*****
EARLY on in his set, Graham Nash introduced a song that was one of the tracks on 4 Way Street, the seminal live album by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. A smattering of applause was interrupted by a self-deprecating quip from Nash, who told the audience that "you're not that old". The album came out in April 1971. (A quick glance around the auditorium revealed that many fans, were, in fact, that old).
Like the title of his latest tour, Sixty Years of Songs & Stories, Nash's throwaway remark was a reminder that he has been making fine music for a very long time - with the Hollies, then with Crosby, Stills & Nash (and, occasionally, Young), then as a solo artist. He has packed a lot into his 81 years; lean and white-haired, he remains an assured performer and raconteur.
Throughout his two-hour-long set he made affectionate tributes - to David Crosby, who died last January; to Stephen Stills, to Neil Young ("the strangest of my friends", as he refers to him in his autobiography, Wild Tales); and to Joni Mitchell, his former partner, who was part of the reason that Nash abandoned grey Britain, and the chart-topping Hollies, at the end of Sixties, and began a new, enriched life in LA.
Sixty years of songs and stories: Graham Nash hits the road again
The second song of the night, Bus Stop, a number five hit for the Hollies in 1966, was played as a tribute to Nash's oldest friend, Allan Clarke, Nash recalling how, song by song, Clarke induced him to add harmony vocals to Clarke's recent solo album.
Most of Nash's greatest songs were on display: Marrakesh Express, of course; Wasted on the Way (a lament for the opportunities spurned by CS&N's endless feuding); Find the Cost of Freedom and Military Madness, which were intro'd by a brief reference to Putin's war on Ukraine; and Right Between the Eyes, written on a cannabis-fuelled session one night in 1968, about his affair with a beautiful White Russian woman.
Wind on the Water, inspired by an epic sailing trip he undertook with Crosby in 1970, remains one of his finest songs, as does Southbound Train, which impressed Bob Dylan when he heard it. Other highlights included Cathedral, which was inspired by an acid-assisted trip to Winchester Cathedral, and Just A Song Before I Go, written in double-quick time in response to a dare posed by a drug-dealer on Hawaii, who bet Nash $100 that he couldn't write a song before he left. Such is Nash's dexterity that he duly obliged: the song became CS&N's biggest hit.
Crosby, Stills and Nash, Edinburgh Castle
Supported by guitarist Shane Fonteyne and keyboard player Todd Caldwell, both of whom also sing harmony (the overall sound was gorgeous) Nash also covered songs by his distinguished friends, including Stills's Love the One You're With and 4+20, and Young's plaintive Only Love Can Break Your Heart. There was a pleasing version of Mitchell's classic, A Case of You, and the trio did an impressive cover of the Beatles' A Day in the Life, complete with the momentous final chord.
An excellent evening, then, capped off by two encores - Buddy Holly's Everyday, and Our House, a song that, even after half-a-century, perfectly captures a heartstopping moment of domestic bliss Nash experienced while living with Joni Mitchell.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel