Songs for Beginners[CD/DVD-Audio]

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
Nash's acclaimed 1971 solo debut reissued in a deluxe, two-disc CD+DVD edition. DVD also features an all new 2008 video interview with Graham Nash, plus a photo gallery and complete lyrics.

Album Description
2008 Remastered 1971 album by Graham Nash includes Bonus DVD. Singer-songwriter and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Graham Nash first rose to fame with British Invasion hitmakers The Hollies. He went on to co-found the legendary rock supergroups Crosby, Stills & Nash and CSN&Y, and he remains active with both configurations. Throughout it all, Nash has pursued an acclaimed solo career, beginning with this album, Songs For Beginners. This classic title in a CD/DVD-A special edition features the original album in remastered stereo on CD, with high resolution 5.1 surround sound and a host of extra features, including an all-new video interview with Graham Nash, on the DVD.

Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Night and Day, Great! September 26, 2008
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

Nash and his team did a superb job of remixing (NOT re-recording) and resurrecting this record. This one's right up there with the IICORMN Crosby remix. What makes this package especially great is that not only is there a fantastic surround mix, but great care was taken to remix the stereo mix, mastered by the great Doug Sax. Phil Lesh's bass sounds amazing! So if you aren't able to listen in 5:1, it's still well worth picking up. Unfortunately I downloaded the older version on i-tunes a few months back. Loading in this new version and a/b-ing them, it's no contest. Take it from someone who purchased the original vinyl version back in the day, the songs and the sound of this album ranks as the very best of CSN and even Y.

4 out of 5 stars

"I Watched You Go Through Changes That No Man Should Face Alone..." October 19, 2008
5 out of 6 found this review helpful

With Stephen Stills and David Crosby having produced absolute storming debut albums in November 1970 and March 1971, Graham Nash's quietly lovely opener didn't disappoint either - in fact in the early Seventies - it seemed like everything the combined and individual talents of CSYN did was magical. This October 2008 DELUXE EDITION celebrates "Songs For Beginners" with a Remastered Stereo Remix of the album on the stand alone first disc, while the second disc is a 5.1 DVD Audio Mix (you need a DVD Audio player to hear it on) with an added DVD Interview about his Photography featuring a Gallery of Stills, Photo-Backed Lyrics & Web Links etc.

"Songs For Beginners" was released in June 1971 on Atlantic SD 7204 in the USA and Atlantic 2401 011 in the UK. The album featured many famous guests (one is uncredited), so here's a detailed breakdown (33:47 minutes):

1. Military Madness [DAVE MASON of Traffic on Guitar with RITA COOLIDGE on Backing Vocals]
2. Better Days [NEIL YOUNG (credited as Joe Yankee) on Piano, SEEMON POSTHUMA of THE FOOL on Clarinet, RITA COOLIDGE on Backing Vocals with DALLAS TAYLOR of CSYN and MANASSAS on Drums]
3. Wounded Bird [GN all instruments and voices]
4. I Used To Be A King [NEIL YOUNG (credited as Joe Yankee) on Piano, JERRY GARCIA on Steel Guitar with PHIL LESH on Bass (both of THE GRATEFUL DEAD) and DAVID CROSBY on Electric Guitar]
5. Be Yourself [RITA COOLIDGE on Piano, Electric Piano and Backing Vocals]
6. Simple Man [DAVID LINDLEY on Fiddle, DORIAN RUDNYTSKY of THE NEW YORK ROCK & ROLL ENSEMBLE on Cello with RITA COOLIDGE on backing Vocals]
7. Man In The Mirror [NEIL YOUNG [credited as Joe Yankee] on Piano, JERRY GARCIA of THE GRATEFUL DEAD on Steel Guitar, CHRIS ETHERIDGE of THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS on Bass]
8. There's Only One [RITA COOLIDGE on Piano & Backing Vocals, CHRIS ETHERIDGE on Bass, BOBBY KEYS on Saxophone with VANETTA FIELDS, SHIRLEY MATTHEWS, CLYDIE KING & DOROTHY MORRISON on Backing Vocals (The Blackberries)]
9. Sleep Song [DAVE MASON on Guitar with RITA COOLIDGE on Backing Vocals]
10. Chicago [DORIAN RUDNYTSKY on Cello]
11. We Can Change The World [RITA COOLIDGE, VANETTA FIELDS...DOROTHY MORRISON on Backing Vocals]

The 20-page booklet has an essay on the album and its star-studded background by noted writer DAVID FRICKE - it features Session Photos, Lyrics, Detailed recording and reissue credits - and even a picture of the master tapes.

But for fans the big news is the SOUND. The CD album has been Stereo Remixed & Remastered and the quality isn't just good - it's fabulous - BREATHTAKING. "Better Days" has a very quiet Piano and Vocal Intro - it's spotlessly clean - and when the band kicks in - it's an absolute wow! The mastering is credited to DOUG SAX and SANGWOOK NAM at The Mastering Lab, Ojai - and they should both be Grammy nominated for it. "Days" is followed by the Acoustic and Vocal-only of "Wounded Bird" (a song for Stephen Stills and Judy Collins and their troubled relationship) and it's a lovely as it gets - BEAUTIFULLY restored. The delicately aching Cello work of Dorian Rudnytsky combines with Rita Coolidge's Backing Vocals on "Simple Man" to genuinely touching effect, while Jerry Garcia's Steel Guitar on "Man In the Mirror" adds a lot from an instrument you wouldn't expect from him. And on three tracks there's Neil Young - plinking away - putting in genuinely superb Piano work (he was credited as Joe Yankee for legal reasons).

I find the 2nd disc, however, problematic. I don't have a DVD AUDIO player and 99% of the planet doesn't either - it's a dead format. Disc 2 features the entire album in Advanced Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound, Dolby Digital & DTS - wonderful stuff guys - if I could play it! But the really disappointing part is the complete lack of anything new - no outtakes, no demos - not even a live recording. However - and although it's completely unrelated to the album - things improve on the DVD part of the disc - it contains an interview with Nash about his lifetime obsession with black and white photography - and its fascinating - a lovely man, intelligent, sensitive - and you suspect a real peacekeeper among huge egos that often got out of hand. Then there's the gallery of images (he explains many of them in the interview) - I won't spoil it too much for those who are going to buy this except to say that there are captured moments on here of Joni, Neil, Stills and especially his lifetime pal David Crosby that will reduce some people to tears.

To sum up - a beautifully realized first disc - with a slightly odd and unrepresentative 2nd. Still - for fans of the album - this is a no brainer - the gorgeous remaster means you simply have to own it. Recommended.

PS: Note to Rhino - Deluxe Editions please of "Stephen Stills", "Harvest" and "Manassas"

5 out of 5 stars

Go ahead - fall in love with a classic September 30, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Those that have heard this album, song by 'simple song', might feel a new rush of delight choosing to sample the DVD first. In 1971 Nash had blazed a trail with 'Songs for Beginners' -- but by 2008 he has revisited and enhanced its whole terrain. The music has been remixed using the 'surround' concept one enjoys when hearing 'Songs for Survivors' -- making beloved songs fresh again. And it is a blessing for all involved that clever, clever Graham gets to share his artistic vision with his lucky, lucky audience. No one even remotely involved or interested in the creative process should miss that interview. Period.

Not to be missed, and better than a mere replacement of a worn out vinyl copy. Well done, Mr. Nash and all others concerned, well done.

5 out of 5 stars

Couldn't disagree more with SRutherford October 1, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

1 star!?!
Based on listening to download clips!?!
C'mon man get a grip really.
This is HIGH RESOLUTION disc.
This is a beautiful recording of a brilliant album FINALLY getting the treatment it deserves.
Both the 2 channel and surround are a stunning revelation.

2 out of 5 stars

DVD-a Freezes in My DVD-a Universal Player October 5, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful

I just purchased the Graham Nash Songs For Beginners cd/dvd-a set. I'm having an issue with the dvd-a.

In my Pioneer DV-578A universal player, which has dvd-a capability, when I insert the disc the menu comes up fine. However, when I select play the machine freezes up, to the point that the only thing i can do is unplug the player to unfreeze it. This is repeatable.

The dvd plays fine in my regular non dvd-a dvd player, also a Pioneer. The universal player has never before had a problem with dvd-a. I also just checked it with another dvd-a, which plays fine. Does any one have any idea what's going on? Has anyone else experienced this?
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Here's my thoughts on the cd:

I am really disappointed in the new mix. As the album is under 34 minutes, I think it's a travesty that Nash didn't put both mixes on the cd, or even the old mix on the cd & the new mix on the dvd. I believe my dislike is partly because of 30+ years of listening to the old mix, but also that this mix harms the music. The gated drums are a joke in this context; they'd be at home with Billy Idol, & the multiple previously inaudible mistakes are a huge distraction for me.

Here's a few specific comments:

1. Regarding several comments here & elsewhere that the drums sound re-recorded or sampled: I have some studio experience. What I heard on Better Days & several others was likely the original drums, but with a very loud & prominent gated reverb added that was not on the original mix. The drums were also mixed louder then in the original. I have no clue WHY Nash made that choice; imo it harms the songs.

2. I get the impression that Nash decided he wanted every tiny part that was sitting anywhere on the multi track masters to be clearly audible, even at the expense of the song as a whole.

3. I never noticed before that the acoustic guitar on Be Yourself is slightly out of tune. There are also some wrong bass notes on the piano that I never heard before on the 1st verse. I heard numerous muffed parts throughout the cd which I've never noticed before; I suspect they were intentionally buried in the original mix.

I'm definitely going to keep my original cd. I haven't yet decided if I'm going to keep this. The mastering is tremendous, but so far I'm not fond of this mix. It sounds like a totally different album, & some of the parts don't fit; little mistakes that were previously buried are now loud & clear, especially on the drums.

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