David Crosby Announces If I Could Only Remember My Name 50th Anniversary Deluxe Reissue With A Dozen Previously Unreleased Tracks

David Crosby Announces If I Could Only Remember My Name 50th Anniversary Deluxe Reissue With A Dozen Previously Unreleased Tracks

The folk-rock legend David Crosby was already an established figure when he released his first solo album, 1971’s If I Could Only Remember My Name. At that point, Crosby had been a member of the Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and sometimes Young. For his solo debut, Crosby drew on his considerable circle of friends. If I Could Only Remember My Name features loose, jammy collaborations with Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Graham Nash, and Jerry Garcia, as well as the rest of the Grateful Dead and members of the Jefferson Airplane, Santana, and the Quicksilver Messenger Service. The album got abysmal reviews upon release, and it wasn’t exactly a hit, but it has lingered, taking on significance as an early example of psychedelic folk.

These days, David Crosby is still plenty active. He’s talking shit on Twitter, and he’s putting out music, including the new album For Free earlier this summer. Today, Crosby announces that he’ll release a double-disc 50th-anniversary edition of If I Could Only Remember My Name next month. It’ll feature a remaster of the original album, as well as a disc of demos, outtakes, and alternate versions, most of which are previously unreleased.

Along with the announcement, Crosby has shared a previously unreleased demo called “Riff 1.” This track is soft and improvisatory, and it’s got Crosby singing wordlessly over acoustic guitars, perhaps figuring out a tune before adding words. Below, listen to “Riff 1” and check out the tracklist for the reissue.

TRACKLIST:

Disc 1 (original album)
01 “Music Is Love”
02 “Cowboy Movie”
03 “Tamalpais High (At About 3)”
04 “Laughing”
05 “What Are Their Names”
06 “Traction In The Rain”
07 “Song With No Words (Tree With No Leaves)”
08 “Orleans”
09 “I’d Swear There Was Somebody Here”
10 “Kids And Dogs” (bonus track)

Disc 2 (bonus tracks)
01 “Riff 1” (demo)
02 “Tamalpais High (At About 3)” (demo)
03 “Kids And Dogs” (demo)
04 “The Wall Song” (demo)
05 “Games” (demo)
06 “Laughing” (demo)
07 “Song With No Words (Tree With No Leaves)” (demo)
08 “Where Will I Be” (demo)
09 “Cowboy Movie” (alternate version)
10 “Bach Mode” (pre-Critical Mass)
11 “Coast Road”
12 “Dancer”
13 “Fugue”

The 50th-anniversary edition of If I Could Only Remember My Own Name is out 10/15 on Rhino. Read our We’ve Got A File On You interview with Crosby here.

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