Deja Vu

Starring David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, Neil Young
Directed by Bernard Shakey (aka Neil Young)
no website

IN SHORT: preaching to the choir. [Rated R for some language and brief war images. 96 minutes]

The very first big name Coliseum concert Cranky ever attended was a mid-1970s romp by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Hot date. Nose bleed seats. Great times.

Thirty years on, though... apparently there is a big enough audience generated from classic rock radio station replays of the various CSN/ CSNY/ C&N and solo hits that they have no idea that the four on the stage are a bunch of lefties... Yes, the same folks that are very happy to scream "4 Dead in O-HI-O" at the top of their lungs are, apparently, the same folks in the new nosebleed seats giving the finger to CSNY for a new song with the melodic opening line "Let's impeach the president, for lying!"

The story, in short, is that one day back in 2005 or 06, Neil Young sat down and wrote an album. The resulting album, Living With War (available in the choir filled version seen in this film or a stripped down, rocked up version) led to a 2006 tour with compadres David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash that is seen here. Deja Vu is not a concert film. It is, in the true definition of the phrase, CSNY coming out against yet another war. Vietnam first. Iraq in 2006. The film itself is a slapped together documentary of action and reaction, spaced by bits of CSNY classics and a long guitar jam from the title track. Those guessing that the quartet have filmed what is arguably their most famous group recording will be grimacing as the good stuff is interrupted by documentary material.

Granted, Cranky leans left. Those who have been reading this site long enough also know that, once upon a time, we had a long career in rock radio. One topped off by a year writing every big name charity gig there was to get (Live Aid, Farm Aid, Sun City, a USA for Africa mini-special and so on). We know from personal experience that, politics aside, the fans come out for the music and only then will the politics get through. A right winger may not be happy with songs like "Lets' Impeach the President" but will wait it out (or wade through) for "Our House" or "Helpless" and all the political baggage will be taken out along with the ticket stubs.

Ditto for a movie version but that isn't what you get here. There isn't enough complete music to sucker a right wing fan in. There isn't enough for those of us on the left to sit back and leave the politics at the door. As a fan, Cranky was greatly disappointed.

On average, a first run movie ticket will run you Ten Bucks. Were Cranky able to set his own price to Deja Vu , he would have paid . . .

$2.00

rent

	Crosby Stills & Nash	CSN and CSNY Daylight Again
	CSNY Deja Vu Live (2008)	CSNY Déjà Vu
	CSNY 4 Way Street	Neil Young After the Gold Rush
	CSNY American Dream	Crosby Stills Nash Acoustic (DVD)
	CSN and CSNY Greatest Hits	CSN Box Set 4 CDs

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