Atlantic/Rhino
Crosby, Stills & Nash‘s self-titled debut album was released May 29, 1969 — 50 years ago today. The harmony-soaked 10-track collection marked the emergence of one of rock’s first supergroups, made up, respectively, of former members of The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and The Hollies.
Graham Nash tells ABC Radio he knew the trio had something special the first time he sang with David Crosby and Stephen Stills, at a dinner party at Joni Mitchell‘s house in 1968.
After singing a harmony part he’d added to the then-new Stills song “You Don’t Have to Cry,” Graham says he was so blown away by the trio’s vocal blend, “I realized at that moment that I would have to go back to England, leave The Hollies, leave my equipment, leave my family, and come and follow that sound. And that’s what I did.”
Nash says all three band members brought strong material to the album, but credits Stills’ “musical genius” for making it as good as it was.
“Stephen played almost every instrument,” Graham notes. “Of course, Crosby and I played our guitars on [our compositions] ‘Guinnevere’ and ‘Pre-Road Downs’ and ‘Lady of the Island’ and ‘Long Time Gone’…but Stephen played lead guitar…rhythm guitar…bass guitar…keyboards…B3 organ and…percussion.”
In addition to the aforementioned songs, Crosby, Stills & Nash also features the classic-rock staples “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” “Marrakesh Express” and “Wooden Ships.”
Reflecting on CSN’s early days, Nash says, “It was pure magic…[W]e had that sound that we had created, and we had those songs, and…we knew that that album was gonna be a big hit.”
Right they were. Crosby, Stills & Nash peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200, and has gone on to sell more than four million copies in the U.S.
Here’s the album’s full track list:
“Suite: Judy Blue Eyes”
“Marrakesh Express”
“Guinnevere”
“You Don’t Have to Cry”
“Pre-Road Downs”
“Wooden Ships”
“Lady of the Island”
“Helplessly Hoping”
“Long Time Gone”
“49 Bye-Byes”
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