Crosby, Stills, and Nash CSN CD

Additional personnel includes: Neil Young (vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica); James Taylor (vocals, acoustic guitar); Joni Mitchell (vocals); Jimi Hendrix, Dave Mason, Donnie Dacus, Chris Hillman, Danny Kortchmar, Jimmy Page (guitar); Jerry Garcia, Al Perkins (pedal steel guitar); David Lindley (fiddle); Branford Marsalis (soprano saxophone); John Sebastian (harmonica); Carole King (keyboards); Bruce Palmer, Jack Casady, Phil Lesh, Leland Sklar (bass); Dallas Taylor, Bill Kreutzmann, Russ Kunkel (drums); Rita Coolidge, Fred Neil (background vocals).

Recorded between 1969 & 1990. Includes liner notes by Chet Flippo.

Arguably the last great Crosby Stills and Nash album, CSN was recorded before drugs and interpersonal squabbles wreaked irreparable damage to the group. This creative swan song is probably the trio's darkest, most introspective record, full of soul-searching ballads that detail the questions these men were asking themselves and each other about their lives at the time.

In true democratic fashion, all three members are well-represented by their contributions here. Nash provides one of his most memorable tunes, the elliptical minor-key ballad "Just A Song Before I Go," which contributes nicely to the moody feel of the record. Stills' "Fair Game" is an effective, Latin-tinged song about rejection and revenge. Crosby is at his best on the piano-based "Anything At All," a darkly humorous tune full of self-doubt and self-effacement, all the more poignant for its naked honesty.

Crosby, Stills & Nash are considered by many to be ground zero for the folk-rock movement that eventually blossomed in the '70s. The 4-CD CSN box set chronicles the ups and downs of this volatile group in all its different permutations. Sitting alongside hits with Neil Young ("Ohio," "Our House") and without ("Marrakesh Express," "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes") are songs by Manassas ("Johnny's Garden"), Crosby & Nash ("Immigration Man") and solo songs by David Crosby ("Music Is Love"), Graham Nash ("Military Madness") and Steven Stills ("Love The One You're With").

Often, these musical brothers played on each other's sessions with the thread of killer harmonies and topical songwriting being the one constant. This means plenty of unreleased goodies are sprinkled throughout this formidable collection. These include an unreleased version of Traffic's "Dear Mr. Fantasy" from 1980, a stripped-down reading of Joni Mitchell's "Urge For Going" done by Crosby & Nash and a number of songs done as CSN&Y but eventually re-recorded as Crosby/Nash or CSN including "See The Changes" and "Taken At All." The comprehensive booklet with extensive liner notes makes this box set indispensable for both casual and committed fans of any facet of CSN&Y.

All tracks have been digitally remastered.

Crosby, Stills & Nash: David Crosby (vocals, acoustic guitar); Stephen Stills (vocals, guitar, piano, timbales); Graham Nash (vocals, piano, harmonica).

Crosby, Stills & Nash: David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash.

Additional personnel: Joe Vitale (piano, organ, flute, drums, tympani, vibes, percussion); Craig Doerge (piano); Tim Drummond, Gerald Johnson, George Perry (bass); Russ Kunkel (drums, congas); Ray Barretto (congas).