Graham Nash-Earth and Sky

Earth and Sky

I picked up this album recently on CD to complete a Graham Nash compiliation I was working on. I needed "Earth and Sky" and a few other songs (at least that's what I believed at the beginning).

After listening a couple of times, I couldn't find anything to leave off of the compilation. This is an excellent mid-period Graham Nash album, far better than anyone would have a right to expect when recalling the vicious and hateful "Rolling Stone" review of the album circa 1980.

I've long since discounted "Rolling Stone" reviews as the magazine has lost all credibility with me, due in part to its harsh review of albums as excellent as "Earth and Sky". I can also recall the magazine panning "Exile on Main Street" and "Byrds" with a like-minded viciousness. Now, they call "Exile" one of Stones best albums. Alas, their "Byrds" review was taken to heart by the band and there were no further serious attempts at a full reunion.

It's interesting to note that the latter-day Byrds, the latter day Stones and the latter day Graham Nash were ridiculed by Rolling Stone but any and all releases by the tone-deaf shrieker Yoko Ono never failed to merit less than a five-star review from them. So much for their stellar reputation for astute record reviews.

Quite frankly, Rolling Stone isn't worth the paper it's printed on.

But Graham Nash's "Earth and Sky" is well worth buying. Every song is good; he obviously devoted a great deal of effort to it, in the writing, the arrangements, the production and in choosing the supporting cast of excellent players. In my view, "Earth and Sky" compares favorably with "Songs for Beginners", "Wild Tales" and "Songs for Survivors". And it's head and shoulders better than Nash's next album, "Innocent Eyes" and the vast majority of Neil Young's post 1974 releases.

Nash fans should give it a listen. It deserves to be as available as the rest of the vast CSNY catalogue (which is mostly hit and miss). This one's a hit!