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Stephen Stills Reflects on His Youth, Box Set and More

12/27/2013
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(Radio.com) Stephen Stills' various projects in 2013 had him spending a bit of time in the past, but also living very much in the present. He released and promoted (reluctantly, it seemed) his career-spanning box set Carry On. Not a guy to dwell on his past too much, his bandmate Graham Nash produced the collection along with Joel Bernstein (they also produced Nash's box set Reflections, as well as David Crosby's Voyage).

But in 2013 he also formed a new band � the Rides � who released their debut album and played several dates across the country. He also reunited with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young for two shows at Young's annual Bridge School Benefit concerts.

Radio.com spoke to him about the box, the Rides and, well, we tried to ask about that Crosby, Stills & Nash album that they had been working on with Rick Rubin.

So, Graham Nash co-produced the box set for you. How did that work? Did he email you mp3s? Mp3s are an abomination, they had to bring it to me with speakers. I couldn't listen to the whole thing at once, and neither did they, really. I don't know that any of us listened to all five and a half hours at once. It would be like going from New York to Montreal, put [the box set] on, and by the time you finish the trip you might be done. But I couldn't leave out any of it. They would bring like 20 songs at a time, and I would have to go through three or four alternative takes. I produced most of the original records, whatever the credits [said], I was very generous with [the credits] in the initial phases [of my career], but I pretty much ran the show. They did the lion's share of the work on the project.

Did you enjoy the process of going through your old music? I don't ever want to have to do that again. There's probably 2 more discs that can be mined out of what we have, but more than four discs is excessive. Plus, the record company cheaps-out and won't pay you.

You didn't use the usual rock critic types to write liner notes. I forbade the participation of any rock journalists. Michael Garcia, we learned blues together, I was in my early teens, he was about 18 months older than me, he went into a career in government service. He managed me for a while when he first got back from Vietnam. We've remained friends all our lives. He's a marvelous writer. (New York Times writer) Dr. Levitan, I didn't know he was going to go so deep into it (with his essay). He's a highly respected neurologist, psychologist, audiologist. He has a book called This Is Your Brain on Music: (The Science of a Human Obsession). It's a little dense to start with, but you've got to keep going, it'll explain a lot of things to you. Unfortunately, the decision was made � from above my pay grade, apparently � that the wonderful 600 word essay that (Boston Globe sportswriter) Dan Shaughnessy would have to be dropped. But the booklet (is so thick) it falls out of the box. Such is the fickle finger of fate!

The earliest track on the box set is "Travelin'," which you made at age 17 while living in Costa Rica. What did you think when you heard that song? Oh my god, I was in shock! The song is kind of silly, but it's all I knew, about moving from one place to the next. "Lord" is used more as an adjective than in a religious way. But the thing that shocked me was that my finger picking style emerged almost completely whole while I was in Costa Rica. There was nothing to do at night after homework except get in the bathroom � it had nice tiling � and play acoustic guitar.

Your family moved a lot when you were young. How did that affect your world view? Going to Central America at that age, it opened my brain up. But it also cost me my rock band. I would have been a much better electric rock player, much earlier! I didn't get any good (on electric guitar) until I was 50! But it was a great mind opening experience. I will admit to rather minding a few times when we had to move yet again. more.

Radio.com is an official news provider for antiMusic.com.
Copyright Radio.com/CBS Local - Excerpted here with permission.

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