ALBUM REVIEW: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - 4 Way Street

    As if Crosby, Stills & Nash couldn't possibly get any bigger in 1969, Neil Young joined the trio in 1970 - their first album as a quartet, Déjà vu, was an unbelievable commercial success, and became a defining ethos of the Laurel Canyon hippie era, up there with Carole King's Tapestry or Joni Mitchell's Ladies of the Canyon. This double-discer of a live album was the follow-up to that major success, spanning recordings from a series of concerts from June to July of 1970, containing more than a few CSN classics throughout the runtime - the members even get a spot to play some of their solo material. Split across an acoustic disc and a plugged-in disc, the result is definitely a little uneven at points, but nonetheless proves a fruitful follow-up to Déjà vu with plenty of good moments throughout to satiate that desire to hear some more CSNY.

    I think the main issue you could point to with some of the material here is simply the quality of the writer or the song at hand. On a first listen especially, it is apparent that Neil Young is far and away the best songwriter in the group - after the somewhat trite Nash songs, hearing "Cowgirl in the Sand" was such a breath of fresh air, and then to immediately follow it up with "Don't Let It Bring You Down" is even better. As good as these moments, it's worth mentioning that these solo moments rarely sound like Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - moments like "Triad" or "Right Between the Eyes" sound like David Crosby and Graham Nash, if that distinction matters to you. Speaking of Crosby and Nash, both of their songs have some issues - Crosby's songs tend to meander a bit, even if they are a product of that rich hippie lyricism that I tend to be favorable too; still, surely I can't be the only one that finds "The Lee Shore" a little overly long. Nash is, as I've stated before, probably the group's weakest songwriter, and if "Right Between the Eyes" isn't proof enough, than nothing will convince you - as least "Teach Your Children" and "Pre Road Downs" are here, which are pretty damn good. Stills isn't completely innocent here, either, as "49 Bye Byes" is so repetitive and stupid here - he starts interpolating "For What It's Worth" after about 2 minutes, and all I'm wondering is why he didn't just perform that song? It would've been better. This is the part where I mention that CD re-releases have some bonus material, and renditions of Nash's "King Midas in Reverse" and Stills' "Black Queen" would've been excellent additions to this record, and certainly far better than the aforementioned songs.

    Now, what's good? Well, quite a lot actually. For starters, every Neil Young song is a highlight. Every single one. From the proper opener of "On the Way Home" to the hulking 13-minute rendition of "Southern Man" to a damn good version of "Ohio," all of this should explain why I think Neil Young is far and away the best songwriter of the group. On the acoustic side, when the group actually does sing together instead of letting Nash sing "Right Between the Eyes," the results are lovely - "Teach Your Children" is an eternal classic of the group, and the group's performance of "Love the One You're With" is exciting and captures a wonderful energy. I'd reckon that I might prefer it to the studio one on Stills' debut. Might. "Triad" is certainly a bit of a meandering piece, but it's one that I was able to better digest on a second listen, and it's a rewarding time in my book - slight bias, I like the way Crosby writes. "Chicago" has a solid rendition, and I'm glad they chose this song to do from Songs from Beginners and not something like "Military Madness." Now how about that electric side? It's kick-ass, that's how it is. Outside of the aforementioned "Southern Man" and "Ohio," Nash's "Pre Road Downs" is a hell of a way to open the disc, and Crosby's "Long Time Gone" is even better - it's not Nash's fault that Crosby is a better rocker. The 14-minute "Carry On" initially worried me, since that hardly seems like a song that could (or should) be drawn out to 14 minutes, and yet... it worked! Really well, actually, although I don't think it tops "Southern Man," which really does benefit from this extended jam. Ending on the acoustic "Find the Cost of Freedom" is also an excellent choice, and it's by some distance the loveliest moment on the album - not the best, mind you, but the most lovely.

    Ultimately, some aspects of 4 Way Street make it a little lukewarm, especially when the roads rarely intersect at points. When the performances don't sound like four separate artists, though, it really is a great live record. Everybody gets at least one moment to shine in some manner, and when you also have a plugged-in live set as good as the one here, that's certainly gonna make up for a little bit of the disappointment. This would be the final new album under the CSNY name until the late 80s, and ultimately it makes for a good time capsule to when Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young were the biggest names in music - 4 Way Street certainly shows the appeal.

RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

Listen to 4 Way Street.