For Free [B&N Exclusive] [Fruit Punch Colored Vinyl]

by David Crosby

Overview

In some ways, For Free plays like the culmination of David Crosby's late career purple patch. Working once again with James Raymond -- his son who has turned out to be an unusually empathetic and intuitive producer -- Crosby mines similar territory as he has on the records he's released since 2014's Croz, yet For Free contains its own distinctive vibe. It's smoother, for one, lacking the twilight haze of Lighthouse as well as the loose-limbed adventure of Here If You Listen, the 2018 record he made in concert with Snarky Puppy's Michael League, Becca Stevens, and Michelle Willis. The slickness is reminiscent of the glory days of pre-MTV soft rock, a connection underscored by two key guests: Michael McDonald and Donald Fagen, who both contribute songs redolent of their signature styles. McDonald lends his signature harmonies to "River Rise" while Fagen offers "Rodriguez for a Night," a song that sounds as if it could've been excavated from the Gaucho sessions. These, along with the Joni Mitchell cover that lends the album its title, anchor For Free, allowing Crosby to ease into reflective jazz-funk grooves that give him plenty of space to harmonize and reflect. The nimble beats and warm surfaces give For Free an appealing buoyancy while also putting the quiet coda of "Shot at Me" and "I Won't Stay for Long" in sharp relief. Here, Crosby hints at his folkier origins without dispensing with the musical elasticity that characterized the rest of For Free, an expansion that serves as a gentle reminder that Crosby is in the midst of the longest sustained burst of creativity in his entire career. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	02/18/2022
Label:	Bmg Special Products
UPC:	4050538698145

Album Credits

Performance Credits

David Crosby   Primary Artist,Vocals
Michael McDonald   Vocals (Background),Featured Artist
Abe Laboriel, Jr.   Drums
James Raymond   Percussion,Synthesizer,Fender Rhodes,Piano,Guitar,Soloist,Wurlitzer,Piano (Electric),Synthesizer Bass,Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Sarah Jarosz   Vocals,Featured Artist
Michelle Willis   Vocals (Background)
Steve Postell   Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Becca Stevens   Vocals (Background)
Eli Thomson   Bass
Andrew Ford   Bass
Gracie Raymond   Vocals (Background)
Grace Raymond   Vocals (Background)
Steve DiStanislao   Drums
Steve Tavaglione   Woodwind,Sax (Tenor)
Shawn Tubbs   EWI,Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Gary Novak   Drums
Walt Fowler   Trumpet,Flugelhorn,French Horn
Dean Parks   Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)

Technical Credits

David Crosby   Mixing,Composer,Engineer
Dan Garcia   Mixing,Engineer
Joel Jacks   Assistant Engineer
Steve Postell   Composer
Nate Haessly   Assistant Engineer
Louise Hendy   Artwork
Kaushlesh Garry Purohit   Assistant Engineer
Bernie Grundman   Engineer,Mastering
Joan Baez   Artwork,Paintings
Jason Mariani   Assistant Engineer
Donald Fagen   Composer
James Raymond   Mixing,Arranger,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Drum Programming,Horn Arrangements
Dean Parks   Composer
Alan Hertz   Engineer
Joni Mitchell   Composer
Michael McDonald   Composer