Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Live It Up (1990)
Live It Up is the sixth studio album by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, released in October 1990. Coming two years after American Dream, this album continued the quartet’s late-period exploration of harmony-driven folk-rock and socially conscious songwriting. While it received a more muted critical response compared to earlier releases, the album highlights the band’s signature vocal interplay and commitment to topical themes, particularly environmental and political issues.
Album Overview
Title: Live It Up
Release Date: October 16, 1990
Label: Atlantic Records
Producer: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Stephen Stills
Genre: Folk rock, rock, pop rock
Length: 53:08
Format: Vinyl, cassette, CD
Sales: Moderate commercial success, certified Gold
The album combines polished studio production with melodic, harmony-rich arrangements, emphasizing the trio’s (and Neil Young’s) strengths in both soft rock and folk-rock.
Tracklist
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Live It Up – 4:52
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Soldiers of Peace – 4:58
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In My Dreams – 4:32
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Tell Me – 4:29
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Fools – 5:06
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Only Waiting for You – 4:51
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Tomboy – 5:13
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Prisoner – 4:44
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Arrow – 4:37
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Your Own Ride – 4:52
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Got It Made – 5:34
Mini Review
Live It Up demonstrates CSNY’s continued mastery of vocal harmony and melodic songwriting.
Tracks like Live It Up and Soldiers of Peace emphasize social and environmental consciousness, reflecting the band’s engagement with contemporary issues. In My Dreams and Fools highlight their softer, introspective side, while Got It Made delivers the catchy, radio-ready hooks fans expect. Though the album did not achieve the critical acclaim of earlier CSNY works, it solidifies the quartet’s consistency in delivering harmony-driven rock.
Album Credits
David Crosby: vocals, rhythm guitar
Stephen Stills: vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass
Graham Nash: vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards
Neil Young: vocals, guitars, piano
Guest Musicians:
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Russ Kunkel – drums, percussion
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Leland Sklar – bass
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Joe Vitale – keyboards, percussion
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Additional session musicians on guitars and backing instruments
Engineering: Niko Bolas, Stephen Stills
Photography: Henry Diltz
Album Design: Gribbitt!
Fun Facts & Trivia
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Live It Up features themes of social and political commentary, particularly environmental concerns in tracks like Soldiers of Peace.
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Got It Made is a re-recorded version of their 1988 hit from American Dream.
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The album was recorded in multiple studios across California to accommodate the members’ schedules.
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Despite lower commercial impact compared to previous releases, Live It Up remains a showcase of CSNY’s enduring vocal harmony skills.
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Neil Young contributed heavily to both writing and arrangements, adding his signature rock edge to several tracks.
Did You Know?
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The title track Live It Up was intended as an upbeat, motivational anthem reflecting optimism at the end of the 1980s.
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The album contains no live tracks, despite the band’s reputation for electrifying stage performances.
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CSNY continued to tour following the album’s release, bringing most of the tracks to life in concert.
Cultural Impact
Live It Up reinforced CSNY’s presence in the early 1990s, showing that their harmonies and songwriting remained intact despite decades of collaboration and solo projects. While not a commercial juggernaut, the album allowed the band to address social and environmental issues while continuing to engage both long-time fans and newer audiences.
Conclusion
Live It Up demonstrates that even late in their career, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young could deliver harmony-driven rock with meaningful lyrics. From socially conscious tracks like Soldiers of Peace to melodic highlights like In My Dreams and Got It Made, the album showcases their enduring musical chemistry. It may not be their most celebrated release, but it remains a significant part of the CSNY catalog.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Full Discography
