CSN (album)

For the box set of the same name, see CSN (box set).

CSN is the third studio album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, released on Atlantic Records on June 17, 1977.^[1] It is the group's second studio release in the trio configuration. It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart; two singles taken from the album, Nash's "Just a Song Before I Go" (No. 7) and Stills' "Fair Game" (No. 43) charted on the Billboard Hot 100. It is currently the trio configuration's best selling record, outselling 1969's Crosby, Stills & Nash by 200,000 copies.^[2] It has been certified quadruple platinum by RIAA.^[3]

CSN
Studio album by Crosby, Stills & Nash
Released	June 17, 1977
Recorded	1976–1977
Genre	Rock
Length	43:50
Label	Atlantic
Producer	David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash with Ron Albert and Howard Albert
Crosby, Stills & Nash chronology
So Far (1974) CSN (1977) Replay (1980)
Singles from CSN
"Just a Song Before I Go" Released: June 17, 1977 "Fair Game" Released: 1977

Content

Following their tour in the spring and summer of 1970 to support Déjà Vu, Crosby, Stills and Nash had only completed one project together, a 1974 reunion tour of CSNY. David Crosby and Graham Nash had recorded three albums as a duo, with Crosby releasing a single solo album (in addition to a Byrds reunion album) and Nash a pair. Stephen Stills pursued other projects including the release of four solo albums, a short career with Manassas that yielded two albums, as well as a tour and an album with Neil Young, which itself nearly became a CSNY project.

CSN featured strong writing from all three members, the last time for seven years that the band would compose songs and handle vocals without major assistance from outside sources.

Many of Stills' songs on the album echo his marital problems,^[4] with "Dark Star" returning to the Latin rhythms he had favored all the way back to his Buffalo Springfield days. Crosby continued the existential probings consistent with much of his past work, and Nash offered both a radio-ready acoustic ballad with "Just a Song Before I Go", and an elaborate set piece re-creating a vision of an LSD experience that he had in Winchester Cathedral with "Cathedral".^[4] Many tracks included a string section, a first on a CSN project.

The album was released for compact disc an initial time in the 1980s,^[5] then again at Ocean View Digital from the original tapes and reissued on September 20, 1994. It was remastered once more by Steve Hoffman in April 2013, for an Audio Fidelity 24kt gold disk release in the summer of 2013.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[6]
Christgau's Record Guide	D+[7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[8]

Cash Box said that "Fair Game" "combines a snappy Latin rhythm, neatly interlocking harmonies, and layers of Stephen Stills' thoughtful acoustic guitar work."^[9] It commented on the "surging guitars and piano" and "harmonic hooks" and "powerful rhythmic elements" of "I Give You Give Blind".^[10]

Record World called "Fair Game" a "mid-tempo Stills song with samba touches, with the trio's trademark vocal harmonies again standing out."^[11]

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Shadow Captain"	David Crosby Craig Doerge	Crosby, Stills & Nash	4:32
2.	"See the Changes"	Stephen Stills	Stills with Crosby & Nash	2:56
3.	"Carried Away"	Graham Nash	Nash with Crosby	2:29
4.	"Fair Game"	Stephen Stills	Stills with Crosby & Nash	3:30
5.	"Anything at All"	David Crosby	Crosby	3:01
6.	"Cathedral"	Graham Nash	Nash with Crosby	5:15

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Dark Star"	Stephen Stills	Stills	4:43
2.	"Just a Song Before I Go"	Graham Nash	Nash	2:12
3.	"Run from Tears"	Stephen Stills	Stills	4:09
4.	"Cold Rain"	Graham Nash	Nash	2:32
5.	"In My Dreams"	David Crosby	Crosby	5:10
6.	"I Give You Give Blind"	Stephen Stills	Stills with Crosby & Nash	3:21

Personnel

• David Crosby – vocals; rhythm guitar on "Fair Game" and "Dark Star"; acoustic guitar on "Just A Song Before I Go" and "In My Dreams"; string arrangements on "Cathedral" and "Cold Rain"
• Stephen Stills – vocals; guitars on all tracks except "Carried Away", "Cathedral" and "Cold Rain" electric piano on "Anything at All"; piano, string arrangements on "I Give You Give Blind"; timbales on "Fair Game"
• Graham Nash – vocals; piano on "Carried Away", "Cathedral", "Just A Song Before I Go", and "Cold Rain"; harmonica on "Carried Away"; string arrangements on "Cathedral" and "Cold Rain"

Additional musicians

• Joe Vitale – drums on "Carried Away", "Fair Game", "Cathedral", "Dark Star", "Run From Tears" and "I Give You Give Blind"; organ on "Shadow Captain", "Fair Game", "Anything at All", "Dark Star"; electric piano on "Carried Away", "Just A Song Before I Go"; percussion on "Cathedral", "I Give You Give Blind"; flute on "Shadow Captain"; timpani on "Cathedral"; vibraphone on "In My Dreams"
• Craig Doerge – piano on "Shadow Captain" and "Anything at All"; electric piano on "Shadow Captain" and "Dark Star"
• Mike Finnigan – organ on "Run From Tears"
• George "Chocolate" Perry – bass on "Shadow Captain", "Fair Game", "Anything at All", "Cathedral", "Dark Star", and "I Give You Give Blind"
• Jimmy Haslip – bass on "Carried Away"
• Tim Drummond – bass on "Just A Song Before I Go"
• Gerald Johnson – bass on "Run From Tears"
• Russ Kunkel – drums on "Shadow Captain", "Anything at All", "Just A Song Before I Go", and "In My Dreams"; congas on "Shadow Captain", "Dark Star"; percussion on "Just A Song Before I Go"
• Ray Barretto – congas on "Fair Game"
• Mike Lewis – string arrangements on "Cathedral", "Cold Rain", and "I Give You Give Blind"
• Joel Bernstein – string arrangements on "Cathedral"

Production

• Crosby, Stills & Nash – producers
• Howard Albert, Ron Albert – co-producers, engineers
• Steve Gursky – assistant engineer
• Joel Bernstein – photography
• Gary Burden – art direction, design
• Joe Gastwirt – digital remastering

Charts

Chart performance for CSN Chart (1977) Peak position US Top LPs & Tape (Billboard) 2 UK Album Charts[12] 23 Canadian RPM 100 Albums[13] 9 Norwegian VG-lista Albums[14] 10 New Zealand Albums Charts[15] 24 French Album Charts[16] 23 Swedish Kvällstoppen Chart[17] 17 Spanish Album Charts[18] 21 Australian Kent Music Report Chart[19] 7 Dutch MegaCharts Albums[20] 4 Italian Album Charts[21] 24 Austrian Albums Chart[22] 23 Japanese Oricon LP Chart[23] 54 US Cash Box Top 100 Albums[24] 2 US Record World Album Chart[25] 2

Sales chart performance for singles from CSN Year Single Chart Position 1977 "Just A Song Before I Go" US Billboard Hot 100[26] 7 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[27] 23 French Singles Charts[28] 30 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[29] 10 US Easy Listening (Billboard)[26] 5 Australia (Go-Set National Top 40)[19] 59 US Top Singles (Cash Box)[24] 8 US Top Singles (Record World)[25] 12 1977 "Fair Game" US Billboard Hot 100[26] 43 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[29] 42 US Top Singles (Cash Box)[24] 47 US Top Singles (Record World)[25] 56

Year-end charts

Chart (1977)	Position
Canadian Albums Chart[30]	52
Italian Albums Chart[31]	65
Dutch Album Charts[32]	40
US Billboard 200[33]	83
US Cashbox Charts[34]	15

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[35]	4× Platinum	4,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Tour

1977–1978 Reunion Tour

Tour by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Start date	11 May 1977
End date	10 August 1978
Legs	3
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young concert chronology

Tours[36]
1977 Tour – Leg #1
Date	City	Country	Venue
11 May 1977	South Bend	United States	Athletic & Convocation Center
2 June 1977	Clarkston		Pine Knob Music Theatre
3 June 1977
4 June 1977
7 June 1977	Landover		Capital Centre
8 June 1977
10 June 1977	Buffalo		War Memorial Stadium
11 June 1977	Pittsburgh		Civic Arena
13 June 1977	Providence		Providence Civic Centre
14 June 1977	Boston		Boston Garden
15 June 1977	Hartford		Hartford Civic Centre
17 June 1977	Uniondale		Nassau Coliseum
18 June 1977	Hartford		Hartford Civic Center
21 June 1977	New York City		Madison Square Garden
23 June 1977	Philadelphia		Spectrum
24 June 1977
25 June 1977	Saratoga		Saratoga Performing Arts Centre
28 June 1977	Los Angeles		The Forum
29 June 1977
30 June 1977	San Diego		San Diego Sports Arena
26 August 1977	Houston		Six Flags Astroworld
1977 Tour – Leg #2
Date	City	Country	Venue
18 October 1977	Portland	United States	Portland Memorial Coliseum
19 October 1977	Vancouver	Canada	PNE Coliseum
20 October 1977	Seattle	United States	Seattle Center Coliseum
22 October 1977	Oakland		Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
23 October 1977
25 October 1977	Salt Lake City		Salt Palace
27 October 1977	Denver		McNichols Sports Arena
28 October 1977	Lincoln		Pershing Municipal Auditorium
29 October 1977	Ames		Hilton Coliseum
31 October 1977	St. Paul		St. Paul Civic Center
1 November 1977	Chicago		Chicago Stadium
4 November 1977	Cincinnati		Riverfront Coliseum
5 November 1977	South Bend		Athletic & Convocation Center
6 November 1977	Lexington		Rupp Arena
9 November 1977	Memphis		Mid-South Coliseum
10 November 1977	Murfreesboro		Murphy Athletic Centre
12 November 1977	Greensboro		Greensboro Coliseum
14 November 1977	Atlanta		The Omni
15 November 1977	Birmingham		Jefferson County Civic Center
16 November 1977	Mobile		Municipal Auditorium
18 November 1977	Jacksonville		Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum
19 November 1977	Lakeland		Lakeland Civic Center
20 November 1977	Miami		Sportatorium
22 November 1977	Houston		The Summit
23 November 1977	Fort Worth		Tarrant County Convention Center
24 November 1977	Oklahoma City		The Myriad
1978 Tour
Date	City	Country	Venue
7 July 1978	Indianapolis, IN	United States	Market Square Arena
8 July 1978	Louisville		Freedom Hall
11 July 1978	Clarkston		Pine Knob Music Theater
12 July 1978
13 July 1978
14 July 1978
15 July 1978	Detroit		Masonic Temple
16 July 1978	Buffalo		Memorial Auditorium
17 July 1978	Saratoga		Saratoga Performing Arts Centre
18 July 1978	Montreal	Canada	Montreal Forum
20 July 1978	Providence	United States	Providence Civic Center
22 July 1978	New York City		Madison Square Garden
23 July 1978	New Haven		New Haven Coliseum
24 July 1978	Saratoga Springs		Saratoga Performing Arts Center
26 July 1978	Pittsburgh		Civic Arena Pittsburgh
28 July 1978	Landover		Capital Center
30 July 1978	Uniondale		Nassau Coliseum
31 July 1978
1 August 1978	Springfield		Springfield Civic Center
2 August 1978	Boston		Boston Garden
4 August 1978	Philadelphia		Robin Hood Dell West
5 August 1978
6 August 1978	Hampton		Hampton Coliseum
8 August 1978	Huntington		Huntington Civic Center
9 August 1978	Cleveland		Richfield Coliseum
10 August 1978	Cincinnati		Riverfront Arena

References

1. Greene, Andy. "Flashback: Crosby, Stills and Nash Perform 'Just a Song Before I Go' in 1977," Rolling Stone, January 9, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2021
2. "RIAA – Soundscan". Greasylakes. 7 February 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
3. "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-05-31. Retrieved 2018-09-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
5. The date constantly given for first generation remastering for digital as issued on compact disc, October 25, 1990, is the earliest date for which amazon.com has records regarding compact disc releases. So, for any CD that came out prior to that, they simply put in that date rather than an actual one since they do not have it. Every single first generation compact disc was not issued on October 25, 1990.^{[citation needed]}
6. Newsom, Jim (2011). "CSN – Crosby, Stills & Nash | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
7. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: C". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 23, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
8. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 168, 169.
9. "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. October 1, 1977. p. 18. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
10. "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. December 31, 1977. p. 24. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
11. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. October 1, 1977. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
12. "CROSBY STILLS NASH & YOUNG | full Official Chart History". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
13. Canada, Library and Archives (2013-04-16). "The RPM story". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
14. "norwegiancharts.com - Norwegian charts portal". Norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
15. "New Zealand charts portal". Charts.nz. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
16. "InfoDisc : Les Albums (CD) de 1970 par InfoDisc". 2016-01-02. Archived from the original on 2016-01-02. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
17. "Swedish Charts" (PDF). Hitsallertijden.nl. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
18. Salaverri, Fernando (2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002. Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
19. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
20. "Dutch Charts - dutchcharts.nl". Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
21. "Hit Parade Italia - ALBUM 1977". Hitparadeitalia.it. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
22. "charts.org.nz - New Zealand charts portal". Charts.nz. Archived from the original on 2018-12-30. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
23. "クロスビー,スティルス,ナッシュ&ヤングの売上ランキング". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
24. "CASH BOX MAGAZINE: Music and coin machine magazine 1942 to 1996". Worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
25. "RECORD WORLD MAGAZINE: 1942 to 1982". Worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
26. Whitburn, Joel (1990). Joel Whitburn Presents the Billboard Hot 100 Charts: The Seventies. Record Research. ISBN 0-89820-076-8.
27. "Dutch Charts - dutchcharts.nl". Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
28. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-09-13. Retrieved 2020-12-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
29. "RPM Top Singles Chart" (PDF). RPM. RPM archives. Ottawa: Library and Archives Canada. January 30, 1971. OCLC 352936026. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
30. "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1977". RPM. 31 December 1977. Archived from the original on 5 April 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
31. "Hit Parade Italia - ALBUM 1977". Hitparadeitalia.it. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
32. "Dutch Charts - dutchcharts.nl". Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
33. "BILLBOARD MAGAZINE: American music magazine 1920's to 2017". Worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
34. "CASH BOX MAGAZINE: Music and coin machine magazine 1942 to 1996". Worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved 2021-04-03.
35. "American album certifications – CROSBY, STILLS & NASH – CSN". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
36. Zimmer, Dave (2008). Crosby, Stills & Nash: The Biography. Da Capo Press.

Further reading

Herbst, Peter (2011). "Crosby, Stills and Nash: CSN : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 14, 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2011.

External links

• CSN at Discogs (list of releases)