Hurtin' Classic 001

David Crosby - If Only I Could Remember My Name ( Atlantic, 1971)

Shattered and frayed due to the combination of cocaine abuse and the car crash death of his long time girlfriend Christine Hinton, former Byrds member and enfant terrible of the Laurel Canyon hippy scene, David Crosby, delivered this dark and beautific opus on Feb 22nd, 1971.



Joined by a stellar cast of friends including Jerry Garcia (guitar, pedal steel guitar); Graham Nash (guitar, piano, background vocals); Neil Young (guitar, vibraphone, bass instrument, congas, background vocals); Jorma Kaukonen, Paul Kantner (guitar); Laura Allen (autoharp); Gregg Rolie (piano); Jack Casady, Phil Lesh (bass instrument); Michael Shrieve, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann (drums, percussion); David Frieberg, Grace Slick and Joni Mitchell (background vocals), the album displays a lush and jazzy feel throughout. However, on several tunes delivered a capella by Crosby, his voice multitracked and becoming like a selection of instruments, the sounds get downright spooky.

The haunting "I'd Swear There Was Somebody Here" is a hurtin' rememberance of girlfriend Christine, and one of this album's many highlights.

This album still sounds great today, and is a testiment to this sometimes ego driven, bullying and paranoid artists' true talent (particularly his magnificent vocal abilities). A catharsasis on wax, "If I Could Only Remember My Name" is a worthy subject as the first Hurtin' Classic on this site.


David Crosby - Song With No Words

The album has recently been remastered as a cd/dvd audio release and can be purchased here.

Bonus: "If Only I Could Remember..." Session Outtakes from An Aquarian Drunkard.