CPR Albums (3)
'Just Like Gravity'
Release Date 6/19/2001
Tracks 12
Label Gold Circle
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
By now, the story behind the reunion which begat CPR is well known. David Crosby, while awaiting a life-saving liver transplant, was found by keyboardist James Raymond, whom Crosby had given up for adoption years before. This would just be great People magazine rock & roll fodder if not for the great fortune that Raymond is an incredible keyboardist whose harmonies blend in sweetly with his legendary dad's. Veteran Jeff Pevar's crack guitar work once again helps drive these provocative pop/rock tunes, particularly on the few more aggressive tracks like "Katie Did"; elsewhere, he's a little more restrained on acoustic, and Raymond's blues-influenced keyboard and piano playing dominated behind the powerful vocals. Raymond also shows propensity for a jazzy riff on the solo a few minutes into the romantic funk-rocker "Map to Buried Treasure." "Breathless" and "Darkness" show the gentler, folksier, and more emotional sides of the trio. "Gone Forever" is CPR's appealing stab at social commentary, while the harmonica-enhanced "Jerusalem" tackles spirituality. Along those lines, the gorgeous, methodical "Angel Dream" comes across as a gentle prayer. The title track is the most sparsely produced, just Crosby's sweet voice and a swampy acoustic guitar. CPR could have easily just capitalized on their story of origin, done one album, and tour and been relegated to the novelty bins. But this smartly conceived collection proves that father, son, and Pevar are in it for the long adult contemporary haul. ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide
'Live at the Wiltern'
Release Date 9/21/1999
Tracks 17
Label Samson Music
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
CPR released as their second record an equally excellent two-CD live concert recorded in November 1998 at Los Angeles' Wiltern Theatre. In his liner notes, Samson Records owner Norman Waitt, Jr. refers to the palpable joy that emanated from the stage that night, and most of that joy translates to this almost celebratory-like recording as well. David Crosby is in excellent voice here, perhaps the best he had sounded since his '60s and '70s heyday; still choirboy sweet, but not without the world-weariness that comes with the rocky life he had lived up to that point. Some of the magic trippiness of bygone days is missing, but the melodic complexity of the band's compositions makes that excusable, as does their gorgeous harmonies and playing capabilities. Crosby's son, keyboardist/vocalist James Raymond, has a voice strikingly similar to his father's, and his song "One for Every Moment" is a highlight of the first CD. The disc is wholly stellar, though, mostly featuring strong versions of songs off the band's debut album. They don't deviate a great deal from the studio versions, but songs such as "Little Blind Fish" and the Stephen Stills-like rocker "It's All Coming Back" take on a certain immediacy in the live setting. There is some truly excellent guitar work throughout the album by third member Jeff Pevar, particularly his intricate acoustic picking on his own "Little Blind Fish," and on the long instrumental sections of Crosby's "Déjà Vu." Some of the covers of old CSNY and Byrds material that fill that disc are a bit more problematic. CPR's renditions are always expertly played, but they range from sensational, at best, to troublesome. It's not that "Eight Miles High" is necessarily an untouchable landmark, it's that live CPR are a precise, sophisticated, workmanlike band -- far closer to Steely Dan than the Byrds -- and they cannot capture the kaleidoscopic cast or ragged spontaneity that has made the song such a brilliant pop anthem. Similarly, they polish the subversive hippie edge off "Long Time Gone." On the other hand, they give "Ohio" a scintillating go, losing some of the tribal, anthemic power that it had in 1970 but ably maintaining its intensity. The nicest surprise of the second disc, however, is an entirely new Crosby composition, "Dream for Him," written for new son Django (and recorded the next year on the third CSNY studio album Looking Forward). On it, Crosby seems shaken by uncertainty, and yet the song retains all the underlying idealism his music has always had. Just as that song does on fatherhood, Live at the Wiltern pulls the curtain back on a truly superior band. ~ Stanton Swihart, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Surprisingly familiar, yet new and intriguing, is the best way to describe CPR. For anyone who's a fan of David Crosby's best work over the years, CPR will make them think they've found heaven. With more than admirable help from guitarist Jeff Pevar and keyboardist James Raymond, Crosby hands us a gem that shines with all the magic of the old and with the enthusiasm of the new. The harmonies are rich and the music textured with a love not readily found these days. What makes this even more incredible is the fact that James Raymond is the son David Crosby never knew about until they were united just before Crosby nearly lost his life to liver failure. Their love and respect for each other's talents, along with Pevar's, shine through every track on this disc. An impressive first effort. ~ James Chrispell, All Music Guide
