Songs for Beginners
Encyclopedia
Songs for Beginners is Graham Nash
's first solo album, released in May 1971, and one of four high-profile albums released by each partner of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
in the wake of their chart-topping Déjà Vu album of 1970. It peaked at #15 on the Billboard
Top Pop Albums chart, and the single "Chicago" made it to #35 on the Billboard Hot 100
.
, Jerry Garcia
, Phil Lesh
, Dave Mason
, David Lindley
, Rita Coolidge
and Neil Young
(under his pseudonym Joe Yankee). The album featured the traits that Nash had come to be known for: a good sense of pop song construction, expressions of emotional sincerity, and fervent political activism. The Top 40 track, "Chicago," concerned both the 1968 Democratic National Convention
and the infamous trial of the Chicago Eight, articulating the outrage Nash, and many others, felt concerning those proceedings. The topicality which suffuses the album would always remain central to Nash's work: of the quartet, he and Crosby most directly professed sentiments aligned with those common to the Woodstock Nation
. This similarity undoubtedly formed part of the foundation for their long-standing partnership even outside the parent group.
The album was released on compact disc on October 25, 1990, and a remixed version supervised by Nash was issued on 180 gram vinyl by Classic Records in 2001. Both issues are out of print
. A reissued edition of Songs for Beginners was released on September 23, 2008 as CD+DVD-Audio
pack, featuring a bonus multichannel hi-rez audio, all new 2008 video interview with Graham Nash, plus a photo gallery and complete lyrics along with the 11-track CD album remastered.
The song "Simple Man" featured in the opening sequence of the 2007 Adam Sandler
and Don Cheadle
film Reign Over Me, and Sandler's character later praises the album upon finding it in a used record store.
A demo version of "Be Yourself" plays during the closing credits of the film "Up in the Air
".
"Military Madness" has been covered live by Death Cab For Cutie, and was covered by indie-rock band Woods
on their 2009 album Songs of Shame
."
Better Days
Wounded Bird
I Used to Be a King
Be Yourself
Simple Man
Man in the Mirror
There's Only One
Sleep Song
Chicago / We Can Change the World
Singles - Billboard (North America)
Graham Nash
Graham William Nash, OBE is an English singer-songwriter known for his light tenor vocals and for his songwriting contributions with the British pop group The Hollies, and with the folk-rock band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Nash is a photography collector and a published photographer...
's first solo album, released in May 1971, and one of four high-profile albums released by each partner of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young)
Crosby, Stills & Nash is a folk rock supergroup made up of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash, also known as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young when joined by occasional fourth member Neil Young...
in the wake of their chart-topping Déjà Vu album of 1970. It peaked at #15 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Top Pop Albums chart, and the single "Chicago" made it to #35 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
History
Nash brought in an impressive group of guests to assist in the recording, including David CrosbyDavid Crosby
David Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
, Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia
Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
, Phil Lesh
Phil Lesh
Phillip Chapman Lesh is a musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he played bass guitar throughout their 30-year career....
, Dave Mason
Dave Mason
David Thomas "Dave" Mason is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic...
, David Lindley
David Lindley
David Lindley may refer to:* David Lindley , see 2009 All England Super Series - Mixed doubles* David Lindley * David Lindley , UK-See also:*David Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley, known professionally as 'David Linley'...
, Rita Coolidge
Rita Coolidge
Rita Coolidge is a multiple Grammy Award-winning American vocalist. During the 1970s and 1980s, she charted hits on Billboard's Pop, Country, Adult Contemporary and Jazz charts.-Career:...
and Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
(under his pseudonym Joe Yankee). The album featured the traits that Nash had come to be known for: a good sense of pop song construction, expressions of emotional sincerity, and fervent political activism. The Top 40 track, "Chicago," concerned both the 1968 Democratic National Convention
1968 Democratic National Convention
The 1968 Democratic National Convention of the U.S. Democratic Party was held at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Illinois, from August 26 to August 29, 1968. Because Democratic President Lyndon Johnson had announced he would not seek a second term, the purpose of the convention was to...
and the infamous trial of the Chicago Eight, articulating the outrage Nash, and many others, felt concerning those proceedings. The topicality which suffuses the album would always remain central to Nash's work: of the quartet, he and Crosby most directly professed sentiments aligned with those common to the Woodstock Nation
Woodstock Nation
The term Woodstock Nation refers specifically to the attendees of the 1969 Woodstock Music and Arts Festival that took place from August 15–17 on the farm of Max Yasgur near Bethel, New York...
. This similarity undoubtedly formed part of the foundation for their long-standing partnership even outside the parent group.
The album was released on compact disc on October 25, 1990, and a remixed version supervised by Nash was issued on 180 gram vinyl by Classic Records in 2001. Both issues are out of print
Out of print
Out of print refers to an item, typically a book , but can include any print or visual media or sound recording, that is in the state of no longer being published....
. A reissued edition of Songs for Beginners was released on September 23, 2008 as CD+DVD-Audio
DVD-Audio
DVD-Audio is a digital format for delivering high-fidelity audio content on a DVD. DVD-Audio is not intended to be a video delivery format and is not the same as video DVDs containing concert films or music videos....
pack, featuring a bonus multichannel hi-rez audio, all new 2008 video interview with Graham Nash, plus a photo gallery and complete lyrics along with the 11-track CD album remastered.
The song "Simple Man" featured in the opening sequence of the 2007 Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
and Don Cheadle
Don Cheadle
Donald Frank "Don" Cheadle, Jr. is an American film actor and producer. Cheadle rose to prominence in the late 1990s and the early 2000s for his supporting roles in the Steven Soderbergh-directed films Out of Sight, Traffic, and Ocean's Eleven...
film Reign Over Me, and Sandler's character later praises the album upon finding it in a used record store.
A demo version of "Be Yourself" plays during the closing credits of the film "Up in the Air
Up in the Air (film)
Up in the Air is a 2009 American comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman and co-written by Reitman and Sheldon Turner. It is a film adaptation of the 2001 novel of the same name, written by Walter Kirn. The story is about a corporate downsizer Ryan Bingham and his travels...
".
"Military Madness" has been covered live by Death Cab For Cutie, and was covered by indie-rock band Woods
Woods
Woods is a common surname of English and Irish origin.-A:* Alan Woods * Albert Woods* Albert H. Woods* Aubrey Woods* Ayiesha Woods-B:* Bambi Woods* Barbara Alyn Woods* Belita Woods* Ben Woods, rugby union player* Bill Woods...
on their 2009 album Songs of Shame
Songs of Shame
Songs Of Shame is the fourth album by the American band Woods, released in 2009 on Woodsist. Recorded by the band at Rear House.- Track listing :...
."
Track listing
All songs by Graham Nash, except where noted.- "Military Madness" – 2:50
- "Better Days" – 3:47
- "Wounded Bird" – 2:09
- "I Used to Be a King" – 4:45
- "Be Yourself" (Nash, Terry ReidTerry ReidTerry Reid is an English rock vocalist and guitarist. He has performed with high profile musicians, as a supporting act, a session musician, and sideman.- History :...
) – 3:03 - "Simple Man" – 2:05
- "Man in the Mirror" – 2:47
- "There's Only One" – 3:55
- "Sleep Song" – 2:57
- "Chicago" - 2:55
- "We Can Change the World" - 1:00
- Some versions of the album list the last two songs as "Chicago" / "We Can Change the World."
Personnel
Military Madness- Graham NashGraham NashGraham William Nash, OBE is an English singer-songwriter known for his light tenor vocals and for his songwriting contributions with the British pop group The Hollies, and with the folk-rock band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Nash is a photography collector and a published photographer...
– lead vocals, acoustic guitar - Johny Barbata – drums
- Calvin "Fuzzy" Samuels – bass
- Joel Bernstein – piano
- Dave MasonDave MasonDavid Thomas "Dave" Mason is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic...
– electric guitar - Rita CoolidgeRita CoolidgeRita Coolidge is a multiple Grammy Award-winning American vocalist. During the 1970s and 1980s, she charted hits on Billboard's Pop, Country, Adult Contemporary and Jazz charts.-Career:...
– background vocals - P.P. Arnold – background vocals
Better Days
- Graham Nash – lead vocals, background vocals, acoustic guitar, organ, piano
- Calvin "Fuzzy" Samuels – bass
- Rita Coolidge – background vocals
- Dallas TaylorDallas Taylor (drummer)Dallas Woodrow Taylor Jr. was born in Denver, Colorado, 7 April 1948. He is a session drummer who has played on several rock records of the 1960s and 1970s...
– drums - Neil YoungNeil YoungNeil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
– piano - Sermon Posthumas – bass clarinet solo
- Larry Cox – whiskers
Wounded Bird
- Graham Nash – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
I Used to Be a King
- Graham Nash – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
- Johny Barbata – drums
- Phil LeshPhil LeshPhillip Chapman Lesh is a musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he played bass guitar throughout their 30-year career....
– bass - Jerry GarciaJerry GarciaJerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
– piano, steel guitar - David CrosbyDavid CrosbyDavid Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
– electric guitar
Be Yourself
- Graham Nash – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
- Johny Barbata – drums
- Calvin "Fuzzy" Samuels – bass
- Rita Coolidge – piano, electric piano
- Everyone Loose There – chorus
Simple Man
- Graham Nash – lead vocals, background vocals, piano
- Rita Coolidge – background vocals
- Dorian RudnytskyDorian RudnytskyDorian Rudnytsky is an American cellist and composer. He was born in New York City but has a Ukrainian background. His father is composer/conductor Antin Rudnytsky, and his mother is soprano Maria Sokil....
– cello - David LindleyDavid Lindley (musician)David Perry Lindley is an American musician who is notable for his work with Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, and other rock musicians. He has worked extensively in other genres as well, performing with artists as varied as Curtis Mayfield and Dolly Parton...
– fiddle
Man in the Mirror
- Graham Nash – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
- Johny Barbata – drums
- Neil Young – piano
- Jerry Garcia – steel guitar
- Chris EthridgeChris EthridgeChris Ethridge is an American country rock bass guitarist. He was a member of the International Submarine Band and The Flying Burrito Brothers, and co-wrote several songs with Gram Parsons.-Career:...
– bass
There's Only One
- Graham Nash – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, organ
- Johny Barbata – drums
- Rita Coolidge – background vocals, piano
- Larry Cox – whiskers
- Chris Ethridge – bass
- Bobby KeysBobby KeysBobby Keys is an American saxophone player, and has performed with other musicians as a member of one of the notable horn sections of the 1970s. He appears on albums by The Rolling Stones, The Who, Harry Nilsson, Delaney Bramlett, George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, Eric Clapton and Joe...
– saxophone solo - Venetta FieldsVenetta FieldsVenetta Fields is an American singer best known as session musician for leading rock and pop acts of the 1970s including Pink Floyd, Barbra Streisand, Steely Dan and the Rolling Stones...
, Sherlie MatthewsSherlie MatthewsSherlie Matthews is an American singer, songwriter and record producer, best known as a backing vocalist for Pop, R&B and Rock groups from the mid 1960s to the present time.-Early life:...
, Clydie KingClydie KingClydie Crittendon is an American singer, best known for her session work as a backing vocalist....
, Dorothy MorrisonDorothy MorrisonDorothy Morrison is an author and teacher in the fields of magic, Wicca and Neo-Paganism. She is a Third Degree Wiccan High Priestess of the Georgian Tradition, and founded the Coven of the Crystal Garden in 1986. She is a member of the Coven of the Raven, and studies the RavenMyst Circle Tradition...
– background vocals
Sleep Song
- Graham Nash – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, paper, comb
- Dorian Rudnytsky – cello
Chicago / We Can Change the World
- Graham Nash – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, organ on "We Can Change the World", piano, tambourine
- Johny Barbata – drums, tambourine on "We Can Change the World"
- Rita Coolidge – background vocals
- Larry Cox – whiskers
- Chris Ethridge – bass
- Venetta Fields, Sherlie Matthews, Clydie King, Dorothy Morrison – background vocals
Additional personnel
- Bill Halverson, engineer
- Gary BurdenGary BurdenGary Burden is an American artist specializing in the field of album covers. He is considered as one of the pioneers of the concept of album cover art. In the 1960s and '70s he designed covers for many rock stars, such as Mama Cass, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Joni Mitchell, The Doors, The Eagles...
, art direction - Russ Gary, engineer
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Pop Albums | 15 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | "Chicago" | Pop Singles | 35 |
| 1971 | "Military Madness" | Pop Singles | 73 |