Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

Although imperfect, 4 Way Street is essential for fans of CSN&Y. Its downfall is the way members take their individual turn in the spotlight, sidestepping the sharp harmonies that endeared CSN&Y to us in the first place. On the upside, the remastered version released in 1992 includes Young's "Cinnamon Girl/The Loner" medley and Nash's "King Midas in Reverse."

Between two miserable bootleg albums Wooden Nickel and Live at the Forum, atrocious
not so much due to the production imperfections common to bootleg recording but largely
because of the wretched workmanship of the group themselves and six cuts on the two
Woodstock albums which collectively constituted a monumental disaster in the history of
live recording, it seemed to me that, however one might view their two studio al... More >

Was it only two years ago that the formation of Crosby, Stills & Nash brought gladness to the hearts of rock and rollers who remembered that they loved tight songs rather than endless jams and believed that an ex-Hollie's pop sense would temper Byrds/Springfield folk-rock? Who would have figured that none of them would remember that rock and roll is also supposed to be funky--and fast. And that the best stuff on their live album would be the jams, dominated by the new guy, who would also write their tightest songs? And for that matter that a singalong of dig-its and right-ons by the man who wrote "For What It's Worth" and a goody-goody song about Chicago by the ex-Hollie would sound like political high points? (Grade - B-)