Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
Four Way Street

THE REVIEW

1970: The long wave of Woodstock had not yet subsided, and rock was experiencing its most sociologically significant moment. It was not yet a fetish in the hands of the music industry: rather, it was considered a vehicle for radically changing society, acting as a catalyst for the demands to rebel against various injustices of the time, from racism to the Vietnam War.

The symbolic group of this movement in America was CSNY. That year, the four were engaged in the triumphant tour supporting "Déjà Vu", from which "Four Way Street" is taken, probably the most famous live album in the history of rock. Its importance is due to the excellent quality of the material from Crosby and company, but above all to the historical contingency. From a musical point of view, "Four Way Street" showcases a varied panorama of the West Coast sound. Being a supergroup, each member carves out significant moments. Crosby enchants in his own way with the poignant "The Lee Shore" and the epic "Triad", Nash embellishes with his magnetic organ textures on a spine-tingling "Long Time Gone", while the eternal friend-rivals Stills and Young chase each other in a headlong "Southern Man", expanded into a terrifying guitar jam. But the essence of the album is indeed given by the historical context. That tour was indeed the continuation of Woodstock, crossing an America shaken by internal conflicts. A country whose President ordered the National Guard to shoot at anti-Vietnam War protesters. It was precisely this episode—which caused 4 young victims in Ohio—that inspired Neil Young shortly before the tour began. Neil composed a song—"Ohio" indeed—that would become a generational anthem throughout that 1970. The version of this song is undoubtedly the zenith of "Four Way Street", almost a cathartic moment for the audience and the musicians on stage.

The ethereal West Coast vocal harmonies suddenly become somber in recounting the shock of the refrain "What if you knew her / and found her dead on the ground?" The '70s were looming, with their oppressive load of disenchantment, regrets, drugs, and failures. Only Young would survive artistically, putting into music the splendors and decadences of America in that decade. In this sense, "Four Way Street" represents a star that shines, although it is in the process of fading.