Ootohev 3, Z969
The N.C. Essay
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Page 5
by Mike Ferguson
Whenever a major development
or deviation takes place in rock
music, the change of direction is
usually generated by those few
artists who are the true spirits
and life-forces of the art
itself. After two years of
experimentation with oscillators,
ragas, and whatnot, rock needed to
re-discover its roots; it was
forced to re-examine its
direction and seek another. In
its several mutations, rock had
somehow lost the sense of
vibrancy it one possessed. And
it was the Beatles, the Stones,
and Dylan, among others, who felt
this need and brought rock back
home, revitalizing pure, honest-
to-God rock and rool.
David Crosby, Stephen Stills,
and Graham Nash, three major rock
artists, also realized this
necessity to get back to its
roots. Each came from other
groups, who in their own way had
contributed to the growth of rock
as an art form. The trio banded
together to make music free from
ego-trips, mis-directed experi
mentation, and hassles that had
besieged their previous experiences
in bands. Crosby was one of the
original Byrds. Stills was an
integral member of Buffalo Spring
field, one of rock's most creative
groups. Nash was, for five years,
a member of the British Hollies.
Crosbyj Stills3 and Nash was
formed out of a collective
energetic drive to create basic,
honest music.
The group spent several months
living, writing, and playing
together in Still's Topanga Canyon
home. Early this summer they
released their first LP as a
group, a smooth, multi-textured
collection of fold, country, and
rock songs. Titled simply Crosby3
Stills^ and Hash Atlantic SD8229)
the album is one of the year's
finest. Rich with impeccable
harmonies and fluid instrumental
patterns, the album is a conscious
effort to make simple and pure
rock music; which by its nature,
contains elements of both the folk
and country idioms.
The nine songs on the LP
depict the different style of each
member, but also displays cohesive
ness as a group effort. The song-
writing talents are well distributed;
Nash and Crosby wrote two each.
Stills i»enned four, and Crosby and
Stills (along with Paul Kanter of
Jefferson Airplane, who could not
receive composition credit because
of copyright hassles) collaborated
on one song.
Nash's songs are light, campy,
whimsical. His are the least strik
ing on the LP, but they are the type
one finds himself humming all day.
"Marakesh Express" is similar to
Graham's work with the Hollies. It
is a great car song. "Pre Road
Downs", despite its title is a happy
song, containing the impossible
lines: "Hotels and midnight coaches,
don't forget to hide the roaches".
SON OF THE
(from page 4)
For once wouldn't it be great
NOT to hear: "the short comings of
our society are to blame". For
once I’d like to hear one of them
sayt "Hey guys, you know we really
botched that one". (Important note
to new students; AT N»C»S,A. YOU
ARE NOT ALLOWED TO FAIL.... AT
ANYTHING* Another important rulet
IF YOU DO, NEVER ADMIT IT.)
May we suggest a simple
experiment? Simply pick five
faculty or staff members at random;
approach them with the questiont
"Is this a school or a performing
arts center"? Another question:
"When does this place cease being one
to become the other"? If they don't
hedge around it, you probably will
get five different answers.
We need one person. We need
to give him complete authority.
He's gotta know what to do with it.
Is that so completely impossible?
Is it because one is afraid to
jepordize one's security by saying
"There's something'wrong here." Come
on faculty; the pay ain't that great!
Well, it's simple really. It's
got to happen or somebody is gonna
say to somebody in Raleigh-, "Hey, baby
SUPERSHEEP
take a look at dis!" Or some tax
payer is gonna get ticked having to
sweep out garbage from a dorm room
before his son can set his French
Horn down. Or it's gonna take one
student who has finally had enough-.
That's all there Is to it. They'll
thpn push a little button at the
legislature and the ground under
neath the campus will 5 t open
right up and swallow the whole dump,
Of course, we might be lucky.
If we are,, nobody will do any
thing but gripe a little, and lose
weight, or not get enough sleep
and sit around on the grass when
there's nothing else to do singing:
"I'lhere have all the-flowers gone"?
Yes sir, we might be lucky at that.
Some one, a visitor to N.C.S.A.
summed it up nicely: "They call it
an arts school", he said "but it's
pure fraud. Look at the building
plans! The last thin^ on the list
is a concert hall and theatre"^.
Something to kick around isn't it?
Not logical? Think a moment. If
you do. Super Sheep might not be
needed too much longer.
"Guinivere" and "Long Time Cornin'
are both Crosby songs. They are a
study in contrasts. The first is a
ballad, happy-sad, and very Byrd-like
Long Time Comin" is much more intense
with political and social implica
tions. The Crosby-Stills-Kanter com
position is "Wooden Ships", a beau
tiful anthem of despair for the pre
sent and hope for the future: "Take
a sister by the hand/ we're leaving
this foreigh land/ maybe we can smile
again/ we are leaving/ you^donit'need
us/ you don't need us."
But the real power behind this
group is Steve Stills. He is their
spirit, their soul, their force. He
sings lead on most songs, plays lead
guitar, and also dubbed in organ and
bass parts for the LP. His songs
are exceptional vingettes, contaii^*^
ing incredible short, overpowering
phrases. Of his four songs here,
"Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" (written for
a rock and rqH. lady, Judy Collins),
is the most evocative. The music
shifts in style, mood and tempo
through out as Steve's throaty voice
quivers around the cool, crisp har
mony of Crosby and Nash. The words
are formed in a countrified stream-
of-consciousness fashion, with the
singers scattered emotions shifting
as often as the music.
The song is, in all phases of
execution, a masterpiece and it,
along with his other work, marks
Stills as one of contemporary
rock's major son'gwriters.
This is a wonderful LP, one
that does not require a certain
mood to be listened to. There
is not a poor cut on the record.
It is an honest, free album made by
three artists who understand
the communicative power of rock
and roil. If this is the style of
music we can expect in the future,
the wait was worthwhile indeed^
(NOTE: About a month agOj Neil
Young^ also a former member of
Buffalo Springfield, joined C, S,
& N» They 02*0 now knam as Crosby
Stills, Nash, and Young,- A new
LP is expeated shortly and a c
Qonoert tour is^ suoaessfully in
progress. Also, new things
by the Beatles3 Byrds3 Kinks,
Incredible String Band,
Jefferson Airplane, Quioksii'der,
Led Zepplin, Flying Burrito
Brothers3 and i^e Youngbloods
a:re all due out this month. The
Band and Joplin are already out.
Keep listening3 it’s getting
better all the time.)
So to those of you lucky
enough to be mentioned here. Super
Sheep thanks you (and he's
probably the only onet)