By Jim Fusco:
Yes, the dream is still alive with me here on the Laptop Sessions acoustic cover songs music video blog. I’ve said it a thousand times- we are simply the best music video blog ever created and I intend to keep it that way. That’s why, tonight, I bring to you yet another new artist to the blog.
I can’t believe it’s taken this long to get to an amazing and popular acoustic act in Crosby, Stills, Nash, and (sometimes) Young. Talk about a supergroup- not only did they amass a ton of hit singles and albums over the years, but they are comprised of some of rock music’s most popular and influential singers and songwriters: David Crosby (formerly of the Byrds), Stephen Stills (formerly of Manassas), Graham Nash, and Neil Young.
This band is credited with some of the most innovative and great songs of the seventies- they were keeping rock alive and doing it while playing their own instruments and singing in great, tight harmonies. I don’t know why I don’t love this band more than I have in the past- think about it- they have four songwriting members, sing harmonies, and play their own instruments. Those are all qualities of my favorite bands! I have to get my hands on a “Best of” to get me started.
Truthfully, though, I remember not getting into their albums too much because of the extended jams and such. I’m more of a 3-minute catchy song kinda guy. But, when learning tonight’s song on acoustic guitar, I realized that it’s really three separate songs wrapped-up into one neat 4-minute masterpiece.
“Carry On” kicks off an amazing album in “Deja Vu”, which some consider to be one of (if not THE) best albums of all time. Personally, I don’t think so, but I see where they’re coming from. You have this supergroup of stars and they come out with fresh new music that rocks and they start this whole revolution of Seventies acoustic rock that some of my favorite acts, like America, modeled themselves after. As recently as 2003, you had the Thorns, a “supergroup” of sorts in itself (with 90s acts Shawn Mullins, Matthew Sweet, and Pete Droge), who sounded EXACTLY like CSNY.
Of course the chords for “Carry On” that you find online are correct…to a certain degree. I had to work some magic to find out that it’s actually on a first fret capo. Also, on the bridge during the first three verses, they had the chords wrong, mostly because the bass guitar in the recording is playing a different note than what matches the chord the acoustic guitars are doing. So, I improvised and came up with an interesting chord progression for that part that I thought both fit and sounded cool. It may not be exactly correct, but it’s my little interpretation.
On a personal note, every day seems to get shorter and shorter. I have so much to do on a daily basis, between working on four websites, work, and (helping to) plan a wedding. I found out that I’m going to get my discs for “Halfway There” during the first week of April, so I’m aiming for an April 7th release date. I need to do many updates to our site here and add pages to my site, too. What a project- that’s why I only do one once every two…three…four…years.
Have a great night, and I’ll catch you tomorrow to re-attempt posting my Original Wednesday from last week that was inadvertently erased!