Crosby, Stills & Nash
Greatest Hits

(Rhino/Atlantic)

First Appeared in The Music Box, April 2005, Volume 12, #4

Written by John Metzger

There is a distinctive stylistic flow to each of Crosby, Stills, and Nash’s first four studio albums. Because of this, a retrospective compilation that focuses upon these efforts, which spanned a thirteen year period from 1969 through 1982, is destined to be not only inferior but also a bit of a jumbled mess. Indeed, this is exactly the case with Greatest Hits, which additionally commits the egregious sin of completely avoiding Neil Young’s contributions to the collective on its seminal outing Déjà Vu. Despite these flaws, however, the set magnificently represents the group’s career simply because its contents are so timeless, fresh, and vibrant. From the smoldering, politically-charged Long Time Gone to the wistful reflection of Wasted on the Way; from the acid-drenched spirituality of Cathedral to the hard-driving tale of love and loss that frames Carry On/Questions; from the intricate beauty of Guinnevere to the buoyant, Eastern-tinged bounce of Marrakesh Express; and from the spirited Suite: Judy Blue Eyes to the apocalyptic aftermath of Wooden Ships, the 19-track Greatest Hits touches nearly all of the essential bases of Crosby, Stills, and Nash’s extraordinary canon. With its tight-knit, brotherly harmonies and its variegated stew of jazz, folk, blues, country, rock, and soul, the trio created something that was quite unlike anything that had come before it. Although many bands since then have attempted to follow suit, none, amazingly, have been able to capture the same heavenly, hypnotic, alchemical charm of Crosby, Stills, and Nash’s first few forays.

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Ratings

1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!

Copyright © 2005 The Music Box