Graham Nash
Wild Tales

THE REVIEW

In the early months of 1973, just over a year after the celebrated Songs for Beginners, well-reviewed here a few years ago, Graham Nash continues with his intimate gaze but also a keen social awareness, and releases this "Wild Tales" , which was among my first vinyls and to which I am particularly attached.

I won't make rankings, which I leave to others, but I believe these "animal tales" are the natural evolution of the previous record, with the usual participation of many prestigious friends.

Nothing transcendental but a series of beautiful ballads that explore American society as only a European could do. And he, English, then naturalized, did it, and did it well.

And listening again today to Prison Song, Hey You (Looking at the Moon), Oh Camil (The Winter Soldier), and the lovely On The Line, which form the backbone of the album, it wouldn't seem like many years have passed, and without much effort, we could imagine him playing with his friend Crosby on Wall Street among the Occupy people.

Just thirty but already a legend for first writing almost all the songs for the Hollies and then playing a definitely fundamental role in the formation and success of CSNY, Nash still maintains that aura of a seasoned activist who continues to be outraged against war and power and continues to tour the world in a perennial tour (in Italy in July for three dates).

And to think that back in ‘67 we had him at a semi-forgotten edition of the Sanremo Festival with the Hollies singing in embarrassing Italian Non prego per me, written by the legendary Mogol-Battisti, and paired, as was custom, with Mino Reitano for reasons unknown, but who hasn't passed through Sanremo at least once in their career?

Why resurrect this record? Frankly, I don't know, but it's certain that from time to time it's good to revisit old friends, the real ones.

Soon to be released, his autobiography Wild Tales: A Rock & Roll Life, titled, coincidentally, just like this LP.