Zack: Poor Graham Nash. He’s the only member of the
Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young quartet/trio that doesn’t have his own solo
album on the list. Of those four, it has never been in doubt that Neil Young
would take pole position. And with Graham by default absorbing the place at the
bottom, that just leaves Crosby and Stills to duke it out for the No. 2 place
in the CSNY power rankings. Crosby gets to shoot first, although I’ve already
been bored to tears by him in The Byrds and decently impressed with Stills in
Buffalo Springfield, so he’s not coming in on even terrain. That said, I think
he made up his deficit here. If Only I Could Remember My Name is a solid album.
Musically, it’s actually really impressive, which I attribute to the all-star
cast of supporting musicians Crosby brought in to assist. But the vibe and
cohesion aren’t as otherworld as the guitar on Tamalpais High, so I docked some
points there. Overall, then, I would say Crosby is a little behind, while
Stills still has two albums to cement his lead.
Favorite Tracks: Cowboy Movie; Song With No Words (Tree With
No Leaves); Traction in the Rain
Emily: I'm not the biggest fan of the Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young school of folk-infused classic rock. While it can be unique and deservedly classic, more often than not I've found it pretty boring. Unfortunately, David Crosby's solo debut fell on the more boring side. If I Could Only Remember My Name was pleasant enough, full of long instrumentals and shorter vocals performed by some great musicians of the era (Jerry Garcia, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and more), but nothing about it really grabbed my attention. It doesn't have the lyricism of Neil Young or of the quartet as a whole that we've encountered before, and that's what really makes their albums special. Crosby on his own, though, was just okay.
Favorite Tracks: Cowboy Movie; Traction in the Rain; Song with No Words (Tree With No Leaves)
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