Crosby and Stills, guitar playing

[Pauly 4001]

Can't decide...then how 'bout Tom Jones?


CSNY seem impressed.

Good lord
Who could have imagined?
Did Crosby slip something to Tom Jones backstage?

 

[Gizmot]

Musically correct, but passionless, playing is boring…

I’d rather hear someone, like Neil, or Pete Townshend on “I Can See For Miles”, play one stinging note like they mean it, than someone like Al DiMeola doing soulless rapid fire showing off.

I'm okay with and am a fan of Peter Townshend. I even bought his book! I'm okay with anyone playing with passion, but I don't want to hear any flat notes on string bends.

 

[Pilgrim]

I find Young's guitar playing to consistently have a nice edge and distortion. His stuff like Cinnamon Girl and O.H.I.O. are among my all time favorites. I just love CSNY without making distinctions between the members. All greats, it sounds good, what's to pick at??

Let's not forget that SRV carefully shaped his sound too. Not every guitar player needs to play with a clean sound.

 

[Jaycat]

I prefer the remake, "Almost Trimmed My Nose Hair."

 

[mrm56]

winwood is a better bassist with his feet than most are with hands.

I want a duel to the death between Stevie Wonder, Stephen Stills and Steve Winwood to see who is really the best bassist (not to mention the best one-man band).

 

[Indiedog]

Stills is such an innovative bassist.

Whenever I need motivation to pull out my guitars I listen to some CSN/CSN&Y.

 

[lomo]

I feel like your comment implies that it’s an intentional choice stylistically.

Which would make sense if there was any recordings or evidence that he could play in a different style than he does. E.g. like clean and in tune.

Haven’t really seen an example of that. One could mention his time in Buffalo Springfield but iirc they were generally replaced by session guys on the “hits”.

I agree with you, but regardless of whether or not Young plays the way he does by choice, his music is what it is. The music is no better or worse in either case, and no one would argue that he is a technically excellent musician. For that matter, neither is he a technically excellent vocalist, but many (I included), are moved by and love that voice.

 

[Killing Floor]

Crosby is a great musician. If you grade music using metrics he is the champ.
But music is subjective as is all art. I’d rather see Young 10 times out of 10 and CSNY was more my speed that CSN because Young brings the angst. But Crosby clearly has more formal skill.

Replying to say I love a lot of their songs. I think what makes them so great is the blend of perspectives.

 

[GretschWretch]

I find Young's guitar playing to consistently have a nice edge and distortion. His stuff like Cinnamon Girl and O.H.I.O. are among my all time favorites. I just love CSNY without making distinctions between the members. All greats, it sounds good, what's to pick at??

Let's not forget that SRV carefully shaped his sound too. Not every guitar player needs to play with a clean sound.

Nor does Young, in every instance. His chordal variations on the Live Rust "Sugar Mountain" are little gems. And almost every track on side 1 of his first solo album is played clean.

 

[tbz]

I agree with you, but regardless of whether or not Young plays the way he does by choice, his music is what it is. The music is no better or worse in either case, and no one would argue that he is a technically excellent musician. For that matter, neither is he a technically excellent vocalist, but many (I included), are moved by and love that voice.

I’m always of the mind that any artist that can move people before they’re trained properly, will just do a better job, once they’ve learned some theory.

I’d argue folks like Paul McCartney are a shining example of this. He still writes great songs. He’s recorded a ton of albums in a ton of styles. They’re all good.

He moves his listeners as much now, as he did back when he was learning the ropes. If not more. Since his material is vastly more sophisticated.

So I understand and agree with your point. But I think his approach is a bit shortsighted and doesn’t quite make sense. Learning scales won’t make him a worse musician.

 

[lomo]

I’m always of the mind that any artist that can move people before they’re trained properly, will just do a better job, once they’ve learned some theory.
.......Learning scales won’t make him a worse musician.

I completely agree, and I love BB King's answer when asked what he would have liked to have done differently: (paraphrased) "I'd have liked to learn music". That said, my point is that great music made by someone with zero intellectual musical knowledge is in no way more or less meritorious than equally great music made by someone with vast knowledge of the art.

 

[Guitalia]

Good lord
Who could have imagined?
Did Crosby slip something to Tom Jones backstage?

All the singing is great in that clip, but Steve Stills---wow. Incredible vocals. I had no idea that he had that kind of range and power.

Never heard him sing like that in any other CSN performance, whether live or on record. Singing with Tom Jones must have inspired him to turn his voice loose and show what he could really do with it.

 

[jschulman]

Crosby was the meat, Stills was the sauce, Nash was the glass of fine wine. And they all hated Young for being the best writer, while seeming to expend no effort to achieve this. Crosby gets no credit for being the generational voice hidden in the middle of the stack. SO freakin' hard to cop his parts, and Almost Cut My Hair is just a remarkable piece of music.

LGFM

 

[mike buzzetti]

They played GUITAR ?????

 

[Indiedog]

All the singing is great in that clip, but Steve Stills---wow. Incredible vocals. I had no idea that he had that kind of range and power.

Never heard him sing like that in any other CSN performance, whether live or on record. Singing with Tom Jones must have inspired him to turn his voice loose and show what he could really do with it.

Boy Howdy! I agree.

And this might be sacrilege but after refreshing my memory about Jones’ vocal style, it seems like the guys were channeling a bit of Jones’ style early on and consistently in their career.

Or maybe it was just the time of man…

 

[brianrost]

As far as their guitar playing, Stills is far beyond Crosby and Nash overall. Crosby's strength is his fingerpicking and alternate tunings, but he's as much a basher on electric as Neil. Nash...well, there's a reason he wasn't trading leads with Stills and Young. A lot of the time live he just sang or played piano.

For that matter, while Neil's electric playing is definitely unhinged (to say the least) his acoustic playing is really, really good. He approaches the two as completely different instruments.

 

[fhm555]

I think that Stills, Crosby and Nash are all fine with a guitar in their hands. I've heard them all play some good stuff. Neil Young? NO! His playing is poor and his sound is terrible most of the time. He gets lucky here and there, but for the most part, Neil should stick to songwriting and singing.

Odd how such a shabby musician earned enough playing guitar to buy the Lionel Train company because his son loved toy trains.

 

[Gizmot]

Odd how such a shabby musician earned enough playing guitar to buy the Lionel Train company because his son loved toy trains.

He didn't earn his money as a guitar player, but as a songwriter and singer. Neil's written some great songs, no doubt

 

[fhm555]

He didn't earn his money as a guitar player, but as a songwriter and singer. Neil's written some great songs, no doubt

When I saw Crazy Horse he was playing a guitar. Granted, he did switch to a pump organ for a few songs but otherwise he pretty much stuck to guitar.

 

[Michedelic]

I'm okay with and am a fan of Peter Townshend. I even bought his book! I'm okay with anyone playing with passion, but I don't want to hear any flat notes on string bends.

Which song in particular are we talking about?