Songs For Beginners - Graham Nash (1971)
Of course I'm not completely new to the ouevre of Graham Nash. Being, as I have been for over fifteen years now, a huge fan of Neil young meant coming across him a number of times, most frequently in the context of that on-and-off again context of Crosby Stills Nash & Young. Beyond that, my exposure to Nash was pretty much restricted to whatever Hollies, CSN, or solo single the radio stations I listened to deigned to play (and many of these times, I have to admit that I didn't even know this guy was involved until much later!).
Fast forward to last year and I was rifling through the racks of a local Border's, hoping to find something intriguing that would help me use up a coupon that had been burning a figurative hole in my pocket. Just as I was about to give up and head back to the books, I came across a decently priced copy of Nash's second solo album, 1973's Wild Tales. Between the awesome folksy/hippy cover photo and the guy's reputation, I figured it had to be worth a couple of bucks at least, and, it certainly was. It was a revealing look at a well-respected musician that I'd previously paid little attention to. Didn't hurt that Nash had help from friends like Joni Mitchell, David Crosby, and long-time Young associate Ben Keith on pedal steel, but the overall vision was Nash's and it was one well worth hearing.
All of which meant I was more than ready to dig deeper into Nash's discography when I chanced across a very well-priced (i.e. ridiculously cheap) vinyl copy of Songs For Beginners last month. What a treat this discovery has been, another one of those records that I find myself wishing I'd have made time for it sooner. "Gorgeous" is a word that gets tossed around a lot when used to discuss music, I'm certainly just as guilty of this as anyone else, but that was the word that kept popping to mind after my first couple of listens. The production on this is really crisp and clean, even on a battered old vinyl copy it felt really warm and inviting, an interesting contrast to the sense of uncertainty that creeps into many of the lyrics. The calm beauty of "Sleep Song" and "Simple Man" offer the listener a warm embrace, even while the latter shows off Nash's fearful state of mind in lines such as, "And I can't make it alone". But, as may have been expected when one scans the names on the inner sleeve, this record really shines when Nash enlists the help of his really talented circle of friends. I found "I Used To Be A King" a really pleasant surprise, what with Phil Lesh appearing on bass and Jerry Garcia providing some really lovely slide guitar. The Dead were really on a roll as the 1970s kicked-off and it is always a treat to hear their fine instrumental work from this era - even more so when it is completely unexpected. Another favorite of mine drops by to play piano on "Man In the Mirror", Mr. Neil Young, this time credited under the Joe Yankee pseudonym. But even aside from these big names, the instrumental performances throughout are impeccable and really breath life into Nash's compositions. As it turns out, I wasn't wholly unfamiliar with this record, as I've been hearing "Chicago" and "We Can Change the World" on classic rock radio nearly all of my life without ever knowing who performed it. Again, a pleasant surprise here, ending the record on an uplifting note. Crosby, Stills, and Young may have garnered more of the recognition in the mainstream, but this record alone proves that the 'N' in CSN&Y brought just as much, if not more, to the table as those other guys.
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