4 Way Street

4 Way Street is the third album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, their second as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and their first live album. It was originally released as Atlantic Records SD-2-902, shipping as a gold record and peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. A document of their tour from the previous year, the live recordings presented were taken from shows at the Fillmore East (New York, New York) on June 2 through June 7, 1970; The Forum (Los Angeles, California) on June 26 through June 28, 1970; and the Auditorium Theatre (Chicago, Illinois) on July 5, 1970.

4 Way Street
Live album by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Released	April 7, 1971 (original) June 15, 1992 (expanded)
Recorded	June 2–June 7 Fillmore East, New York; June 26-28th The Forum Los Angeles & July 5, 1970, Chicago Auditorium Chicago
Genre	Rock, folk rock
Length	76:35 (original) 109:35 (expanded)
Label	Atlantic
Producer	David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, Neil Young
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young chronology
Déjà Vu (1970) 4 Way Street (1971) So Far (1974)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Christgau's Record Guide	B–[2]

Background

At the time this album was recorded, tensions between the band members were high, with their dressing-room fights becoming the stuff of rock legend, even being referenced by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention in their 1971 LP Fillmore East - June 1971. The tensions led to CSNY dissolving shortly after the recording of 4 Way Street; they would reconvene for a stadium tour in the summer of 1974. The next release of new studio material by the group proper would not be until CSN in 1977, without Neil Young.

Content

The original double album LP came packaged in a gatefold sleeve without a track listing. On the gatefold was a black-and-white picture of the band sitting on a bench, with the heads of Graham Nash and David Crosby framed by a wire clothes hanger hanging in front of them, with recording information and credits in the lower-right-hand corner. The only track listings appear on the album's labels and on the fold-out poster that also included full lyrics.

At the time of these concerts in mid-1970, many songs included on the eventual album had yet to be released as part of the combined and individual work of the four principals. Crosby's "The Lee Shore" had been recorded during the sessions for Déjà Vu but would not appear until the band's 1991 box set. "Love the One You're With" would be the hit single taken from Stephen Stills, Stills's debut solo album, released later that year 1970. "Chicago" by Nash would appear on his Songs for Beginners released in 1971, the same year as 4 Way Street, while "Right Between the Eyes" would be exclusive to this album. "Don't Let It Bring You Down" and "Southern Man" by Young would be released on After the Gold Rush, his third album also released later that year. Crosby's controversial ménage à trois composition "Triad," recorded but not released by his former band The Byrds, had been covered by Jefferson Airplane on their Crown of Creation album but this is the first issued performance by Crosby himself. Young's "On the Way Home" had appeared on the final Buffalo Springfield album, but with a lead vocal by Richie Furay rather than Young. Stills' "49 Bye-Byes/America's Children" medley interpolates the only top ten hit by Buffalo Springfield, his song "For What It's Worth." The band did include both sides of what was at the time of the shows their new record, the single "Ohio" and its b-side "Find the Cost of Freedom."

Sides one and two featured acoustic guitars and demonstrated the band as a group of individuals also pursuing independent careers while sides three and four featured the full band playing electric guitars and rock and roll. On sides one and two and on the 1992 bonus tracks, Crosby, Stills and Young all performed solo, as did Nash on his 1992 bonus track "King Midas In Reverse," while Crosby & Nash previewed their later partnership with "The Lee Shore" and "Right Between the Eyes" performed by the pair.

On April 13, 2019 for Record Store Day, Atlantic Records released a three-LP version of the 1992 Expanded Edition. It was mastered by Chris Bellman and pressed on 180-gram vinyl. Sides 1, 2, 3 and 4 contained the original track listing of the 1971 version, while the additional tracks (King Midas In Reverse, Laughing, Black Queen) were pressed on Side 5 and The Loner/Cinnamon Girl/Down By The River were pressed on Side 6.

Reception

The album went to #1 upon its release[3] and also garnered a positive review in Rolling Stone, in which critic George Edward Kimball called it "their best album to date."[4] Other more recent reviews have also been positive.[1]

Nash produced an expanded form of 4 Way Street for compact disc, released on June 15, 1992. The expanded edition included four solo performances on acoustic guitars, one by each member. Neil Young performed a medley of three songs from his first two solo albums; Stephen Stills included the at-the-time unreleased "Black Queen" from his eponymous debut; Crosby contributed his also yet to be issued "Laughing" from his 1971 debut LP; and Nash performed "King Midas in Reverse," The Hollies' single from 1967, which although credited to Allan Clarke, Nash and Tony Hicks, was written solely by Nash.[5]

Additional tracks from the tour appeared on the CSN box set released in 1991, as well as Young's The Archives Vol. 1 1963–1972 released in 2009.

Track listing

Bonus tracks for 1992 compact disc reissue appear appended to disc one after sides one and two. Disc two contains sides three and four.

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Suite: Judy Blue Eyes"	Stephen Stills	0:33
2.	"On the Way Home"	Neil Young	3:19
3.	"Teach Your Children"	Graham Nash	2:46
4.	"Triad"	David Crosby	5:07
5.	"The Lee Shore"	David Crosby	4:14
6.	"Chicago"	Graham Nash	3:03

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Right Between the Eyes"	Graham Nash	2:19
2.	"Cowgirl in the Sand"	Neil Young	3:50
3.	"Don't Let It Bring You Down"	Neil Young	2:35
4.	"49 Bye-Byes/America's Children"	Stephen Stills	4:07
5.	"Love the One You're With"	Stephen Stills	2:57

1992 bonus track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
12.	"King Midas In Reverse"	Graham Nash, Allan Clarke, Tony Hicks	3:43
13.	"Laughing"	David Crosby	3:36
14.	"Black Queen"	Stephen Stills	6:45
15.	"Medley: The Loner/Cinnamon Girl/Down by the River"	Neil Young	9:41

Side three

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Pre-Road Downs"	Graham Nash	2:48
2.	"Long Time Gone"	David Crosby	5:33
3.	"Southern Man"	Neil Young	13:15

Side four

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Ohio"	Neil Young	3:24
2.	"Carry On"	Stephen Stills	13:06
3.	"Find the Cost of Freedom"	Stephen Stills	2:16

Personnel

Musicians

• David Crosby – vocals, guitar
• Stephen Stills – vocals, guitar, piano, organ
• Graham Nash – vocals, guitar, piano, organ
• Neil Young – vocals, guitar
• Calvin "Fuzzy" Samuels – bass
• Johnny Barbata – drums

Production

• Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – producers
• Bill Halverson – engineer
• Gary Burden – art direction/design, photography all others
• Joel Bernstein – photography center squares
• Henry Diltz – inside sleeve photography
• Joe Gastwirt – digital remastering
• Elliot Roberts and associates — management
• David Geffen — direction

Charts

Chart performance for 4 Way Street

Chart (1971)	Peak position
US Billboard Top LPs	1
UK Album Charts[6]	5
Canadian RPM 100 Albums[7]	2
Norwegian VG-lista Albums[8]	8
Swedish Kvällstoppen Chart[9]	13
Australian Go-Set Top 20 Albums[10]	6
Dutch MegaCharts Albums[11]	3
Italian Album Charts	11
Japan Album Charts	19
US Cash Box Top 100 Albums[12]	2
US Record World Album Chart[13]	1

Certifications

Organization	Level	Date
RIAA – USA	Gold	April 12, 1971
RIAA – USA	Platinum	December 18, 1992
RIAA – USA	4× Platinum	December 18, 1992
Germany	Gold	1983
France	Gold	1973

References

1. Eder, Bruce. 4 Way Street at AllMusic. Retrieved 8 March 2008.
2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: C". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 23, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
3. 4 Way Street - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young > Charts & Awards > Billboard Album at AllMusic. Retrieved 8 March 2008.
4. Kimball, George (May 21, 1971). "Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young 4 Way Street > Album Review". Rolling Stone (83). Archived from the original on 2008-03-29. Retrieved 8 March 2008.
5. Zimmer, Dave, and Diltz, Henry. Crosby Stills & Nash: The Authorized Biography (First edition), St. Martin's Press, 1984. ISBN 0-312-17660-0, p. 51
6. "CROSBY STILLS NASH & YOUNG | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
7. Canada, Library and Archives (2013-04-16). "The RPM story". www.bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
8. "norwegiancharts.com - Norwegian charts portal". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
9. "Swedish Charts" (PDF).
10. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992.
11. "Dutch Charts - dutchcharts.nl". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
12. "CASH BOX MAGAZINE: Music and coin machine magazine 1942 to 1996". worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
13. "RECORD WORLD MAGAZINE: 1942 to 1982". worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved 2020-07-05.