David Crosby - vocals, guitar; Jody Cortez - drums; Dan Dugmore - guitar; Michael Finnegan - keyboards, vocals; Davey Farragher - bass, vocals
Upon hearing this recording nearly a decade after it was made, David Crosby remarked: "I remember that it was a very good show. That was a very good band. The way I remember it, we were very good almost all the time on that tour."
The tour from which this King Biscuit Flower Hour was recorded had been assembled to promote Crosby's second solo album, Yes I Can, which had just been released on A&M Records at the time. While he has always remained a member of Crosby, Stills, Nash and (sometimes) Young, Crosby has also maintained a number of off-shoot projects including Crosby/Nash collaborations; a band with his son, CPR; occasional Byrds reunions, and of course, solo albums and tours.
While not a huge commercial success, Yes I Am, along with the tour designed to promote it, was an important artistic statement for David Crosby. It marked his return to the pop pantheon after two years in prison for weapons and drug possession and featured some of the best non-CSN music he has ever made. Highlights from this show include "Drive My Car" and "Tracks In The Dust," both from the aforementioned album, as well as a number of CSN classics rearranged for this band and tour - among them "Deja Vu," "Wooden Ships," "Almost Cut My Hair" and "Long Time Gone."
Crosby (along with Stephen Stills and Graham Nash) should be given much of the credit for launching the Southern California rock sound that gave way to artists like The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt and Jackson Browne. Always a prolific writer and accomplished performer, Crosby is certainly one of the most time-honored songwriters of the past 50 years. One listen to this concert, and it's easy to see why his musical influence is so widespread.