If I Could Only Remember My Name

White men with weak voices who huddle in the "Let's jam to the blues" bit of the rock spectrum have to work harder for my attention. David Crosby (not the same as Bill Cosby it turns out - I had to check) comes across so up his own arse that he either doesn't know or doesn't care, which is probably why so many of his moany vespers disappear before taking on a recognisable form. Song With No Words sounds like self-parody (though the coda's all right) and What Are Their Names sounds like a half-baked intro to a longer song which is due to start at 4:14 but finishes there instead. My question isn't can he play (answer: yes) but why is he playing? Verdict: I could have died without hearing this album.

This list of collaborators on this album is wild: multiple members of each of Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, and Santana, plus the entire CSNY crew, and of course Joni Mitchell. Three of the nine songs are instrumentals, one of them (Cowboy Movie) reads like it was written by a mental patient, and the rest offer little in the way of lyrical complexity. It sounds incredible, though, and not only is the sound enough to overcome all of that, it feels like a feature rather than a bug. One of my favorite albums so far. Best track: What Are Their Names

This is a great album...jazzy atmospheric, beautiful harmonies and unusual song structures. Thecstar of the show for me is Cowboy Movie an 8 minute epic with a gorgeous melody and soaring guitar and lyrics as epic as the title implies. But there are great songs throughout this excellent album. 5 🌟

Really fun - Croz is a hell of a singer. Cowboy Movie wouldn't seem out of place as a gritty, choppy cut on a Neil Young platter, whilst Traction In the Rain almost has an iridescent quality to its beauty. I also liked the final tracks, eschewing words for voice and mood. Amongst the best albums this app has so far offered unto us.

Amazing. Ahead of its time, soothing and energizing

Great Overall album, mystical and enjoyable songs, setting a great mood

Loved this! Wish I had discovered this years ago!

Holy star studded cast, Batman! You've got, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and The Grateful Dead all putting their fingers in the pie and it's wonderful. Moody, full throated and bluesy as all get out. Smooth as a drive on an empty interstate in the southwest. I figured out something that was bugging me, the vocals for "Cinder and Smoke" by Iron and Wine are clearly derived from "Tamalpais High (around 3)" and boy that's a good thing.

I have an old used copy of this on vinyl so I do like it well enough, but listening to it in the context of 1001 greatest albums is kinda baffling to me. I like Cowboy Movie the most by far. It's basically a grateful dead track with a different singer when you look at the lineup. Other than that I like the strangely intense vocal harmony work on the last two tracks but honestly I feel like this is a fairly weak and very loosely constructed album. Kinda just sounds like high quality jam recordings on most of it.

lol just what this list needed, more folk rock. There really is no excuse for the sheer number of albums in this genre and time period, let alone shit this idiot was personally involved in. If you believed this list, music as we know it wouldn't exist without David Crosby. Somehow, these boring, meandering half-country, half-psychedelic stoner jams are essential listening that I'm not allowed to die before I hear them. Fuckin' lol. 1 point grudgingly given for not being the absolute worst thing I've ever heard, 1 point for only running half an hour. 2/5.

I've been a Neil Young, Byrds and CSNY fan for so long... I'm almost ashamed that I didn't pay attention to this album before. From the second song, I already felt at home. The nosy, imperfect and magnificent guitar, the divine vocal harmonies, the subtleties brought by each musician. A very pleasant listen and I hope to find this vinyl record very soon!

Tamalpais High and laughing

I've never listened to this one before. Some of the songs are unplayable on Spotify, presumably due to the contributions of Joni Mitchell and/or Neil Young, so I'll have to find it elsewhere! I'm a big fan of Joni and Neil, but don't know much of the other CSNY members' work. Had a listen on YouTube -wow I can't believe I haven't heard this before. So many great artists on one record, and the Grateful Dead too (having said that, this is much better than their solo album I was subjected to last week). The album flows really well together, and is very well produced for the most part. Lyrically, it maybe strays a bit to far into hippie-dippie territory, but given the political climate at the time, that's understandable. Overall a great find, I'll be listening to this again for sure.

a sublime album. absolutely love it

Awesome! So much of the CSNY sound is here.

Great album to get lost in on a sunny morning, floated in it.

classic

Lovely -- and how have I not heard this before?

Good lord this made me want to drink beer in the sun.

This is one of, if not THE underrated classic of the 1970s. It’s basically Crosby stills Nash and Young without stills plus the Grateful Dead plus Jefferson airplane. I even think Greg Rolie and a few other Santana guys are on this thing too. It’s fucking amazing!

Jerry. Pedal steel Excellent. All of the albums to come out of the PERRO recording sessions are pretty good to outstanding, and this is an outstanding one..

Gorgeous

Just amazing loved every second of this album

Wow - didn't know this album existed - but it underscores what a critical part of CSN sound Croz actually was - and likely an important foil to Stills.

It knows how to balance hard hitting lyrics and songs with calm tunes and vocals, switching it's tempo right as you're going at the right pace. A really well put together thought out album. I fucking love these kind of albums, everything comes together beautifully and comes to it's full fruition within the context of the album.

Like a collection of rejected Neil Young B-sides. Rating: 2/5 Playlist track: Orleans Date listened: 26/07/22

This album is pretty disappointing. Inconsistent quality of songwriting, it feels more like this album is on the list for Crosby's reputation.

Production: 11/20 Songwriting: 8/20 Innovation: 7/20 Bangers: 0/20 Emotional response: 6/20 =32 tres boring I'm afraid

Great -- angry at times and haunting at others, moody and a bit rough around the edges, but powerful across the board.

It was a good listen

Ja dit is top !

Quite liked that

Sixties Stones.Great

no conocía nada de mi tocayo pero que barbaro chinago

Hard one to rate. It sound so hazy and loose in places, its hard to tell if they were trying. But when they lock into a groove or a good vocal line, it's magic. One of those albums that invented a template many others copied, and that no doubt sounded mind blowing at the time it was released, but I'm not sure this is really an album someone who's not already a big CSNY fan really needs to hear in 2021.

There are some very talented people on this record, and they can all sing and play and it is well recorded, but there are basically no songs on this record. Actually 'Cowboy Movie' is alright, I don't mind that. This is the sound of a hugely talented star wallowing in depression, grief and a mountain of heroin. At least it doesn't have Stephen Stills on it, thank Christ for small mercies. It's an over-rated cult album, only acceptable for soundtracking a pretentious dinner party or debilitating opiate addiction.

didn’t really enjoy

This album cover is hilarious. Just needed to state that right off the bat. The familiarity of Crosby's voice is nice/pleasing to those of us old enough to have heard CSN so often on the radio, but I'm finding this a bit aimless. "Cowboy Song" as the second track...an 8-minute jam over two chords...seems a poor choice here, if not just a poor song. Once "Tamalpais High" kicks in though, those *harmonies* start right away - that's what we came for. But ... that's all that song delivers - almost literally - David just thought "yeah that's enough here" :D "Laughing" is a little more constructed but unimaginative, and the rest of the album sort of peters out. I know each of the CSNY members released solo albums in the aftermath of their classic "Deja Vu" and probably wanted to establish their own voice, no pun intended. But listening to this even while acknowledging DC's best asset (his gorgeous harmony construction) is still strong here it's hard not to think that Crosby needed the rest of his sometime-bandmates to help him put together anything resembling memorable songs. This ends up just being a half-hour of often nice sounding notes. If I could only remember any of them. mostly because it should have been better but it's just trash.... 2/10 1 star.

This album really threw me for a loop. Where it started and how it finished showed his range. I liked the depth of the lyrics in most of the songs and just the arrangement of the vocals. I always loved the stacked vocals in the 70s, it helps immerse you into the record like you can almost see the music. Traction in the Rain made this a 5 star album for, such a beautiful song. All in all, a tremendous record and performance by David Crosby.

all i can see is u love seventies music and this is perfect and heavenly🤷‍♀️

i mean just like. Wow. he kind of did his big one with this i can’t believe i’ve never heard this before ever. such insane atmosphere and vibes created i feel like im in another world, and it’s my favorite thing ever when albums can do this. lowkey i need to get high to this. 1.) cowboy movie 2.) id swear there was somebody here 3.) what are their names

Something about the composition of these songs is just so clean. So relaxing. So comforting. Feels like your stressors just melt away. I was going to mention that the vibes really reminded me of Santana's work. Come to read the wiki and find out Santana helped work on the album! Makes sense.

This is a really idiosyncratic and lovely album. It’s a perfect fall record.

Remember finding a cheap used copy of this in a record shop, and putting it on just by sheer curiosity. And then getting my mind blown. What an unbelievable document of the time: the talent, the humanity, the brotherhood, the beauty of it. Yes it is occasionally a bit pompous and self-indulgent, but also touched by grace. One of my desert island records.

This is a complete Who's Who collection of artists who I should probably know more about than I do. It's very hard to deny the Crosby's songwriting, and the importance of this group of musicians to the San Francisco music scene of the time. In contrast to much of his other work, this album is chilled and airy, evoking the image of the album cover of looking out to the sea at sunset. It's calm and introspective and beautifully done.

I can understand why this was met with confusion and hostility when it came out since it’s so different to what people would have expected from Crosby, but as an almost wordless expression of grief, I think it creates an incredible atmosphere.

The rule of thirds as it applies to the 1001 list: 1/3 if the music hurts me, and I have to stop. 1/3 is ok, or quite good but I wouldn't bother looking it up. 1/3 is a new and maybe a top or favourite album, or good enough to listen to again. Even through the external speakers of my phone, this is amazing. The atmosphere, lyrical and free beat. Feels good stuff for me. No analysis required. Just positives. Can't wait to out in some headphones for the full feels. It's been 2 tracks! 1/3 feels

RIP David. 5

An album of pictures in sound and moods. Opener 'Music is love' sounds like a stoned campfire sing along; 'Cowboy Movie' sounds like I'm wandering through the desert with a thirst; 'Tamalpais High' could be incidental music to a cool cult 70s movie. Meanwhile the gorgeous sun- kissed 'Laughing' sounds like the Byrds at their best while the jam 'What are their names' has some fine instrumental noodling. Then there's the stacked heavenly harmonies of 'Orleans', which are simply stunning. And surprisingly, given the background (the recent death of his girlfriend) this is an uplifting rather than a depressing listening experience: mystical and beautiful, if a bit disjointed.

Amazing fucking album!

The man lived a lifetime of mess, but boy could he make music.

Sjajan album

This was awesome. Loved the whole thing, especially Cowboy Movie.

Wow. What starts a soulful blues become an etherical, nearly timeless or at least Style-defining psych-folk album. Strong in its calmness I would‘ve never expected the music being so far away from the likes of his collabo-participations. Strongly recommend this! 4.7

I really enjoyed this album. I was feeling it for me it was perfect for today! Kate loves the album cover!

Reading some of the reviews from younger people, I worry for the future. Yes, Virginia, modern music owes a great deal to David Crosby and his contemporaries. NWA would never have said "Fuck the Police" if CSNY hadn't said "Fuck the National Guard" in 1970. Back to this album. Listening to it for the first time (and ashamed I missed it until now) I find myself hearing a bevy of familliar voices. "Is that...?" Yes. And Crosby blends flawlessly with all of them. The only fault in the album is it's just too short.

Heart warming

Belíssima transformação da melancolia em força criativa.

Probably my favourite album of the seemingly hundreds connected to the Byrds and their constituent members. The main reason to hate that UFC prick is the Neil Young ban means I can't easily stick this whole album on. I need to really sort myself out with a vinyl player again and buy this album. I am hugely hit and miss with Young but his two co-writing contribution here are both great. I imagine there's more of the record he's playing on but they're still available. Such a shame I only discovered this around Crosby's death early last year when my mate (a big Cros fan) sent it me. But that means its super fresh to me as well. Just superb from start to finish. The Byrdsy vocal harmonies are of course on show, as well as uber-laid back guitar, it's just bliss to me. Album cover captures the vibe superbly. Highlights, the second half of Cowboy Movie when it's really in it's stride, Laughing (obviously)

One of my favorite records. Just look at the people who played on this album. Pretty much all of the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. Very psychedelic with folk elements as well, not unlike the typical CSNY records.

criminally underrated album

Good listening dad rock. Will likely revisit at some point

really good album

This album deserves to be way better known, up there with his work with others

This album is essentially a cross between the Grateful Dead and CSNY, with some Jorma and Joni thrown in for good measure. Ah to have been a fly on the wall for these recording sessions. After a cheesy first track, the rest of the album is excellent. My favorite is Tamalpais High, which features some quintessential harmonies by Crosby with sensational backing by Jerry, Phil, Kruetzman, and Jorma. I mean wow!

🧚🏻‍♂️

There is a melancholy spirituality here that I was very touched by. This is gorgeous.

I always want more Crosby.

Super chill, easy listening. Thanks for the introduction.

This album is so underrated. I love it, it’s in my top 100 of all time.

Beautiful.

bom demais

I tried to listen to this album on Spotify and realized that two of the songs were not available because they were cowritten by Neil Young. Neil Young is in the middle of his whiny little bitchpalooza about Joe Rogan and Spotify, so only those two songs are not available on the platform. I found a friend with a copy of the CD, and after listening to it, I realized that the two songs cowritten with Neil Young, Music is Love and What are Their Names, are the two weakest songs on the album, so really old Neil did Spotify a favor. The rest of the album is perfectly atmospheric and harmonious. The album with the two omitted songs is four stars and without, five stars. Thanks Neil.

ouffff

Very good, need to listen several more times

If this process has given me one thing, its a love of Crosby Still and Nash and ive resisted the temptation to go through their catalogues outside of this to make sure when something pops up, it is a welcome treat. This was one such treat and received heavy rotation. There is something about the guitar, the melody, thr lyric and the voice that creates gold and i really enjoyed this

this women’s voice is so tender

treatment protocol for a bad acid trip: Listen to this with the curtains drawn and the lights off Also a good choice to come back from a bad day. Calm and relaxing.

Music from my youth. Jerry Garcia plays guitar on a song. Gotta love it.

Davis Crosby is a true icon. I really enjoyed this album a lot.

David Crosby’s guests feature not in the background of the album, but most prominently. This adds to the feel-good and collaborative nature of most west coast musicians in the late 60’s/early 70’s and this is reflected in the work seen here. A fantastic album all round.

I was expecting to be irritated by this since folk is my least favorite genre, but this was pleasant and lovely. I'm a bit wowed.

This was nice. I already like Crosby, Stills & Nash, so was kind of predisposed to like this one too. It has a very similar vibe to that group. No song especially stuck out to me, but I'll likely listen to the whole thing again some day.

Suddenly very mellow

Fuck yeah. Music IS love.

Really liked this. Great 70s vibe with a little psychedelic sound. Very cool.

Hell yea, David

Last 3 songs got a bit weird

I wasn’t able to give it a revisit but from what I remember it was a intimate special solo effort

Mooie nummers, af en toe wat saai, a maar als geheel goed.

Way more experimental than I expected, mostly for better... We'll pretend What are Their Names just never happened x

Decent, Song with no words very much a CSNY song

First, a word on the truly ghastly album cover. These days, you can overlay an image in seconds using a phone app, but back then, you had to put in serious effort to create this kind of mess... and don't even get me started on the font. Based on the visuals alone, I wanted to hate this album, but I've learned never to dismiss a project involving David Crosby and his friends. If I Could Only Remember My Name feels like one of those extended jam sessions countless musicians (professional or otherwise) have been part of—except when Crosby called his friends, they included Joni Mitchell, members of Jefferson Airplane, Jerry Garcia, parts of the Grateful Dead, and his on-again, off-again partners in CSNY. Still mourning the tragic loss of his girlfriend Christine Hinton, the album carries a contemplative tone, tinged with melancholy. Yet, thanks to the beauty of the melodies, it’s not a heartbreaking listen—there’s room for optimism. Perhaps it’s the laid-back, improvisational nature of the recording, but many moments feel more cathartic than self-pitying. The opener, “Music Is Love,” is a breezy, hopeful track that sets the tone with its simple acoustic strumming and communal vibe. Crosby’s signature harmonies are on full display, with Jerry Garcia’s contribution on “Laughing” standing out as a haunting reflection on searching for meaning. “I’d Swear There Was Somebody Here,” a wordless vocal piece that still says so much, captures the album’s spiritual core, while “What Are Their Names” channels an eerie atmosphere through its minimalist, improvised feel. Even the longer tracks deliver their core motifs and fade out gracefully before overstaying their welcome. While the album’s looseness means I won’t return to it often—especially given that this isn’t a genre I frequently explore—I can appreciate its significance and am glad it’s been rightly reevaluated. I can definitely hear this album’s influence in the music of Bon Iver and Sufjan Stevens. Did/Do I own this release? No. Does it belong on the list? Yes. Would it make my personal list? I enjoyed it more than expected, but there are other releases in this niche that feel more representative of the genre. Will I listen again? In the right setting, sure.

Had a good time with this one

I was surprised, usually any of this folk rock kind of stuff from the late 60s/early 70's I find to be a bit forgettable, like some of his collaborator Neil Young's work. Not helped by his whiny voice in Neil's case. But I liked this, I think more for the feel of it, very laid back feeling but a bit moody.

I hate that I’m starting to enjoy these late 60s/early 70s folk-based rock albums. Still a little too woo-woo for me, and I still can’t get into the airy vocals over acoustic guitars, but the more uptempo sections hit just right.

Can’t believe I never heard this one. Really like it!

Es ist ein schönes, typisches Album der 70er Jahre. Es besticht durch eine saubere Stimme und eine gute Mischung aus rockigen Gitarrenelementen und melodischen elektrischen Rhythmen. Das Album beginnt solide, wird aber ab Track 4 immer besser. Besonders hervorzuheben sind die folgenden Songs. Sie zeigen die Vielseitigkeit und das Talent von Crosby und seinen Gastmusikern. “What Are Their Names”: Ein nachdenklicher und politisch aufgeladener Song, der die Frage stellt, wer die Verantwortlichen für die Missstände in der Welt sind. Die harmonischen Gesänge und die sanfte Instrumentierung schaffen eine eindringliche Atmosphäre. “Song with No Words (Tree with No Leaves)”: Ein instrumentales Stück, das durch seine komplexen Arrangements und die emotionale Tiefe besticht. Die Gitarrenarbeit und die harmonischen Gesänge sind hier besonders hervorzuheben. “Orleans”: Ein kurzes, aber eindrucksvolles Stück, das auf einem traditionellen französischen Kinderlied basiert. Die mehrstimmigen Gesänge und die minimalistische Instrumentierung verleihen dem Song eine fast meditative Qualität. “I’d Swear There Was Somebody Here”: Ein weiteres instrumentales Stück, das durch seine sphärischen Klänge und die emotionale Intensität besticht. Es ist ein perfekter Abschluss für das Album und lässt den Hörer in einer nachdenklichen Stimmung zurück. Gerne Wiederhören.

Ooo yes this is good stuff. Making me even more curious for when I get Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. I was too tired for an in depth listen, so it's possible this is even a 5 for me BUT from what I gathered it's at least a 4 star.

V relaxing