April 24, 2000
Web posted at: 3:53 p.m. EST (1953 GMT)

So it was no surprise when Young turned up in the studio in 1998 to record one track with Crosby, Stills and Nash. What was unexpected was how long he stayed.

"We went in the studio ... to make music," says Nash. "And I think Neil liked that. When he came down to play on one song, he stayed roughly for about three months."

What those three months yielded was even more surprising. The reunited and reinvigorated CSN&Y has produced an album -- the first in more than a decade -- and is on tour for the first time in more than 30 years.

The foursome's trip encompasses songs from now and back then. "Heartland" and "Stand And Be Counted" are two standards from their aptly named "Looking Forward" album, and are standards in the group's play list. So are some of the anthems that in the early 1970s made the quartet famous -- "Carry On," "Ohio" and, of course, "Woodstock."

	AUDIO
"Woodstock" [145k MPEG-3] or [200k WAV] "Southern Man" [215k MPEG-3] or [290k WAV] (Courtesy Warner Bros.)

Woodstock influence lingers

They may be older, say the musicians, but they aren't far removed from their early days.

"The essence of what happened at Woodstock," says Nash, "still remains true today for us: That love is better than hate, that peace is better than war, that making sure that your fellow human being has something to eat and some shelter is of concern to you."

What also concerns the quartet is that the collaboration remains enjoyable. Brother-like relationships aside, the members have had their spats, creative and personal.

They've had their good moments, too. "We've all been friends for a long time," says Crosby. "And when the vibe's good we really have a lot of fun with each other."

"Especially when other stuff is not in the way," Nash adds. "We've already done it the other way. We've already booked a million tours and 20,000 records for the record company; it all adds too much pressure. One piece of music at a time, one show at a time. We can handle that and we're doing well at it."

Crosby agrees. "Good music is an end in and of itself," he says. "When you're doing it, it's really the most fun part."