Whistling Down the Wire

Personnel: Graham Nash (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, harmonica); David Crosby (vocals, acoustic guitar); David Lindley (electric, slide & pedal steel guitars, violin, viola); Danny Kortchmar (electric guitar, dobro); Laura Allen (zither); Craig Doerge (glass harmonica, acoustic & electric pianos, organ); Tim Drummond (bass); Russ Kunkel (drums, percussion).
Producers: David Crosby, Graham Nash.
Reissue producers: Stephen Barncard, Mike Ragogna.
Recorded at The Sound Labs, Los Angeles, California; Rudy Records, San Francisco, California. Includes liner notes by Steve Silberman.
Digitally remastered by Erick Labson (1999, MCA Music Media Studios).
Personnel: Graham Nash (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmonica, keyboards); David Crosby (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar); James Taylor (vocals); David Lindley (guitar, electric guitar, slide guitar, violin, viola); Danny Kortchmar (guitar, electric guitar, dobro); Craig Kinlers, Ben Keith, Joel Bernstein (guitar); Laura Allen, Laurie Allan (zither); Craig Doerge (piano, electric piano, organ, keyboards, glass armonica); Stan Szelest, Carole King (keyboards); Russ Kunkel (drums, snare drum, percussion).
Liner Note Authors: Graham Nash; Steve Silberman.
Recording information: Sound Labs, LA, CA & Rudy Recor.
Photographers: Lesley Foster Barncard; Joel Bernstein.
The follow-up to Crosby and Nash's best-selling declaration of independence WIND ON THE WATER, WHISTLING DOWN THE WIRE is very much of a piece with its predecessor, down to the similarly alliterative titles; in fact, some of the instrumental tracks were cut during sessions for the earlier album. As before, Crosby's songs have a slightly jazzier feel than Nash's overt pop tunes, and the overall ambiance is creamy, mostly acoustic California folk-rock, with the stars' gorgeous Everly Brothers-inspired harmonies way up front.
Standout tracks include Crosby's "Dancer," a harmonically complex piece with wordless, almost scat vocals, whose opening riff recalls the Hollies' "King Midas in Reverse." Nash's surprisingly acerbic "Mutiny," a dig at colleagues Stephen Stills and Neil Young, features a howling CSNY-style guitar duel between Danny Kortchmar and David Lindley.