"Reflections" by GRAHAM NASH [feat Hollies, Crosby Stills Nash & Young and more] (February 2009 Rhino/Atlantic 3 x HDCD Book Set Of Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With 300+ Others Is Available In My

SOUNDS GOOD E-Book on all Amazon sites

CLASSIC ROCK & POP 1970 to 1974 - Exceptional CD Remasters  

Just Click Below To Purchase for £3.95

Thousands of E-Pages - All Details and In-Depth Reviews From Discs 
(No Cut and Paste Crap)

"…Feed Them On Your Dreams…"

Featuring The Hollies, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Dave Mason of Traffic, Members of The Grateful Dead and more. Includes tracks from the albums "Crosby, Stills & Nash" (1969), "Déjà Vu" (1970), "Graham Nash/David Crosby" (1972), "Wind On The Water" (1975), "Whistling Down The Wire" (1976), "CSN" (1977) and more...

Across 64 tracks, 3CDs and a career spanning 40 years – Graham Nash's offering in the on-going solo reissues for CROSBY, STILLS, NASH and YOUNG gives you a whopping 32 previously unreleased tracks, a fabulously detailed booklet and the whole kit and caboodle remastered into sparkly HDCD. Here are the harmonising English-Boy done-good details…

Released February 2009 – "Reflections" by GRAHAM NASH on Rhino/Atlantic 8122-79935-8 (Barcode 081227993580) is 3 x HDCD Book Set of Remasters with Previously Unreleased Material that breaks down as follows:

Disc 1 (74:52 minutes):

1. On A Carousel – THE HOLLIES (February 1967 UK 7” single on Parlophone R 5562, A-side, Mono)

2. Carrie Anne – THE HOLLIES (May 1967 UK 7” single on Parlophone R 5602, A-side, Mono)

3. King Midas In Reverse – THE HOLLIES (September 1967 UK 7” single on Parlophone R 5637, A-side, Mono)

4. Marrakesh Express – CROSBY, STILLS & NASH

5. Pre-Road Downs – CROSBY, STILLS & NASH

6. Lady Of The Island – CROSBY, STILLS & NASH (tracks 4 to 6 are from the album “Crosby, Stills & Nash” released June 1969 in the USA on Atlantic SD 8229 and in the UK on Atlantic 588 189)

7. Our House – CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG

8. Teach Your Children – CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG (tracks 7 and 8 originally on the album “Déjà Vu” released March 1970 in the USA on Atlantic SD 7200 and in the UK on Atlantic 2401 001. Track 8 is a Previously Unreleased Mix)

9. Right Between The Eyes – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased Demo)

10. I Used To Be King – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased Alternate Mix)

11. Simple Man – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased Alternate Mix)

12. Man In The Mirror – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased Alternate Mix)

13. Better Days – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased Alternate Mix)

14. Military Madness – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased Alternate Mix)

15. Sleep Song – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased Alternate Mix)

16. Chicago/We Can Change The World – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased Alternate Mix)

17. Southbound Train – CROSBY & NASH

18. Immigration Man – CROSBY & NASH (tracks 17 and 18 on the album “Graham Nash / David Crosby” released April 1972 in the USA on Atlantic SD 7220 and May 1972 in the UK on Atlantic K 50011)

19. Wild Tales – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased Alternate Mix)

20. Prison Song – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased Alternate Mix)

21. Oh! Camil (The Winter Soldier) – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased Alternate Mix)

22. On The Line – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased Alternate Mix)

23. You’ll Never Be The Same – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased Alternate Mix)

24. Another Sleep Song – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased Alternate Mix)

Disc 2 (74:38 minutes):

1. To The Last Whale: Critical Mass/Wind On The Water – DAVID CROSBY / GRAHAM NASH

2. Fieldworker – DAVID CROSBY / GRAHAM NASH

3. Cowboy Of Dreams – DAVID CROSBY /  GRAHAM NASH

4. Love Work Out – DAVID CROSBY and GRAHAM NASH (tracks 1 to 4 are from the album “Wind On The Water” released October 1975 in the USA on ABC Records ABCD-902 and January 1976 in the UK on Polydor 2310 428)

5. Marguerita – DAVID CROSBY and GRAHAM NASH (on the album “Whistling Down The Wire” released July 1976 in the USA on ABC Records ABCD-956 and in the UK on Polydor 2310 468)

6. Taken At All – CROSBY. STILLS, NASH & YOUNG (Previously Unreleased Alternate Mix)

7. Mutiny – CROSBY, NASH (on the album “Whistling Down The Wire” released July 1976 in the USA on ABC Records ABCD-956 and in the UK on Polydor 2310 468)

8. Just A Song Before I Go – CROSBY, STILLS & NASH (on the album “CSN” released June 1977 in the USA on Atlantic SD 19104 and in the UK on Atlantic K 50369)

9. Cold Rain – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased mix)

10. Cathedral – CROSBY, STILLS & NASH (originally on the album “CSN” released June 1977 in the USA on Atlantic SD 19104 and in the UK on Atlantic K 50369 – this is a Previously Unreleased Mix)

11. Barrel Of Pain (Half-Life) – GRAHAM NASH

12. Magical Child – GRAHAM NASH (11 and 12 originally on the album “Earth & Sky” released March 1980 in the USA on Capitol SWAK-12014 and in the UK on Capitol EA-ST 12014. Track 12 is a Previously Unreleased Alternate Mix) 

13. Song For Susan – CROSBY, STILLS, NASH

14. Wasted On The Way - CROSBY, STILLS, NASH (13 and 14 on the album “Daylight Again” released July 1982 in the USA on Atlantic SD 19360 and in the UK on Atlantic K 50896)

15. Love Is The Reason – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased Alternate Mix)

16. Raise A Voice - CROSBY, STILLS, NASH (on “Allies” (Live) released June 1983 on Atlantic 78-0075-1)

17. Clear Blue Skies - CROSBY, STILLS, NASH (Previously Unreleased version)

18. Lonely Man - CROSBY, STILLS, NASH (Previously Unreleased song)

19. Sad Eyes – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased Alternate Mix)

20. Water From The Moon – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased song)

21. Soldiers Of Peace - CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG (on the album “American Dream” released November 1988 in the USA on Atlantic 7 81888-1 and in the UK on Atlantic WX 233)

Disc 3 (74:55 minutes):

1. If Anybody Had A Heart – CROSBY, STILLS & NASH

2. Chippin’ Away – GRAHAM NASH (on the album “Innocent Eyes” released April 1986 in the USA on Atlantic 7 81888 1 and Atlantic WX 233 in the UK)

3. After The Dolphin – CROSBY, STILLS & NASH

4. House Of Broken Dreams - CROSBY, STILLS & NASH (1, 3 and 4 on the album “Live It Up” released June 1990 on LP in the UK and USA on Atlantic 7567 82101-1)

5. Unequal Love – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased version)

6. Liar’s Nightmare – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased version)

7. Heartland – CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG (on the album “looking Forward” released November 1999 on CD on East West 9362 47436-2)

8. These Empty Days – CROSBY, STILLS & NASH (on the album “After The Storm” released August 1994 on CD on East West 7567 82654-2)

9. Try To Find Me – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased song)

10. Two Hearts – CAROLE KING and GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased version)

11. Behind The Shades – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased song)

12. Michael (Hedges Here) – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased version)

13. I Surrender – CROSBY, NASH

14. Live On (The Wall) – CROSBY, NASH (tracks 13 and 14 are on the 2CD set “Crosby Nash” released 2004 on Sanctuary 06076-84683-2 in the USA and Sanctuary SANDD293 in the UK and Europe)

15. Dirty Little Secret – GRAHAM NASH

16. We Breathe The Same Air – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased song)

17. Grace – CROSBY, NASH

18. Jesus Of Rio – CROSBY, NASH

19. In Your Name – GRAHAM NASH (Previously Unreleased song)

The audio remaster handled by Graham Nash, Bernie Grundman and John Nowland are truly gorgeous – full of life and presence – really superb work done and care taken. Nowland was involved with the brilliant Neil Young NYA CD remasters over the last few years and Bernie Grundman is a long-established engineer of considerable note. You feel care was taken with each and every track. The 150-page booklet is properly gorgeous – a glossy paperback rammed with colour photos, album sleeves, reminiscences on all the songs, contributions from his vast array of musician friends (household names one and all) and images of his alter life as a painter, artist and photographer. And while the David Crosby Box Set “Voyage” from 2006 had his career on Discs 1 and 2 with all the Previously Unreleased stuff entirely allocated to (a stunning) Disc 3 – the Nash box chooses to mix them in – in chronological order.

Disc 1 opens with a triple-whammy winner of Hollies hits followed quickly by three Nash contributions to the debut CSN album in turn followed by his lovely “Our House” from “Déjà Vu”. We’re then hammered with a slew of 17 alternate versions and this is where I feel some problems arise. Some like “I Used To Be A King” and the acoustic take of “Another Sleep Song” are really excellent - but songs that I love like “Better Days”, “Military Madness” and “On The Line” get lesser or ‘countrified’ versions - when I really wanted upgraded remastered originals.

As you open Disc 2 you’re hit with the vocal magnificence of “To The Last Whale…” and the guitar funk of “Love Work Out”. “Just A Song Before I Go” from 1977’s “CSN” sounds amazing – fantastic audio-quality - as does the Alternate of “Magical Child”. But as we get further into the Eighties and Nineties the quality varies enormously. On the one hand you get the naff “Chippin’ Away” siding with the genuinely moving – a really lovely alternate version of “Unequal Love” – intimate and in your living room. The non-album “Water From The Moon” is awful cod-rock while “House Of Broken Dreams” from the underrated “Live It Up” CSNY set from 1990 is excellent (“separate houses, separate hearts…”). I liked a lot of what was on the 2CD “Crosby/Nash” 2004 set including their hurting version of Marc Cohn’s “I Surrender”. It ends on “In Your Name” – a prayer to God to “stop all this killing in your name…” – a sweet ballad and a cool way to finish the box.

It’s not all genius for sure and some of the stuff on Disc 2 and 3 is too maudlin and middle of the road - but what is here is beautifully remastered and presently in drop-dead gorgeous surroundings. Time to reappraise. Man were they a talented bunch…