Customer Reviews

Voyage

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
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Make no mistake, the philosophical, poetic and political intelligence of CSNY is David Crosby. While not the most prolific, he makes up for quantity with quality, and as this intelligent overview demonstrates, from very early on there was something especially unique about his songwriting and his singing. Even more distinctive than Dylan, he was posing questions with a sophistication and imagination not known in American culture since Walt Whitman.
Each stage in his remarkable career is acurately and persuasively represented, with a separate disc of demos and alternative mixes and unissued live tracks making it just as vital as the balance of the rest. None of it is filler. None of it is less than compelling. Crosby dealt always with society's conventions, the duplicity of politics, the spectre of our own mortality and the safe harbour of our own loved ones, the redemptive power of true friendship. Aptly titled VOYAGE, this is in many ways, signposts along the way. Markers in the sky at night of his voyaging out across life, these are remarkable songs, every last one of them, for their chords, their melodies and their lyrics. These efforts celebrate a life led with eyes wide open and his mind fully aware, even in the depths of hid drug addictions, of the importance of Socrates' encomium. Who else but David Crosby could compose a song like "Delat" at such a devastating point in his life?
And his voice! Possessed of the finest set of pipes in music, Crosby is always what holds a song together. You need look no further than the DAYLIGHT AGAIN record - Mike Finnegan took most of Crosby's parts, and you can hear it plain as day. The Byrds were never quite the same, not worse, just not the same, without Crosby. Young was interested in joining CSN only if Cros had cleaned up. Why? well, listen......
I've always thought his rhythm guitar playing was underated, but the remastered production by Joel Bernstein and Graham Nash makes the case clear, that just like his harmonies, any song without his touch on guitar is something less. Nash and Jan Crosby are the major ties in David's life, and it is in the works produced that he pays most loving homage to his friend and his wife. Doesn't have to name them, they are carried in his heart, and that is the place from where David's art comes.
This set comes with a beautiful booklet. The whole concept is extraordinarily well done. But that's Cros, heart and soul.
The most incredible concert I have seen in my life was this year's Freedom Tour with CSNY. Sure, Young's LWW was the catalyst, but there at the center, the philosophical, poetical and musical glue stood David Crosby. In this marvellous retrospective, Cros closes out the first two discs with his take on "My Country Tis of Thee," a collaboration with Nash and Michael Hedges. And his notes on the song, like Walt Whitman's poetry, tell the story best:

"I am naively, staunchly, almost childishly loyal to this country, this democracy, and this system of government. It's not flawless, I'm not saying it's utopian - it isn't - but its' the best working blueprint for people to live with each other inside a set of rules, which we've got to have. And it's up to us to care enough to lay ourselves on the line for it. The people who are abusing this government should be thoroughly frightened of the people who love the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, because we're dead serious."

Amen.

Everyone else who has left a review has said much of what I feel but I need to say that this is a brilliant retrospective of one of our generation's most important songwriters, singers and musical revolutionaries. There are some very special demos and versions of some classics that I never heard before. (Finally, 'Kids & Dogs' is officially released; a truly phenomenal session with Jerry Garcia). These 3 CDs may never leave my turntable. I don't think there's any more doubt as to whose musical contribution made CSN and CSNY one of the central if not the core folk rock band of the last 40+ years. David Crosby is a special gift to the world (shh, don't tell HIM that!). Seriously, David, if you read this... man, you are something else. After I die I'm gonna come find you so I can enter heaven with you singing "Song with No Words" behind me. This is the only box set that has ever been released that I personally can honestly say is absolutely essential; a must have. LONG LIVE DAVID CROSBY!!!

This well produced box set is a fine overview of the music of David Crosby. As a part of rock history for over 42 years now, this set was really long overdue.

Disc One: Spans from David's most creative period as a member of The Byrds, through the up's and down's of CSN and CSN&Y, his amazing solo record and the Crosby/Nash partnership of the early 1970's.

Disc Two: Continues the musical journey from the mid 1970's, with a re-union with Stephen Stills, CSN & CSNY. More solo works, and the fantastic group: CPR. David, shows that through healing, some of his best work happened late into his career.

Disc Three: The rarities disc. This is the one for the collectors of all things David. A version of: "Guinnevere", that will prove how important a bass guitar can be, when played by the right musician. "Kids And Dogs" is a GEM, and it shows just how much we all miss, Jerry Garcia and his vast talents. Many demos, and live versions of David's finest songs are served up in completly different editions.

Fans of David, are gonna eat this stuff up. And for the folks that only know of the man, from his mid-eighties, People Magazine daze, this will be buried treasure for lot's of those new-comers. But, as there is that REP, that goes along with David, {And it always will} I'm sure lot's of listeners will diss this, and include all the reasons they HATE this type of musical adventure.

Funny, as it is easy to say that the music of David Crosby, does not appeal to all tastes, many of us feel that music should and still can be a musical journey. And by letting your self be taken into this new world, you are gonna be on a journey full of treasure.

A wealth of jewels.
Five Stars !!!

I just got the DC box today & thought I'd share a few thoughts. I'm a huge DC fan, & I own everything he's officially released other then CSN Live It Up & CSN After The Storm (I bought both of these when they came out, but other then the best Stills song in years, "Haven't We Lost Enough" on Live It Up they're both so bad that I sold them soon afterwards).

If I had to choose a favorite amongst CSNY it would definitely be DC, although I also own & enjoy tons of solo stuff from Stills & Young, + Nash's Songs For Beginners. With that said, I had 2 reasons to buy the box: the previously unreleased stuff on disc 3 & the remastering on 1 & 2.

I'm beyond happy with Disc 3. Highlights for me included the acoustic demos of Cut My Hair, Deja Vu & Triad (Triad sounds more like a finished master then a demo), & the alternate mix of the Perro track was also cool. I'll be listening to this several more times.

I also have very few complaints with Graham Nash's's track selection for disc 1. I was really happy that he caught Renaissance Fair (an almost forgotten but superb "Summer Of Love" track). Not sure if Naked In the Rain & Dancer are essential, but... I would personally have added The Byrds It Happens Each Day & probably the 3 missing tracks from IICORMN (but then no one would have bought the remaster!).

I do have some issues with disc 2's selection. In my opinion a few glaring omissions include For Free (either the live version from Allies or the version from The Byrds Reunion), Oh Yes I Can, It's All Coming Back To Me Now (probably one of the live versions) & Might As Well Have A Good Time. I also would have added one of the live versions of Deja Vu. The only tracks on Voyage disc 2 I consider essential are Delta, Compass, Tracks In The Dust, Hero, Yvette in English & Somehow She Knew; which in my opinion leaves 9 that could have potentially been replaced.

Mind you, this is all nitpicking, I highly recommend the set.

This box set is nearly perfect. If you are a fan of David Crosby,(which I have been for more than 40 years now)then this box will please you immensely. It follows David's career chronologically beginning with the Byrds to CSN, CSNY, Crosby-Nash, solo and CPR. Although I have everything he has recorded on other CD's and records, it was nice to have this collection. The first two discs contain previously released material which was remixed and produced by Joel Bernstein and Graham Nash. The songs are some of Crosby's best. There are some things I wish had been included that were left off ("Lady Friend", "The Wall Song"), but it is still a wonderful collection and representation of David Crosby. The third disc is a collection of unreleased gems covering all phases of his musical career. This was a really nice addition. One absolutely outstanding feature included here is the enclosed booklet with liner notes, song commentary, previously unseen photos (several of Croz as a child), and comments by fellow musicians and friends. This is amazing box. I only hope that the future planned box sets from Graham Nash and Stephen Stills are of the same quality...if Nash and Bernstein have anything to do with these projects, then I'm sure they will be superb!!

David Crosby is one of the top five most important US singer-songwriters of the past forty years, but his association with a certain supergroup of *other* amazing talents left him ever-so-slightly overshadowed, even as his personal troubles with drugs and the law (as well as unexpected sperm donor!) took precedence for a long time. When one isolates his songs and collects them in an anthology like this, however, his true genius rings loud and clear.

The first two discs offer a comprehensive collection of his key studio work, with anything missing appearing in demo/outtake/live form on the third disc "Buried Treasure". The only minor nagging complaint is the inexplicable omission of the two Byrds classics "Lady Friend" and "Dolphin's Smile", although no box is 100% perfect, I suppose. Otherwise it's all here, and it's all magnificent, particularly the tracks on disc one. The CPR material on disc two is also overlooked and definitely worth a second look here.

It's the third disc, "Buried Treasure", which really lives up to its name. Compiler Graham Nash sequenced this compilation of demos, outtakes and live material brilliantly, most of the tracks appearing in stripped-down form with Crosby's meditative acoustic guitar and angelic, soulful voice taking center stage. The stoney, hypnotic versions of "Games", "Almost Cut My Hair", "Lee Shore" and "Traction In The Rain" are just breathtaking, as is a harder-rocking "Cowboy Movie" with Young and Garcia jamming away in the background. There's also an excellent remix of "Have You Seen The Stars Tonight?", a lovely a capella "Samurai" and even the more adult-contemporary later material fits in (I never liked "Dream For Him" much but this is about as good a version as it gets).

In short, all three discs are essential listening not just for Crosby fans but for anyone who appreciates beautiful music that seems cut into diamonds straight from the heavens.

If you are a fan of CSN&Y you'll love this 3 CD set, the third disc "Buried Treasures" is worth the price alone, especially the guitar jams with Jerry Garcia, Neil Young and Stephen Stills. The audio quality of David's most familiar songs on discs 1 & 2 are the best ever released. The included booklet is excellent as well.

Buy it or miss out on some tasty nuggets.

Lovingly remastered and more than 35 years old, this recording still holds up well. Elegant, poignant, and powerful it will transport boomers who were around in the 60's back to the vibrancy and magic of those years. And it will delight new listeners who will appreciate the heart and vitality of every track. I was never a big Crosby, Stills, & Nash fan, but I love this CD.

... Joel Bernstein, Graham Nash, John Nowland, Stanley Johnston, and Bernie Grundman - TAKE NOTE! ...

...Dear Gentlemen who produced this masterful anthology of music by David Crosby: you need to make ammends! ... "Almost Cut My Hair," track #8 on DISC #1, contains not one, but two, click-pops at exactly 2:29 and 2:30 on the CD. This is unacceptable! I want a replacement CD - as should everyone. Also, the song - as well as "Wooden Ships" - does not sound like it was remastered from the original master tapes. What gives? Why such low fidelity (and lower compressed and normalized volume) on some of the songs on DISC #1? ... Please, gentlemen, correct this immediately! David Crosby's wonderful and passionate music deserves much better care.

... As for the music? ... It's great! DISC ONE is great. DISC TWO is good. DISC THREE is fantastic! I like DISC THREE the best of all. The whole package is a beautiful artistic production and a labor of love. David Crosby deserves it. God bless his big beautiful heart and soul. I always knew that he would rise from the ashes like the phoenix and come back to life again to achieve greatness.

... Thank you for this great musical anthology. I cannot stop listening to it. ... YOWZA! - The Aeolian Kid

The pervasive pattern that often crawls out from under characters of contemporary musical notoriety is often a pathetic twisted sense of grandiosity. Destined with their deep obsessive need for attention and self -importance, such characters end up developing an obnoxious self obsession that germinates over time into nothing more than a braggadocios sense of arrogance and self-indulgence. Moreover it is easy for such disengaged characters to develop social and political fault finding traits so as to divert any focus from their pathetic personal inadequacies and failings. Lost in the "holier than thou" sea of success they end up wallowing in the conviction that they should be judged by nobody's standards but their own (which often changes depending on the mood their in). All of which is often glamorized in their songs. Not to mention the millions of fans that identify with such characteristics. However once in a while in a big blue moon a person of such contemporary musical notoriety will have the strength and courage to navigate through such uncharted troubled waters and emerge with a sense of maturity and insight. Case in point Mr. David Crosby.
In a society where there are so many people who go through life having trouble acting their own age. Who continually mistake sex for intimacy and threatening and hostel criticizing behavior for strength? It is a lucky society, if an artist emerges whose songs reflect a courageous journey through the sea of such confusion providing wisdom and insight into what he has learned along the way. Mr. Crosby is one such artist and his new box set Voyager is nothing less than a treasure trove of honest songs that reflect the discoveries composed of a true musical navigator. Songs such as Page 43,Naked in The Rain, Games, Where Will I Be, Bittersweet, Homeward Through the Haze and Carry Me are just a few of the many beautiful songs in this collection that leave the listener in a state of self reflection, self exploration, emotional and social consideration. In addition it is very apparent that Mr. Crosby traditionally has always taken great care and has struggled hard at listening to his inner feelings which accounts for the original melodies that accompany the integrity of his creative honest lyrics ( Such an ability and gift is an endangered species in contemporary music). Furthermore the producing of this collection is nothing short of great. In a time when great works of musical art are being destroy in the REMASTERING process (1.which explains why original copy's go for such large amounts of money on internet auctions 2. imagine what a Van Gogh and Klee painting would look like if these people went around rearranging the colors in such works of art). Therefore it is a great relief and joy to purchase a collection that maintains the true identity of the artists' original work. Mr. Nash and Mr. Bernstein obviously understood and understand the meaning of restoration and preservation.
Furthermore the packaging of this compilation is a work of art. The liner notes, photography, the illustrations together blend together a portrait of an artist's life to be considered in its deepest meaning.
Finally, as catastrophic reactions continue to grow as a result of the injustices in the world. Developing into an attitude- the world is coming to an end perspective instead of putting forth ideas on how to problem solve. An attitude that has spread like cancer to generations of people, but at one time was challenged by a minority of courageous people in the 1960's. Who tried to rebel against and change such attitudes with the ideals of peace, love, kindness, spiritual and environmental awareness. We don't live up to such ideals today. But the 1960's and "sensitive" insightful songs of originality such as Mr. Crosby's will forever challenge us to do so.