Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – 4 Way Street

4 Way Street is the third album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, their second as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and their first live album in general, released on April 7, 1971 by Atlantic Records and certified gold by #1 on the Billboard 200. It was a documentary of their tour from the previous year, featuring live recordings made at concerts they played at the Fillmore East in New York from June 2 to 7, 1970, at The Forum in Los Angeles, California from June 26 to 28, 1970 and at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago, Illinois on July 5, 1970.

At the time this particular album was recorded, tensions between the band members were high, with epic dressing room battles between them cementing their reputation as rock legends, with reports of the incidents even by Frank Zappa and the Mothers Of Invention on their live LP at the Fillmore East in June 1971. These tensions led to the group breaking up shortly after the recording of 4 Way Street.

They nevertheless reunited for a multi-stage tour in the summer of 1974. The next new studio release from the group was by Crosby, Stills & Nash with their album CSN in 1977, but without Neil Young in their ranks.

The original double album came with a fold-out cover without the track listing. It featured a black and white image of the band sitting on a bench, with the heads of Graham Nash and David Crosby perfectly framed by a coat hanger hanging in front of them, with recording information and album notes in the lower right corner. The tracks only appeared on the album’s record labels as well as the fold-out poster which also featured the full lyrics.

During these concerts in the mid-1970s, many songs included in the final album had not yet been released either by the group itself or through personal works of its four members.

The first disc of the album was acoustic while the second was electric and more rock. 4 Way Street was described at the time by Rolling Stone magazine as the best album of all time.

Graham Nash on June 15, 1992 released an expanded version of 4 Way Street on CD. This extended version included four solo performances on acoustic guitars, one by each member.

From this amazing album I select the track “Carry On”.

Tracklist

1. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes 0:24
2. On The Way Home 3:19
3. Teach Your Children 2:46
4. Triad 5:07
5. The Lee Shore 4:14
6. Chicago 3:03
7. Right Between The Eyes 2:19
8. Cowgirl In The Sand 3:50
9. Don’t Let It Bring You Down 2:35
10. 49 Bye Byes / America’s Children 5:30
11. Love The One You’re With 2:57
12. Pre-Road Downs 2:48
13. Long Time Gone 5:33
14. Southern Man 13:15
15. Ohio 3:24
16. Carry On 13:06
17. Find The Cost Of Freedom 2:16