No Suite but so sweet: CSN 4th July 2010 - review by Ian Ravenscroft

CSN at the Royal Albert Hall 4th July 2010

Woodstock
Military Madness
Long Time Gone
Blue bird
Marrakesh Express
Southern Cross
In Your Name
Long May You Run
Deja Vu
Wooden Ships

Helplessly Hoping
Norwegian Wood
Midnight Rider
Girl From The North Country
Ruby Tuesday
What Are Their Names?
Guinnevere
Delta
Cathedral
Our House
Behind Blue Eyes
Rock n' Roll Woman
Almost Cut My Hair

Encores
Love the One You're With
Teach Your Children

From the first chords of Woodstock to the finale Teach Your Children, CSN were cohesive as if the years of excess had never been. And those harmonies were so sweet, particularly on the covers Norwegian Wood and Girl From The North Country. The 3 were in high spirits with Crosby on fine form. Stills was roundly booed for a dig at BP. Nash's song In Your Name was delivered in a lilting country style with excellent supporting guitar work by Stills. It sounded much more complete a song than the version on Nash's box set.

Crosby said that they just had to do a song by "the tall thin Canadian" and the boys duly delivered a harmony soaked Long May You Run. Ironic when you think that Neil's deletion of Crosby and Nash's harmonies from that particular song once left deep scars in their relationship.

One of my favourite Crosby songs, Delta was prefaced with the story of how Jackson Browne forced him to finish it at Warren Zevon's house when Croz was too far gone (to quote Neil). Crosby's son James Raymond played piano and you could tell his dad was proud.

There were a couple of times when Nash had nothing to do but watch Stills playing blistering guitar breaks. The mental picture of Bez from the Happy Mondays flashed before my eyes and the whole thing took on a rather comic aspect (sorry Graham). Stills guitar work was amazing though. There was a manic edge to his playing that was at times mesmerising.

Overall a most enjoyable concert - get that covers album done quickly lads.

IR