REVIEWS: First Impressions: Live at Fillmore East, 1969 by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Live at Fillmore East, 1969 by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Click photo to enlarge)

 

From The Old Grey Cat:

Live at Fillmore East, 1969 captures the magic. The first half is acoustic, the second electric, while the sound—overseen by Stills, Young and John Hanlon—is pristine. Everything I’ve read indicates that it hails from the late show on the 20th. If the Neil Young setlist site Sugar Mountain is accurate, then, a few songs were left out and the set order tweaked—similar to what Young did with his archival Young Shakespeare a few years back. Between-song patter is also excised. 

Doesn’t much matter. What’s here is phenomenal. While Young waits backstage, Crosby, Stills and Nash weave ethereal wonders during the initial stretch of songs, with the opening “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” giving way to a cover of the Beatles’ “Blackbird,” while Crosby’s “Guinnevere” is absolutely stunning thanks to Nash’s genteel harmonies, while Nash’s “Our House”—which he’d record for Deja Vu—will leave you singing along. Neil saunters to stage center for “On the Way Home,” which rightly receives a round of applause at the start. “I’ve Loved Her So Long,” a highlight from his solo debut LP, is a stripped-down delight that’s buttressed by the addition of Nash’s harmonies. 

The electric section is as fine, if a tad more ragged, with Crosby singing his heart out on “Long Time Gone,” and the band sailing into the sky on “Wooden Ships.” The highlight, however, is a riveting 16-minute “Down by the River” that floods the brain with dopamine.

From Davy's Flicks:

 

As always, thanks for the reviews OGC & Davy!

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