Crosby, Stills & Nash: No fighting, no egos

MANILA, Philippines - During the hippie generation of the ’60s and the ’70s, there emerged the original “supergroup” that burned the music charts: Crosby, Stills & Nash. 

David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash were already rock stars in their own right when they decided to join forces in 1968 after they parted ways with their respective bands: Crosby from The Byrds, Stills from Buffalo Springfield and Nash from The Hollies. Through the years, they’ve been on and off and now on again, as they bring their act around Asia, including Manila on March 16 at the Big Dome. 

According to concert producer Renen de Guia of Ovation Productions, “We’re super excited to have them here! There was no way one grew up in the ‘70s and not like Crosby, Stills & Nash. They’re up there in the same level as Carol King, James Taylor and Carly Simon, etc. — all icons of the ‘70s. Crosby, Stills & Nash songs were like national anthems of that era, which was the time of the Vietnam War, the protest movements, the hippie generation, etc., an interesting time to be growing up.”   

The online reviews we’ve read so far are saying that these rock legends, all of whom were twice-inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, still have it — that “something magical,” as Nash puts it in a revealing 2013 essay for the UK newspaper Daily Mail, which brought them together more than four decades ago. 

The STAR recently got to interview over the phone one-third of the trio, Nash, during the Japan stop of their ongoing concert tour. The British singer-songwriter was accommodating and humble about his achievements, notwithstanding his stature, which is further elevated by his Order of the British Empire (OBE) from the Queen of England for his contribution to music and charity work, not to mention his four honorary degrees.

Even for the younger sets of music fans, who may or may not be familiar with their greatest hits like Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, Long Time Gone, Marrakesh Express, Carry On, et. al., there’s really much to admire about the enduring appeal of Crosby, Stills & Nash.

Nash said that he first met Crosby and Stills on Joni Mitchell’s living room one day in the ’60s (at that time, he was still romantically involved with the Big Yellow Taxi singer). “From that moment, I knew that I would have to spend several years of my life with David Crosby and Stephen Stills and of course, Neil Young (who joined them occasionally that the group became CSNY).”

Nash recalled to The STAR their first jam session: “I had come from London to Los Angeles to be with Joni Mitchell, and David and Stephen were at Joni’s house when I arrived. David asked Stephen to play me a song; they had been working on a two-part harmony. After several plays of the song, I had my harmony together with them and my life has never been the same since then.”

According to their bio, the members had their share, through the years, of internal squabbles, personal troubles as well as petty issues that threatened the group’s existence. They would also have solo pursuits, but gravitated towards Crosby, Stills & Nash as their artistic base. Music pundits have had credited Nash as the glue that’s binding them together and keeping them from disbanding for good, as in the fate that befell many a band.

Nash, however, attributed their time-and-trial-tested togetherness to their higher mission of creating music. “I think the answer to your question (on how we’ve managed to stay together) is the music. The music that we make together is very important to us, and it has always been the most important part of our relationship. No fighting, no egos, nothing is more important than the music that we make together.”

It’s also what keeps them going. “I think that it’s the passion for music (that keeps me young),” the 73-year-old Nash said. “It has been with me since I was 12 or 13 years old. And my passion has never diminished. I love being a musician. I love being able to speak my mind. And I will do it till the day I die.”

Crosby, Stills & Nash’s music, which combines the best of their abilities and straddles several musical styles (from folk rock, acoustic to “confessional balladry”), also spoke for a generation. The band wasn’t only touted for showcasing distinct harmonies, but also for making socio-political relevance a core content of the songs. Nash said, “I believe that the things so-called hippies made more important are still relevant today. That love is better than hatred, that peace is better than war. And that we need to take care of each other because this is a very difficult life to live for most people in the planet. We need all the help we could get.”

On his own, Nash has used his music, time and resources to push for advocacies, and this was long before celebrity causes have now become a trend. He encouraged today’s artists to consciously stand for something that will benefit the society, “I believe that we have been given so much in our lives and we’ve always felt to give back to society. As a human being, I have to give back. I have to support causes I believe in.”

We would have wanted to ask Nash more questions, like what they thought of the present crop of musicians and if there’s anyone who has caught their fancy and whom they would like to collaborate with. But due to signal problems, our interview was cut short. 

Nevertheless, we learned that Crosby, Stills & Nash is celebrating its 47th year, three more years to go before their golden anniversary. With that, Nash couldn’t feel any more excited. “Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic! We are still writing, we are still creating music that excites us to this day.”

When asked what he is most thankful for in his life and career, Nash said without missing a heartbeat, “My children. I have three children, two boys and a girl, and three grandchildren, two boys and a girl. My kids are musicians, all of them. My children just think that I’m their father. I’m not a big star to my children. I’m just their father. I happen to do something rather special and they understand that. But I don’t think they’re under any pressure to equal what I’ve done in my life at all.”

(An Evening With Crosby, Stills & Nash is presented by Ovation Productions, with Fox International Channels, The Philippine STAR, Manila Bulletin, BusinessWorld, EDSA Shangri-La Hotel, Retro 105.9, 96.3 Easy Rock and Fresh on DWBR 104.3. Tickets are available at Ticketnet outlets and via www.ticketnet.com.ph.)