Alan Dearling On the music of David Crosby.
After recording five albums with the Byrds, for Croz, a new musical adventure began in Crosby, Stills and Nash.
But he was always a restless soul. He had a rich variety of musical mates (some indeed, he did date and mate with!). So, the fact that he sang with many of them in a whole lot of different combinations, should come as no surprise.
Among them was his own weird and wonderfully named, David and the Dorks:
David and the Dorks December 15, 1970, The Matrix – San Francisco, California. They were something of a musical ‘shambles’. But it has its charm and there are certainly some exquisite moments of magic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7ThT-9rn_M
The Dorks were: David Crosby – guitar, vocals; Phil Lesh – bass; Bill Kreutzmann or Mickey Hart(?) – drums, and Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals.
He also was part of the loose collective of musicians who supported Paul Kantner and friends as they took off from the Jefferson Airplane and other bands heading into hyperspace and became the foundation of the Jefferson Starship! Their first album collaboration, recorded in 1970, was ‘Blows Against the Empire’. It was loosely a concept album about hi-jacking a starship. It was one of my favourite ‘trippy’ albums during the end of my time at university – in fact, many of my friends at the University of Canterbury enjoyed this type of ‘stoner’ music that also underpinned the music of many of the Canterbury Scene bands like Caravan and Spirogryra and fellow UK student, Steve Hillage. Here’s a video that suitably encapsulates the Starship sound:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaHNAVgVkDY
Jefferson Starship actually didn’t exist for another four years, but the artists on this album included:
Paul Kantner: Vocals, guitar; Grace Slick: Vocals, piano; Jerry Garcia: Lead guitar; Harvey Brooks: Bass; David Crosby: Vocals; Graham Nash: Vocals; Bill Kreutzman: Percussion.
The second album recorded in 1971 included many of the same musicians. The album on the Grunt label in America was credited to Paul Kantner and Grace Slick. It was called ‘Sunfighter’. Another great crown of creation! (quite a nice pun if you know your Airplane!). I think that cover featured China Wing Kantner, Grace Slick’s baby from her partnership with Paul.
Sunfighter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02ZfWUXJM78
Wikipedia refers to the musicians as ‘many of the most famous from the Bay’:
“…including all of the then current lineup of Jefferson Airplane, members of the Grateful Dead, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, and the horn group, Tower of Power. This album is also the first time a 17-year old Craig Chaquico recorded with Paul Kantner and Grace Slick.”
So, now I want to tell you a little about the musicians who helped David create his first solo album, ‘If I could only remember my name’. They included many ‘A-listers’ from the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna, plus Joni Mitchell, C,S,N &Y and many more. In turn, many of them later turned up in the Planet Earth Rock ‘n’ Roll Orchestra – PERRO (but, hey that’s another story).
But not everyone is aware that in 2021, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of David’s solo album, a rather wonderful double CD version of the album was produced by Rhino with Atlantic. The original album has been re-mastered from analogue tapes.
I always liked the sound of David’s voice, and on this collection he is in his high octave element. He caresses sounds. It’s not about the words, far more about the blending of his soundscapes with some superb playing by Jerry Garcia. It’s loose, lots of scatting solos from David and great organic jamming. It’s collaborative and creative. A musician in his element amongst his best muso-friends. It’s a youthful album, and a thing of beauty. The demos and alternate takes are an inspirational bonus addition to what already is a true ‘classic’ album.
Apparently, much of David’s inspiration for the material on his first solo album was spawned whilst sailing his newly acquired schooner called, ‘Mayan’. The whole of the album is emblematic of David flying his freak flag proudly. It floats, swirls, drifting along on a bedrock of gorgeous harmonics and is a celebration of everything that made hippy music a lovely idyll, even whilst the reality was getting tarnished by wars, corporate greed and sadly, the downside-effects of drugs.
In his highly informed liner notes, Steve Silberman tells us that at the time the album was treated with much abuse by the critics:
“Robert Christgau of the ‘Village Voice’ called the album ‘disgraceful’ and gave it a D-minus. ‘Rolling Stone’ dismissed it as ‘a perfect aural aid to digestion’.”
This double CD is an embryonic musical love story. It offers much of the same vibe as Crosby’s most acclaimed tracks like ‘Triad’ and ‘Guinnevere’ and the most intimate creations of Nick Drake. Pope Benedict XVI was quoted in the Vatican’s official newspaper calling it one of his top 10 pop albums of all time!
Check it out!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmXxqSJJq-yUsxzoB3Mxlaw89cE9-MI_X
In 1974 I attended the one-day festival featuring, C,S,N & Y, Joni Mitchell and The Band and more at the Wembley stadium. I’ve seen Neil Young many times since, but this was my only time watching and listening to David Crosby live.
And here’s an even more obscure (and messy) video compilation of Croz and friends:
David Crosby left Planet Earth on January 18th 2023.
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