David Crosby firing and its impact on music history
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Borrowing this discussion from elsewhere, was this the most important/impactful decision in the music scene of that era?
Sweetheart of The Rodeo - The Byrds
With Crosby remaining, Gram Parsons never joins. The hardline country direction of this album simply wouldn't have happened under Crosby's watch. And without Parsons there, I see no circumstance this album would have been created. Sweetheart of the Rodeo, arguably the most important country-rock album of all time is never recorded. And neither would this:
Gilded Palace of Sin - The Flying Burrito Bros
Sweetheart of the Rodeo doesn't team up Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman. Therefore the continued work relationship doesn't happen either. The Flying Burrito Brothers (arguably the best country rock band) never form. And this ground breaking debut album is never recorded either.
Joni Mitchell
With David Crosby still in The Byrds, he doesn't court and charm Joni Mitchell into becoming producer for her debut album Song to a Seagull. With Crosby largely out of the picture, the recognition for Joni's work doesn't get anywhere near the same amount of exposure.
Crosby, Stills,and Nash
This is the big one: CSN never happens. One of the most influential bands of the west coast scene go up in a puff of smoke. Graham Nash is not lured away and remains in The Hollies.
Grateful Dead
Workingman's Dead and American Beauty are hugely influenced by the Crosby, Stills and Nash album. And very much by Crosby persuading Garcia to get back to the basics of songs and think about harmonies. In this timeline though there is no CSN album, and that conversation never happens. The Grateful Dead remain popular in San Francisco, but their big breakthrough in 1970 is just a pipe dream.
Neil Young
With no CSN there is no CSNY. And without CSNY getting him huge recognition, Neil Young remains a solo artist struggling to sell albums.
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Alright I'll bite.
Alright I'll bite.
I never got the impression the byrds would or could have continued with David aboard, especially after Monterrey. Well, no- actually they tried this in 1973 (self titled) and it was a disaster. Indeed its kind of ironic that the best song on the album was written by a byrds "rival" (cowgirl in the sand). I never felt like David wrote anything with the byrds that had any actual staying power other than eight miles high, which I believe he got one third credit for. He made his best music apart from the byrds, and they made their best music without him in my opinion. I would attribute gene Clark's involvement as having been much more influential (than Crosby's) to the band's early success, and Clarence White's tenure more important to their later sound (sweetheart, dr byrds, easy rider, untitled) than Gram was.
but yeah. It's definitely a lot of dominoes all falling in a lot of different directions, and a lot of possible alternate musical realities
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IMO, Neil Young would have
IMO, Neil Young would have been a force to be reckoned with no matter what happened to Cros.
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People have too much time on
Who knows, maybe what was never created because of what was would have been far greater?
The strange vicissitudes of life.
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Que sera, sera.
Que sera, sera.