Crosby, Stills and Nash (and Young)
The musical partnership of David Crosby (b. Aug. 14, 1941), Stephen
Stills (b. Jan. 3, 1945), and Graham Nash (b. Feb. 2, 1942), with and without
Neil Young (b. Nov. 12, 1945), not only was one of the most successful touring
and recording acts of the late '60s,'70s, and early '80s -- with the colorful,
contrasting nature of the members' characters and their connection to the
political and cultural upheavals of the time -- it was the only American-based
band to approach the overall societal impact of the Beatles. The group was
a second marriage for all the participants when it came together in 1968:
Crosby had been a member of the Byrds, Nash was in the Hollies, and Stills
had been part of Buffalo Springfield. The resulting trio, however, sounded
like none of its predecessors and was characterized by a unique vocal blend
and a musical approach that ranged from acoustic folk to melodic pop to hard
rock. CSN's debut album, released in 1969, was perfectly in tune with the
times, and the group was an instant hit. By the time of their first tour
(which included the Woodstock festival), they had added Young, also a veteran
of Buffalo Springfield, who maintained a solo career. The first CSN&Y
album, Deja-vu, was a chart-topping hit in 1970, but the group split acrimoniously
after a summer tour. Four Way Street, a live double album issued after the
breakup, was another #1 hit. (When it finally was released on CD in 1992,
it was lengthened with more live material.) In 1974, CSN&Y reformed for
a summer stadium tour without releasing a new record. Nevertheless, the compilation
So Far became their third straight #1. Crosby, Stills and Nash reformed without
Young in 1977 for the album CSN, another giant hit. They followed with Daylight
Again in 1982, but by then Crosby was in the throes of drug addiction and
increasing legal problems. He was in jail in 1985-1986, but cleaned up and
returned to action, with the result that CSN&Y reunited for only their
second studio album, American Dream, in 1988. CSN followed with Live It Up
in 1990, and though that album was a commercial disappointment, the trio
remains a popular live act; it embarked on a 25th anniversary tour in the
summer of 1994 and released a new album, After the Storm. The trio again
reunited with Young for 1999's Looking Forward, followed in 2000 by the beginning
of their "CSNY2K" tour. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide