Music Review: Crosby, Stills & Nash – Daylight Again

Daylight Again started out as a Stephen Stills and Graham Nash project. David Crosby was having personal and addiction problems so his two band mates decided to forge ahead as a duo with help from a number of their friends. Their label was concerned about the commercial appeal of the project, however, so Crosby was invited to participate, resulting in a full-blown Crosby, Stills & Nash album.

I have always felt they received too much help and support for this release. The harmonies are enhanced by a number of other voices and six of the eleven tracks were either written or co-written by other artists.

All was not lost however. The album was released in June of 1982 and while it may have been a mixed affair as far as quality, when it was good it was very good. The first five tracks are excellent and equal to much of their past and best work while the last six are spotty. What this meant in its original vinyl format was you just didn't have to turn the record over.

The LP produced two hit singles and they are its strongest tracks. “Southern Cross” is a classic CSN song and ranks as one of their best creations. It was co-written by Stephen Stills and combines poignant storytelling, crystal-clear harmonies, and a unique tempo which all combined to make it memorable. Graham Nash’s composition, “Wasted On The Way,” cracked the American top ten. The gorgeous harmonies are in place but the lyrics are darker and may be pointed at his longtime friend, Crosby.

The rest of the first side may not reach the heights of the two hit singles, but they are still very good. “Into The Darkness” is another Nash tune about Crosby.  “Turn Your Back On Love” features a gritty vocal and is catchy in its own way. Crosby may have written only one song here, but “Delta” was the perfect vehicle for one of the better vocal performances of his career.

The rest of the material has pluses and minuses—sometimes within the same song. The best of the lot is “Might As Well Have A Good Time,” which was written by keyboardist Craig Doerge and his wife Judy Henske. Crosby brought this recording with him to the sessions and while Stills and Nash may have added some vocals, it's Crosby’s multi-layered voice which shines.

Daylight Again was the group's fourth studio album and would continue their commercial success, reaching the U.S. top ten and going platinum. While it may have been their overall weakest album to date, you can always buy the original vinyl release and just never flip it over.