CSNY 1974

by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Overview

It was, at the time, one of the highest-grossing rock tours ever, grossing over 11 million dollars in an era when such figures were uncommon. Such success camouflaged the chaos behind the scenes -- the bitter fights and feuds, the excess and indulgence that led to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young pocketing about a half million dollars each, when all was said and done. Big bucks were the reason the CSNY 1974 tour even existed. Efforts to record a new album in 1973, their first since 1970's breakthrough Deja Vu, collapsed but manager Elliot Roberts and promoter Bill Graham convinced the group to stage the first outdoor stadium tour in the summer of 1974, with the idea that CSNY would test-drive new material in concert, then record a new studio album in the fall, or maybe release a live record from the historic tour. Neither happened. The group cleaved in two upon the tour's conclusion and the live tapes sat in the vaults until Graham Nash decided to assemble a box set of the tour just in time for its 40th anniversary in 2014. Nash and producer Joel Bernstein -- the driving forces behind the excellent new millennial archival CSN reissues -- culled the best moments from the nine recorded shows, sometimes cobbling together composites, then assembled the whole thing as a three-CD set designed to replicate the mammoth three-hour sets the quartet played in 1974. That very length indicates how there was room on the 1974 tour for every aspect of CSNY, giving space to sensitive folk, woolly electric guitar jams, hits, and unheard songs. Several of those new songs showed up on albums by CSNY in various permutations, while a few -- mostly written by Young -- never got an airing outside of this tour, so the first official release of "Love Art Blues," "Pushed It Over the End," and even the throwaway Nixon jape "Goodbye Dick" is indeed noteworthy. But what makes CSNY 1974 a substantial chapter in their legacy is how it captures the band in full flight just as its moment is starting to slip away. Stills and Young play with the burly force they channeled into Manassas and Crazy Horse, providing a startling contrast to both the sweetness of disc two's acoustic set and Crosby's excursions into the haze of If I Could Only Remember My Name. Hearing the band pull apart as its members come together is simultaneously thrilling and enervating because Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young remain locked in a battle to outdo one another; it's fascinating to hear them spar, but also draining. Nevertheless, that messy competition is why CSNY 1974 is a vital addition to their canon. Tales of CSNY acrimony are legend, but this rancor rarely surfaced on record. Here, those brawling egos are pushed to the forefront, with all the pretty harmonies operating as an accent to the main event. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	07/08/2014
Label:	Atlantic / Rhino
UPC:	0603497899920

Tracks

1. Love the One You're With
2. Wooden Ships
3. Immigration Man
4. Helpless
5. Johnny's Garden
6. The Lee Shore
7. Change Partners
8. Only Love Can Break Your Heart
9. Our House
10. Guinevere
11. Old Man
12. Teach Your Children
13. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
14. Long Time Gone
15. Chicago
16. Ohio

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young   Primary Artist
Tim Drummond   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
David Crosby   Guitar,Vocals,Tambourine,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Guitar (12 String Electric)
Stephen Stills   Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Clavinet,Keyboards,Guitar (Bass),Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Joe Lala   Percussion
Graham Nash   Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Harmonica,Keyboards,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Russ Kunkel   Drums
Neil Young   Banjo,Guitar,Vocals,Harmonica,Keyboards,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Bill Graham   Director

Technical Credits

Denny Purcell   Engineer
David Crosby   Composer,Producer
Stanley Johnston   Mixing,Engineer,Mastering,Processing,Mixing Engineer,Digital Transfers,Mastering Engineer
Harry Donovan   Stage Crew
Jack Lefever   Technician
Jay Drevers   Stage Crew
Jay Jones   Audio Technician,Sound Technician
Jeff Panek   Accounting
Jim Deluca   Transportation
Jim Flibott   Transportation
John Ransome   Transportation
John Talbot   Equipment Manager
Stephen Stills   Composer,Producer
Paul Kantner   Composer
Paul McCartney   Composer
Steve Archer   Technician
Bernie Grundman   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young   Producer
Ed Stewart   Electrician
Graham Nash   Mixing,Composer,Producer,Art Direction,Mixing Engineer
Gene Eichelberger   Engineer
Elliot Mazer   Engineer,Recording
John Lennon   Composer
Mark Morris   Audio Technician,Sound Technician
Neil Young   Composer,Producer
Joel Bernstein   Mixing,Producer,Photography,Art Direction,Mixing Engineer
Tim Mulligan   Engineer
Kevin O'Connell   Transportation
Mark Bethel   Stage Crew
Michael Berlin   Transportation
Patrick Wasson   Technician
Paul Wasserman   Publicity
Randy Noble   Transportation
Sal Cappozoli   Transportation
Steven Cohen   Lighting Director
Walker Kamm   Stage Crew
"Crash" Kennedy   Transportation
Stephen Barncard   Engineer,Recording
Bob Hammer   Personal Assistant
Kenny Passarelli   Composer
Steve Gagne   Engineer,Audio Engineer
Michael John Bowen   Management
James Mazzeo   Personal Assistant
Barry Imhoff   Producer,Production Chief
Ben Lesko   Guitar Technician
Elliot Roberts   Management
Leslie Morris   Assistant
Craig Reynolds   Audio Technician,Sound Technician
Mac Holbert   Personal Assistant
Patrick Stansfield   Stage Manager,Production Manager
Bob Hurwitz   Accounting
Del Furano   Merchandising
Brian Porizek   Design,Art Direction,Hand Coloring
Arthur Rosato   Transportation
Bob Kelley   Transportation
Donald Miller   Management
Paul Kanter   Composer
Bob Sterne   Monitor Engineer
Steve Neal   Audio Technician,Sound Technician
Alan Bagshaw   Electrician
Cree Miller   Management
Frank Barsalona   Booking
Clayton Johnson   Electrician
Michael Hopper   Stage Crew
John "Stranger" Adams   Transportation
Glenn Goodwin   Equipment Manager
Ryan Bird   Transportation
Carlos Trenary   Transportation
Paul Dana   Transportation
Bill Hodge   Stage Crew
Chris O'Dell   Tour Manager
Dan Martin   Transportation
Dave Furano   Tour Manager
David "RD" Cline   Personal Assistant
David Noffsinger   Lighting Director
Fred Meyers   Audio Technician,Sound Technician
Gary Shafner   Assistant
Gino Elarcosa   Stage Crew
Guillermo Giachetti   Equipment Manager,Personal Assistant