they added more instruments through overdubs, you can hear what is here much better. ... It is the truth - music is LOVE.

Track #9, Singing Call, by Stephen stills, is a classic Stephen Stills song with that sort of southern style of singing and country & western style of "cowboy" finger-picking the guitar strings. When he's good, he's real good - and this song is a perfect example of when he's good. Stephen Stills could have made a great punk-rocker if he had been born a generation later, because he has that intense "angst" about him. But this is no punk-rock song. It sounds like a Buffalo Springfield, Poco, or Eagles out-take. Wait a minute! ... It sounds like what it is - a Crosby, Stills & Nash out-take. That's better.

Track #10, Long Time Gone, by David Crosby, is one of his political statement songs in the vein of For What It's Worth by his buddy and musical partner in this song, Stephen Stills. It sounds like a band playing live in the studio, but it's the studio magic of overdubbing different instruments at different times onto multi-track, analog, magnetic tape. Yeah, that's David Crosby singing and playing guitar, but that's also Stephen Stills on guitar, bass, and drums. Indeed! The question is, WHICH instrument did Stephen play when he was playing along with David at the same time, if he even did. Was it the bass guitar? It sounds like he overdubbed the drums later, but maybe not. ... This version has more of a funky feel to it. Get the groove on, guys! Yeah!

Track #11, Chicago, by Graham Nash, is another masterpiece by Graham Nash - lyrically and melodically. Wow! What a voice! Like John Lennon, he plays the piano percussively on this song, and it drives the beat home through the melody. Another political, anti-war song like many others from these songwriters, Chicago is a timeless classic even though it is very dated in its specific intent during the 1968 political upheavals that were taking place all over the world. ... This is the real Chicago. This ROCKS! Incredible. You've got to hear this! ... I once told a friend of mine that I believed every song should have at least three versions: a simple solo version (acoustic or electric), a band version recorded in a studio as a full production, either live-to-tape as is or with multiple overdubs, and a live version before an audience in a concert hall. They all have merit. This version of Chicago is the first type - as are most of the songs on this album - and it proves that you don't need a major, studio production to create a beautiful and powerful song that it a masterpiece. Also, like track #7, this song was also recorded by Larry Cox who captured Graham's voice and piano as transparently and sonically perfect as is probably possible.

Track #12, Love The One You're With, by Stephen Stills, is a great way to close this collection of long lost demos. Listen to those shimmering guitar chords! Listen to the passion in the man's voice! I really like this version better than the one on Stephen's first solo album. As I said already, I always thought that song - and whole album - was poorly mixed and overproduced. They should re-mix and re-master that record, especially so you can hear Jimi Hendrix's guitar better! Where's Russ Gary when you need him? Nevertheless, it is reassuring and comforting, as well as a pure joy, to now have this great version of this great song to listen to.

I fell in love with the music of Crosby, Stills & Nash when it first came out. I have all of their albums - with and without Neil Young - and I have to reassert that this one is right up there with the best of them. It is raw and live, and I am glad for it. Get it now!

... YOWZA! - George Koumantzelis / The Aeolian Kid

Stripped down, accoustic demos can be an adventure to say the least. They lay an artist naked and open with nothing to hide behind. Demos can also very easily separate the men (those with talent) from the boys (those without). In this case there really is no surprise. The men are here to show us what made them what they are.....talent! The song selection is some of the best from the various combinations of CSNY. The best thing going on here is the vocals. They are absolutely pristine for the most part. David Crosby especially is at times mesmerizing. Check out "Deja Vu" as a prime example. You'd like to have this guy sitting in your living room singing and playing like this half the night and just soak it in. Graham Nash also is just wonderful. There really is not a bad track on this. Nice, very nice.....

For fans that are not die hard fans, this CD will be hard to like. The songs are awesome, "Almost Cut My Hair" & "Deja Vous" are gems but for the newer fans, post 2000, the rest of the CD will confuse them but that's just my opinion and I like the way they were put out on album much better than the way presented on "DEMOS", hence the title!

These early performances sound great and bring back fond memories. Think of them as offerings from a CSN Unplugged show that never happened. Half are well-known songs; the other half are worthy rarities. They feature all three members of the group taking turns on lead vocal. It's good to know they weren't lost and have finally seen the light of day.

This is for serious fans. It contains somewhat more "bare-bones" versions of the well-known CSN hits, without the heavier production layers.