Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Déjà Vu Live

Sparring partners live with war onstage

This 16-track audio companion to the recently-released documentary of the same name heralds the return to the socio-political arena of the late 60s quartet, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and chief instigator Neil Young. The film chronicles their 2006 North American Freedom Of Speech tour, cleverly interspersing songs both old and new from the quartet, with archival material, relevant news clips and audience commentary, with the focus on CSNY’s anti-Iraq War stance and the impact on public opinion it has engendered.

The album includes numerous full-length soundboard takes of songs (the title track, Wooden Ships and Roger & Out are highlights) that are only heard as excerpts in the documentary. Other notable revivals are a pair composed by Nash (the classic Teach Your Children and Military Madness), a pointed rendition of Young’s Let’s Impeach The President, Crosby’s What Are Their Names and three more courtesy of Young: the melancholy After The Garden, a modern-day history lesson titled Looking For A Leader and the vocal version of the project’s overarching theme song Living With War. To be sure, the harmonies throughout are a little ragged these days, and the guitar solos somewhat less adventurous, but the message still rings through loud and clear.

4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars

Reprise | 5126062

Reviewed by Gary von Tersch
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