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"...Our House Is A Very Fine House..."
January 2006 saw a superlative 'Expanded &
Remastered HDCD Edition' of CSN's monumental 1969 debut – "Crosby, Stills
& Young" – but no such luck for the follow-up – the No. 1 album –
"Deja Vu".
It seems astonishing that in January 2017 –
almost 47 years after this masterpiece was released Stateside in March 1970
(May 1970 in the UK) – that we're essentially left with a Standard CD Remaster
from the early 90's and a gatefold slip of paper as an inlay. No extras – no
celebration – no annotation of any kind. In fact the one piece of info they do
give is 'wrong' – quoting the US album's catalogue number as SD-19118 when that
was the 1977 re-issue number – the original was Atlantic SD-7200.
I know that doesn't in any way lessen the
achievement of both albums – two melodious Americana masterpieces still casting
a harmony-vocal shadow over today's myriad of musical landscapes. I just wish
there was more for an album that's been a cornerstone of millions of record
collections for closing on 50 years now. Still – let's deal with what we do
have. Here are the details (for which I almost cut my hair)...
UK released August 1994 (July 1994 in the USA) –
"Deja Vu" by CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG on Atlantic
7567-82649-2 (Barcode 075678264924) is a straightforward 'Digitally Remastered'
CD version of the 10-track album from 1970 and pans out as follows (36:31
minutes):
1. Carry On
2. Teach Your Children
3. Almost Cut My Hair
4. Helpless
5. Woodstock
6. Déjà Vu [Side 2]
7. Our House
8. 4 + 20
9. Country Girl: (a) Whiskey Boot Hill (b)
Down, Down, Down (c) "Country Girl" (I Think You're Pretty)
10. Everybody I Love You
Tracks 1 to 10 are their second studio album
"Deja Vu" – released March 1970 in the USA on Atlantic SD-7200 and
May 1970 in the UK on Atlantic 2401001. It rose to No.1 and No.5 respectively
on the US and UK charts. It was first reissued in the UK in March 1972 onto
Atlantic K 50001 (with the transfer of Atlantic’s catalogue to Kinney Music).
"Carry On" and "4 + 20" written by Stephen Stills -
"Everybody I Love You" written by Stephen Stills and Neil Young -
"Teach Your Children" and "Our House" written by Graham
Nash - "Almost Cut My Hair" and "Deja Vu" written by David
Crosby - "Helpless" and "Country Girl" written by Neil
Young with "Woodstock" being a Joni Mitchell cover version.
The gatefold inlay simply recreates the inner
gatefold of the original vinyl LP (same both sides of the pond) – there’s a
see-through CD tray with the words 'Digitally Remastered' on the spine and
that's it. The good news is obvious the moment you play the CD – a JOE GASTWIRT
Remaster from original tapes that rocks – warm, punchy and expressive when it
needs to be.
I can remember when I first heard Stills'
"Carry On" – the twanging acoustics – the hooky lyrics – but most of
all those voices harmonising in a way that blew you out of the water. And the
clever changes in tempos. Love is coming to us all indeed. Onwards to the code
to live by – the feed them on your dreams "Teach Your Children" – a
gorgeous Graham Nash ballad. In the UK the look-at-them-and-sigh "Teach
Your Children" (with Gerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead on Steel Guitar)
became the fourth 45 around the album when Atlantic paired it with "Deja
Vu" on Atlantic 2019 039 in November 1970. David Crosby comes storming in
like he’s Neil Young’s angrier brother with "Almost Cut My Hair"
examining how peer pressure works and eventually deciding to remain individual
– true to himself and let his freak flag fly. Neil decides to tells us in his
nasal whine about a town in North Ontario where all his changes were – a place
that still leaves shadows on his eyes (gorgeous audio as those voices come in
on the chorus). They end Side 1 with a rocked-up version of Joni Mitchell’s
peace weekend anthem "Woodstock" – Stills makes it more angry than it
should be but I prefer the Matthews Southern Comfort 7" single version
that went to No. 1 in the UK in 1970.
John Sebastian of The Lovin' Spoonful
contributes a late Harmonica warble to the Side 2 opener "Deja Vu" –
another David Crosby winner. As the years pass - I come back to the genius use
of guitars, voices and tempo breaks in this superb ‘makes me wonder’ song. And
that wall-of-sound that only CSNY make where they sing. “...We have all been
here before...” they chant – well yeah – and I’ll want to go back again and
again. We go acoustic ethereal with "4 + 20" – a fabulous Stephen
Stills tale of troubled souls – why am I so alone. Atlantic put the three-part
Neil Young "Country Girl" on the B-side of "Teach The
Children" in April 1970 (Atlantic 2091 002) – waitress winking –but the
sweet harmony vocals try to warn that there’s no love in the city. What a
brilliant song and I love that echoed Harmonica as it crescendos before fading
out. The album ends of the Stills/Young rocker "Everybody I Love You"
– guitars wailing as they "la la" those harmony vocals. What a
record...
We should talk about what’s not here. There's a
demo of the "Déjà Vu" classic "Teach Your Children" on the
Expanded Edition of "Crosby, Stills & Nash" which would have had
an obvious placing here. Fans will know that there is a version of "Almost
Cut My Hair" on the 1991 "Carry On" 4CD Box Set by CSNY and a
further version on Crosby’s 3CD Anthology from 2006 "Voyage". As well
as those there’s the stunning stand-alone 7” single "Ohio" b/w
"Find The Cost Of Freedom" – a brilliant two-sider that later turned
on the "So Far - Best Of” LP compilation in 1974 – all ideal Bonus Tracks
material. Perhaps one day we might get a Deluxe Edition 2CD set covering the
event in its entirety – we remain helplessly hoping...
"...A different kind of poverty now upsets
my soul... " – Stephen Stills sings on the quietly majestical "4 +
20". I never feel poverty when I listen to them - they've always lifted me
up. Embrace the many-coloured beast...as the great man says...
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