If I Could Only Remember My Name is the debut solo album by David Crosby, released in February of 1971 on Atlantic Records. One of four high-profile albums released by each partner of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in the wake of their chart-topping Déjà Vu album, it peaked at #12 on the Billboard 200.
It’s such a good album that, for me highlights a golden time in American music – it has the feel and vibe of that era and if you close your eyes, put on some head phones you are instantly transported back to 1971 – feel the love man.
Also, have a look who played on the album – not bad to have friends like these.
Track listing
Side one
1. “Music Is Love” (David Crosby, Graham Nash, Neil Young) – 3:16
2. “Cowboy Movie” (Crosby) – 8:02
3. “Tamalpais High (At About 3)” (Crosby) – 3:29
4. “Laughing” (Crosby) – 5:20
Side two
1. “What Are Their Names” (Crosby, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Michael Shrieve, Young) – 4:09
2. “Traction in the Rain” (Crosby) – 3:40
3. “Song With No Words (Tree With No Leaves)” (Crosby) – 5:53
4. “Orleans” (traditional) – 1:56
5. “I’d Swear There Was Somebody Here” (Crosby) – 1:19
Personnel
Music Is Love
• David Crosby – guitar, vocals
• Graham Nash – guitar, vocals
• Neil Young – guitar, bass, vibes, congas, vocals
Cowboy Movie
• David Crosby – guitar, vocals
• Jerry Garcia – guitar
• Phil Lesh – bass
• Mickey Hart – drums
• Bill Kreutzmann – tambourine
Tamalpais High (At About 3)
• David Crosby – guitar, vocals
• Jerry Garcia – guitar
• Jorma Kaukonen – lead guitar
• Phil Lesh – bass
• Bill Kreutzmann – drums
Laughing
• David Crosby – guitar, vocals
• Graham Nash – vocals
• Joni Mitchell – vocals
• Jerry Garcia – pedal steel guitar
• Phil Lesh – bass
• Bill Kreutzmann – drums, tambourine
What Are Their Names
• David Crosby – guitar
• Neil Young – guitar
• Jerry Garcia – guitar
• Phil Lesh – bass
• Bill Kreutzmann – drums
• The PERRO Chorus (David Crosby, Paul Kantner, Joni Mitchell, Grace Slick, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, David Freiberg, Graham Nash) – vocals
Traction in the Rain
• David Crosby – guitar, vocals
• Graham Nash – vocals
• Laura Allan – autoharp, vocals
Song with No Words (Tree with No Leaves)
• David Crosby – guitar, vocals
• Graham Nash – vocals
• Jerry Garcia – guitar
• Jorma Kaukonen – lead guitar
• Jack Casady – bass
• Michael Shrieve – drums
• Gregg Rolie – piano
Orleans
• David Crosby – guitar, vocals
I’d Swear There’s Somebody Here
• David Crosby – vocals
Well now here’s an unusual choice. Don’t get me wrong, if you’re going to dig into this man’s back catalogue, this is as good a place as any to start. It’s just that going by The Dog’s previous albums of the month, a record released 38 years ago doesn’t really follow his trends up to now.
So what do we have here? Well, after success with his buddies on Deja Vu, Crosby released this under his own name despite the plethora of famous cats joining him on it. As to be expected with such an accomplished line up, there isn’t much wrong with any of the tracks. David’s vocals are in excellent form and much of the songwriting is simply sublime. To me it misses a bit of the punch of some of CSN’s releases. I’m thinking of Ohio, Woodstock, Triad, etc. Nevertheless, it is a good contemplative album.
I have had this one in various formats for longer than I care to remember and it still gets a regular spin. Great album, great performer, but maybe not quite in the same class as some of the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young output.
Glad you approve my dear Spacey – you should know the Dog by now, I only like music that’s good – don’t really follow trends and this album is good.
I don’t actually own any CSN & Y albums (must be too young) got loads of Neil Young of course – so what do you recommend – Ohio, Woodstock or Triad?
Another reason why I picked an album that is 38 years old is that I couldn’t find a new release that was good enough
Ha ha Mr Dog, nice one!! Ohio, Woodstock and Triad are all songs, not albums. The best thing is that they can all be found on one outstanding album, 4 Way Street.
Now the purists (whoever they are) will tell you to give this one a miss. The reason for this being that the show was recorded whilst the band were going through, shall we say, a difficult period. To put it bluntly, they weren’t actually speaking to each other at the time. As a result, at times they each go off into their own little worlds and forget that they are supposed to be one unit.
Now, for me, this is what makes it so good! We get to hear each them playing their own songs the way they want to play them. As well as the aforementioned tracks, listen out for a blinding version of Cowgirl in the Sand an unbelievable version of Southern Man and Carry On as you’ve never heard it before.
Its not cheap by any means, but worth every penny:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Street-Stills-Nash-Young-Crosby/dp/B000002ITW
Thanks Spacey – you can see how much I don’t know about CSN & Y and many other bands of that era.
Will see about purchasing