Demos

To my ears these demos are of better quality than the recent Stills release "Just Roll Tape"...The song selection/sequencing and the way the performances/performers vary make it a great disc to listen to from beginning to end. So not only do you get the early skeletal versions of the songs (and they really sound much better than "rough demos") with different twists...you also get a real "album" with various moods that you can enjoy in its own right. Not a lot of harmony singing...so this shouldn't be an introductory cd for anyone, but fans will definitely appreciate these versions!

One disc 41 minutes approximately. The sound,even for demos,is fine. These tracks were overseen by Graham Nash who was in charge of this release.

First David Crosby released his box set. Then Graham Nash released his. Stephen Stills' box set is being assembled as I write this. Plus,with all the talk about the huge Neil Young set released today in various formats,the time was ripe for this collection of demos from CSN.

These twelve tracks,from 1968-1971,all of which ended up either on CSN or various solo albums,are a trip back in time. This is similar to STEVE STILLS' "Just Roll Tapes" release(though not even as "finished" as those tracks) from a while ago. Basically whoever you hear on vocals is the composer of the song,some of which have their own moody feel,much different than the versions released.

The first track,"Marrakesh Express", finds the trio blending their voices together a few months before their first album was released. The...Read more

Usually when I see a collection like this, I'm thinking "another money-grabbing job by the label or the band" and I tend to be highly sceptical. That said, the allure of this collection is such that I simply had to check it out.

"Demos" (12 tracks; 42 min.) brings demos from the early days, the earliest being from August, 1968 and the latest from February, 1971. This compilation starts off with the most "finished" of these demos, a nice "Marrakesh Express" (the only song on here actually performed by CS&N). However, it is followed in two of the next three tracks by 2 demos from David Crosby that are nothing short of jaw-dropping: just David and his guitar on an early version of "Almost Cut My Hair", and a 7 min. version of "Deja Vu", which you have to hear to believe it. Those songs along are worth this CD, period, and we still have two-thirds of the album to go! Stephen Stills' "My Love Is a Gentle Thing" and "Singing Call" are very nice, as is "Music Is Love",...Read more