Customer Reviews

Songs for Beginners

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4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this LP at the same time I bought Wild tales in 1973. It had been out for a couple of years. My girlfriend told me it was great. My 23-year old brother had died in a car accident 6 months earlier so I was "all tore up". This album and Songs for Beginners soothed my aching soul for many years. I don't know how these songs stand up in the historical perspective of CSN. Some of the songs do sound a little dated now. I know every song on these two albums by heart because I sang and played along for years and lived them. Friends were going to prison for 20 years for a joint in Texas and Graham was just singing and writing about what was going on around us. What a back up band he had back then. David Lindley was superb. I liked Graham so much I named my white German shepherd,"Nash" after him. He was my best friend for ten years. We named the cat, "Crosby". I never missed these guys in concert with and without Stills and Young. Wild Tales is a little more up-tempo than "Songs for Beginners." It's all a matter of taste. If you like CSN then you'll like these first two solo projects by Nash.

Hey, laugh if you will, but this is one of the best albums of the hardcore hippie era, and a still-beloved favorite from my childhood years. These quiet singer-songwriterish tunes are very much in the soft-pop mould of the Crosby, Stills & Nash ensemble, which was in one of its periodic stages of disintegration when this album was recorded. David Crosby and Jerry Garcia pitch in from song to song, adding a melodic country-ish feel throughout. Overall, this is possibly the best of Nash's solo albums, a cohesive, beautiful, heartfelt set of twee counterculture lullabies. The dewy-eyed, tender romanticism of Nash's love songs heightens the painful anguish of the political material, the anthemic "Chicago," which served as a harsh postmortem of the chaotic demonstrations at the 1968 Democratic Convention, and the simpler (and more powerful) "Military Madness," which gains considerable strength from its understated tone. This disc also features some of Jerry Garcia's best pedal steel work, particularly on elegaic tunes like "I Used To Be A King." I could go on and name all the other songs; in my opinion there isn't a weak tune in the bunch... If you're a staunch, sneering, anti-hippie type, I know -- from experience -- that there is little that I can do to convince you that this record isn't just a bunch of stoned-out, goopy-headed pablum. But those of you inclined to be more open-minded may find this disc to be quite rewarding. It's sugary, but also quite sweet.

"Songs for Beginners" is one of my all-time favorite albums. I can't stop listening to it. Graham Nash has proved himself to be an excellent musician even without the presence of his band members of either the Hollies or CSN/Y. It's a wonderful, mellow album to just relax with. My only complaint with the entire album is the presence of the choir in "Be Yourself." Otherwise, it is beautiful and touching and I wish it was much, much longer. I cannot emphasize enough how much I love this album!

There always seems to be a top five "must have to survive" list for everyone--Songs for Beginners is included on mine. I had this in vinyl many years ago and had never replaced it until now. The music, however, was carried with me for years. It's simple, clear and beautiful-you won't regret including this in your collection.

My older sister introduced me to "Songs for Beginners" just after its release three decades ago. In the years since then, I've grown to appreciate it more and more. "I Used To Be A King" ranks as one of my all-time favorties by any artist.

One note of caution about the CD: my copy isn't a totally accurate version of the LP. For example, the intro to the LP version of "Used To Be A King" features some studio chatter and a few stray chords from a piano and Jerry Garcia's pedal steel guitar. Strangely, these were omitted on my CD. I can't say for certain that all CD copies of "Songs For Beginners" were mastered similarly, but for you purists out there, this might be of some interest to you.

Other than that, the music from beginning to end is great.

I first heard Grahm Nash through my mother. She had a soundtrack that included, We can Change The World. It was so awesome. When I bought the cd, I instantely fell in love with it. Sleep Song is beautiful, and so is Wounded Bird. This is a must have cd if you're into folksy, poetic music. Definately Nash's best!!!

This is a great album that I picked out of my mom's vinyl collection to give a spin. I had never heard any of Graham Nash's solo stuff, nor have I ever really liked CS&N (or Y for that matter). So I gave this record a skeptical spin. After repeated listens, however, I found that I couldn't help but love this album. Here's a brief rundown of the songs:

"Military Madness" almost kicks your teeth in with melancholy. It's the "hardest" "rocker" on the album, despite the fact that it really is neither. It is probably the best track on the album. That being said, the rest of the album is still well worth a listen!

"Better Days" is a middle of the road rock song with a plodding pace that really keeps the album on a darker path. And yes, Graham hits those high notes (he pounds those high notes) like you wouldn't believe.

"Wounded Bird" is a song that I usually skip over. It's not bad, but it's not as exciting as the previous songs. But it's also short, so it doesn't detract a whole lot from the album's flow.

"I Used To Be A King" is a good song, still in the melancholy vein, but with the usual twist of hope that Graham offers. This song suffers a bit from weak lyrics on the verses, but is made up plenty by the vocal virtuosity that Graham displays.

"Be Yourself" is a song that I used to hate because the choruses (which consist of "be yourself" sung over and over) sounded so cheesy. But when you consider that at the time this wasn't as cliched a subject as it is now in popular music, it's easier to swallow. And the verses are pretty thought-provoking, actually.

"Simple Man" is one of my favorite tracks on the album. It's a love song with some depth. What I like most about it is the vocal harmonies on the chorus. Unfortunately this song is only around two minutes long--I wish it were longer!

"Man In The Mirror" is another standout track on the album. Great, introspective lyrics, and wonderful melodies. I would rate this the second best track on the album, right behind "Military Madness."

"There's Only One"--a song I usually skip over. What's strange though is that even though I don't like the song, it gets stuck in my head all the time. I think this is a great indication of Graham's ability to write super-catchy songs. So, I don't like it, but apparently my sub-conscious (or whatever) does.

"Sleep Song" is a pretty little acoustic number with more tight vocal harmonies. Not as good as "Simple Man", but it serves as a good mood setter for the last songs.

"Chicago" rips you out of the dreamy "Sleep Song" and shoves a decision in your face: won't you please come to Chicago? Even for those such as I who have no connection whatsoever to the political climate of the 70s can understand Graham's rallying cry: WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD! The chorus reprises for "We Can Change the World." A great end to a great album.

I would suggest that anyone who likes soft rock, thoughtful lyrics, excellent harmonies, and moving melodies get this album. It's a wonderful album that I could play over and over again.

Graham Nash is still going strong and is a wonderful songwriter! I loved this album and his music when I was younger and love it just as much TODAY..

In all honesty, I used to be skeptical about Graham Nash. I figured the guy was just too reliant on lightweight sugariness; seriously, I used to think that "Our House" was from Herman's Hermits or something. But Nash really proved me wrong, and it pretty much all started with 1971's "Songs For Beginners", his first solo album.

The running time is quite short to begin with, and a few tunes don't make much of an impact, but otherwise "Songs For Beginners" gives you pretty much everything you could want from a singer-songwriter album--intimate arrangements, really thoughtful and poignant lyrics, supreme tunefulness on song after song, and even a sly diversity to the proceedings. The bouncy, swinging "Military Madness" is a soaringly melodic anti-war song, with passionately gutsy singing from Graham. "Better Days" is a brilliant song that beats John Lennon at his own game--really powerful lyrics and echoing double-tracked vocals from Graham on the haunting mid-section, plus a hair-raising high note from him on the closing verse (man, he really had to REACH to hit that one!). The country-flavored lost-love ballad "I Used To Be A King" is incredibly emotional and moving, with a triumphant, soulful vocal performance from Graham. "Be Yourself" (the one song Graham doesn't have sole writing credit for) and "There's Only One" have wonderfully thoughtful and gracefully poetic lyrics. I don't agree at all with those who have mocked Nash's rhyming scheme on "There's Only One", and his earnest vocal rendering just makes the song all the more effective. "Chicago", written about the 1968 Democratic Convention, finds Nash working a soulful, organ-laced R&B groove to rousing effect. The acoustic folk song "Wounded Bird" is an entirely solo performance from Nash, with a simple 3-chord strum as the basis for another wonderful melody and a really witty lyric about what it takes to win a woman's heart.

Admittedly, the album does fall a little short of a masterpiece. There are a few songs that, though by no means embarassing, don't have much impact. "Man In The Mirror" has a great bit of descending melodicism on the quasi-chorus, but the verse melody is tossed-off. The fittingly-titled "Sleep Song", written while Nash was still with the Hollies but reportedly rejected by the rest of the band, is a tender, lightly-orchestrated acoustic ballad, but it's on the dull, and indeed sleepy side, and the same goes for the James Taylor-esque "Simple Man", the latter of which was written just after Nash's breakup with Joni Mitchell in June of 1970.

But for the most part, I've been blown away by "Songs For Beginners"--I never suspected to discover such a strong album here. If you lean more towards the ROCK & ROLL end of things, you might find your attention wandering--the album absolutely never goes beyond mid-tempo, and with the possible exception of "Chicago"/"We Can Change The World", nothing can even remotely qualify as a 'rocker'. However, if you have any kind of appreciation for a fine singer-songwriter effort, "Songs For Beginners" is really worth picking up.

I have never grown tired of this album. "Wounded Bird" is a classic Nash song in the truest sense.... Great guitar melody flowing behind a poetic lyric only Graham Nash could write. "Simple Man" & "I used to be a King" are also fantastic songs to listen to over & over again. "Be Yourself" & "There's only one" draws you into singing along.....just can't help it. "Military Madness & "Chicago" feed on Nash's political leanings & quality songs as well. If you are CSNY fan, you won't be disappointed with this contribution.