I was a bit quick on the button to dismiss Rhino when I slammed them for their compression on Television's "Marquee Moon" remaster. I've now picked up the remaster of David Crosby's "If I Could Only Remember My Name", and it's a perfect-sounding CD. Shame on The Rolling Stone Record Guide for giving it only one star, it's a five-star undisputed masterpiece. In the CSNY camp, I'd rate it:

1. Deja Vu
2. The Couch Album
3. If I Could Only Remember My Name

what about........

After The Gold Rush
Manassas
Tonights The Night
On The Beach
Everybody Knows This is Nowhere
Rust Never Sleeps

Noted Village Voice critic Robert Christgau rated If Only I Could Remember My Name a "D-". Here's his memorable (if misguided) review:

If I Could Only Remember My Name [Atlantic, 1971].
This disgraceful performance inspires the first Consumer Guide Competition. The test: Rename David Crosby (he won't know the difference). The prize: One Byrds LP of your choice (he ought to know the difference). The catch: You have to beat my entries. Which are: Rocky Muzak, Roger Crosby, Vaughan Monroe. D-

I own all of them, and yes, I rate Crosby's higher.

me too!

I guess it depends what you mean by "Higher"

I can count on 1 hand the albums I like more than After The Goldrush

I used to love everything that Rhino put out on cd. Back in the 1980s, I would buy just about any Rhino cd that I could get my hands on, because the sound quality was always so consistently great. But later on, somebody at Rhino (Bill Inglot) fell in love with the MONO versions of everything, and started releasing everything in icky monophonic sound. Now I am weary to buy anything from them.

Thank you for saying that! I frickin' hate mono...but alas, the purists who want to hear it exactly as they did on their transistor radios under their pillows cry like babies if it's not released that way.

Give me stereo...even if it's crappy rechanneled stereo...OK, maybe not crappy rechanneled stereo, but you know what I mean.

what about Stills first album?

I sold my Japanese stereo Aretha Franklin CD's when Rhino released those albums in mono. Give me mono any day!

I heard somebody once say that if God wanted us to listen in MONO, he would've given us only one ear !':)

MONO - best enjoyed through one speaker

I'd have to make it a top 5 with 4 way street (or at least the acoustic disc) & After The Goldrush. Massey Hall is also getting up there for me.

It's difficult for me to compare live albums with studio albums, as live albums for the most part do not feature new music. Much if not all of the music on "4 Way Street" originated on other albums, so in that regard, "4 Way Street" is not an original statement in terms of composition. A great album, but it should compete with the other live albums like "Massey Hall" (which I haven't heard yet) or "Rust Never Sleeps".

I first heard Lee Shore, Triad, Cowgirl & On The Way Home on 4 way (I now Buf Spring did on the Way Home first, & I think Everybody Knows was first, but i didn't hear them until later).