Deja Vu

My heart skipped a beat when I saw this photo. I had the original leather bound cover (remember?) purchased proudly with the earnings from my newspaper route down at our local Peaches Records and Tapes. I wanted nothing more than to grow my hair long and wear that beautiful fringe jacket that David Crosby often wore, but my parents had different ideas about how their children should look. They were Nixon supporters. I haven’t listened to 'Déjà Vu' from beginning to end in a long time. But I played it so often it’s embedded in my memory. I was more curious if it still resonated with my heart. The answer is yes. Both for the glorious music but also for the spirit. Dylan prophesied a hard rain coming in 1963, and by 1970 he was already seeking shelter from the storm. CSNY filled the void, took up the mantle, like Elisha following Elijah. But this is another subject for another time. Back to the matter at hand. There were a couple of new things that surfaced for me during this particular listen, the first being that Neil Young is not really so much an equal partner with CSN on 'Déjà Vu' as he is a special guest on a few tracks. I couldn’t detect any Neil at all on the first two tracks, finally some guitar playing on the third. And then, of course, his own composition, ‘Helpless,’ and ending side one with his searing guitar solo on ‘Woodstock.’ But when side two opened with the title track, seemingly Neil had again taken five, and didn’t come back until the second to last song, another of his own compositions, ‘Country Girl.’ And he’s heard clearly on guitar rockin it up on the finale, ‘Everybody I Love You.’ Perhaps this is revealing of Neil’s divided commitment between his own solo stuff (which would ultimately triumph) and this super group. Truthfully (and I say this as a fan who thinks Neil sits at the right hand of only the Beatles), I don’t think CSN really needed Y. He certainly didn’t them, and ‘After The Gold Rush,’ ‘Harvest,’ ‘On The Beach,’ and the rest of his couple of dozen LPs following are proof. Even the cover photo features CSN in a perfect triangle, and faces up and illuminated; whereas Neil is on the furthest fringe, head bowed and darkened. Too Sergeant Pepper? And secondly, in addition to these songs being written mostly about the weal and woe of human relationships, might they also be referencing, if even subconsciously, the state of the baby boomer generation at that time, still very much in the midst of anti-war and civil rights demonstrations but losing the optimism that so permeated the summer of love three years before? Could not ‘Carry On,’ for example- an encouragement to keep struggling for love and not succumbing to despair following a breakup- also be heard as a call to the younger generation for the same resilience against the unjust, ruling status quo? ‘Teach Your Children’ becomes an appeal to both generations (young and old), both political parties, to learn to love one another. David Crosby pleading on ‘Almost Cut My Hair’ to not give in to fear as we figure out where to go from here as a country? Neil Young’s ‘place in north Ontario’ mirroring the distress of their American neighbors to the south? And ‘Woodstock’ speaks for itself, including the line ‘bomber death planes riding shotgun in the sky, turning into butterflies above the nation.’ I’ve always heard bomber jet planes, and had to stop the recording and listen again. In Joni Mitchell’s original lyrics, she just sing ‘bombers.’ I wonder which of the quartet added the word death? Side two opens with Crosby’s ponderings about ‘what’s going on under the ground? The anti-war underground movement? ‘Our House,’ a delightful song about hearth and home, has a hint of melancholy because that innocence Graham Nash is so wanting to hold onto is, on a national level, rapidly slipping away. ‘4 + 20’ finds Stephen Stills in such despair over his loss (of a lover), or perhaps the loss of actual lives both abroad in southeast Asia and also in the embittered civil rights battlefields of America’s deep south, that he ends the song wishing that his ‘life would simply cease.’ Neil’s ‘Country Girl,’ an invitation to leave the city and the other guy, and come to the country and be with me… might the other guy be Uncle Sam? And in the grand finale, ‘Everybody I Love You,’ when the whole gang fervently sings ‘You expect for me to love you when you hate yourself, my friend,’ to whom are they addressing, one American or the whole country? Again, I’ve been listening to this LP, off and on, for over 50 years, and am very familiar with the material. Or I thought I was. Funny how you can sometimes hear a song like ‘Teach Your Children Well,’ for years, and still, sometimes, hear something new. There’s no doubt it’s a good song. it’s just not one of my favorites, at least partly due to its popularity. I’ve simply heard it played too much. And so, by the time Nash begins the final verse I’ve already emotionally moved on to the next track with Crosby almost cutting his hair for cryin’ out loud! But on this particular listen for this review, I was reading the lyrics as if for the first time- Nash’s appeal at the end of the song to all Americans, young and old, hawks and doves, to trust in the power of love to affect reconciliation; or as the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr said so famously, ‘Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend’: ‘And you of the tender years can’t (possibly) know the fears that your elders grew by. And, so, please help (and not hurt) them with your youth. They seek the truth (like you/we do) before they can die.’ (Italics are mine) Musically, what can I add? You’ve got Crosby singing both his heart and angelic voice out on ‘Almost Cut My Hair,’ Nash’s high register, and slightly British accent throughout, not to mention his underrated song writing talent, both Stills and Young’s unique lead guitar playing (two great tastes that go great together.) But please don’t let the famous quartet overshadow the workingman drumming of Dallas Taylor, and most especially, the incredible touch of Greg Reeves, playing bass parts that rival Paul McCartney’s own melodic, creative roaming. And of course, Jerry Garcia famously drops right in and sits right down at pedal steel on ‘Teach.’ Sure, CSNY are all old and fat (except for the fountain of youth Graham Nash), and sometimes cantankerous and crotchety and such, now. But if you just could have heard them then, if but for a brief moment… Ah, that’s a déjà vu I would welcome today ‘… with all of you.’

Corny, Stale, Naff, and Yawn

what a weird juxtaposition this album is. the music in the background is alright, some bits are quite enjoyable, but the singing grates. for starters i can't really be arsed with neil youngs voice and then when they do that super 70s harmonised singing stuff it doubles the pain.

Classic songs, beautiful melodies, exquisite guitar playing - an album that seems to capture the mood of the moment as the folky, peaceful, acoustic sixties (Deja Vu, Our House) turns into the gritty, tribal, rocky seventies (Almost Cut My Hair, Woodstock). This is America.

Perfect inflection point between 60’s folk/rock and what was to come in the early 70’s for rock. Everybody was for a moment in that band totally together and making a near perfect album.

This one I struggled with. It is a technically well done album but most of the tracks just dont land for me. Songs that hit a more folk rock tone like Woodstock are generally enjoyable but tracks like Helpless just don't work for me. That said the harmonies are wonderful and there is something about the percussion that I do generally quite like.

I get CSN&Y and CSI:NY confused way too often.

I think Young outshines everyone here a bit too much, his contributions make the rest sound a little cheesy. You know all the good ones, slightly stingy 3*

For a super group it didn't sound like the best of any of their offerings

You really think this laurel canyon roots folk is the shit. I get it. Truly, I do. Now how about we try something else?

The result of throwing four geniuses in a studio together. This is the very definition of a supergroup. A band of talented musicians whose names extend beyond the bands they were once a part of, where each member has major contributions in the album, and none of which is lacking. Stills and Young carried Buffalo Springfield... their songs were always the strongest. Crosby was always my favorite Byrd after McGuinn. And although I don't know much about Nash alone, I loved the hits of the Hollies so much I was once disappointed they never had a consistent album. Here we have a collection of masterpieces, hit after the next. They're all very strong songwriters, vocalists, and instrumentalists. I love how this album rotates through all 4 of them. On both sides you have a song written and primarily sung by each member, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. Nash writes the melodic pop hits you sing around the campfire. Young probably has the best written songs, they sound like solo material but with the ever pleasing harmonic back vocals. Yet, they're not out of place. Stills has the most colorful songs... strong forward vocalist, his composition skills in roots genres are best showcased in his later album Manassas. All three of his songs are amazing, and props to Mitchell for writing "Woodstock," I wouldn't have been able to tell without looking it up. Crosby has the most dramatic songs, the instrumentals are incredibly rich and ever-changing, like proggy folk. All of these songs could be star tracks on their own. The only track I don't think is perfect is the closing "Everybody I Love You"... it's merely superb. Pop folk doesn't get much better that this. The harmonious vocals is something I always strive to find in other music, and only then could I only compare them to the standards of these guys.

This is what happens when CSN's brilliant harmonization with Neil Young's rocking guitar style.

All of this variety made Déjà Vu a rich musical banquet for the most serious and personal listeners, while mass audiences reveled in the glorious harmonies and the thundering electric guitars, which were presented in even more dramatic and expansive fashion on the tour that followed.

Just listened to the 50th anniversary of this record. Good lord is it good. Every song is a gem. The volitility of the personnel in this band is completely quelled when they are able to make the music they all love to make together. These songs are beautiful, heartfelt, and purely collaborative. One can listen and reflect and weep both out of sadness and happiness at the same time. A masterpiece.

CSNY are a super group I get behind. I saw these guys in April 2000, and they put on a 3.5 hour show! Impressive for a bunch of guys in their mid to upper 50s. I can’t find the specific set list, but the average set for that tour was 30 songs (includes 2 encores). That’s a lot of entertainment for $40. This album is loaded with great songs! It’s starts off with one of my CSNY favorites, Carry On. I love the opening, pressing guitar part and the break of styles halfway through. Our house is a beautiful song born out of one of life’s ordinary moments when Graham Nash and Joni Mitchell bought a vase one day. There’s even a song about a hippie almost cutting his hair. Unfortunately track 9 is a stinker and track 10 is just OK. For all I care this album stops after track 8. And fuck are they an incredible 8 tracks! It’s interesting to me that almost every song on this album was written by one member alone and not in collaboration. The final product is cohesive and seamlessly blends their instrumentals and voices together. It’s hard to believe they didn’t write together. In order of preference, I like the songs by Stills the most (Carry On and 4+ 20), then Nash (Our House and Teach Your Children), Crosby (Déjà Vu and Almost Cut My Hair), and Young (Helpless and Country Girl). Joni Mitchell’s Woodstock is quite good too. Young and Stills both wrote the closer, Everybody I Love You.

That's a hell of an opening track. Fav track is definetly Almost Cut My Hair. Deja Vu and Country Girl are strong contenders too. Just an overall solid album with a cohesive track order and stellar songs. 👌

To quote my father (a serious CSNY fan) “they just don’t make music like this any more.” This is a rare moment in which I agree with him. This album is perfect.

Always loved this album. A handful of great songs, and just a lovely feel to the whole thing.

Annoying that Spotify would not let me listen to half the tracks but this is a classic

Harmonies don’t get better than this

Beaucoup de talent sur un même album, et ca parait. Chacun y amène ca touche et ca nous donne un album très bien fait qui s'écoute bien du début à la fin. Almost Cut my Hair, Helpless, Our house, Woodstock, que du classique ! 5

Really really good. Love the harmonies, the melodies, and the instrumentation. My favorite songs are: Almost Cut My Hair, and Deja Vu. I still don't love Neil Young's voice, but I like it with the rest of the band. I much prefer Crosby's voice, and it turns out the two songs I like to most on the album were written by him too.

If ever there were a case for letting your freak flag fly, this album might be it. CSNY are in peak form here, with their signature tight harmonies, lyrics of protest & empowerment, virtuosic guitar playing, and all around 60s love. Each member has a chance to shine, but it's when they all come together as a cohesive whole that this album transcends. "Carry On", the opener, is a prime example - the harmonies rarely more impressive, the organ & Young's guitar riffing off of each other, the message one of eternal love & peace. Jerry Garcia's pedal steel adds some nice twang to the soulful "Teach Your Children", and Young's "Helpless" aches with raw emotion. "Our House" might be the weakest entry here, for my money, but it does boast a unique vocal from Nash, perhaps the most underrated of the "supergroup". But for me, it's "Woodstock" that puts this album over the edge - an amalgam of music and vocal that encapsulates the 60s. This rockin' reinvention of a rather turgid Joni Mitchell tune puts us on an astral plane with CSNY, where we're all stardust. Perfection. I might normally rank this a high 4 stars, but I'm pushing it up to a 5, just to piss off the whiners.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's voices when they harmonize is the sound of the horns you hear at St. Peter's Pearly Gates. Yes, better than Van Halen. Yes, better than the Eagles. YES, better than The Beatles (sorry, I don't make the rules). There is not a single bad song on this album, and while it's distinctly a folk-rock record, there is so much sound that comes from it that nothing sounds the same. I can see why some think Our House is a little out of place, but to me it adds a lot more diversity to the sound this album represents. Modern folk and Americana artists owe a lot to this band, but specifically this album. This is a masterclass in guitar songwriting and playing. Absolutely one of my favorite records of all time. Favorite Songs: Carry On, Helpless Least Favorite: 4 + 20

Classic! Love this album. Wonderful vocal harmonies en great songs!

4-5

Always preferred this band with Young onboard. The vocal harmonies alone are mindblowing, but overall just a fantastic front to back album.

CSNY, yessirrrr

Positive and pastoral.

What I imagine when I think of a 70s hippie concert. The music sounded pretty “feel-good.” Very chill and actually played on my mood.

Great (half the tracks missing on spotify, thanks neil young)

Deja Vu tuned in perfectly with this rainy Sunday evening, which surprised me, as I came here to bury CSNY. Their harmonies have made my ears itch, most irritatingly on Through My Sails, which manages to mar the otherwise perfect Zuma right at the death. The harmonies are here too, almost immediately with Carry On, but the music around it, moody, dense and put together with what feels like obsessive meticulousness, lit me up. Started laughing when Almost Cut My Hair started, accepted I liked it by its end. Was scrubbing the dining room floor when Our House came on and was transported to a happy memories from hearing it close to forty years ago in the family car - perhaps trite to many, but immensely moving in my current circumstances. Must be a great album if a couple of decent NY songs are alright inclusions rather than standouts? Am writing this after a first listen. Will score it after a second or third tomorrow, making this a sort of anti-cliffhanger (only the writer remains in suspense at any point). Monday update: my score reflects cowardice. David, I fear I did cut my hair. Confidential to Simon: I must acknowledge your “Amazon Music is the home to angry Canadians” comment, which I returned to when remembering Joni’s track x

p201. 1970. 4 stars Late 60s hippies wake up in a new decade and discover country. Fantastic harmonies, fine musicianship, great tunes - what's not to like? Still holds up after 50+ years, although you can argue that Country Girl is filler and that Our House is as weak as a kitten. Imagine what they could have done if they hadn't been perpetually wasted and/or soaked in booze.

Only a single memorable hook on the whole album. Seems like they’re too preoccupied with the harmonies to actually write interesting melody.

Seriously? Another Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young album? Or is that another Crosby, Stills and Nash album? I don't really care. I get how they were very influential and obviously a bit of a supergroup. But... They're not really that different to warrant having more than one entry here.

I can see why this is a classic. Amazing harmonies, some stellar songwriting, and really tasteful production that never overpowers the vocals. If you were a singer-songwriter, this would be the bible. Young's contribution, both songwriting and guitar playing, lift things. His approach is little bit more rock and less polished than Stephen Stills' tendency towards perfectionism, which I prefer.

These little groups are normally lovely. These guys were just winey af. Bet they were a nightmare to record with

36mins, but felt like 136

I'd rather be watching The Littlest Hobo

What a load of shit

This is a good 'un. Carry On, obviously. But the rest of the track list is very solid, with different tracks highlighting different members songwriting and vocal chops. Fave Tracks: Carry On, Almost Cut My Hair, Helpless, Our House, Country Girl 4.5/5

Great album

The best harmonies ever

The soundtrack of my family vacations

Hep yeah. Was actually just thinking the other day about how good a song Woodstock is

Another easy 5

The song Woodstock is the song of the generation. Brilliant writing by Joni and CSNY made it come alive

It is genuinely impressive that the writing credits for this album are so evenly spread between the four members of the supergroup and that the musical style maintains consistency so well. You can clearly tell who is writing what song, and it's not that any of the writers here are better than the others (although I have a soft spot for Crosby), but that their musical styles are different. Even though they all shine on their own, when these guys come together their harmonies are phenomenal. Not just in the sense that their voices work well together, musically these guys blend into something that is more than the sum of its parts. This album gets better and better with each listen and I can't say there are any weak tracks. Highlights: Almost Cut My Hair, Deja Vu, Our House, 4+20, Country Girl

As good as it gets for CSNY

Such a great album. Great harmonies. Brings back great memories

AMAZING album. Just great. Almost cut my hair especially is such a banger.

Splendid harmony singing, stellar song writing. This album is a timeless classic.

Everyone should have listened to this album at least 20 times in their lifetime.

Before I received this album as one to listen to it is always on my own personal favorite album of all time list. It ia a fantastic album from one of the greatest groups of all time.

Damn.

One of my favorite albums of all time. First time listen was on vinyl during covid zooted alone in my room. Almost Cut My Hair is a spiritual song for me

This is close to peak folk rock... I love this.

Overall: 9/10 This is my first time listening to a full album featuring any of the members of this band and that's honestly kind of embarrassing. I'm glad to start closing this horrific gap in my music listening. In terms of this album, it's a country/folk/rock album that I absolutely adore. The harmonies are shockingly gorgeous and I love that Neil gets to shine the most on this album because he has the most unique voice of the four members. I've seen some people don't enjoy Neil's voice and I'm not sure why I do but he's one of the few whiney singers that isn't grating to the ears. The instrumentation is also diverse enough to keep the album interesting throughout. Can't wait to hear so many more albums from all of these guys. Fav Song: Woodstock Least Fav Song: 4 + 20

Familiar songs.

Masterpiece!

Fav songs: Deja Vu - absolutely beautiful piece of music. Mind blowingly good stuff.

Wait this is actually sick?! Carry On (the beat change is actually nuts) Teach Your Children Helpless (this one is weird in that there are parts I don't like but the harmonies are GROGEOUS) Woodstock Deja Vu !!!!!!!!!! The beginning of this song is just ridiculous and im really upset is slows down. Our House 4 + 20 (jesus this song is sad but gorgeous I almost don't want to add it because of how sad it make me feel ggs) Country Girl Everybody I Love You This album was ridiculous, genuinely enjoyed this front to back. This album embodies everything I enjoy about Creedence Clearwater and I was smiling ear to ear (except for that 1 sad song) GGs boys EXACTLY the type of thing I wanted from this challenge

Never listened to this album, but I knew the first five songs so far. On track 7(our house) and I know this whole record so far. This blows my mind. No wonder CSNY has always been talked about so highly. This is an albums worth of hits. First track I didn’t know was “4+20”. Great song. Now I’m on “country girl”. This one I don’t know either, and the first song where I’m not “wow”. So country girl starts slow and builds to a great song. Great album

Woodstock to the heart, but got love for all Lie and die in the fire, where I learned to ball Our House is the place where I lay my dome On the streets of the San Francisco where my Country Girl roam

Ok

cool

Well written, well sequenced; all their strengths distilled into their most potent. These 4 were combustible combination, but held it together for a great album. One of my favorites.

I’m not a stickler for authenticity but Elvis Costello just comes off so fake.

Really like this, so many classics. The different songwriter concept has so much benefit to the bands that know how to implement it correctly.

Really enjoyed this, reminded me of a Fleetwood Mac album in some ways so it makes for easy listening. Probably will listen again :)

Loved it!

This is a truly excellent album. Our House is, obviously, a classic. 4+20 is great too. Well-honed, each song changing things up just a little to keep you on your toes. Atmospheric - would be good with eyes closed and headphones in.

Almost cut my hair!

So so good.

Ridiculously good — every song.

Peak CSN&Y which is good enough for me.

This is a great sounding album and the title track is timeless. There's a warmth and complexity to CSNY that is missing from a lot of music. Helpless is so clearly Young doing what he does best. Not everything on this one is equally good but you can see why these four were a huge influence, especially Young who is clearly the standout.

This album feels like the production/mixing level is a grand canyon apart from a lot of other albums on this list especially modern overcompressed stuff. Even if a song or two didn't hit me right away I was listening because the mixing is so good. I think Helpless is my favorite track. This album makes me want to understand why it sounds so good. Even if you don't like the music it should make you wonder why so many albums even on this list don't sound this good.

Great album! Really liked the chill vibes of each song.

Didn’t get all the way through it but have listened to it many times before - awesome album, huge diversity in music but all great performances

What a familiar sound, even though I had not really listened to a lot of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young so far. Has this 70s feel (obviously) which I absolutely adore. The vocals in some songs were a highlight for me - layered vocals are a soft spot of mine. Some songs reminded me of super early Queen a bit, Queen I and Queen II, two of my favourite albums of all time. Others gave Simon and Garfunkel vibes, while some others had this distinctive Beatles sound. Overall, I knew since the very first song that this album was going to be a solid 5/5. Marvellous.

A classic - surely everyone loves CSN&Y

At a time when rock bands seemed to name themselves like law firms, CSN added a new partner in Neil Young. His arrival brought another dimension to the band’s already stellar songwriting and live performances, though it came with Young's famed unpredictability and headstrong attitude. Having already watched Young dismantle Buffalo Springfield, Stephen Stills should have known better—but Young’s musical chops clearly outweighed the risks. Given the towering egos, volatile relationships, and an infamously scattered recording process, it’s a miracle Déjà Vu was recorded at all—and even more remarkable how accomplished it sounds. The album flows seamlessly, with songwriting and singing duties shared almost equally (Stills x3, Crosby x2, Nash x2, Young x2, plus one cover). Stills brought technical precision and rock sensibilities, Crosby offered dreamy, freeform experimentation, Nash delivered polished, melodic pop, and Young added raw emotion and introspective grit. Together, they pushed each other to raise their game, allowing every member’s strengths to shine. Déjà Vu contains some of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's most accomplished and memorable songs as a band and as individuals—no small feat, given the stellar careers each of them had. Did/Do I own this release? No, but I should Does this release belong on the list? Yes Would this release make my personal list? Yes Will I be listening to it again? Yes

One of my favorite albums of all time. I love the harmonies, I love the songwriting, I love the songs on here.

Classic album, great songs and vocals

Always love Neil Young. Helpless is great along with many other tracks on this album.

4.6 One of the best folk rock albums of the 70s. Love how their voices harmonize together.

All I can say is this album is a master class in "Harmonies!!!" So good. If your into harmonies an musicianship, this your bag. Enjoy and say thank you.

A fantastic moment in time. Every song is a piece of art.

Exactly what we should get from a supergroup: brilliant lyrics, harmony, and playing.

This was one of those albums that I thought I would know a few songs from going in, and it turned out I knew basically every song on the album. It turns out I unknowingly grew up on this album, as my family plays songs from it constantly. It’s just a delight to listen through. The harmonies are immediately identifiable and unique to this band. The overall sound is folky, but still has a rock edge to it at times (especially the guitar parts). Just a great record

Classic album. Every song is good and most are better. Even Our House, which I've always felt was too saccharine, was a major hit. It speaks to the variety on this album. It points the way from 60's folk rock to more complex and edgier (thanks to Neil) rock of the 70's. Several songs like the title track are really interesting with the changes they manage in a 4 minute song like mini movements. The variety of the album could make it seem a bit disjointed to some; the Young tracks particularly stick out. Despite the love focused themes of most of the songs, you can still hear the countercultural metaphors imbedded. Its a fantastic, enjoyable, mostly timeless album.

11 stars out of 5. One of the greats.

Great Album.

There's a bit of filler, but the sheer amount of great tracks this record has more than makes up for that. Fantastic song-writing and superstar talent make this an excellent album.

Too many memorable songs not to be 5 stars or A- for me.

An iconic album for all time

Incredible! More than half of the album could be considered a greatest hits for them.

Always been sort of indifferent to them but this was good

Déjà Vu by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young is a stunning album that beautifully showcases their signature harmonies. The album exudes warmth and tenderness, creating a deeply immersive listening experience. Each track is infused with a rich, melodic quality that highlights the intricate vocal arrangements of the band. The lyrics explore themes of love, introspection, and social change, adding emotional depth to the music. The seamless blend of folk and rock elements offers a timeless quality that resonates throughout. Overall, Déjà Vu is a powerful testament to the band's ability to craft emotionally resonant and sonically rich music. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 8 STAND OUT TRACK - Helpless