There was an incestuous scene that was called
Good luck to anyone who wants to do a family tree.
David Crosby (ex Byrds), Stephen Stills (ex Buffalo Springfield) , Graham Nash (ex Hollies) were “Crosby Stills & Nash”. They added Neil Young (also ex Buffalo Springfield) and became “Crosby Stills Nash & Young”. Some formed other bands: Stephen Stills (
If you add all the Byrds, Dillards, and Poco members to the various offshoots and side projects you will have what resembles a musical bowl of spaghetti linking all the bands together.
Stephen Stills and Neil Young had known each other for about ten years here and it is clear they are on the same wavelength but they don’t do a “group” album but rather a half ‘n’ half album with the same backing musicians. Neil does five songs and Stephen does four. They no doubt assisted each other as you would in a collaborative process but by the same token you can treat this album as two mini albums by Stills and Young individually.
Both Stills and Young have had many high points and quite a few low points in lengthy music careers. I’ve been in trouble before for saying I think Neil Young is overrated but I maintain that. That doesn’t mean I don’t think he is great it just means I don’t think he is as great as others think he is. Young has recorded a great body of work with many classics but he has put out his fair share of clunkers (that I wont hold against him because maybe a great artist needs to put out crap as well as gold because it shows a testing of the boundaries). The problem I have is that he sometimes has a fuzzy intellectual viewpoint and worse still seems quite willing to hop on a trend. By that I mean he isn’t all that innovative but rather he is a person who can pick up on a trend and perform compelling music within that trend. There is nothing wrong with that but I don’t think I would place him in the same league as Bob Dylan, Gram Parsons, or Roger McGuinn even though all of them (Dylan excepted) have had far less successful careers.
So, Neil despite his sometimes jagged and ragged sounds always played it a little safe. Does that mean his music is bad? Shit, no. He wrote many classics and put out some killer albums.
Stills, on the other hand, is inconsistent and his body of work is not as good as Neil’s overall but he has written some great tunes and is certainly quirky. He is quite willing to bring disparate styles of music into the one song (something which Neil doesn’t really do – he tends to play with different styles from album to album rather than within a song itself – there are exceptions) and attach obscure-ish lyrics to the same.
It’s probably not right to compare the two but I find it not hard to given the songs are either Still songs or Young songs.
By 1976 Stills and Young had seen their solo record sales decline whilst former band members Crosby & Nash were dueting in the top 10. This was perhaps their attempt to tap into and replicate that success.
Tracks (best in italics)
- Long May You Run – (Young) – this is in Eagles territory but Neil at his slickest would never be as saccharine as the Eagles. Apparently it’s a nostalgic tribute to an old car. Pretty good.
- Make Love to You – (Stills) – not too bad but nothing new
- Black Coral – (Stills) – a little precious as only Stephen Stills can be
- Ocean Girl – (Young) – a slight song that is quite memorable and you don’t know why (a Neil Young speciality?)
- Let It Shine– (Young) – another good tune
- 12/8 Blues (All the Same) – (Stills) – strained Stephen
- Guardian Angel– (Stills) – it took to till the end and it’s a bit long but this Stills song is his best on the album. Some nice obtuse jazzy asides also
And …
Not too bad …. I’m keeping it.
Chart Action
US
Singles
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Album
1976 Long May You Run The Billboard 200 #26
Singles
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Album
1976 Long May You Run Top 40 #26
Sounds
Long May You Run
live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMtZtFrvR3c
Make Love to You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_YvslQN6GI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dZCrvSdTxo&feature=related
Black Coral
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK0GggqgUq4&feature=related
Ocean Girl
attached
Let It Shine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPBAG8BEOP0&feature=related
12/8 Blues (All the Same)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgrYp3qHTWU&feature=fvwrel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtROc0QiXrI
Others
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo6K-mhKZRY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnOoNM0U6oc
Review
http://www.allmusic.com/album/long-may-you-run-r19150/review
http://www.allmusic.com/album/long-may-you-run-mw0000197512
Bio
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/stephen-stills-mn0000021744
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/neil-young-mn0000379125
a bit harsh , but …
http://starling.rinet.ru/music/young.htm
Website
http://www.stephenstills.com/flash.html
Trivia
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