1970 - April: Crosby Stills Nash & Young “Deja Vu”

We covered the self-titled debut album from Crosby, Stills & Nash in episode 137.  Deja Vu is considered the second Crosby, Stills & Nash album, but it is actually the first album by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, with Canadian songwriter Neil Young turning the trio into a quartet.

While the album continues to feature the signature harmonies associated with Crosby, Stills & Nash, it has a harder, more rocking edge to it. Some of this is undoubtedly due to the addition of Neil Young to the album, but it also reflects the challenges the group members were facing.  Both Stephen Stills and Graham Nash had gone through break-ups in their relationships, and David Crosby tragically had lost his girlfriend Christine Hinton in a car accident.

The album was highly anticipated, generating $2 million in pre-sales before its release.  It became a gold record only 14 days after release, and was on the Billboard 200 album chart for 88 weeks.  Contemporary critics provided mixed reviews, but the album has only grown in stature over time, with many reviews considering it amongst the top albums ever produced.  Deja Vu was inducted into the Grammy Hall of fame in 2012.

After its release, each of the principal members of the group would record solo albums, and the success of Deja Vu contributed to the individual success of these four solo projects.

Crosby, Stills & Nash (and sometimes Young) would continue to produce albums over the decades with their last collaboration occurring in 2015.  The death of David Crosby in 2023 ended the possibility of full reunions.

Wayne brings us this soft rock singer-songwriter live album for this week's podcast.

 

Carry On The opening track to the album was penned by Stephen Stills who also provides lead vocals.  It is a medley of two songs edited together with a jam session connector, and came together surprisingly fast during a time when most songs were taking a long time to finish.  The lyrics encourage the band members to keep going through times of struggle in relationships both within and outside the band.

Teach Your Children Graham Nash wrote this song in 1968 when he was with The Hollies, but had not recorded it with that group at the time.  Nash has associated the song with a photograph exhibit showing a child playing with a toy hand grenade, and the lyrics encourage parents to be careful in how they teach their children.  Neil Young does not play on this song, but the steel guitar is provided by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. 

Woodstock Unlike the other tracks on this album, this song was not written by any of the band members, but was penned by Joni Mitchell.  Mitchell had not attended the Woodstock festival, but was inspired to write this song told from the perspective of a concert goer after hearing her then-boyfriend Graham Nash relay the account.  It has become a signature song for the group and a staple of the 60's counter-culture.  

Our House Graham Nash wrote this song as a description of a day spent with then-girlfriend Joni Mitchell and her two cats in their Laurel Canyon home.  The song was written in an hour on Mitchel's piano.  It went to number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100.  

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Theme from the motion Picture "Patton" This epic starring George C. Scott was playing in the theaters in 1970.  It won seven Academy awards, including Best Picture.

 

STAFF PICKS:

Let It Be by The Beatles Lynch starts the staff picks with a song inspired by a dream.  Paul McCartney's mother, Mary Patricia McCartney, died of cancer with Paul was 14.  In the dream, his mother encourages her son by saying, "It's all right, just let it be."  This single and title song from the final Beatles album debuted at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 before topping those charts.

Cecilia by Simon & Garfunkel Rob brings us the third single from the fifth and final album by Simon & Garfunkel, "Bridge Over Troubled Water."  It was developed in a late night jam when the duo and friends were banging on a piano bench and recording the sound with a tape recorder.  The lyrics depict the heartbreak of a boy delivered from Cecilia his unfaithful lover.

The Rapper by The Jaggerz Bruce features the most successful single from the band whose guitarist and primary songwriter would go on to be Donny Iris.  The song is a warning to the ladies not to be taken in by a smooth talking man telling them lies.  It went to number 2 on the charts.

Superlungs My Supergirl by Terry Reid Wayne's closes out the staff picks with a cover originally written by Donovan about a 14-year old groupie.  Terry Reid was Jimmy Page's first pick to be lead singer of Led Zeppelin, but was unavailable at the time due to his touring schedule with Cream and the Rolling Stones.  Reid would acquire the nickname of Superlungs.

 

NOVELTY TRACK:

Pineapple and the Monkey by The Faces This instrumental from The Faces debut album takes us out for this week.