What to Listen for
The zither! At first I thought it might be a harpsichord placed well back in the mix, but we looked up the list of instruments being played and there it was -- the zither. I think we heard it on Taken At All on side two. It's a favorite test track for that side because the vocals on that song are some of the best of the post-CSN era. Side two of this album is, in our estimation, the strongest side of any album by the group after Deja Vu (1970).
Side One
A+++, easily the best side one in our entire shootout! The vocals are clear and breathy, the drums are solid and punchy, and the overall tonality is rich and full. This kind of open, spacious sound really brings out the texture and details in the harmonies. It just doesn't get any better than this, folks!
Side Two
A++ to A+++, very nearly as good as side one. The top end is open and spacious, the bass is nice and tight, and the tonal balance is just right. So good!
An Overview
Of course it's easy to argue that finding good sound on an album with two or more members of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, in any configuration, has never been easy. It's the rare copy of either of the first two albums that's even listenable, and the CSN album from 1977 doesn't sound nearly as good as any of the first three Crosby/Nash albums (of which this is the second). Which simply means that the "good" sound of our Hot Stamper copies is far better than what most audiophiles own of any of these guys in combination.
Their solo albums are a different story altogether. The first solo albums by David Crosby (1971), Stephen Stills (1970) and Graham Nash (1971) are three of my favorite records of all time; each is a brilliant recording, each is powerfully compelling music (the Nash album especially). Two made our Top 100. It's puzzling to contemplate just how well recorded each of their first solo albums are considering their less-than-stellar group recording efforts. Too many cooks spoiling the broth might make a good guess, but at this point it's no more than speculation and mostly a waste of time. With so many records to play, we find we do better when we confine ourselves to the realities of the vinyl in front of us.
Music Does the Driving
As a budding audiophile I went out of my way to acquire any piece of equipment that could make these records from the '70s (the decade of my formative music-buying years) sound better than the gear I was then using. It's the challenging recordings by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, as well as scores of other pop and rock artists like them, that drove my pursuit of higher quality audio, starting all the way back in high school.
And here I am -- here we are -- still at it, forty years later, because the music still sounds fresh and original, and the pressings that we find get better and better with each passing year.
That kind of progress is proof that we're doing it right. It's a good test for any audiophile. If you are actively and seriously pursuing this hobby, perhaps as many as nine out of ten non-audiophile pressings in your collection should sound better with each passing year. As your stereo improves, not to mention your critical listening skills, the shortcomings of some will be revealed, but for the most part, vintage pressings should sound better each time you play them with continual refinements and improvements to your system, room and cleaning techniques.
That's what makes it fun to play old records: They just keep getting better!
