2019-07-01_Uncut_UK

D V D B L U R A Y & T V

112 • UNCUT • JULY 2019

Michael

Ochs

archives/Getty

iMaGes

INrecentyears

DavidCrosby

hasaddeda

surprisingcodato

a careerandlife

thatfewthought

wouldlastthis

long.He’sreleased

fouralbums,more

thandoublingthesizeofhissolo

discography,andworkedtheroad

witha newbandofmillenial-age

musicians.Mostdaysyoucanfind

himonTwitter,earnestlyanswering

questionsfrompeopleyoungerthan

thenewliverhereceivedin1994.

That’sthenew-waveCrozcaptured

inRememberMyName, directedby

AJEatonandproducedbyCameron

Crowe.Happilyandimprobably,

theyearsandsubstanceshaven’t

erodedCrosby’smind,they’ve

justeradicatedhisfilter,making

hima candid,funnyandregretful

interview subject. When the

filmmakersareasrefreshingly

honestasthefilm’ssubject,the

documentarysucceedsasa

correctivetotheover-toldnarrative

of’60srock,andthesurvivor’sguilt

ofwatchingthatworld’ssunset.

Butfirstit spendsthebulkofits

runtimeretracingthosewell-worn

steps,travellingfromtheSunsetStrip

toLaurelCanyonbothhistorically

andliterallywhileinterviewingCroz

inthebackofanSUV.Manyofhis

mosticonicmomentsincludedinthe

filmarelessmusicalthanpolitical,

fromspreadingJFKconspiracies

ontheMontereyPopstageto

advocatingfortheabolitionofcar

andoilcompaniesonTheDickCavett

ShowthedayafterWoodstock.

It’stellingtoothatmanyofthe

songsonthesoundtrackarebyother

songwriters;evenCrosbyadmits

atonepointtobeing“theguyin

Crosby,Stills,Nash, & Young that’s

never had a hit”.

Thestoryof“Ohio”,toldover

imagesofa modern-day,still-

incensedCrosbyvisitingtheKent

Statecampus,largelyboilsdownto:

“IgaveNeilYounga magazineand

hewrotethesong.”If I CouldOnly

RememberMyNameis theonesolo

effortbeforehisrecentspurttoget

significantairtime,andmostofthe

storiesareaboutJerryGarciaandthe

otherfamousfriendswhoshowed

uptohelpout.

Therefreshingbitscomewhen

Crosbypuncturesthemyth,

dismissingthemagicofLaurel

Canyonas“weweretryingtoget

abovethesmog”ashecomplains

aboutphotosofTheDoorsinthe

neighborhood’sstill-extantcountry

store(“Morrison...whata dork”).

He’sgenuinelycontriteaboutthe

collateraldamageoftheSummerOf

Love,guilt-riddenoverfriendsand

loverswhocaughthisaddictions

and his mismanagement of a rookie

JoniMitchell.Andwhilehisultimate

rockbottom– spendingninemonths

inprisonondrugsandweapons

charges– is dealtwithbriskly,the

footageofa shorn,cirrhoticCrosbyis

unsettlingenough.

Thenthere’sthemainniggling

detail:throughoutthefilm,nearly

allofCrosby’speersonlyappearin

archivalfootagetocommentabout

him,withvirtuallynocontemporary

interviewsapartfromthemain

subject.Thatpaysoffina painful

finalsequencewhereCrosbyadmits

thatYoung,Nash,andmanyother

lifelongcollaboratorsnolongerspeak

tohim,whilethefinalappearance

ofCSN,absolutelybombing“Silent

Night”infrontoftheObamasat the

2014 WhiteHouseChristmasTree

LightingCeremony,is showninallits

wince-inducingsquirminess.

Thatbittersweetendingbrings

thesadnessunderlyingthefilmto

a sharppoint,showingthedarkness

andmortalitybeneathhisnew

cuddlyTwitterHippieGrandpa

image.Throughoutthedoc,Crosby

musesonthepossibilityofjoining

hisdeadfriendsatanymoment,

andhoweachtourcouldbehis

last.Themostpoignantimageof

alljustmightbeCrozdutifully

takinghisprescriptionmedication

inanearly-morninghotelroom,

a starkinversionofhisdruggy,

endless-partypast.

ROB MITCHUM

High-flyingByrd:

DavidCrosby

c i rca 1967

DAVI D C ROS BY:

REMEMBER MY NAME

SONYPICTURESCLASSICS

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The Canyon party-starter who never cut his hair looks back