Graham Nash’s favourite CSNY song: “Wow, good Lord, what a great song”
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young are the ultimate example of a supergroup. Seeing the era’s finest songwriting talents come together; their back-catalogue is the best of four of the best minds of the moment. However, out of all of that great material, one song stands out to Graham Nash.
The moment Crosby, Stills and Nash came together as a trio, it was a perfect happening as if the universe moved the band to happen. Crosby had been fired from the Byrds in late 1967, Stills’ Buffalo Springfield had broken up in early 1968, leaving Stills out of a job, and then Nash left the Hollies that December. All three were loose and looking for something new when, during a jam one night, they realised how effortlessly they could harmonise and realised they’d accidentally hit on something great.
Given their individual reputations, they had no issue getting people to trust them or take them seriously. After coming together in late 1968, they signed their record contract in January 1969 and, by May, released their debut album.
However, when it came to touring, they realised they needed an extra pair of hands. Having all played too many instruments on the album to be able to handle it live, they needed a keyboardist. Due to him previously performing alongside Stills in Buffalo Springfield, Neil Young was the obvious choice, turning Crosby, Stills and Nash into Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
However, both Stills and Nash put up a fight. Stills simply felt like there was too much blood in the water following the breakdown of Buffalo Springfield, whereas Nash protested that he just didn’t know Young enough to bring him into the band and didn’t want to disrupt their vocal harmony. But, they needed a member, so the decision was made.
Significantly, Nash’s hesitation certainly makes sense as his favourite song from the band comes from the pre-Young era. As his top pick from their work, he selected ‘Suite: Judy Blue Eyes’, the opening number from their debut, written by Stills.
“I remember so deeply the moment that Stephen played that song for me. I wondered what planet he was from,” Nash told Rolling Stone, speaking so affectionately about the song and his bandmate. “I mean, I was a songwriter, but this was very different. First of all, it was seven-and-a-half minutes long. Secondly, it went through four distinct musical changes and by the time he got to the end of that, we said, ‘Wow, good lord, what a great song’”.
To him, it’s not only a great track but it seems to stand as the ultimate song to showcase their talents. “I think it was a perfect song for our voices. And it had to be the first thing that you heard because it was so exciting to us,” he said. That’s why it was selected to be the first song from their first album as he explained, “We always felt that if you put a record on and you listen to ‘Suite: Judy Blue Eyes’, I don’t think you’re going to get up and take the needle off the record”.
