Oakland's Vinyl Vault - Songs For Beginners

Let's break out the vinyl for the first time in 2014. Since this is the first time going to the vault in the new year, let's take it slow. Something nice and easy, that novices can handle. Oh good, it's Songs For Beginners, by Graham Nash.

Release date: May 28, 1971
Singles: Chicago, Military Madness, I Used to be a King

Let's start off where we often sometimes do: the album art. It's awful. It appears to be a poorly lit picture of Nash holding a camera and standing in front of some blurry foliage, with what appears to be a potted plant in the foreground, which appears to have been overexposed, or something. I don't know much about photography. Apparently whoever took this photo doesn't either. I bet this album would have sold better if Nash had hired a professional photographer to take the cover photo.

Even with this horrible cover the album reached #15 on the Billboard album chart. The great success of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's 1970 album Deja vu, which we've already explored here on the vault, probably had something to do with that. Which isn't to say that this album cannot hold its own. Songs for Beginners was clearly not made by a beginner. Its songs are expertly crafted by Nash, and include performances by such luminaries as David Crosby, Neil Young, Jerry Garcia, and Phil Lesh. The highlights of the album are the first track, "Military Madness," and the second to last track, "Chicago." In between, the songs flow nicely and are pleasant to listen to, but are largely forgettable.

Rating: 4 thumbs up - Nash delivers the sort of light rock that we heard in his songs while with Crosby, Stills, and sometimes Young. It's a nice album to put on if you want to have a nice, calm evening and just relax.

Now, usually I try not to play singles because I figure most people have heard them before and I like to try to introduce some good songs that maybe you haven't heard before. But, well, I sort of doubt many people have heard "Military Madness," considering it peaked at #73 back in 1971, and I think that's a shame because I really like the song. So here it is, enjoy: