David Crosby was notorious for voicing his opinion. The Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young member was anything but tight-lipped. He gave his two cents on everything from music to politics to fan art. Below, find his stout opinion on three fellow musicians.
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1. Neil Young
Neil Young usually garners two different reactions. The first is pure adoration. The second harps on his outspokenness and staunch political stance. It seems even Crosby–a bandmate and a fellow strong personality–has a bone to pick with Young. Their relationship was complicated, but Crosby wasn’t afraid to shine a negative light on the “Harvest Moon” singer.
“I’m a very liberal guy and a modern thinker in terms of politics,” Crosby once said. “Neil doesn’t really do politics. He does Neil. He’s probably the most self-centred, self-obsessed, selfish person I know. He only thinks about Neil, period. That’s the only person he’ll consider. Ever!”
2. Jim Morrison/The Doors
Crosby’s qualm with Jim Morrison (and by extension The Doors) was less personal than his opinion on Young. Crosby once slighted the band’s playing power and Morrison’s “poet” legacy.
“Basically sucked …guitar and drums pretty ok …keyboard was awful ..his bass with left hand was abysmal, horrible …square wheel bad …and Morrison was no effing good as a singer or poet ..poser ….sorry,” Crosby once wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
3. Kanye West
It comes as no surprise that someone would have a problem with Kanye West. The rapper has egged on many enemies over the last few years with comments about race, religion, and a myriad of other touchy subjects. Crosby had been a West naysayer for years. His biggest issue was with West’s musical ability–or lack thereof in his eyes.
“Music ?.. He’s an idiot and a poser….has no Talent at all,” Crosby once said on X. Later he doubled down on that opinion saying, “Somebody needs to drive him over to Stevie Wonder’s house right now so he understands what a real one is. Secondly, they should send him all of Ray Charles’s catalog so he can learn how to sing.”
(Photo by Burak Cingi/Redferns)
