Q&A: Graham Nash On Neil Young, Rick Rubin, and Why Columbia Didn't Want Any CSN Songs This Time

Lynn Goldsmith

Sting, and photographer Lynn Goldsmith, in 1981. This photo--and many more-- are part of EMP's "Taking Aim: Unforgettable Rock 'n' Roll Photographs", opening February 6.

​As we've mentioned a few times lately, Graham Nash guest curates an exceptional exhibit of rock and roll photographs at EMP. I chatted with Nash recently in preview of next week's opening of "Taking Aim: Unforgettable Rock 'n' Roll Photographs". I'll post the full interview (or at least a bunch of it), next week, but since I've been all kinds of curious about Rick Rubin lately, here's a sampler:

What have you been up to today?

Well, I'm about to start rehearsing again for the second half of the Crosby, Stills, and Nash/Rick Rubin record that we're doing. Columbia Records requested something strange of us. They didn't want any Crosby, Stills, and Nash songs.

What did they want?

They wanted our vocal sound on songs that we wished we'd written.

What's that going to include?

Well, you know, the list is not final. I'm kind of hesitant to name individual songs in case they're not there. But things like "Close Your Eyes" by James Taylor, "Midnight Rider" [by the Allman Brothers], "Ruby Tuesday" [by the Rolling Stones], "Norwegian Wood" [by the Beatles]. We're doing a bunch of songs that we love.

What kind of role does Rick Rubin play in the process?

A very interesting one. He doesn't take part in any of the rehearsals, of course. He just makes suggestions and then we rehearse them and then we go and play them for him and he goes, "Oh, I love that one, let's do that."

He seems at first to be, what's the word, a little distracted. He's working on three or four albums at the same time, he's talking to people constantly on his Blackberry, but the moment that you do something where he goes, "Can we try that a little slower," just out of the corner of the room. He's engaged. But he's multi-tasking for sure. He certainly knows what he wants.

You mentioned you're in the studio right now with Stephen Stills and David Crosby. Does Neil Young have a standing invitation to come back?

Always. And he knows that. In fact, I'm expecting a call from him any minute.

How is the band different when he's in the room?

It's darker. It's edgier. It's more serious. I mean, we're always serious, but [Neil is] serious as a fucking heart attack. You better be on your game when you play with Neil.