Customer Reviews

Greatest Hits

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Bear in mind, trhere is no argument about the selection of material here. If you're a fan, this collection plays to all of their strengths and wisely avoids any material from AFTER THE STORM and that infamous weenie-roast, LIVE IT UP. Unfortunately, it also avoids AMERICAN BEAUTY, which had a number of great Young-Crosby moments throughout. Even Stills rose to the occasion on that one. Still, if you were going to assemble a package that would capitalize on the catalogue that all of us Woodstock-wannabe's regard as the amber moments of peace and righteous thinking, this is it.
If you're not a fan, you wouldn't have bothered reading any of these reviews anyway.
The strength of this release, and the eclusive reason for buying it, is how incredibly great and marvellous and clear and distinct the vocals have been remastered! It truly is an aural wonder to hear and be able to identify when Crosby, Stills or Nash chime in (or for that matter when Mike Finnegan pinch hit for a drug addled Crosby). I can not remember any of their other re-mastered releases sounding this clear and well-defined. It's a joy. Almost like sitting there in front of them.
Still in all, I would think there is more money to be made in releasing some of their live shows, especially ones I caught at the Mann in Philly or in Toronto. They were astoundingly brilliant and especially in the Canadian shows singing like their visitor visas depended on it. Post addiction performances were often about redeeming their career, even if the newer material was lame. The fact that they could rise above their self-inflicted wounds was inspiring, and so perhaps they'll get around to that. Pearl Jam, the Dead, King Crimson have found gold in concert tapes, I'd hope CSN would do the same. Their shows were worth it.
Even though you may have all of the songs on this set, I'd tell you this is definitely worth it. You'll be stunned by the vocals, and that was always their strong point.

Crosby Stills & Nash are Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famers for good reason! They have been called "the voice of a generation" and at the very least their music is far superior to much of what came out of the Woodstock era. The group worked together for a VERY long time and it is terrific that this CD is coming out remastered after all these years! This CD ALSO features guest artists Jerry Garcia and Art Garfunkel--a wonderful plus! The sound is rather good and you do get 19 (yes, nineteen) songs here. However, I would have to agree with other reviewers and two of my friends when they comment that you do NOT get the song "Woodstock" nor is there anything including Neil Young here. Quite a surprise for a recording they polished up as a remastered release! The producers certainly could have included at least one song with Young.

But make no mistake--this CD is very well done! Crosby Stills & Nash harmonize magnificently on this CD--as they always did--and their varied backgrounds make for an awesome blended finished product. As one Amazon reviewer notes, I also say get this CD but maybe add the album entitled Deja Vu--something a bit more kinetic--to get the experience with Neil Young adding to the Crosby Stills & Nash material.

I recommend this CD especially for two groups: Crosby Stills & Nash fans, obviously, and for those music fans of the Woodstock era. This is also a fine introduction to a very influential group's work!

I was one of those little long-haired hippie kids who was about 4 years old when the original CSN&Y albums began to show up. Needless to say, these songs were very often cranked up around my house then and I have very fond memories of that great period. Somewhere along the line I ended up with those original albums and they were always near the top of my collection and well loved, though not in great condition. There is something to say for just getting all of the original recordings (or a larger anthology) for a band as great as this, but one could find many a great reason to get this excellent compilation! It would be great for the car or even (for those who chucked the albums) to get a decent chunk of the better tracks on one filled up cd. The sound quality is very good and playing this 77 minute cd on a nice stereo will surely lift your spirits...you will glow afterwords, I promise! Everyone has a few favorites that didn't end up on here I'm sure, but the song selection is decent. It does say C,S&N not C,S,N&Y. Oh, and they included a nice 27 page booklet mostly relevant for the decent track notes. I would rather have lyrics than pages of pictures though...ENJOY!!

This greatest hits package from David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash (CSN) has "been a long time comin'," and while it includes most of the obvious choices and no shortage of their trademark ethereal harmonies, it suffers from a certain lack of imagination and several glaring omissions.

The CD is limited in scope to the pop supergroup's first four studio albums -- a sensible decision, because the fourth, 1982's "Daylight Again," finds them in decline as a result of Crosby's cocaine habit, and since then, except for a few songs (e.g., "War Games," "Only Waiting For You," "Dream For Him") their work has been mediocre.

The Nash selections are right on the money. His lighthearted "Marrakesh Express," with its exotic guitar sound, is here, and so are "Teach Your Children," his classic about bridging the generation gap, and "Cathedral," which describes a psychedelic visit to Winchester Cathedral. By far and away his strongest effort with CSN, the last is a timely reminder of the dangers of organized religion, evoking wars both past and present and Karl Marx's observation that "Religion...is the opium of the people."

The selection of songs by Crosby is less satisfying. All three of his cuts from the 1969 debut album are rightfully included, as is "Shadow Captain," reminiscent of "O Captain! My Captain!", Walt Whitman's poem about the Lincoln assassination. "In My Dreams" and "Delta," however, should have been dropped to make room for either "Almost Cut My Hair," the politically charged companion piece to "Long Time Gone," or the cryptic "Deja Vu," and an extra Stills tune. Come to think of it, Nash's "Our House" also should have been dropped for more Stills.

Although the disk is weighted in Stills's favor with "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," "Carry On/Questions," "Southern Cross" and five other songs he wrote or co-wrote, it isn't enough. For some years now, it's been fashionable to sell him short and embellish Crosby's and Nash's contributions to the group, but the truth is that Stills, the self-described "kid with the big white guitar/ And all the sad stories to tell," was the dominant force back in the day. Amazon.com editor Gavin McNett is dead wrong when he asserts, in his review of Stills's first solo album, that he wasn't the most accomplished member of CSN. He was the trio's most productive composer, and "Suite" is the song that defined them, just as his "For What It's Worth" defined Buffalo Springfield. According to the compilation liner notes, Stills played so many instruments on CSN's debut -- acoustic and electric guitars, bass, organ, etc. -- that he was nicknamed Captain Manyhands; Crosby played only rhythm guitar, Nash nothing to speak of. And Stills was a very good lead guitarist -- not as original as his fickle friend, Neil Young, but very good. That's why, in 1968, he was invited to replace Michael Bloomfield for the second half of "Super Session," and that's why Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton joined him on the aforementioned solo release, Clapton again on "Stephen Stills 2."

So which additional Stills tracks should have made the cut? "Run From Tears," definitely, with its asides ("Accuse me," "That's your choosin'"), soaring vocal blend and urgent guitar, and then, space permitting, "Fair Game" ("The ones you never notice are the ones you have to watch/ She's pleasant and she's friendly while she's looking at your crotch"), the haunting "4+20" or "Since I Met You," which reveals him in a rare, buoyant mood.

Despite the fact that it was penned by Joni Mitchell, "Woodstock" is another song that deserved to be included, not only because it was a hit, but because CSN (and Young) appeared at the "Music and Art Fair" in August 1969 and came to represent the Woodstock generation. And just for the fun of it, why not introduce the track with Stills's festival sound bite: "This is the second time we've ever played in front of people, man, we're scared ****less!"?

Which leads us to the final point: Although their Woodstock performance was spotty, CSN developed into a fine concert band, and if the producers of this compilation had been more imaginative, they would have used a live version or two.

Where is the song DejaVu and why is the sound so muddy for a remastered disc. Listening to the older songs such as Suite: Judy Blue Eyes I could not help noticing that the original version on vinyl was a lot cleaner and instrumentation tended to pop out. Maybe the mix was put together to make the vocals the primary focus, but I missed the great playing on some of the songs. The box set was a better attempt at re-mixing, but even that had mistakes. Maybe someday someone will clean up the mix and give us a great CSN Greatest Hits set.

All I can say is that I didn't grow up in the 60s and my husband and I proudly serve in the military. I have a brother who is 6 years older than me, and well, while growing up he introduced me to a variety of music, while learning to play guitar. Because of my brother's influence in my life I have become a walking jukebox, there aren't many songs I don't know, even beyond the popular. I love music. I even have a couple CSN records from back in the day. With that said, I think this is a great CD. It has the most good songs on it than all the other albums. Part of the reason I did not give it five stars is because I think another disc of songs could have been added. Also due to my own personal tastes there is only a couple of songs I don't like on this CD and that I would have exchanged for songs that are on other albums. Just about every one of the CSN CD's have something good on them, even if it is only one song on the entire album. This CD has the most but not all of the good stuff. If you go digging you'll see what I mean. If you are looking for more, you may want to add "Daylight Again" and "CSN" to your collection. This Greatest Hits CD is a good album to get because it has the most good songs on it and would be good gift for a CSN, classic rock, or newly introduced fan.

In their heyday, Crosby, Stills and Nash could have been singled out as the most important figureheads of the music driven, politicized hippie movement. They were counterculture leaders whose unity as a group strengthened their individual images, while serving as an example of the bond that ultimately eluded hippie culture. They were musicians who could openly admit that they also loved each other as friends, a quality that is unique and, to today's cynical culture, sadly quaint. Anybody interested in late `60s alternative pop culture does not know half of the story if they don't know the music of Crosby, Stills and Nash, and this Greatest Hits collection does an excellent job of presenting some of this band's finest moments.
My only regret with this disk is the decision to exclude all of their work with Neil Young - particularly their stellar recording of "Helpless" - but I can understand the reasoning, since Young's presence here would have deflected attention from the core trio and may have forced the necessity for a two-disk retrospective. As it is, Greatest Hits consolidates the best material from four separate CD releases, 1969's classic, eponymous debut album, 1970's "Déjà Vu", "77's "CSN" and 1982's "Daylight Again." All four albums are worth owning in their entirety but if you buy this CD, you're still doing all right - all but three tracks from the debut album appear here, while the truly best songs from "CSN" and "Daylight Again" are compiled here quite nicely. Only "Déjà vu" is short-changed, not just because of the afore-mentioned disregard for Neil Young's input, but also because of missing classics like Crosby's "Almost Cut My Hair", and Stills' chilling acoustic tune "4 + 20" - if only they had cut Nash's hopelessly dated and frankly embarrassing hippie-pop tune "Marrakesh Express" for either of these, but so much for the griping.
The good bits here far outweigh the shortcomings. Hearing the artistry of Stephen Stills in this context only makes me wonder why he never achieved the universal appeal of his lifelong friend Neil Young. His songwriting is nothing short of stunning throughout this collection, while his tasteful musicianship and multi-cultured, blues-y feel makes everything he touched sound timeless. "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" is a masterpiece for the ages, while "Southern Cross" is a textbook example of perfectly executed song construction. Crosby and Nash have their moments, too, particularly on Nash's intense indictment of organized faith entitled "Cathedral" and Crosby's lush, textural "Shadow Captain." "Wooden Ships" contained a semi-political anti-war message that sidesteps confrontation by utilizing a cinematic approach, which keeps it sounding fresh over three decades later. The pleasant lilt of "Teach Your Children" has also aged well, probably because of the fabulous pedal steel guitar part that is played by none other than Jerry Garcia (who never liked the way he played pedal steel and eventually - regrettably - abandoned the instrument). Their career together was sporadic, full of stops and starts, but this collection proves that what they lacked in continuity, they more than made up for with quality. If judged by the majority of songs on this collection, then it is easy to recognize that Crosby, Stills and Nash are truly one of the most important and relevant bands of their generation. A- Thomas Ryan

It should go without saying that CSN's "Greatest Hits" package (making the redundant "So Far" and "Replay" even more redundant) would have all the hits, and of course it does. You name it, odds are it's here, and the running order doesn't really make you miss what might be missing. Of course the opener is "Suite Judy Blue Eyes" (though I prefer the mix on the box set with the drums throughout the track). "Our House." "Teach Your Children." "Southern Cross." "Shadow Captain." All the goodies.
I hear people complaining about the lack of any Neil Young songs on this CD, which would defeat the purpose in the first place. Even Neil admits that CSN and CSNY are like two different bands, and the funny thing is, I've always considered him to be like a fifth wheel when playing with CSN. His talents are wasted, for one thing. For another, with the (possible) exception of "Helpless", he hasn't really given CSNY any really worthy material..at least none to match the caliber of Stills' or Nash's. So you don't really miss him here.
My only big complaint is that the package ignores material post "Daylight Again", which insinuates that the trio has done nothing of worth since. Not so. The addition of tracks like "Only Waiting For You" or "Camera" (off of "After The Storm", which for me is right up there with the first album and "CSN" in my opinion) would not only make the compilation more comprehensive but an improvement. Keep in mind that Graham Nash assembled this package personally.
Bottom line, for those who want a CSN complilation of more substance than "So Far", yet not as vast as the box set (which had way too much Crosby and Nash and not enough Stills and Young, as far as I'm concerned) you not only want this CD, you NEED it. Also, as great as the original remastered albums sound, this sounds even better! On "Judy Blue Eyes", for example, they sound like they're playing the thing right there in front of you. However, the remastered sound also brings out some of the production deficiencies; i.e. the massively overdubbed "Carry On" sounds like it was massively overdubbed. Which it was, of course (Stills as 'Captain Manyhands') but the multitude of guitars and vocals sound more natural on "Deja Vu." But I'm just nitpicking, maybe (I'm also a musician and producer myself, so there you go.)
In short, I liked this better than Neil Young's own long-overdue greatest hits package.

David Crosby (ex-Byrds), Stephen Stills (ex-Buffalo Springfield) and Graham Nash (ex-Hollies) joined forces in 1968 and together created some of the finest rock music of their generation, sometimes with the help of Neil Young (ex-Buffalo Springfield). Tracks featuring Neil are not included here even though there are three tracks here from Déjà vu, an album that featured Neil.

The set opens with Stephen Stills' tribute to Judy Collins (Suite: Judy blue eyes) and ends with Daylight again, which features Art Garfunkel (a most welcome guest). In between these two great tracks are seventeen others of comparable brilliance including Marrakesh Express (their only UK hit), Long time gone (about Bobby Kennedy), Wooden ships (a thought-provoking song) and Wasted on the way (an American top ten hit).

Superb singing and great musicianship were the hallmarks of Crosby Stills and Nash, with or without Young. Fans will always argue about what should have been included, but this CD is full-length (no room for any more) and all nineteen tracks justify their inclusion. As an introduction to their music, this is brilliant. Buy a Neil Young compilation, or the Déjà vu album, to hear Neil Young's contribution to the music of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

I agree with the other reviews about this compilation, but I already have the songs on other albums. CSNY WERE the best band in America; not even the Eagles can match them in quality, only in volume. That said, Neil Young doesn't appear on this album because of the lawyers. Neil was the lead guitar on "Woodstock", so it doesn't appear. Joni Mitchell wrote the song, so it doesn't appear. It seems as time passes, the window of cooperation gets smaller. Besides, the royalties are easier to handle if it's only CSN songs.
I think there's a ton of great stuff that never made it to the records, but, the record biz being what it is, we're going to have to wait. The CSN boxed set has the unadulterated version of "Almost Cut My Hair", the electric version of "Helplessly Hoping", a 1968 studio recording of the Beatles' "Blackbird" and a live solo of Stills' "Black Queen" that surpasses his solo album version, to mention a few.
There has been a palpable CSN-Neil Young schism that has existed since the '70s. Young managed to maintain his artistic and commercial viability
by being, well, Neil Young. He doesn't stop recording and releasing albums, thereby always being in the public eye. It also doesn't hurt that at least 50% of his latest release creeps into your subconscious, whereas CSN seem to reunite when the coffers are running low.
Don't get me wrong. This compilation is a great introduction to the original group for younger listeners who weren't aware of how good they could be, or went to a CSNY concert and asked "who are these three old guys playing with Neil?"