“Right Now” It’s kind of a cross of “Barrel Of Pain” and “This Path Tonight”, with some of the David Lindley lap steel sound that sounded so great on Nash’s songs in the seventies. It’s a lighter and content version of “Love Work Out”. 5/5 “Better Life” I don’t understand the need for auto tune here. Regardless of that, this is a nice song that recalls “Our House” a little, and treads similar ground lyrically as “Teach Your Children”. It’s almost like a follow up. I like the pedal steel. Nash doesn’t have any concerns about recalling his old sound, and honestly, I think it’s the right decision. I think at this point in a career, it’s completely admirable to give fans what they want. Who would want a Nash EMD track? 3.5/5 “Golden Idols” Another Lindley-sounding song that recalls “Liar’s Nightmare” somewhat due to the rhythm and time signature. This isn’t one of the more arresting songs on initial listens. 3/5 “Stars & Stripes” This resembles one of Nash’s more recent songs, but I’m not sure which one. It’s a good song that has touches of the sound from Earth And Sky. It’s lush in places and pretty. More pedal steel on this one, which I always like on Nash’s songs. 3/5 “Love Of Mine” This is one of Nash’s intimate songs along the line of “Sleep Song”, “Don’t Say Goodbye”, and “Magical Child”. It’s almost just Nash, acoustic guitar, and harmonica. I wonder what 80 year old Nash did that hurt his girlfriend so much. 3/5 “In A Dream” Finally a piano song from Nash, which strings as well. We haven’t heard Nash in this mode for a while. Very nice. I could easily see this being on side two of Earth And Sky. It’s very mellow and uses his late seventies palette. “Stand Up” I can see this uptempo “rocker” working well in concert, but this recording is way too mellow. Kind of generic sounding. I’m not a big fan of “do something” songs, but Nash has a bunch of them, and this is another. 2/5 “It Feels Like Home” A light country rock song. Not as good the earlier songs, but pleasant. I think this might grow on me. 2.5/5 “Buddy’s Back” This is much better within the context of the album. I thought it was very slight when I heard it prior to release. It’s a nice diversion and a good pastiche. I’m never going to complain about Nash doing a song with Allan Clarke. 3.5/5 “Follow Your Heart” Again, Nash is in his very close and intimate mode. This is a really good song with nice harmonies. Really nice melodies. 4/5 “I Watched It All Go Down” This is a Nash song from around 1976. How did he sideline this one so long? It was on provisional track lists for varies albums over the years. With a strings-only accompaniment, this is a great recording and performance. I’d love the hear one of the early versions. Best track on the album for me. 5/5 “When It Comes To You” Nice track. Again, I hear an Earth And Sky vibe. Crosby should have been on it. This is an honest song and very pretty. 4/5 Now is a, mostly, more mellow companion piece to This Path Tonight. Nash is content here. The songs are generally more mellow and reflect Nash being fairly comfortable with his life. I’d say only “I Watched It All Go Down” ranks with his best songs, while a few more rank with his better songs from the past couple decades. If you liked This Path Tonight and Songs For Survivors, I would imagine you’d like Now as well.
Great write up! I've only listened to it once so far but was really impressed with it. As you highlight, "Buddy's Back" and also "Better Life" sound a lot better in the context of the album.
Yeah. I forgot to mention that. I assume it must date back the late eighties when he was writing with Vitale.
It really is a grower, slowly sneaking up on me, after I initially thought it was a little simple (man?) sounding, even for Graham. A real pleasure that makes me think that a huge favourite of mine, Paul McCartney, should follow Nash's example and lay down some songs, without the big name producers and the over elaborate production that for me has made the last three albums such disappointments.
In a recent interview Graham Nash mentions two archival projects with Croz : the first is the well known collection of C&N collaborations and the other one is a 2011 C&N live album.
Delighted to discover In A Dream a co-write with another great Brit, Alan Price. Number preceded with Theme From Pastarol, instrumental originally on Price's O Lucky Man.
'now' is good.....not great, but good, darn good. nice production, nice songs, nice sound, nice instrumentation, nice vocals......just a real nice, quite relaxing and very listenable album.
not that good.........nor as good as 'earth and sky" (but that one is my favorite) but right up there with the others. (not an 'innocent eyes" fan either)
1. Songs For Beginners 2. Wild Tales 3. Earth & Sky 4. This Path Tonight 5. Now 6. Songs For Survivors 7. Innocent Eyes
That's what I thought about This Path Tonight for a long time then I realised I was reaching for it more & more regularly and that it had gone up that extra notch to "great" level for me. Still haven't bought Now. I intend to pick it up in a record shop rather than have it delivered and haven't had a chance to get to town.
My current take (subject to change according to whim): 1. This Path Tonight (5/5) 2. Wild Tales (5/5) 3. Songs For Beginners (5/5) 4. Earth & Sky (4/5) 5. Innocent Eyes (4/5) 6. Songs For Survivors (4/5)
Now is still very fresh. But as of today: 1. Songs for Beginners 2.Wild Tales 3. Songs for Survivors 4. This Path Tonight 5. Now 6. Earth & Sky 7. Innocent Eyes
My ranking: 1. Wild Tales 2. This Path Tonight 3. Songs for Beginners 4. Innocent Eyes 5. Earth & Sky 6. Songs for Survivors
I have listened to Now several times now and it’s still not hit me like This Path Tonight, which I thought was very good. My Nash solo rankings would be: 1. Songs for Beginners 2. Wild Tales 3. This Path Tonight 4. Earth and Sky 5. Song for Beginners 6. Now 7. Innocent Eyes
I've been playing this album a lot this past week and it's very good indeed. Much better than I anticipated it to be. I was very impressed. It sticks very much to Graham strengths and style, but he does it well. Hard to believe that the guy is on his eighties I Watched It All Come Down and When It Comes To You are a tremendous was to finish the album.
Lived with this one for a little while and it's still making regular trips to the CD player. I like all the songs, the arrangements are superb and GN is singing as well as ever. In what's turning out to be a pretty strong year for new albums, this one's going to be right up there when I compile my annual best-of list.
