Rip Off Recording
Tom | Cincinnati, OH | 04/05/2002
(1 out of 5 stars)
"... The cd is taken from an overseas lp master tape and is not mixed for cd. If you want the best sound quality, purchase the America version (MCA - 088 112 043-2)lovingly remastered by Stephen Barncard. The three bonus tracks aren't even by Crosby & Nash. Two are by Stephen Stills and one is by an unknown artist."
It's amazing what they can do with bootlegs these days....
running_man | Chesterfield Twp., MI | 05/16/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Lindsay Planer of the All Music Guide describes this disc as "a pirated version" of David Crosby and Graham Nash's 1975 11 track production also titled 'Wind On the Water', but without the 'Special Edition' moniker. Apparently during the 1990's that disc went out of print, and this reproduction surfaced in England. On the surface, however, it appears quite legitimate, featuring a bar code, numerous references to licensing, copyright citings, very attractive graphics, liner notes attributed to Michael Heatley, and quotes attributed to David Crosby and Craig Doerge. There is even an address offered for "Eureka Music" in London, but a quick search on the 'net didn't turn up a web site. But perhaps the most compelling legitimacy afforded this disc is it's appearance here on Amazon and other web sites, offered through reputable dealers.
Despite it's glowing appearance, there are other signs that all is not kosher here. The most obvious is the rather unusual inclusion of Stephen Stills bonus tracks, labeled as "finished song demos" culled from "Graham Nash's tape archive". There is no evidence that David Crosby or Graham Nash contributed in any way to these bonus tracks, and the final track 'Being Happy That's Changin' isn't sung by Stills. It really doesn't even sound like a Stephen Stills composition. 'Little Miss Bright Eyes' is, predictably, an alternate version of the fine piano-based number from Stills' second solo album, 'Sugar Babe', this one driven by a fuzzy electric lead guitar. It's interesting to hear, but incomplete, and not nearly as polished as the officially released version. 'Gentle Thing' is a brief, and undistinguished acoustic track, clearly not ready for prime time.
All that being said, 'Wind On the Water' is one of the finest duo/solo discs ever released by the various spawnings from Crosby, Stills, Nash and Neil Young. It is ironic that Neil Young refused to record a reunion disc with his three colleagues prior to their 1974 tour, because he felt the trio was "finished". While Neil released a mediocre 'On the Beach' disc, Stills released the comparable quality 'Stills', and Crosby and Nash released this gem. Clearly all four artists possessed enough elite compositions to put out a gem of a double album, and all three could have used the diversity of sound their combined talents afford. 'Wind On the Water', for all of its quality tracks, becomes a little strained around 'Low Down Payment', which sounds a bit too much like 'Love Work Out', and the alliteration of 'Homeward Through the Haze' too repititious with 'Wind On the Water', not to mention the title of their subsequent album, 'Whistling Down the Wire'.
Nevertheless, the whole first side (on the original vinyl version) of 'Wind On the Water' is a stunning trip through a variety of musical styles, sung with a vibrant urgency. Not since Stills produced 'Manassas' in 1972 have any of these artists sounded more sincere and assertive. On an imaginary CSNY disc, all six tracks would warrant the full treatment. On side two, 'Cowboy of Dreams' is interesting as Graham Nash sends a country-tinged message to Neil Young ("I've tried so hard to tell you in so many ways, that I'm scared of the heartache and scenes, with the cowboy of dreams"). Of course the closer, 'To the Last Whale', combining Crosby's a capella masterpiece 'Critical Mass' with Nash's love song to the whale, 'Wind On the Water', stands as one of the finest musical compositions of any time or era.
A previous reviewer complained about the sound quality of this disc, and although I haven't heard the official release on a CD, it's hard for me to imagine there being a great difference. Apparently gone are the days when 'bootleg' meant a plain white cardboard sleeve and scratchy recordings on warped vinyl. This is a first-rate production from the second tier of marketing. My only complaint would be a lack of information on instrumental and vocal contributions (other sources indicate Levon Helm provided some drums, and Carole King and James Taylor some background vocals), as well as running times for the tracks. Since you really should own some version of this disc, the two Stills tracks make this a tempting choice. One must of course weigh in the balance ownership of an item where the artists you're enjoying failed to profit from their own efforts."
Rip off
Tom | Cincinnati, OH | 10/09/2005
(1 out of 5 stars)
".. The cd is taken from an overseas lp master tape and is not mixed for cd. If you want the best sound quality, purchase the American version (MCA - 088 112 043-2) lovingly remastered by Stephen Barncard. The three bonus tracks aren't even by Crosby & Nash. Two are by Stephen Stills and one is by an unknown artist."
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1