Danlo posted this in a different topic, but this is the kind of thing I'm talking about:
It REALLY is a matter of personal taste I guess, in my opinion FOR WHAT ITS WORTH (which is also the title of a song that relates 2 my choice) would have 2 b Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. This is based on 4 factors: 1.) Their contributions 2 impact bands b4 they became C,S,N & Y, 2.) Their combined musicianship, songwritting, harmonic vocals and social message as a band, 3.) What they continued 2 add 2 the music scene after their initial breakup and 4.) their longevity, individual personal messages and integrity. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's last album, Looking Forward, is a fun, entertaining and technically near perfect album (thanks 2 Neil Young) that still carries important messages of hope 4 the confused populace and they r still touring 2day. Through it all they have all maintained solo careers, as well. They also form a kinda cosmopolitian band: 2 Americans, 1 Englishman and 1 Canadian. David Crosby 1st gained recognition as a keyboardist, rhythm guitarist and backup vocalist 4 the Byrds, Graham Nash as a vocalist and writer 4 the Hollies and Stephen Stills and Neil Young as songwriters, singers, keyboardists and one of the best guitar duos of their time, aside from John Cippolina & Dino Valenti of Quicksilver, in Buffalo Springfield. Also look who else was associated w/this band: Richie Furay (who went on 2 Poco w/Neil's younger brother Rusty), Randy Miesner (who helped form the Eagles)and David Frieberg (who played bass and keyboards 4 Quicksilver and later became one of L.A.'s top session musicians). 2 top that all off Springfield, at the end of their touring, let a very young engineer sit in on bass and sing backup vocals: Jim Messina. When C,S,N put out their first album it was the best selling album of that time--when Neil Young joined them Deja Vu topped C,S,N 4 best selling album and then 4 Way Street became the best selling live album of it's time chronicling and raising distinct social awareness of the very heavy duty issues of the time: Richard Nixon, The Vietnam War, social unrest and the search 4 identity in America. Springfield's For What Its Worth combined with such C,S,N & Y songs as Wooden Ships, Ohio, Chicago and Suite: Judy Blues Eyes epitomized everything that was going on between '68 & '75 in a very unsure and constantly changing American social fabric. The group helped America come face 2 face w/it's issues: they treaded a very fine line between open rebellion and common sense in an intelligent, thought provoking and moving way at a time when the young American populace could, really, b moved in2 action, distinct civil action, in large part by musical influences. They also did it with an uncompromising, fearless manner while never selling out--2 this day none of them have sold out! All of their solo albums have done well, critically, w/Neil Young and Stephen Stills leading the way. Still's 1st and 2nd solo album were great as were many of his Manassas albums. Neil Young has gone on 2 b @ the 4front of many social issues and is now ranked up there w/Bob Dylan and John Lennon as 1 of the best songwriters of our time. Graham Nash and David Crosby's two combined albums were very good. C,S,N has toured, on and off, 4 the past 12 years--In any case it also can b argued that, when you put them al2gether, all 4 of them-that is, it is VERY, VERY hard 2 find anygroup, imo (even The Eagles or the Beatles) that can beat their combined harmonies--beautiful, just beautiful. Cripple but free; I was blind all the time I was learning to see<i></i>
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