Looking Forward

by

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

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By no means is this THE classic CSN&Y disc. Lets face it; They're a hard act to follow. Even for them. "LOOKING FORWARD" has recieved some unfavorable reviews, and I don't disagree with many of the points that have been made; but after several listenings I've discovered some really subtle things that make this disc worth owning. First off; Neil Youngs material is as strong as anything he has done. This should come as no surprise to anyone who apreciates his style. In fact; after the first listening; I thought Neil's songs carried the entire disc. After a few more spins I began to enjoy several other tunes. "Faith In Me" is vintage Steven Stills. He has written many songs in this vein, and this song has a wonderfully relaxed quality that only comes from years of camaraderie. "Heartland" is a great Graham Nash number. Go back through his career and you'll find dozens of songs in the same mode. Perhaps we have all become hardened over the decades to accept such sweetness? "No Tears Left" just plain ROCKS. This is a real high point; great guitar work, and wonderful harmonies. "Someday Soon" is vintage CSN&Y, all the elements are here. This is a great song. "Sanibel" closes the disc, and again; this is vintage stuff. Go back and listen and you'll see what I mean. California Folk Rock at it's best. I believe that the people that did'nt like this disc have just out grown this kind of music; and what a shame. These guys embody the sweetness and conscience of a time past. Perhaps we could all use some of that sweetness in our busy lives. I for one welcome it.

From reading many reviews of "Looking Forward", I've learned that it is a record most CSNY fans either love or hate. Let me propose that this record is neither as bad as some would lead you to believe, or as good as others would lead you to believe.

Let's start with the songs. Neil Young weighs in with three good ones and another, less-than- serious song(Queen of Them All) that you'll like if you catch the humor in it. Nash and Crosby offer two good tunes apiece. Sanibel, the final song, was written by an outside composer, and it is good, if anything, because it shows that the CSN studio-produced harmonies are still intact. The problem is Stills. While still a formidable musician, his three songs on this record are weak both lyrically and musically, including "Faith in Me", the lead-off track. CSN/CSNY need to rely on Stills to write the classic Rock tracks, and he fails on this record. This is a major problem.

Regarding the harmonies, CSNY rely on their "live" voices, which were never spectacular to begin with and have only weakened with age. This will come as a surprise to long-time fans (who haven't seen CSN in concert lately). The last track, Sanibel, shows what the CSNY harmonies can be like when produced in a studio environment. By the way, the individual CSNY solo voices are up-to-par, abeit weaker than they were when the band members were younger, which is understandable.

Regarding the musicianship, the band's "chops" are fine, particularly Stills and Young. No problem there.

In summation, I would rate this record three stars out of five. I find that I generally enjoy it. If CSNY hang in there, I think it portends well for future collaborations.