Nash and Crosby in 2001 (Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images Entertainment)

“Carry On” by [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young[/lastfm] was pretty good when they recorded in the studio, but how well does it come off live?  We’ll let listeners be the judge as they view this performance live from Wembley in 1974 …

“Carry On” was an appropriate title for a song featured on their 1974 tour.  Back in 1970 and ’71, the band had begun to fracture, with bickering between members becoming increasingly common.  1972 and ’73 were spent largely working on solo projects, in which each of them saw at least some degree of success.  However, prospects for a large-scale group project looked bleak after the failed attempt to record an album in 1973 (tentatively entitled Human Highway) at Young’s Hawaii studio.

In 1974, however, manager Elliott Roberts finally convinced the group to realize their commercial potential and embark on a large-scale tour composed exclusively of outdoor arenas, the first of its kind. Organized by San Francisco impressario Bill Graham, the tour was a commercial success, though the band had its share of friction and quibbles behind the scene. Nonetheless, they managed to ‘carry on’ and finish the tour.

While they would never really attain the heights they had prior to 1970, they had ensured their place in the rock firmament forever.

Add your thoughts to the comments below or take a look at Video Classics past…