Crosby, Stills & Nash – CSN – What’s On The Table
We have something new “On The Table” …
We always have such a good time making these! A cup of tea, a comfy sofa and great music … oh and the company is pretty decent, too 😉
Today we’re having a listen to Crosby, Stills & Nash’s self-titled debut album from 1969. We love what all three of these guys had put out up to that point (David Crosby with The Byrds, Stephen Stills with Buffalo Springfield and Graham Nash with The Hollies) but together they created even more pure magic and produced some of our favourite harmonies.
It was great to re-visit this vinyl for “What’s On The Table” and we’re looking forward to hearing your stories, thoughts and feelings about it in the comments!
Happy listening 🙂
♥
Just discovered “on the table“ yesterday! What a great website… It’s so interesting and fun to watch the two of you reacting to all this great music! 🤗
Scott, thanks, because of your comment I watched this WOTT video again. I love the clips of the Twins playing Teach Your Children years ago. So cool after all these years they recorded it for the new album with Papa Rudi. So much cool stuff on this website, I’ve been here almost 11 months and still haven’t seen everything.
The ladies are correct. It was surprising upon first listening that this was not a rock album. Was not expecting that, especially with the reputation that Stills had already acquired as an electric lead guitarist. He, indeed, was the main creative force of the trio, supposedly on a few occasions referring to Crosby & Nash as his backup singers. Decades later saw the release of “Just Roll Tape”, Stephen’s demos of songs that would appear on this record and his first couple of solo albums. It’s definitely worth a listen. Almost as good, and not nearly as celebrated, were the duo harmonies of Stephen and Richie Furay with the Springfield, especially on their first lp. MLT covered “FWIW” on “Live at the Cavern Club”; wouldn’t mind them tackling “Go And Say Goodbye”, “Sit Down I Think I Love you”, “We’ll See” or some others from that era.
The reputation of CSN rests mainly with this debut, the followup “Deja Vu”, and a few other singles. It was enough to sustain a successful decades long career. Egos/personality clashes/fame/drugs/too much money/etc got in the way later on. There’s a couple of good bios of the band, and an excellent autobiography from Graham Nash for interested fans who want to know the backstory.
And, oh, first time seeing (and thoroughly enjoying) performance of “Teach Your Children” by the young MLT!
These videos are so enjoyable. To watch you interact totally unscripted is such a treat. I don’t know of any other artists that allow themselves to be so open to their fans. Keep making these types of videos and staying groovy.
I am fascinated by your reactions on discovering now the albums which I have been familiar with since they came out! I’m certain you could pull off some three-part harmonies using the miracle of multi-tracking!
Marrakesh Express is interesting as Graham Nash wrote it while still in the Hollies. He offered it to them, and apparently there exists a half-hearted take on it by the group, but they didn’t like it and never released it. GN said that they no longer trusted his judgement after the chart failure of King Midas In Reverse, a very innovative record in 1967, and obviously influenced by what the Beatles were doing at the time, but perhaps a bit ahead of its time. Certainly well beyond the Hollies ‘pop’ style, although their singles were always quite different and musically clever. (Personally, I love KMIR!) So not surprising that GN went off to become part of CSN(Y).
Interesting about your mention of the “back to acoustic” movement around the time this album came out. There was quite a bit of this at the time, not necessarily entirely acoustic, but in that stripped back vein. I can’t remember the order in which they were released, but examples are The Beatles Let It Be (couldn’t be much more different from Sgt Pepper!), Music From Big Pink by the Band, the Rolling Stones’ Beggars Banquet, and Bob Dylan’s Nashville Skyline and John Wesley Harding. Also Eric Clapton broke up Cream at around this time, wanting to get more into ‘real’ songs and away from long instrumental jamming.
So, great album, and so good to see it and others being enjoyed by a new generation of musicians.
In 1969 I had my gap year travelling round the US, arriving back in the UK ready to start Uni in Sept. I remember someone telling me about the CSN album – in almost identical terms to you – in the residence hall on campus at Sussex. I also recall how useful vinyl album covers were for rolling … erm … cigarettes without spilling the … aah … tobacco 😉
Hey Mona and Lisa,
One of the many things that I have always loved about music is harmonies. Crosby Stills and Nash had great harmonies in their songs. You guys harmonize beautifully, as well, and that is one of the many things that I love about your music. I love hearing you share your thoughts and feelings and ideas on things, also. I’m so glad that I found you on YouTube last year. Keep the songs and videos coming.
I love where these videos take me, there’s memories, great music, warm and cozy chat, it’s very uplifting.
The tight harmonies have always fascinated me. In school, I was about 15 we did Our House. Thankfully there’s no recording of that! ????
The twins were masters at 14 already.
I’m so thankful for these videos and how they are evolving. ????????❤️
Great album ! Suite: Judy Blue Eyes is about folk singer Judy Collins, The next album with Neil Young, “Deja Vu” is a masterpiece too. Jerry Garcia from Grateful Dead plays pedal steel guitar on “Teach Your Children”. Let´s all stay groovy !
Very nice! ????❤
Thank you for sharing your insights on this debut CSN album; very well done! I was 13 years old when the album came out. It was a breakthrough album for us to listen to in the background of Led Zeppelin who also emerged in the same year.
What an amazing soundtrack to have for your teenage years. We still wish that music of that quality would have been part of the “mainstream” music in our teens too. But thanks to the internet we had all that music at our fingertips anyway. We’re so glad we found CS&N and all the amazing artists before our time that would inspire us to pursue a life in music.
Definitely and oldie but goodie! I was 11 years old at the time, they came onto my radar a few years later. You got to love those harmonies. Lisa your hair is SO LONG! Fantastic!
The Latin sounding ending of Suite Judy foreshadows a nice album by Stephen Stills and his band Manassas. They put out a very nice self-titled double-album (Manassas), followed by a a solid second album (Down the Road). Both have a lot of Latin feel. I pulled my copy of CSN from my shelf to look at. There is a double fold insert with lyrics and credits and a bit of artwork. But I also saved the shrink wrap because of the sticker which lists the songs. I also have the price sticker and the name of the shop where I bought a lot of albums back in the day. Wonderland Records, in Newark, Delaware. $4.99. The price would have been in the threes if I had gotten the album when it came out. I got a lot of records at around $3.79 in the early 70’s. Based on the price, I probably filled in my collection about 5 years later. It’s a great one and Deja Vu is a masterful follow-up. There are several solo albums from which it’s possible to imagine an album I call “Deja Vu Again”.
Manassas is news to us! We’ll check out the album/band, thanks for the tip.
Represents a time of young people pioneering new, exciting music. The raw talent was fresh, indelible and obvious even in to-days context. That youthful excitement always moves on to other things and the subsequent diversion to all things tech is what has absorbed it over the past thirty years. The advantage now is accessing the past is easy and to-days young can and do listen to music from periods such as this. The flip sides are talented young musicians to-day have to constantly re-invent their models to survive (or prosper). MLT – you are doing great and on to something.
I was about 17 when Marrakesh Express came out. About 5 years ago I finally managed to get to Marrakesh completely because of that song. All of the CSNY music seems as fresh now, and as evocative of the age as it was on the days it came out.
Music inspiring travel – what a beautiful thought! I bet the tourism board of Marrakesh loves CSN! 😉 Hope you enjoyed your trip! From what we’ve seen of our grandparents’ photos it’s such a buzzing, colourful place to visit – especially the markets!
I still have the original vinyl that I bought back when it came out and several digital copies from different incarnations of the album. It probably doesn’t make my top ten list but it does make the top 25 for sure. One other piece of trivia – “Mama” Cass Elliot sang background vocals on “Pre-Road Downs”.
What a great way to spend part of my evening. Thank you for sharing yourselves with us in such a personal way. I was only twelve years old when this album was released but I remember it well since I have many older brothers and sisters and this album remained popular among my high school friends in southern California, especially the surfer crowd. My high school was located only a few blocks from the beach. So, I was aware of some of the interesting features you described, but most of what you explained was new to me and will allow me to enjoy this album even more in the future. One thing that you didn’t mention was that Suite Judy Blue Eyes is a reference to the singer Judy Collins with whom Stephen Stills was in a relationship at the time, but they were about to break up. Songs written by artists about their personal lives often reflect much more emotion, and this is often what makes listening to music so enjoyable. Many of the songs written by the group Fleetwood Mac are examples of this. But, thanks again for making me feel that I was just hanging out with some friends who I am VERY privileged to know. I look forward to our next get together. I may open a bottle of wine for the occasion.
Aw, thanks Michael, we are glad you joined us too 🙂 These videos are fun to make and while filming we like to imagine we are playing these albums to our friends. Which we feel like this MLT Club has become full of. Thanks for telling us about the Judy Collins connection. We didn’t know this was recorded close to their breakup. You can tell it is a very personal song ♥
Best year that 1969…????…This is another record gem that my 2nd oldest bro has in his record collection, to which he exposed me too growing up back in the 70s… Their distinctive harmonies… It indeed has a magicness to it, and you both did do that song well, away back when, I remember that posting at the time. Thankyou for that edition of WOTT, most enjoyable to listen to, learn from…
Brings back memories. I graduated high school in 1969, and remember seeing their Woodstock performance on video. Blew me away! Also the fact that these seasoned musicians admitted they were scared to do this performance.
Too many memories from this one. It was considered THE album of the late 60s/early 70s. If someone was having a party, this album had to be there for the party to be successful. Also, I first heard it on the Woodstock 8-track during summer of 1970 and it was so different and it was my first summer of cruising in cars around town. And, I have heard Stephen played all instruments but drums (Dallas Taylor). I think you two would do well with Helplessly Hoping, too. Mike.
Helplessly Hoping AKA the Alliteration Song.
I think the MonaLisa triplets could do a wonderful job on Helplessly Hoping! I truly love these WOTTs! Your love of music really shines through! I was a junior in high school when this album came out. (that would be year 11 for you Brits) This was the first “super group”. I actually saw them live in Milwaukee in 1970 along with several other groups like The Ides of March (a Chicago band who did Vehicle). Thank you girls for including us in your trip down memory lane!
What a great year to see them live, they must have done loads of songs off that debut album!
Classic album. You could easily do ” Helplessly Hoping ” with just two voices. Take a look at Irish band Dea Matrona doing just that on YouTube.
When Lisa asks Mona, what’s your favorite part? DO DODO! and Mona starts jumping up and down. You can feel the enthusiasm and how much they enjoyed it.
For me, when Neil Young was added it became the quintessential harmony group others tried to emulate.
The MonaLisa Twins have managed to capture that sound, like no other since.
Its a sound that can’t be taught. Its either there or its not.
Crosby, Stills, Nash and/or Young have had a string of hits that will never be matched, 8n the way that you have 4 different guys from different genres that came together to create the ultimate sound .
Ladies thanks so much for an uplifting Whats On The Table Sesh Today!! So Good!
All the Best always
Rick Ross
Just love these What’s On The Table videos, and todays was so enjoyable. Crosby, Stills and Nash have such wonderful harmonies in all their songs with great acoustic guitar sounds and always cool country folk rock feel; if you can arrange a third twin again for a cover, that would be awesome. Those clips from 2008 sounded great, so glad you posted those! One of the earliest CS&N songs I enjoyed was “Our House”, and “Teach Your Children”, my two favourites of theirs, but they did so many great songs to call any particular one a fave really, like them all. Thanks for another wonderful time hearing you both discuss music.
I think I first heard songs from this album a couple of years after it was released, and I almost think it was on a K-Tel compilation record. They pretty much invented the compilation record, and considering the songs that were included, it wouldn’t surprise me to find out that existing K-Tel vinyl is probably rather valuable.
One aspect of this record that I find engaging is how the song writing differs from each of these three, yet the sound of the band is as familiar and distinct as that of Glenn Miller in the 1940’s. It takes only a few bars to know whose songs these are.
Lisa’s on to something when she suggests that this album brought folk style back onto the mainstream scene in 1969. The argument could be made that many their contemporaries used this opening after hearing this, discovering how it was done, and applied the knowledge to their own music. Pre-disco Bee Gees, Eagles, and America all show a little respect to CSN, as do even more recent releases. Check out Boyz II Men’s cover of “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday”, and its’s not difficult to imagine they studied some CSN while developing their sound.
For a recommendation, perhaps James Taylor’s “Gorilla” from 1975, that includes some nice drumming from Russ Kunkel and Jim Keltner, and which incidentally features Crosby and Nash on vocals. Also, there’s even some accordion, in case you’re looking for examples as a recent post might suggest.
As always, WOTT is ultra-groovy, sincere thanks for keeping it up!
It’s uncanny how you pick music that was just so important and close to my heart. 1969 was the year I graduated from high school and CSN was my favorite group. Their harmonies, acoustic and melodic style and relevant lyrics touched something inside of me and helped shape me as a young adult. I didn’t know CSN was on your radar but I should have known better. The fact that you respect them so much that you want to wait to cover their songs until you can do all three harmonies says it all. I can’t wait until the day you do it!!!
Hmmm… it seems the issue with the cover photo could have been resolved just by printing a mirror image of it.
To follow up on what Charles said, the feedback Stephen Stills received from his unsuccessful Monkees audition led him to think that they might be looking for someone like his old Greenwich Village roommate, Peter Tork. So he informed Peter about the casting call, and the rest was history.
I like your way of thinking … only that it would have turned Stills into a left handed guitar player 😉
I thought of that. People would have just said that it was a clue that Paul is dead.
This one brought back memories!
I love it when you pull out an album I haven’t listened to in years and it just takes me back. And this WOTT is one of those moments. I was in high school when this came out and by the time I started college in 1970, it seemed like every guy in the dorms had this album! And those harmonies wow! A great choice! Thank you
The sixties had such great music. I was in high school when this came out. I had been listening to Buffalo Springfield, Stephen Stills and Neil Young wrote most of the songs for that group. Stills and Young were great playing off each other on guitar. David Crosby while with the Byrds, was great in his own right, rhythm player, unusual chords fine harmony. Graham Nash while with the Hollies, himself had some great success. Singer, songwriter, musician. Put those three together and total magic….and add Neil Young…well.. you have a GREAT group. I got this album in 1969, played the heck out of it. Helplessly Hoping was kinda my favorite with Stills guitar playing. You know, a lot of this music of the time was not drug induced, but listening to it, after a joint, seemed to make the whole world a little better. I have seen the three of them in concert, but all four of them several times. Neil seems to make the band just a little better, the crowd sure goes crazy when he walks out and starts playing. He gave them a little more rock edge I think. CSN have made many albums together, and many are really good. CSN&Y have only made three, but they are great in their own right. Again, Stills and Young seem to write most of the songs for those albums, as they did with Buffalo Springfield. You ladies really picked a winner to do for this segment. I love your mugs, Mona’s VW bus and Lisa’s Woodstock, went right with the program. Looking Forward….a CSN&Y album, to your next WOTT. As always, Peace, Love and Happiness
Another great WOTT. These are great. Guinevere has a long intro, doesn’t it.
I always get a little anxious expecting the singing to begin, and then David’s golden voice sings, “Guinevere has green eyes….” chills.
I just found this, ahem, “two-part harmony” of Guinevere. It looks like they are a little anxious, too. I swear, David always looks like he is the only one in on the joke. This one is really nice. “Peacocks wandered aimlessly, underneath an orange tree, why can’t she see me?”
https://youtu.be/58LLfsFxdco
It’s pretty kool to see young people enjoying these fifty year old songs. You two have impeccable taste. I like how you ended listening to 49 Bye-Byes with your mics turned down. It resembles a daytime talk show.
TGIF!
JP
Oh ya, have you ever checked out Stephen’s “Just Roll Tape”? It is basically what it sounds like. Stills, a guitar, and a mic. I love the raw early demo of Wooden Ships and Change Partners. “Easy, the way it’s supposed to be”
One of my favorite bands, hard to pick one band so have a group together. Have this album and some. Am a huge fan of Stephen Stills, have a lot of his albums. In the 70’s was when I got into them.
For fans of Crosby, Stills & Nash, there is a video on YouTube of a live performance from 1969 of “Long Time Gone”, one of the songs on this album.. It is CSN and Neil Young with Tom Jones as the lead vocalist. A lot of people moan when they hear the name Tom Jones, but this performance is exceptional. You can tell by the look on the faces of CSNY that they were having a great time also. Highly recommended.
Thanks Tim, Tom Jones was a true master of his craft. My memory of him is What’s New Pussy Cat.
This is awesome. The band is really tight. I don’t think I have ever seen Stephen sing like that. Who knew he could sing such high notes?
JP
I actually watched the show when it aired. My parents liked Tom Jones and we watched his shows. When they came on and Tom was singing with them, I was like…”HUH?” It was still great tho. Did you know Stephen Stills was going to be a Monkee? He was turned down because of his teeth. True story
A wonderful choice. They are one of my favorite groups and I have seen them several time in concert back in the 70’s. I grew up in Philadelphia, and while working for a local firm, ran a volunteer group that donated time and food monthly to feed families at a local institution called Ronald McDonald House. You probably recognize the name, but you may not know that the house is for families from out of town that have children staying at our local Children’s Hospital. This was the first House of it’s type in the U.S, and they “unofficially” used “Our House”, as their theme. They wrote to Graham Nash to let him know, and he sent them a framed copy of the original hand written lyrics to hang in their foyer.
What a heartwarming story ♥
One of my favorite songs from them was a song they came back with after being broken up because of arguing for years. It’s a song called, ‘Wasted On The Way’, which sounds like a drug reference, but is actually about the time they lost for years by stupid bickering. Timothy B. Schmit from the Eagles joins in for some great harmony also, on the album version. He has a super high pitched voice, (think of the song by the Eagles, ‘I Can’t Tell You Why’, in which he is the lead singer.) So all that being said, here’s a link to a live performance of Wasted On The Way: https://youtu.be/Kg-Qdrr3XSk
Always wonderful hanging out with my favorites and enjoying their observations.
I loved the “Baby MLT” snippets; would be great to see that clip in it’s entirety. I still love your original version of Penny Lane and wish we could see that video.
Great choice of music as usual – you both are just too cool and too awesome!
It’s always so much fun to see you listening to all of this great music (from my teen years!), enjoying it and giving your take and stories about them Love the Marrakesh photos. I’ve seen them perform 5 times over 40 years and they always put on a great show. Looking forward to next week.
Great album! I hope you do a cover song. Another great album of theirs was the Deja vu album. Great songs on that album too.
Deja Vu is another favourite of ours ♥
This is a seminal album for me. It so reminds me of my college years. Amazing harmony for that time (or any time, really). As the story goes these guys first sang together informally at Cass Elliot’s house and realized they were born to sing together. And they’re still doing it! Graham Nash is such a great song writer. As much as I love CSN, his ‘Songs for Beginners’ holds a higher spot among my all time favorites.. I wore out the grooves on that one. I recommend it to you. Seattle Bob
I always learn a lot from both of you!! What an incredible album!! This leads me to another tangent. I heard Joni Mitchell talk about her plans to go to Woodstock with C,S,N and Y, but she had to stay behind for another obligation. So, while she was watching the festival on TV, she decided to write a “little song” appropriately titled ‘Woodstock’. I love her haunting solo version as well as the version she wrote for her friends. I’ve always wanted to hear your rendition. I was six during the Woodstock Festival. Too bad my parents weren’t groovy hippies. Maybe, I could have gone.
Another great, fun WOTT session! Media outlets should pay you to review for them. This is a great album. I remember it well when it came out. You are correct that it seemed very different from the rest of the “in” music at the time. Great singing and playing. While CS&N seems somewhat folksy in tone, it is interesting that Stills was known to play with Jimi Hendrix and was reportedly considered for the bassist position in Hendrix’s band. An “essential” album for me; if you want to dig deeper, a box set was released in 1991 and recently reissued; contains 77 tracks with lots of alternate takes and songs both for CSN as a group and individually (some with Neil Young).