Daylight Again [Video/DVD] - Crosby, Stills & Nash

Daylight Again features Crosby, Stills & Nash on their 1982 tour, nearly a decade before The Acoustic Concert, 15 years after their first gathering and, arguably, at the peak of their form as an electric trio. The 80-minute concert video, filmed at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles, is a particularly dazzling showcase for Stephen Stills' very formidable lead guitar skills, as well as featuring solid backing from David Crosby and Graham Nash on electric guitars, with Mike Finnigan (keyboards, vocals), James Newton Howard (keyboards), Michael Stergis (guitar, vocals), George "Chocolate" Perry (bass), Efrain Toro (percussion), and Joe Vitale (drums). Opening with "Turn Your Back on Love," the group runs through 20 songs, most of them classics associated with either CSN or the members' solo histories (going all the way back to Stills' 1966 composition "For What It's Worth"). Nash's piano skills come to the fore on "Chicago," (supported by Stills' highly animated playing on a double-necked guitar); "Just a Song Before I Go" captures the trio in their best harmony mode, again with some gorgeously fluid lead electric guitar from Stills on the break, and "Wooden Ships" gets a thunderous introduction and becomes a beautiful showcase for several contrasting but complementary guitar styles as well as more rich harmonizing. In addition to reaching back through their middle history as well ("Dark Star" etc.), the group also extends itself to the Beatles' "Blackbird." Among the other transformations, "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" turns into a dazzling display of nimble-fingered acoustic playing by Stills, who changes guitars at this show the way Madonna changes costumes. It's all worthwhile, capturing the trio's sound -- albeit, helped by some impressive support musicians in the background -- at what was still a bold and freshly creative phase in their history (though, admittedly, one that was already starting to seem quaintly nostalgic for the 1960s). The picture quality is excellent and the sound is good and loud as well as crisp and vivid, matching the best audiophile CDs -- the disc opens on a simple menu that offers play, song-selection, and audio options (including Dolby stereo and 5.1 digital). ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide