# What can you tell me about Crosby, Stills, Nash,... minus Young? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 12, 2005, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-tell-me-about-crosby-stills-nash-minus-young/289759 "2005-02-12T17:15:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2005, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-tell-me-about-crosby-stills-nash-minus-young/289759/1 "2005-02-12T17:15:32Z")
I got a concert DVD the other day, _Daylight Again_, performed in 1983 – the 15th anniversary of the first meeting of Crosby, Stills, and Nash. According to the narrative the three met at Cass Elliot’s house in 1968, and the rest is history. There was no mention of Neil Young whatsoever. Was he at Cass Elliott’s house that day? Was he a later addition that got dumped early? My sister says she saw some interview with one of CSN who claimed that Young was often a no-show for concert gigs, and never had a decent explanation for absenses, so they got rid of him. Odd that he seems to later had a more successful solo career than any of the others. It’s been more than 20 years since this anniversary performance – have any of them come to a reconciliation with Neil? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-tell-me-about-crosby-stills-nash-minus-young/289759/2 "2005-02-12T17:55:32Z")
Neil just acts erratic when it comes to working with others. He once left Stills in the lurch in the middle of a concert tour promoting their joint album “Long May You Run.” Sent Stills a telegram in Atlanta “Eat a peach!” So he has worked off and on with CSN for over 35 years. I saw CSN&Y about 5 years ago in concert. It was great! It could have been 1971 again. All of them have been friends a long time, friends have trouble, but eventually they are friends again. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2005, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-tell-me-about-crosby-stills-nash-minus-young/289759/3 "2005-02-12T17:59:42Z")
Yes, it was at first just the three of them. They made Crosby, Stills & Nash before hooking up with Young almost immediately. Both Young and Stills had been in Buffalo Springfield together, a band that ego tore apart. Even so, they liked playing together and he was a stronger guitar player than any of the others. The record was made first before they ever had a live date. So by the time they went out in public - Woodstock famously being their second gig ever - the band was Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. They made Deja Vu together and put out the live album Four Way Street before breaking up again. You hear a lot of stories about why, but they all boil down to ego and drugs. The four of them merged and split in all sorts of ways for years. Stills & Young teamed up for a tour which Young did bail out on when he and Stills couldn’t agree on anything. They finally got back together again for 1988’s American Dream because he had promised to do so if Crosby would get off drugs. He did, barely, but was so out of it, IIRC, that Young finally gave up and walked out again. Crosby is barely noticeable on the album, giving support to that claim. He did appear with them from time to time, sporadically, but didn’t formally team up again until 1999’s Looking Forward. Same story as every other rock band: drugs and ego overcoming the music. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2005, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-tell-me-about-crosby-stills-nash-minus-young/289759/4 "2005-02-12T18:43:28Z")
Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Merrill, Pierce, Fenner & Smith ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2005, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-tell-me-about-crosby-stills-nash-minus-young/289759/5 "2005-02-12T18:56:43Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Merrill, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Crap. Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Merrill, **Lynch** ,Pierce, Fenner & Smith ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2005, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-tell-me-about-crosby-stills-nash-minus-young/289759/6 "2005-02-12T19:38:46Z")
Heh, I was just reading [this](http://www.warr.org/csny.html) page about them last night. It’s pretty much a review for each and every album put out by the various combinations of the 4 guys. Fascinating. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2005, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-tell-me-about-crosby-stills-nash-minus-young/289759/7 "2005-02-12T22:24:06Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Crap. > > Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Merrill, **Lynch** ,Pierce, Fenner & Smith Close. Merrill, Lynch was an early incarnation but soon lost the comma. The firm became Merrill Lynch, E. A. Pierce & Cassatt in 1940 and the next year merged with Fenner & Beane to form the classic Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Beane. It became Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith in 1958. That was the year the Beane counters went on strike. Still no comma, though. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2005, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-tell-me-about-crosby-stills-nash-minus-young/289759/8 "2005-02-12T22:30:21Z")
I like “Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Gifted, and Black” better. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-tell-me-about-crosby-stills-nash-minus-young/289759/9 "2005-02-13T00:16:36Z")
> [@Biffy the Elephant Shrew](#): > > I like “Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Gifted, and Black” better. Yeah. Gifted and Black played bass and drums on _4 Way Street,_ right? Yeah, I know, Taylor and Reeves… ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-tell-me-about-crosby-stills-nash-minus-young/289759/10 "2005-02-13T01:08:05Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > Close. Merrill, Lynch was an early incarnation but soon lost the comma. The firm became Merrill Lynch, E. A. Pierce & Cassatt in 1940 and the next year merged with Fenner & Beane to form the classic Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Beane. > > It became Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith in 1958. That was the year the Beane counters went on strike. Still no comma, though. I hear a lot of the big accounting firms broke up over artistic differences and coke binges. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-tell-me-about-crosby-stills-nash-minus-young/289759/11 "2005-02-13T05:31:46Z")
Right. Check out the Steppenwolf concept album, Mars Bonfire of the Vanities. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-tell-me-about-crosby-stills-nash-minus-young/289759/12 "2005-02-13T06:51:52Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > Right. Check out the Steppenwolf concept album, Mars Bonfire of the Vanities. You mean Steppen Wolfe, don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![James\_Westphal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9bd4f/32.png) [@James\_Westphal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/James_Westphal)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-tell-me-about-crosby-stills-nash-minus-young/289759/13 "2005-02-13T07:07:28Z")
Young had the most successful solo career probably because he had released two records before teaming with CSN. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-tell-me-about-crosby-stills-nash-minus-young/289759/14 "2005-02-13T18:01:08Z")
> [@Biffy the Elephant Shrew](#): > > You mean Steppen Wolfe, don’t you? Whoosh. I don’t get it, unless you’re making some sort of Merrill Lynch pun. Explain, please. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-tell-me-about-crosby-stills-nash-minus-young/289759/15 "2005-02-13T18:15:05Z")
Wolfe. _Bonfire of the Vanities_. Haw haw haw! Okay, I’ll go away now. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-tell-me-about-crosby-stills-nash-minus-young/289759/16 "2005-02-13T18:32:37Z")
:smack: Nevermind. I finally stopped procrastinating and went off to shower where my brain woke up. And I hurried back here, hoping to slip in ahead of anyone, especially **Biffy** replying. And failed, of course. “If it should ever strike you that I am getting a little over-confident in my powers … kindly whisper ‘Steppan Wolfe’ in my ear, and I shall be infinitely obliged to you.” ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-tell-me-about-crosby-stills-nash-minus-young/289759/17 "2005-02-13T19:59:04Z")
No shit, Sherlock. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-tell-me-about-crosby-stills-nash-minus-young/289759/18 "2005-02-13T21:00:20Z")
> [@Ukulele Ike](#): > > No shit, Sherlock. Well, no accountant I ever knew came up with a solution that made me 7%! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-tell-me-about-crosby-stills-nash-minus-young/289759/19 "2005-02-13T23:14:25Z")
> [@Ukulele Ike](#): > > No shit, Sherlock. I’ve read all the stories, and thinking about it, he never did. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-tell-me-about-crosby-stills-nash-minus-young/289759/20 "2005-02-15T13:12:22Z")
Young wasn’t at Woodstock was he? I don’t recall seeing him in the film, and CS&N got pretty big play. FYI, Neil Young and Rick James (yes, that Rick James) briefly played in a group together in Canada before Young moved to CA. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-tell-me-about-crosby-stills-nash-minus-young/289759.md?page=2)