Customer Reviews

Looking Forward

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(47)
3 star:		(27)
2 star:		(18)
1 star:		(23)

 

 

"Looking Forward" is a fine album full of remarkable songs from one of the greatest bands ever assembled (If the word "assembled" is appropriate). The standouts are "Faith In Me," "Heartland," "Stand and Be Counted," and the spectacular title track, a great folk-rock anthem. The rest of the album is good, solid entertainment from a classic group of singers. Grade: B+

I didn't know about this CD until one of my site visitors mentioned it and then it was a mad scramble of Sanibel Island lovers that simply wanted to buy it due to the 'Sanibel' song alone. It is a great CD, but, I have to confess that I too just love the 'Sanibel' song. There aren't many songs about our Islands so this is a rare and cherished find! ~Robynn French Sanibel-Online.com

This was a welcome comeback from four of the best songwriters in the business. Crosby, Nash and Young are at the top of their game. While Stephen Stills has lost much of his vocal range and his songwriting skills have slipped but he remains a inventive player. Even with only 3 cilinders firing at full throttle this record is a must have for folk rock fans who enjoy good songwriting and great harmonies. There is no one else out there who sounds like these guys. Check out Graham Nash's "Someday Soon" which is hands down the best track these guys have recorded since 1977.

All of Neil Young's offerings found on Looking Forward (title track, "Slowpoke", "Out of Control" and "Queen of Them All") are of consistent high quality. All four were written originally for his solo recording Silver and Gold that was released around the same time. Done here with CSN, the songs are given the rich vocal harmony treatment that they would have lacked if done by Neil solo. Like all the songs from Silver and Gold, these four are vintage Neil as acoustic troubadour. They are folk-influenced lush ballads that are catchy as hell. The problem with Looking Forward then is not with Neil, but with the three other gents. The biggest tragedy is that Neil's consistency cannot make up for the inconsistency of the others.

Please don't get me wrong here, the singing and playing from CSN is of their usual high quality. Inconsistency hurts only what it has hurt these three for the past twenty years: their songwriting. And the level of inconsistency changes by the man! Let's first take a look at Stephen Stills. His inconsistency seems to show by the song. "Faith In Me" is a great Caribbean-influenced number that acts as a fine lead off track, and that is no small thing! Back in the old days when new recordings were pressed on vinyl, a strong side one, track one was imperative. For whatever reason, it is not so important to the CD generation. "No Tears Left" offers lead guitar playing by Stephen that almost makes you forget that Neil is this group's main axe man. Stephan then falls on his face with "Seen Enough". According to the liner notes, the song was inspired by Dylan, so I guess we can consider both Dylan and Stills quite embarrassed. Come on Stephen! Do you really believe that every American generation, except for your own baby boomer generation, has done nothing for this country and the world? I can't even bring myself to say that the song's message takes a ballsy stance. It does not. If anything it only proves what I have heard many times about Stills: that he is a difficult, cocky and [a meticulous] artiste.

David Crosby's inconsistency seems to show within each song. "Stand and be Counted" for instance, could have been David's best effort in years! The verses offer an eerie building intensity not unlike the one found on one of his greatest songs "Long Time Gone". However, "Long Time Gone" also offers a refrain that acts as a satisfying (orgasmic?) release of the intensity. The refrain of "Stand and be Counted" is pure pop cheesiness. Moreover, like Stephen's on "Seen Enough", David's hippy idealism is much too old, tired and flawed on "Stand and be Counted" to be taken very seriously.

Good old Gram Nash is actually the most consistent CSN guy. That is not a good thing, however, as he is consistently bad. Let's face it folks, even in their glory years Nash's songs were always fairly lightweight. The only difference between then and now is that back then his songs were at least great timepieces. Now they are just plain cheap. Fortunately he only offers us one song on Looking Forward, in "Heartland".

I hope this review does not sound too harsh, as I genuinely liked a good half of this recording. Therefore if I could have given it two and  stars, I would have. However, I think we need to ask ourselves if half a good offering is a good enough effort from a veteran super group like CSN&Y. I think we can all agree that it indeed is not. Also, though I would never expect David, Stephen and Gram to reinvent themselves every few years the way Neil does, they should be able to wake up and realize that the 1960's and 70's are a long time gone!

As you can tell by my title, I love this album, man it is Narley, I like all of the songs on this album, but I think that my favorite song is faith in me, man everytime I hear this song, I feel like taking my old VW bus Samba, you know the longer kind with all the little windows in the roof, but anyway I feel like taking my old bus and going on a cruis to margaritaville, like Alan Jackson and Jimmi Buffett say,it's five o' clock somewhere, Margaritaville is also known as Hawaii in my mind, am I right? to go there, camp on the beach in my bus, and sit back enjoy a nice Margarita while the Hawaiian babes check out my old bus, I mean this song just has that beat to me, well I don't know if it is the instruments that are in this song or rather it is the beat of the song but yeah dude! I think that this song is Narley, it's definately got some Hawaiian to it and I can't place my finger on where exactly it is in the song but I know there is some Hawaiian to this song. Dude I'll give you a word of advice, if you have the urge to find some really good music, why don't you give this album a try, I can almost gerantee you that you will like this album if you give it a try.

As the 90's came to a close, and the milennium dawned on us all, many of the Classic Rock Vets released respectable albums that harkened back to their glory days. Considering the glory days of CSN&Y consisted of only 1 album as a foursome, I was particularly interested to see what "Looking Forward" would offer. Ironically, I had just picked up Deja Vu before I gave "Looking Forward" a listen. Needless to say, there was an incredibly high standard for the aged rockers to meet. And honestly.....they did a pretty damn good job of meeting it. The songs range from acoustic pieces highlighted by still gorgeous harmonies ('Looking Forward', 'Heartland', 'Dream for Him', 'Sanibel')to out and out rocking blues tunes ('Seen Enough', 'No Tears Left'). The album is an absolute treat to listen to. The songs flow seemlessly, as do the harmonies and the magic that you feel after the first listen. David Crosby's efforts are particularly strong and well worded on the ablum, and Neil Young still ignites the fire that brings out the best in Stevie Stills.

I am shaking my head in disbelief of all these negative reviews of this album and wondering if I am listening to the same album. I am, only I like this kind of music. Only thing I can think of is that the negative reviewers don't care much for accoustic folk mixed with elegant blues and nice harmonics. Yes it's mellow. Yes they sound weary/tired but that's what I want to hear. Folks complain about the lyrics. IN-fact, they're pretty good lyrics. I don't understand the blasts towards the Stills' tracks. "Seen Enough" and "No tears left" equal the best of what Clapton/Stevie Ray Vaughn does in terms of raspy/blues. Stills is a legend and deserves better than the slamming he gets. I always thought Stills was a better singer than Clapton and these tracks are his best since "Southern Cross". "Faith in me" is also good considering Stills spent some of his childhood in Panama (which is why he has latin numbers every so often). The Neil Young songs are also very good and better than any on his "Silver and Gold". "Looking Forward" is already a NY classic to me. The Nash and Crosby songs are also very well crafted. Alot of variety from mellow sounding accoustical folk pieces to (surprisingly) heavy rockers in the Stills songs. Even though this came out in 1999, it has a refreshingly nostalgic 70's sound most of the way thru. I think the negative reviewers of this album on this web-site are disappointed in this album because it does not sound like Madonna or Stained or some of the newer music. Much better than "American Dream" and of the same quality as "After the Storm". They are NOT finished and have prooved it to me with this album. I love the fact that they avoided most of the new music cliches and put out an album that reflects true/natural instruments with natural harmonics that are not computer or digitally enhanced. No casio drum machines or plastic synths here. Rather, accoustic and electric guitars, pianos and electric organs and their vocals. Easily could have been recorded in the 70's. I play accoustic guitar these days and see potential to play some of these very nicely crafted songs. Maybe this is why I like this album? If you like accoustic guitar and folk-rock like melodies, you should like this album.

DEFINITELY DOES NOT DESERVE THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS THAT IT GETS AND I THINK IT'S BETTER THAN JUST ABOUT ANY OF THE SONGS VH1/MTV HAS BEEN AIRING IN THE LAST 5-10 years. I can guarantee you just about that most of today's bands won't be able to write songs of this good quality when they're in their 50's. Heck, look at the (..stuff )that Lenny Kravitz and Mick Jagger are doing now. This stuff is much better. No it's not Deja Vu or their first s/t album but it's not (..stuff) either. In-fact it's good and reflects the band's ability to still be able to write good songs even into their 60's. I hope they make more albums. A pretty good album by a legendary band.

They used to grate...and still do! How this ragtag, motley bunch has a "legendary" tag attached to it is one of rock's greatest mysteries. This ... effort is a pitiful attempt to be contemporary, yet the CD only ends up being good for Sunday afternoon frisbee throwing. Don't waste your time with this mess. Nothing else in their catalog has worn well with time, either. It must be said: D. Crosby was FAR better in The Byrds, Steve Stills & Neil Young were FAR better in Buffalo Springfield, and Graham Nash was FAR better in The Hollies. Explore those bands' work; skip this shrill stuff.

Warning, you may rightly be disappointed. Dare I tell you something negative? After more than forty years working onstage and in studios, and previously selling countless millions of records, this particular group of superstars should be able to do better than this. From the weak opening song "Faith In Me" they sound merely increasingly insecure in their once fine voices. An uncomfortable bleating and wavering harmony of "ha-a-a-a-ave some faith in me" and the listener begins to suspect the group of simple insincerity, and that he like a little la-a-a-amb has merely been rounded up into the buyers pen. The record is chock full of familiar but now somewhat coarsened and heavy-handed pop technique. From the bright little tinkle of a celeste to a single chord of the organ in rising crescendo in time for the first line "When the day is dawning" (can't you imagine the big old sun coming up a-smiling?) to a jagged percussion to lend an air of casual authenticity in "Queen of Them All," all stops are pulled to no avail. It just sounds phony, and might just as easily have been called "Queen of The Mall." Keep your dramamine handy, the worst is saved for last, "Sanibel" with the opening lyric: "There's a ship and it sails a sea of light on its way to me tonight ..." which is guaranteed to give even the staunchest CSN&Y fan a case of mild mal du mer. They used to be great, so listen to their early works when they were much, much better than this. Take a hint from the number of used copies available.

If the energy wasted by these four gentlemen in bickering with each other over the years had been directed at making music, CSN&Y would likely have a catalogue as consistently good as the Beatles. "Looking Forward" captures both the potential bliss that their coming together promises and the wasted energy of their years of turmoil.

Although nowhere near as good as their 1970 album "Deja Vu", the problem with "Looking Forward" and other more recent CSN records is that they ineveitably get compared to "Deja Vu". This is totally unfair and also relatively stupid because "Deja Vu" captured a time and a place that no longer exists anywhere but in the hashish smoke memories of the Baby Boom generation. Peace and love are gone as a serious political platform and that is the challenge for these four men who are fondly remembered as the high priests of peace and love music.

"Looking Forward" is comprised of four types of songs. The first type triggers a skip in our hearts as we remember making out to the strains of "Our House" in our parent's rec room. The second type represents solid songwriting craftsmanship that gets unfairly judged through a lens of hippie hopefulness by the mired-in-the-past fan. The third type is revered because it's written by Neil Young even though it's toss away (junk); and the fourth type is just plain adult contemporary mediocrity.

The first category of memory-triggering songs that remind us of classic CSNY are the title cut, "Slowpoke", "Seen Enough" and "Someday Soon". Interestingly Neil Young penned two of these songs and on this album it seems to be Neil who is most trying to capture some long lost past. That being said "Slowpoke" is a terrific piece of adult folk with just enough syrupy sweetness and a tremendous chorus. The other Neil tune in this category is "Looking Forward" and it features a great unedited acoustic guitar sound. Stills' "Seen Enough" is a reworking of a Dylan riff with an updated rant reminiscent of his solo tune "Word Game". The Nash penned "Someday Soon" wraps up this category and is one of this record's highlights.

The solid songwriting craftsmanship category dominates this record. "Faith In Me", "Stand And Be Counted", "Heartland", "Dream For Him" and "No Tears Left" are just plain great songs. They push the envelope to include jazz influences, heavy rock influences, new-country influences and latin and ska influences and demonstrate that Stills, Nash and Crosby are still songwriters to be reckoned with.

The worst category of songs on this record are the two throw away tunes Young included that critics keep identifying as highlights of this record. Both "Out of Control" and "Queen of Them All" are peices of (junk) that Neil had no room for on his album so he tossed them in here. "Out of Control" is a poor man's "After the Goldrush" and "queen of Them All" is, well, just a bad song.

And now for the mediocrity.

Thankfully, this is an above average album and the only real tune of adult contemporary mediocrity here is a song that isn't even written by any of the four lads. "Sanibel" is pleasant enough but it is not worthy of the coming together of these four members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Note to The Boys: use your own stuff or Joni's.

However, even with a few criticisms, "Looking Forward" is a must buy for all CSNY afficiados and anyone else that enjoys good music. "Deja Vu" it aint but that's a good thing.