Crosby, Stills and Nash, Gary Wright Get 24K Gold Treatment From Audio Fidelity

October 27, 2011 By Joe Marchese — No Comments

The busy Audio Fidelity label is adding two more classic rock landmarks to its growing catalogue of 24K Gold compact discs. Crosby, Stills & Nash’s self-titled 1969 Atlantic debut and Gary Wright’s 1975 Warner Bros. platter The Dream Weaver both spawned radio hits still played today and remain cornerstones of many classic rock libraries. These latest gold discs will arrive in stores on November 15.

Though many have followed, the ultimate supergroup still remains that of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash, with and without occasional partner Neil Young. Introduced by “Mama” Cass Elliot (though the exact circumstances seem shrouded in a haze, to nobody’s surprise!), the former members of The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and the Hollies, respectively, discovered an ethereal quality when they brought their unique voices together in harmony. Their Atlantic Records debut yielded two Top 40 hits, Stlils’ “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” inspired by his relationship with Judy Collins, and Nash’s “Marrakesh Express,” a track previously attempted but discarded by The Hollies. (Only a backing track survives.) Yet every song on the album has endured to become a classic, including Crosby and Stills’ haunting “Wooden Ships” (co-written with Paul Kantner of the Jefferson Airplane, who also recorded a version on the Airplane’s Volunteers LP), Stills’ “Helplessly Hoping” and Crosby’s “Long Time Gone,” an impassioned response to the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. For Audio Fidelity, Steve Hoffman is handling the remastering duties.

Hit the jump to explore The Dream Weaver! We’ve also got full track listings, discography and pre-order links for both titles.

Gary Wright’s 1975 The Dream Weaver included Wright’s signature performance of the title song (sans the definite article). This album by the one-time member of Spooky Tooth wasn’t Wright’s solo debut but it remains his calling card. Considered by many to be the first all-synthesizer /keyboard album in the mainstream rock genre featuring his intense, Wright was joined by the drum work of veterans Jim Keltner and Andy Newmark. Only one track featured a guitar, “Power of Love,” with the instrument played by Ronnie Montrose. In addition to “Dream Weaver” itself, “Love is Alive” climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard chart while the album itself reached the Top 10. A mix of soul, funk, blues, rock and jazz, The Dream Weaver remains one of the most singular albums in any genre. Kevin Gray is responsible for remastering for the new reissue.

Both Crosby Stills & Nash and The Dream Weaver arrive from Audio Fidelity on November 15. As per Audio Fidelity’s traditional style, neither title will feature bonus tracks or new liner notes. The albums are presented in their original formats. Pre-order links and track listings follow!

Crosby, Stills & Nash, Crosby Stills & Nash (Atlantic SD 8229, 1969– reissued Audio Fidelity AFZ-131. 2011)

Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
Marrakesh Express
Guinnevere
You Don’t Have To Cry
Pre-Road Downs
Wooden Ships
Lady of the Island
Helplessly Hoping
Long Time Gone
49 Bye Byes

Gary Wright, The Dream Weaver (Warner Bros. BS-2868, 1975 – reissued AFZ-132, 2011)

Love Is Alive
Let It Out
Can’t Find The Judge
Made To Love You
Power Of Love
Dream Weaver
Blind Feeling
Much Higher
Feel For Me

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Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song and beyond, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with labels including Real Gone Music and Cherry Red Records, has released newly-curated collections produced and annotated by Joe from iconic artists such as Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, The Spinners, Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Meat Loaf, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Liza Minnelli, Darlene Love, Al Stewart, Michael Nesmith, and many others.

Joe has written liner notes, produced, or contributed to over 200 reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them America, JD Souther, Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, BJ Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, Petula Clark, Robert Goulet, and Andy Williams.

Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray.

Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.