"Who the fuck was Rick Rubin to tell us what to do? After 50 years of making records, we think we know what we're doing...

CSN have talent as musicians but the dudes' egos have always been way too outsized for their own good,

Rick Rubin sucks, he worked with Metallica, it sounded bad, Metallica sounded better with Bob Rock to be honest and that guy made them a pussy band

their self-titled is a fantastic album tho

Didn't he also say that Stephen Stills' hearing is pretty much fried at this point?

At least Bob Rock didn't crank the gain up to 50 when he mixed albums.

Seriously. You guys have gray hair, it's time to grow the fuck up.

rick rubin makes rock rap garbage

One Beatles cover might be ok, an entire album of them (which is apparently what DC wanted to do) is just no.

I think it was to give them some hip cachet/marketability with people born after the 1950s.

very antisemitic, watch it, pal!

>I don't think I've ever heard a single one that improved on the original.
Elvis’ Yesterday.
James Brown Something is also pretty good.

When was the last time anyone cared about CSN? 1975?

Rubin reached out to them, not the other way around. And he was the guy who got them a deal with Columbia and wanted them to do a covers album since presumably he didn't think anyone in the 21st century wanted an album of new CSN material. I'd think the opportunity to get on a major label again with one of the biggest producers in the business isn't something I'd want to squander if I were them.

I hate Graham Nash so much

Wilson Pickett’s Hey Jude is considerably better

It sounded like an ok idea until seeing the list of songs they wanted to cover and it was just the most obvious, cliched classic rock playlist you could think of.

That's why it seems so unbelievably lazy that they didn't check Rick Rubin out before agreeing to work with him. It's always been his thing to call the shots, make song selections, and make relatively stripped down but accessible recordings for artists that need a shot in the arm. I don't know anyone that's said anything different in all the interviews I've read with artists he's worked with.

You could also argue that Rubin should have been aware that it was very unlikely he was going to get CSN to just follow everything he said to do. Anyone with even a bit of knowledge of the people in CSN knows that isn't their normal way of doing things. I'm sure producing CSN is somewhat like herding cats. And I'm also sure that Rick Rubin is pretty tough to work with unless you are willing to completely give in to his way of doing things. I think this album had the potential to be really interesting but it doesn't surprise me a bit that it was a bad match. If you're going to blame CSN for that then you've got to hold Rubin accountable too. It's not like CSN (and their personalities, egos, and way of working) would have been an unknown quantity to him.

Wild Tales [Atlantic, 1974]
The title's as phony as the rest of the album, which despite the bought-and-paid-for goodies--an intro here, a harmony there, even a song someplace or another--is mostly a tame collection of reshuffled platitudes. Especially enervating is "Oh, Camile" in which Graham lets us know he is morally superior to a doubt-ridden Vietnam vet. C-

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All of the Rick Rubin produced records that I've heard make my ears bleed, why is he so successful?

He was fine until the late 90s when he lost it and turned into le compression meme man. His work on (for example) BSSM was excellent because he made RHCP accessible and commercial without diminishing the power of Flea and John's playing. Also the more minimalist sound was a smart move since they'd gotten a little too slick and overproduced on TUMFPP and Mother's Milk.

Didn't Graham quit the Hollies because he objected to them wanting to do an album of Dylan covers?

The Steve Stills of the 70s would have punched RR in the face.

Rubin's ears are probably fried from listening to loud music for years, that's likely why he started brickwalling everything.

I agree with Noel Gallagher's statements that an artist has only a limited amount of good songs in them and when they run out, they start repeating themselves or copying trends started by other people. But artists also possess an infinite about of talent and passion. Creating music is what they do. It is what defines them. So I have no problem when older acts decide to cut cover albums. I would rather hear a passionate covers album than a half-hearted attempt at making originals.

I'm not a big fan of latter-day David Crosby albums. His later career albums have a light jazz feel I don't like and the lyrics are preachy and political to the point of being cringy. Him and Nash both have gotten too bland and adult contemporary. Those innovative, ethereal Crosby songs are a thing of the past. He still can sing quite well though. Definitely the best of the group, which is strange considering that he's the oldest and what he's been through physically. It's like Christgau said, if you can't kill the motherfucker at least make sure he doesn't breed.

Stills and Young are the only members of the group with any actual talent, the other two are just coattail riders/harmony singers.

Those Johnny Cash albums were a snoozefest. Really, would anyone have bought the things if it wasn't Johnny Cash on his deathbed? If Dylan or Springsteen or Young had released those albums, they would have been barbecued over a spit.

They were washed up dadrock when Rubin was starting Def Jam in his dorm.

He has a rep as a "troubleshooter" who helps washed-up bands get back on track, usually by telling them to go back to the sound of their most popular/acclaimed albums.

Bob Rock was based and saved Metallica

I give him points for telling Billy Gibbons "Go and make Tres Hombres again, that's what people want to hear." Anyone in his position would have grabbed Billy by the collar and told him same.

I think all of their brains are fried from drugs at this point.

Yeah he got to tap prime Rita Coolidge.

>inb4 Corey Taylor

Elvis vocals on something shit on georges

Neil Young has definitely remained relevant longer as his early 90s comeback got Gen Xers into him. The other guys...you'd have a hard time finding anyone under 60 at their concerts.

Stills' last decent album was Manassas.

Joe cocker’s with a little help from my friends is a classic. Co-exists with the original beautifully.

bümp

CSN sucks.

Hell ya

Not worse than Rick Rubin.