Bad blood, bad singing
McDonough points to numerous heated confrontations between Stills and Young, going as bar back as their Buffalo Springfield days in the 1960s.
Yet when Neil introduced Stephen during the shows recorded for the live “4 Way Street” album, he calls him one of his oldest friends. (By the way, the author describes “4 Way Street” as “tepid,” but I think it’s a great record which created longing in me to see the group live.)
When I did finally see the superstar group at the old Tampa (FL) Stadium in August of 1974 I didn’t notice any particular overt acrimony. Stills did seem a little testy, telling the crowd that it was the “rudest” audience he had ever seen.
When I did finally see the superstar group at the old Tampa (FL) Stadium in August of 1974 I didn’t notice any particular overt acrimony. Stills did seem a little testy, telling the crowd that it was the “rudest” audience he had ever seen.
He was probably right about that, as stadium concerts often don’t provide the best listening environments. But it also could have been because the vocal performances – for the most part – were awful.
McDonough wrote that the group blew out their voices during a long opening show of the tour, and I can believe that. The only exception was David Crosby’s voice, which made it through the pile of throbbing black PA speakers with a clear and silky tone.
It figures. Crosby is probably my least favorite singer-songwriter among CSN&Y.