While dominated instrumentally by Stills, CSN’s impressive debut reflected three distinct sensibilities. Enraptured at the time with Judy Collins, Stills led with “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes”; the seven-minute mini-epic conveyed his easy mastery of a number of styles (folk ballad, light rock, La... 

 Enlisting the aid of Stills’ Buffalo Springfield collaborator (and rival), Neil Young, proved a risky move —Young’s urgency and depth would make any CSN record that featured him gain immensely in power; his absences from their other albums, however, would equally resound. Contributing “He... 

 Young was absent on CSN, but by then the Sixties moment that lent intensity and credibility to the trio’s songs had passed, and its music had become nice, bland, and comfortable. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Nash’s simple popcraft produced the most dependable of CSN’s mild pleasures.  

 Replay is a compilation of material from the debut and the singers’ solo projects. With 25 of its 77 selections being alternate takes or previously unreleased rarities, the CSN box set not only documents the group’s history thoroughly, but it unearths quite a few pleasant surprises. 

 Daylight Again was no great shakes, either, even if Crosby’s voice sounded stronger than his years of highly publicized hard living might suggest. “Might As Well Have a Good Time” underscored the album’s air of drastically lowered expectations—and the song wasn’t even an original. 

 American Dream was still stronger than any Crosby, Stills and Nash record—even if Young’s four songs were hardly standouts, the trio sounded more vital with Neil on board. The record’s most touching number, however, was Crosby’s “Compass,” an apologia for his years of substance abuse. 

 Live It Up was an embarrassment; overreliant on outside writers for inspiration, the group sounded tired and confused, and a techno-happy production, full of synthesizer rhythm tracks, didn’t help.  

 Live It Up was an embarrassment; overreliant on outside writers for inspiration, the group sounded tired and confused, and a techno-happy production, full of synthesizer rhythm tracks, didn’t help. After the Storm, one more attempt to rekindle the fire, was equally disappointing.  

 CSNY resurfaced with 1999’s Looking Forward, a pleasant-enough disc that had a hidden gem in Young’s “Out Of Control.”  

 Greatest Hits is a fizzy delight–and a good place for the uninitiated to start.  

 Déjà vu Live is a document of CSNY’s politically charged 2006 summer tour. Tracks from Young’s sub-par Living With War disc are greatly enhanced by CSN’s harmonies, and oldies like “Militally Madness” and “Wooden Ships” haven’t sounded this vital in years.