In a way, David Crosby is the American Keith Richards, in the sense that with all the junk he's passed through his body down the years not to mention a reckless lifestyle, it's a wonder he's still alive. More than that, unlike Richards, he's still actively making music and reportedly good music too. At one point near the end of this bio-documentary, Crosby says something to the effect that turning up latterly at big concerts to play CSN's greatest hits purely for a big pay-day had stopped appealing to him, so he turned his back on the lucrative nostalgia circuit. Either that or the fact that none of his former bandmates would want to play with him, or even when they do, as witness the excruciating CSN take on "Silent Night" in front of the Obamas a few years ago, they appear to have lost the musical chemistry which bound them together for so long.
I've been acquainting myself with his very good, very eclectic debut solo album and always liked his songwriting when he applied himself, particularly with the Byrds and also with CSNY, although the composing competition was a bit stiffer in the later band, I'd probably say.
Right from his childhood, Croz is painted as a rebellious free spirit, going into young adulthood and then onto joining bands, culminating in his membership of the Byrds. After that band's initial spectacular success (two U. S. no. 1's in their first three singles and professional friendships with the Beatles and Dylan), his big mouth got him booted out of that band where he fell into the laps of Stills and Nash to form the most reputable and musically successful law-firm in U. S. rock. Later, of course Young joined the trio creating an all-singing, all writing supergroup but which fell apart in a haze of barbiturate excess and outsize egos.
The movie starts with Crosby taking us on a tour of his old Laurel Canyon haunts, including the house where the famous CSN debut album cover was photographed.. There are interesting anecdotes and photos a-plenty from this productive period of his as we learn that he considers Joni Mitchell the best of them all and of his extreme dislike of the Doors.
Unsurprisingly, the film concentrates on this era as far as his musical output is concerned, pretty much up until the point where his then girl-friend is killed in a car accident and he struggles to hold it together in the aftermath. The film passes quickly over this negative period in his life, perhaps unwittingly reflecting the lost years he no doubt personally experienced before coming up to date in the present day when we find him clean, happily married and making new music with younger musicians although notably not one of his former bandmates is on speaking terms with him.
Remarkably, he still has his superb singing voice, unlike other contemporaries of his I could mention. He's certainly a maverick musician and human being and it can't be coincidence that almost all his friends have disowned him, yet I liked the way he came across here, warts and all, although I dare say, equally interesting counterpoint documentaries could be made on the separate lives and times of Stills, Nash and especially Young.
Anyway, as a portrait of an artist who found his way back from the edge, this was both an eye and ear-opener for me.
To borrow a line from John Sebastian, welcome back and another from Stills and Young, long may you run, Dave,
I've been acquainting myself with his very good, very eclectic debut solo album and always liked his songwriting when he applied himself, particularly with the Byrds and also with CSNY, although the composing competition was a bit stiffer in the later band, I'd probably say.
Right from his childhood, Croz is painted as a rebellious free spirit, going into young adulthood and then onto joining bands, culminating in his membership of the Byrds. After that band's initial spectacular success (two U. S. no. 1's in their first three singles and professional friendships with the Beatles and Dylan), his big mouth got him booted out of that band where he fell into the laps of Stills and Nash to form the most reputable and musically successful law-firm in U. S. rock. Later, of course Young joined the trio creating an all-singing, all writing supergroup but which fell apart in a haze of barbiturate excess and outsize egos.
The movie starts with Crosby taking us on a tour of his old Laurel Canyon haunts, including the house where the famous CSN debut album cover was photographed.. There are interesting anecdotes and photos a-plenty from this productive period of his as we learn that he considers Joni Mitchell the best of them all and of his extreme dislike of the Doors.
Unsurprisingly, the film concentrates on this era as far as his musical output is concerned, pretty much up until the point where his then girl-friend is killed in a car accident and he struggles to hold it together in the aftermath. The film passes quickly over this negative period in his life, perhaps unwittingly reflecting the lost years he no doubt personally experienced before coming up to date in the present day when we find him clean, happily married and making new music with younger musicians although notably not one of his former bandmates is on speaking terms with him.
Remarkably, he still has his superb singing voice, unlike other contemporaries of his I could mention. He's certainly a maverick musician and human being and it can't be coincidence that almost all his friends have disowned him, yet I liked the way he came across here, warts and all, although I dare say, equally interesting counterpoint documentaries could be made on the separate lives and times of Stills, Nash and especially Young.
Anyway, as a portrait of an artist who found his way back from the edge, this was both an eye and ear-opener for me.
To borrow a line from John Sebastian, welcome back and another from Stills and Young, long may you run, Dave,