Continuing my look at the albums of 1977…
I always expect to know Crosby, Stills & Nash’s music better than I do. When the band’s third studio album, CSN, showed up on lists of notable 1977 releases, I figured it would feature several familiar tracks. But only first single ‘Just a Song Before I Go’ rang a bell.
The folk rock supergroup, both with and without Neil Young, has had a profound impact on American music, but very little impact on me. So I welcomed the chance to hear a bit more of their music.
CSN is the band’s second album as a trio and it found each of the members experimenting a bit. It’s a lot weirder than I expected, with Latin rhythms and psychedelic detours sitting alongside the expected harmonic folk. A few of the songs rock pretty hard, too.
I don’t know if this album is typical of Crosby, Stills & Nash’s output or an outlier, but it made me curious to hear more.
Just a song before I go
To whom it may concern
Traveling twice the speed of sound
It’s easy to get burned
[Verse 1]
When the shows were over
We had to get back home
And when we opened up the door
I had to be alone
[Verse 2]
She helped me with my suitcase
She stands before my eyes
Driving me to the airport
And to the friendly skies
[Verse 3]
Going through security
I held her for so long
She finally looked at me in love
And she was gone
[Outro]
Just a song before I go
A lesson to be learned
Traveling twice the speed of sound
It’s easy to get burned
Meet Me In Montauk 
I know this song well, though I didn’t know it was from CSN.
I would appreciate a deep dive into their music.
CSN(&Y) has been a favorite band of mine since their early days. I wouldn’t classify them as an “experimental” band, but they were musically innovative for their time. One of the reasons Graham Nash joined the band was a chance to be push musical boundaries more than he had been able to with The Hollies. Their later albums are a bit of a mixed bag, but their early releases like the self-titled Crosby, Stills & Nash album (1969) are as good as it gets. (There are also some gems on the Crosby/Nash duo albums… and the song “Love The One You’re With” is a great CSN song that appears on a Stephen Stills solo album.)