Guess who else is plotting a "covers" album?

from Billboard.com...

Crosby, Stills & Nash To Record With Rick Rubin

July 17, 2008 , 11:45 AM ET

Gary Graff, Detroit

Crosby, Stills & Nash are plotting their first studio album since 1994 -- a covers set for Columbia Records helmed by Rick Rubin.

"Rick Rubin's a brilliant man," Graham Nash tells Billboard.com, "and what he wants is an album with no CSN songs. He wants to do an album of all the songs we love, all the songs we wish we've written. It's brilliant from this point of view because we usually wait five years to record an album. This way there's no pressure."

Nash says he, David Crosby and Stephen Stills have had "many discussions" with Rubin about the project, whittling the proposed list of songs from 60 down to a current 20, which the trio is rehearsing after sound checks during its summer tour. Nash declines to name specific songs but acknowledges most would be considered well-known.

He expects recording to start in early 2009 for a release later in the year. The covers set, which will be CSN's first new release since 1994's "After the Storm," is one of many projects on the trio's plate at the moment. "CSNY: Deja Vu," the documentary of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's 2006 Freedom of Speech Tour, opens July 25, with the companion live album due Tuesday. Nash, meanwhile, is overseeing a number of archival projects, including his own boxed set, which will be released in time for his 67th birthday in February.

He's curating a Stills box set as well, and recently discovered an album's worth of material of Stills playing with Jimi Hendrix that will be compiled for another release. Nash is also putting together a live album from CSNY's 1974 stadium tour, a set of Crosby Nash acoustic recordings and a benefit record for the Children's Defense Fund that will feature his and Crosby's collaborations over the years with artists such as Elton John, James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Phil Collins, Jackson Browne and others.

Nash -- who will be touring with Crosby this fall -- says the sonic spelunking is invigorating.

"You fall back in love with the reason why you wanted to play with Neil Young in the first place, the reason why you wanted to play with Stephen Stills in the first place, and with Crosby in the first place," Nash explains. "You go, '...I remember all this *****. That's what we were trying to concentrate on.' It's very interesting, very enlightening."

Any released performances from the '74 CSNY stadiums tour would be marvelous.
However, this has been talked about for years and we still have seen nothing released.
Not sure why Nash's boxset has been delayed. It's now planned for a 2009 release, at least year behind schedule.

Rubin is also probably aware that there's a good chance that such a project would actually outsell a new album of CSN originals...

I'm not that much of a CSN fan, but I'll probably jump on board if you throw in Rick Rubin. Between his ears and their voices, this project should be a winner.

Jim

This has "Wal-Mart Exclusive" written all over it.

The live 1974 sounds awesome. I have mixed feelings about the covers album; Rick Rubin scares me in this context.
Also, IMO, CSN has had mixed results with covers in the past. Example: For Free on Allies was awesome, while I thought Blackbird on the boxset & elsewhere was awful, as was Dear Mr Fantasy on the box set.

A covers album is a bit of a wasted opportunity, I think, there's enough talent between the three of them that they could have come up with an original album after so many years - not counting Looking Forward and other side projects.

i am very curious as to what they will play.

they have done quite a few covers on their solo records, but not as CSN.

only "blackbird", "in my life", john sebastian's "how have you been", nash's chippin away", 'might as well have a good time" (judy henske & craig doerge) and everybody's talking ( fred neil) on the couch album reissue. in the studio, that i can think of anyway.



"if anybody had a heart" (j.d. souther & craig doerge) i've heard by others but i don't know which came first.

"straight line" (tony beard) i have no idea if anyone ever did it.

and i don't think anyone else did "live it up" (joe vitale)

"mr. fantasy" is stills & nash

and CSNY has "sanibel"

did i miss any?

renny

p.s. i saw CPR do "home at last" by steely dan and it was seriously good.

It all sounds great to me. My credit card is ready. I'm just glad that Graham Nash has taken on these projects, because I have an idea that nothing would get done if it was left to Crosby and Stills.

This is not about CSN specifically, but I would rather hear an album of well-done covers than uninspired originals any day.

I tend to forget might as well have a good time is a cover; it sounds so much like a Crosby song & is one of my fav later CSN tracks (feels weird to call something from 1982 "later"...)

"If Anybody had A Heart" is a cover. It was a hit for John Waite in 1986 (he didn't write it though) and I've always loved that song. I also really like CSN's version on the hideous "Live It Up" album-it was a moderate AOR hit reaching #44 in the summer of 1990. The video is laughable, with all it's social commentary, but it's still a nice song.
This is a covers album, given the right material, I would get. Rick Rubin is definitely the right guy to keep this from being crap.

To my ears, Raymond is almost a Steely Dan clone. Sure Donald Fagen wasn't his dad rather then Crosby????

Jimi Hendrix's March 1970 sessions are legendary stuff. Can't wait. Hope Janie doesn't F#@k it up as she has done with recent Hendrix releases.

I hope CSN can work with Rubin on an original CSN album after this one.

I'd love it. I saw that tour in Houston and have always wanted a decent recording from that tour. Unfortunately it was also their last collective gasp of greatness.

She can't help it. She was born HOW MANY years after Jimi died?

Actually, I've been pretty pleased with the reissues she's done, especially the vinyl versions. Jimi Hendrix licensed incense burners, fridge magnets and golf shirts I can do without however.

Somehow it seems really unfair that Leon who's related to Jimi gets 0 & Janie who is no relation at all gets the estate.

RE: Janie. It's family dynamics. Hand it to Janie. She took the long look and saw the cash--Leon didn't. Janie was there for Al--Leon wasn't. Simple as that. Cunning and patience got the reward. In any event, Jimi would probably be laughing his ass off because if there is one thing he was NOT about, it was money.

They should do Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and Hollies songs. That would be an attention grabber.

I'm in a really cynical place right now: They'll probably end up releasing an album of Neil Young covers.



Neal

Not if Rod Stewart beats 'em to it!