Well, this certainly wasn't what we planned to post as our music today, but we thought the passing of David Crosby merited a change.
It's ironic that the man who brought such angelic harmonies to the Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash (and Young) was, by his own admission, a difficult bandmate -- "a difficult cat," -- but boy, could he sing, and play, and write. The tributes all reflect his importance to the music of his era and to his talent -- here, here from Byrd Chris Hillman, here from Graham Nash, here from Neil Young, here from Steven Stills, and here from Grace Slick, among others.
We could feature dozens of songs from his solo albums and from those with the Byrds and with his other collaborations. We strongly encourage you to review that legacy. Since his music with Crosby, Stills, Nash (and Young) is best known, we're going to post some that you probably haven't heard much, if at all:
-- from the Byrds' "Fifth Dimension" album (1966), Crosby's "What's Happening?!?!," where his clear tenor voice and rhythm guitar stand out;
-- the rollicking Byrds single "Lady Friend" (1967), a "lost hit" written by Crosby, whose voice can be heard at the beginning complaining about having to sing when he could barely talk (Crosby later criticized the final mix, replaced backing vocals from Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman with his own, and was soon fired from the band -- difficult cat!); and
-- from his acclaimed final studio album "For Free" (2021), "I Won't Stay For Long," which showcases his still- fluid voice as he approached the end of his life.
I'm standing on the porch
Like it's the edge of a cliff
Beyond the grass and gravel lies a certain abyss
And I don't think I will try it today
I'm facing a squall like of a thousand-year storm
I don't know if I'm dying or about to be born
But I'd like to be with you today
Yes, I'd like to be with you today
