Crosby, Stills & Nash

Throughout this project, I'm frequently struggling to understand why the flowery folk-rock that many of the Woodstock hippies favoured was considered so threatening to the establishment. The lyrical themes of sex, drugs, philosophical musings and war are well and truly present, but the edges are so sanded off that it doesn't strike me the same way that psych rock, proto-metal and harder music of the time does. I don't think it helps that this music was made to go up against the establishment, but thanks to the Rolling Stone and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame crowd, this IS the sound of the rock establishment.

Folk rock! I didn't like the Stephen Stills album that came earlier in this, nor did I really like the Neil Young grunge album; but I'm excited to listen to CSN. Guessing there will be more CSNY to come in the next ~1000 albums left. Judy Blue Eyes and Marrakesh Express are not my thing at all, but they're quite catchy. Guess there's a reason these guys are legendary musicians. Not my thing (feel like I've said that a lot so far) but it's excellent. I'm not a folk rock guy and never will be, so I won't come back to this much, but the songs are excellent. Would love to hear these reimagined at faster tempos...

Was surprised by this album. The song writing is strong and the harmonies are great. To my ear, there's a real musicality here.

I never give enough credit to this type of music. That’s usually because the tracks are all very similar throughout but this album had a pleasing amount of variety.

a favorite!

#117 Three already-accomplished artists came together to create an album which defined the "California Sound". It laid the foundation for their next album, Deja Vu, and the addition of Neil Young to the group. Nice and mellow, and full of great songwriting. Highlights: Helplessly Hoping, Wooden Ships, Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, Guinnevere

Another incredible debut. I don't hear people talk about CSN as a supergroup. Maybe because they're not virtuoso players, though Stills is quite an instrumentalist. The songwriting simply doesn't get any better, nor does the harmony arrangements. Indispensible music.

Some beautiful harmonies, although it doesn’t hit me in the way a lot of folk and folk rock does from this era. Helplessly Hoping the obvious standout.

Not bad, not great 3.5/5

Such a pretty album. Elite harmonies and guitar parts, very nice poetic lyrics, and a lot of catchy tunes. Altogether a great listen. Favorites include Guinnevire, Long Time Gone, and Song With No Words.

Amazing harmonies of course, but also very nice subtle production and comfortable grooves. A few very high highs and a lot of mediocre plateau. Judy Blue Eyes is in my top ten songs of all time. Highlights: "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes", "Pre-Road Downs", "Helplessly Hoping"

Good album overall, but the great songs make this a 4 for me. Favorite tracks: Wooden Ships, Helplessly Hoping, Suite: Judy Blue Eyes

i think i found my new fav

Fairly enjoyable, even for a genre I dont usually like.

realmente um disco de folk. nada muito a acrescentar.

7.5/10

Incredible songwriting and harmonies. I didn't think this album would take me back to my childhood when my dad drove the car, and I sat in the backseat on long trips. Thanks for the memory.

An album that I know all the lyrics to. Best tracks: all of them. Helplessly Hoping, Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, Long Time Gone, Teach Your Children, Wooden Ships Rating: 10

I like that album 😊 I'll rate it a 7/10 There is a lot of 60's album on this list or I have some kind of luck. Please algorithm give me something more modern

A classic I listened to thos way back and its still great the Daughter of Apollo approves

Objectively a good album but those harmonies started to drive me nuts after the 5th song they were so repetitive. I honestly thought the last two songs were the best on the album which is really rare!

I hadn't realised how much they were dominated by Stills, who played most of the non-drum instruments here. Nash leaves his sugary fingerprints a couple of times, while I actually like a lot of Crosby's songs and Wooden Ships is one of the best on this album. I quite liked You Don't Have to Cry too but overall this just sounded too smoothly polished. I prefer my folk rock to have a bit more spit and sawdust in it

2.5

A bit bland. They should have gone all in on those harmonies.

I just thought this was really boring. Feels of it’s time in a not positive way

Mega banger. I don’t think Judy want you tho my guy.

A couple tunes had me like "Oh yeah, I know this one!" Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Suite: Judy Blue Eyes - Wooden Ships - Helplessly Hoping

Is there a sound more evocative of the 60s era than this? Hard to say.

I was 5 when this came out. My pops had this record. I heard it a lot. It was pleasant enough, but it wasn't mine. Then as the 80s came along and I started to have my own music, the rock canon was being laid out. We were told that records like this were the pinnacle and they weren't making music like this anymore. I remained skeptical. Now in 2026, I know the canon has great stuff, but it was and is super narrow. There is so much more out there! There is nothing wrong with C S & N, but it will never mean as much to me as Joy Division or Planet Rock or even The Meat Puppets. Impossible for me to be objective about it.

Actually top tier folk rock. I might put into regular rotation.

The songs the critics loves are the ones I disliked the most.

I like music a more indie or alternativ

There are not many perfect albums, this is one of them. There was, at times, better music after Neil Young joined. But this album holds together better.

Second time this album has come up for me and my review remains the same a little over a year later. “Love it”

I think I prefer the haunting CSN over the moody and rambling versions we also see on this album. The subtle instrumentations, the spooky harmonies.. this one bounces around a bit too much for me even if the ones that hit (Helplessly Hoping in particular) hit hard.

It's fine. I think this particular version of the 70s rock genre does not translate as well as others. It's not particularly my style, but it's at least well done.

Crosby, Stills and Nash With a strong focus on the harmonious vocals rather than the instrumental side of things I find this album peaks with the first song, Judy Blue Eye’s. Even the “song with no words” is all vocal do-do-do’s. The album overall is pleasant, but ultimately forgettable with nothing to differentiate it from being any folk album. Nothing controversial, nothing really bad but also nothing exciting. No Frisson here. Would I buy this album if I saw it in the $5 bargain bin - meh

Nice old school and gentle. Only thing I'd say is the singing is old school but I like it. 4 stars

Comforting, as always.

A legendary album, which I looked forward to, but such a disappointment. Yawn.

What a lovely little album. I’ve never been that inclined to listen to sixties music but this has piqued my interest.

CSN, no Y because neil young sucks feel like there were other good songs, but they all kind of sound the same and blur together definitely feels influential tho 💥suite judy blue eyes

Harmonies for days.

As you'd expect, you have to tolerate a fair amount of irritating naïveté, such as a rich kid who calls women "m'lady" telling you that the solution to dealing with your boss and the stress of your job is simply to stop working. Still, the harmonies are lovely and it has a fluidity and groove that has since been entirely lost. Even those with Hollywood and Wall Street money to buy them the time to search can't find their way back.

The vocal harmonies were fantastic. I thought this was one of the best Folk-rock 70’s albums I’ve heard.

It's fine as a Simon & Garfunkel/Beatles rip-off. These guys are yet to impress me. Feels largely masturbatory.

Really solid album. I dug the harmonies and the overall flow. I see why they added Neil Young the next year, though. The trio was missing something, and apparently that something was a guy I don't even like. Against all odds, Neil Young made a band better. Marrakesh Express is a banger. 4/5.

Pleasant but boring. I like Deja Vu, and everyone here's solo work quite a bit more generally.

Not bad. 3.75 rounded down to 3.

Great voices, great songs. Love the vibe many of these songs bring

Some great hit songs but seems to be missing a little fire.

Own it (CD) - Well, this is quite a choice to follow yesterday's Fairport Convention album. The first time I heard "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" was on the Woodstock film. I had recorded it on a VHS tape from PBS and while I was originally amazed that naked hippies were shown bathing in a film that aired on public television, the live performances of CSNY, Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker and especially Richie Havens captivated me - opening a channel in my brain I wasn't even aware I had. Those harmonies! I immediately tried to find music to play the song on my guitar - I was in love with a girl named Judy at the time and I didn't even worry about whether or not her eyes were actually blue while I struggled to re-tune my guitar to whatever weird tuning was being used. Historically, there is so much of the 60s captured on this album - the later Deja Vu would provide a full epilogue - and a look forward to the singer-songwriter days yet to come in the 1970s. "Guinnevere," Wooden Ships," "Helplessly Hoping," - these are once in a generation songs just hanging out on a single album. "You don't have to cry," is a personal favorite for the guitar work punctuated by harmonics and a driving bassline - and again, those harmonies. "Helplessly Hoping" has such a great lyrical focus, I think of it as part one of Deja Vu's "Our House." The Byrds may have defined the start of folk-rock in America, but this album and its follow-up are the pinnacle of the genre in this era. 5 stars.

muy bueno pero simplemente no es precisamente lo que mas me guste. Lo volvería a escuchar? probablemente no.

Really solid record with a couple of skips in my opinion. Still excellent songwriting and compositions. 4/5

4.5

Ok I... liked it? I can see the influence this had on Fleet Foxes, etc. But I can't get behind these 70s jazz 7th and 9th kinda three-part harmonies. Songwriting felt a little meandering when I just want something punchy. I'd take a Beach Boys harmony or song any day over this, even though I love a good campfire acoustic folk jam. And I'd take Fleet Foxes over it too honestly. Still giving it a 4 because it's well-executed and influential even if there are some aesthetic complaints I have.

It was nice, very pleasant, good rhythm and songwriting. It faded a bit into the background, and I prefer some of their other albums TBH.

Excellent

? rock? dann neilll young und der wichtig für grunge usw...c

Harmless late 69s early 70s music.. can understand its appeal though not really my cup of tea

I don’t know how everybody the 60s suddenly got so keen on bluesy folk-rock but it’s honestly not too bad at all. It’s not SImon & Garfunkel but it’s not pointless noodling. Overall a nice, harmonic sound that makes great use of its acoustic guitars.

3.1/5

I liked this a lot. Great harmonies, great songwriting.

Beautiful. 3 strong musicians in their own right making something bordering on magic together. Their instruments and voices in a way that weaves like cloth. No one tries to overpower the other and each song is given moments to breathe. Love it

Paul Simon wannabes. Stop singing together so much!

4.1/5 beautiful harmonies n songs

It's a good album, it was nice listening to it. He aged badly, of course, but the performance is worthy of its time

Groovy

Todo estaba aquí. Toda la música que me gusta actualmente, incluso algún disco de los 70 y de los 80, sale de aquí. Me ha encantado pero sobre todo me ha hecho reflexionar sobre cómo mis referentes tienen referentes y esos también tenían referentes.

Nice harmonies but quite soft overall. Good in smaller doses for me.

Was pretty good, laid back countrified folly stuff. Enjoyable overall.

So cool

Harmonies go so hard. I think the second half of this record carries this record a lot for me. But an interesting find. Very cool. Made the stank face a few times.

I quite enjoyed it!

I'd somehow never sat down and listened to Crosby, Stills & Nash before but I have such an affinity for 60s rock that the moment the first song started, I knew immediately I was going to love it. This is extremely my vibe, I'm excited to dig deeper into the discography of yet another supergroup (+Neil Young) I was familiar with as a concept but had never taken the time to explore before.

Harmonize, strum, harmonize, strum. Zzzzzzz.

Definitely on the more bloated end. Only got a few songs I liked from this but overall not bad. The vocals were for sure a highlight here with the harmonies, but the instrumentals definitely could have been better. 2.5/5

I liked it more than I thought I would - honestly CSN sounds better sans-Young than I expected. I do feel like the album is hit and miss, but what hits is going to be different for everyone, weirdly: the only tracks I liked (for me) are the ones below, but I did thoroughly enjoy them which is what earns this album its three stars (appropriate, perhaps, for a trio act). Fav tracks: Guinnevere, Wooden Ships, Song with No Words

big 3

My grandpa gave me an old box of records a while back, a bunch of it was stuff I didn’t know at all so I put those in the basement. But, when I saw this album, I knew I recognized it, and sure enough there it was in the box of records. It’s a bit dirty and had a spot or two where it skipped, but it was very cool getting to listen to this on an original vinyl press. Also helps that it’s a good album!

Am I too stingy with five star ratings? This is a VERY good record, not quite the “all killer, no filler” goal, but I didn’t really find a song I’d skip. Pleasantly surprised by the prominent bass tone provided by Stephen Stills. Good on ya! Probably more of a four and a half.

A 2 feels harsh, but outside of track 1, this album feels extremely flat to me. If you want to hear what this band could do at their apex, check out Déjà vu, which of course includes Neil which gives the band the lyrical and general edge the self titled lacks. What really torpedoed this for me was the cover of everybody’s talkin. One of the greatest songs ever written, so many beautiful versions, it’s like that 3 dragon meme, CSN being the dumb one. Déjà vu also has the Jerry steal pedal Teach your children, the version here is nap enducing.

The Judy Blue Eyes Suite is a masterful song so it's hard to follow up an entire album with that but they do manage to stick with the same vibes. I like that they sandwiched the album with the second best song, Teach Your Children at the end.

Good mellow 70s folk hippie vibes. Good for a nice fall day. But not great

This had a cool 70s hippie vibe and a couple of the songs were familiar. It doesn't really stand out as anything special from that time period and genre, but it was enjoyable enough, with some cool guitar riffs.

This is not something I would probably revisit but there were a few tracks I did enjoy. Personal stand outs include Guinnevere, You Don't Have To Cry and Helplessly Hoping.

A magnificent combo obviously, just not really my scene...

Great album, really enjoyed it.

Mushy folk rock with decent singing but often paper-thin songs, the debut album by CS&N is a mildly inoffensive record that might be suitable as background music while you try to finish this week's assignment in the watercolor class you're taking through the adult education program down at the rec center.

3 - decent

I expected and wanted more. But this was kind of boring after Suite Judy Blue Eyes. I guess like I everything in the world, adding neil young to the mix fixes everything

Day 30 I don't think this record is Young Fav track: Wooden Ships

very pleasant actually

Lovely music.

I still like them better with Neil Young in the mix, but this is a really strong album on its own. The harmonies are obviously the big draw, and when all three voices lock together it’s hard not to get why this album became such a big deal. “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” is a banger and one of those songs that somehow earns its long runtime. “Marrakesh Express” is great too, way lighter and more playful but just as catchy. There’s a lot of really clean acoustic playing throughout, and the whole album has that late 60s California sound without getting too soft. Favorite song: “‘Marrakesh Express”

Great album, loved the harmonies and some very catchy tunes.

This is a thing of crystalline beauty, delicate harmonies that build to create songs of complex melody. The voices slide into place like precisely carved puzzle pieces. Yeah sometimes it’s more harmony than song, but god listen to them

Not the worst folk rock I’ve been force fed by this list

Okay

Okay. Not as good as deja vu. Still pretty neat.