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"…I Watched You Go Through
Changes That No Man Should Face Alone…"
With Stephen Stills and David
Crosby having produced absolute storming debut albums in November 1970 and
March 1971, Graham Nash's quietly lovely opener didn't disappoint either. In
fact in the early Seventies - it seemed like everything the combined and
individual talents of CSYN did was magical.
This October 2008 2-Disc
DELUXE EDITION of "Songs For Beginners" by GRAHAM NASH on Rhino/Atlantic
8122-79949-3 (Barcode 081227994938) celebrates his June 1971 debut album with a
Remastered Stereo Remix of the stand alone first disc - while the second disc
is a 5.1 DVD Audio Mix. You need a DVD player to hear the second disc that
contains a DVD Interview about his Photography featuring a Gallery of Stills,
Photo-Backed Lyrics & Web Links.
"Songs For
Beginners" was released in June 1971 on Atlantic SD 7204 in the USA and
Atlantic 2401 011 in the UK. The album featured many famous guests (one is
uncredited), so here's a detailed breakdown (33:47 minutes):
1. Military Madness
[DAVE
MASON of Traffic on Guitar with RITA COOLIDGE on Backing Vocals]
2. Better Days
[NEIL YOUNG
(credited as Joe Yankee) on Piano, SEEMON POSTHUMA of THE FOOL on Clarinet,
RITA COOLIDGE on Backing Vocals with DALLAS TAYLOR of CSYN and MANASSAS on
Drums]
3. Wounded Bird
[GN all
instruments and voices]
4. I Used To Be A King
[NEIL
YOUNG (credited as Joe Yankee) on Piano, JERRY GARCIA on Steel Guitar with PHIL
LESH on Bass (both of THE GRATEFUL DEAD) and DAVID CROSBY on Electric Guitar]
5. Be Yourself
[RITA COOLIDGE
on Piano, Electric Piano and Backing Vocals]
6. Simple Man
[DAVID LINDLEY
on Fiddle, DORIAN RUDNYTSKY of THE NEW YORK ROCK & ROLL ENSEMBLE on Cello
with RITA COOLIDGE on backing Vocals]
7. Man In The Mirror
[NEIL
YOUNG [credited as Joe Yankee] on Piano, JERRY GARCIA of THE GRATEFUL DEAD on
Steel Guitar, CHRIS ETHERIDGE of THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS on Bass]
8. There's Only One
[RITA
COOLIDGE on Piano & Backing Vocals, CHRIS ETHERIDGE on Bass, BOBBY KEYS on
Saxophone with VANETTA FIELDS, SHIRLEY MATTHEWS, CLYDIE KING & DOROTHY
MORRISON on Backing Vocals (The Blackberries)]
9. Sleep Song
[DAVE MASON on
Guitar with RITA COOLIDGE on Backing Vocals]
10. Chicago
[DORIAN RUDNYTSKY
on Cello]
11. We Can Change The World
[RITA COOLIDGE, VANETTA FIELDS...DOROTHY MORRISON on Backing Vocals]
The 20-page booklet has an
essay on the album and its star-studded background by noted writer DAVID FRICKE
- it features Session Photos, Lyrics, Detailed recording and reissue credits -
and even a picture of the master tapes.
But for fans the big news is
the SOUND. The CD album has been Stereo Remixed & Remastered and the
quality isn't just good - it's fabulous - BREATHTAKING. "Better Days" has a very quiet
Piano and Vocal Intro - it's spotlessly clean - and when the band kicks in -
it's an absolute wow! The mastering is credited to DOUG SAX and SANGWOOK NAM at
The Mastering Lab, Ojai - and they should both be Grammy nominated for it.
"Days" is followed by the Acoustic and Vocal-only of "Wounded
Bird" (a song for Stephen Stills and Judy Collins and their troubled
relationship) and it's a lovely as it gets - BEAUTIFULLY restored. The
delicately aching Cello work of Dorian Rudnytsky combines with Rita Coolidge's
Backing Vocals on "Simple Man" to genuinely touching effect, while
Jerry Garcia's Steel Guitar on "Man In the Mirror" adds a lot from an
instrument you wouldn't expect from him. And on three tracks there's Neil Young
- plinking away - putting in genuinely superb Piano work (he was credited as
Joe Yankee for legal reasons).
I find the 2nd disc, however,
problematic. I don't have a DVD AUDIO player and 99% of the planet doesn't
either - it's a dead format. Disc 2 features the entire album in Advanced
Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound, Dolby Digital & DTS - wonderful stuff guys -
if I could play it! But the really disappointing part is the complete lack of
anything new - no outtakes, no demos - not even a live recording. However - and
although it's completely unrelated to the album - things improve on the DVD
part of the disc - it contains an interview with Nash about his lifetime
obsession with black and white photography - and its fascinating - a lovely
man, intelligent, sensitive - and you suspect a real peacekeeper among huge
egos that often got out of hand. Then there's the gallery of images (he
explains many of them in the interview) - I won't spoil it too much for those
who are going to buy this except to say that there are captured moments on here
of Joni, Neil, Stills and especially his lifetime pal David Crosby that will
reduce some people to tears.
To sum up - a beautifully
realized first disc - with a slightly odd and unrepresentative 2nd. Still - for
fans of the album - this is a no brainer - the gorgeous remaster means you
simply have to own it...
