Without question, the two songs he contributed – Helpless and Country Girl – are both excellent, but I’ve always imagined that they would have been more at home on one of Young’s subsequent solo albums – either After the Goldrush or Harvest. I’ve always questioned whether Neil Young’s contributions to the album sit quite as comfortably with the album’s concept as do those of his bandmates. Of course, a key attraction of that glorious debut album was the trademark harmony singing, and, on Déjà Vu, Crosby, Stills and Nash deliver more – much more – of the same. Add to that Crosby’s classic period piece – Almost Cut My Hair and the title track, Déjà Vu, Nash’s sweet but wonderful Our House and Teach Your Children and the simmering version of Joni Mitchell’s Woodstock which, even after 50 years, seems to improve with every hearing and you’ve already got a great album. Stills, in particular, was on great form and his songs – notably opening track Carry On and the stunning 4+20 – rank easily amongst the best of his prolific career. But, as always, it was the music that mattered, and Déjà Vu delivered a bucketload of great songs, many of which sit comfortably amongst the best that the partnership ever produced. It was released in March 1970 and was the eagerly anticipated and awaited follow-up to the eponymous Crosby, Stills and Nash album of May 1969, an album packed to the rafters with everything from counterculture anthems (Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, Long Time Gone), apocalyptic science fiction (Wooden Ships) and even a fluffy pop hit (Marrakesh Express.) The original line-up of that first album had been augmented, by Neil Young (who was named as a partner in the combo) and by Greg Reeves (bass) and Dallas Taylor (drums) who weren’t. So why all the fuss? Déjà Vu is, without doubt, a fantastic, all-time classic album.
#Deja vu song with jet li plus
The original album is included in pristine form, both on an 180-gram vinyl LP and on a CD, plus there are 3 further CDs covering, respectively, demo versions of songs that made it onto Déjà Vu and songs that emerged on members’ solo albums, out-take versions of a whole range of songs and, finally, a disc of alternative versions of the Déjà Vu songs (including a couple of really corking versions…). Crowe’s notes recount the making of the album through stories, told by those who were there. The whole thing is presented in a 12 x 12 hardcover book, illustrated with photographs, many of which have been rarely published, and annotated by writer/filmmaker Cameron Crowe. So what’s new with this deluxe reissue? First of all, the presentation of this package is utterly sumptuous. It still gets regular turntable time, and I’ve never tired of any of the album’s ten tracks. It’s an album that I’ve owned, in various formats, for most of its long existence. Of course, Déjà Vu is one of the undisputed all-time classics an album that is almost certainly familiar to the vast majority of At The Barrier’s readers and which is fondly revered by most of that majority.
CSNY’s magnum opus, Deja Vu, gets the 50 th anniversary deluxe reissue treatment – with a treasure trove of alternative versions and works in progress
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