Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young @ Savvis Center 2/15/02

Like Bob Dylan, Paul Weller and Iggy Pop, Neil Young has never lost the plot. While proving himself as one of the greatest personalities in rock, Young has been able to maintain a stellar voice and natural ability to write amazing songs. So when he took the stage with the aging Crosby, Stills & Nash on Friday night, the trio must have been counting their blessings, since we certainly can’t say the same for any of them.

To be fair, the musical contributions the other three songwriters have made, with Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds, CSNY and the Hollies, cannot be understated. In addition to Young’s legendary solo career, Stills and Crosby were even able to turn out a few decent solo albums in the late `60s and early `70s. Having that, expectations were high, although missteps showing the trio’s decreasing relevance were expected. Most surprising, however, was the fact that Young was the only member of CSNY capable of maintaining any sort of rock dignity.

With a few exceptions, the show can be divided into two parts: Neil Young and crap. These exceptions, though, were sublime. David Crosby and Graham Nash turned out a beautiful “Guinevere” during the acoustic set, Nash’s Mariah Carey-esque hand gestures notwithstanding. While Young took an extended break, Stills joined them for a pleasing version of “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.”

With Young onstage, the D?j? Vu material was stunning; especially a charged version of set opener “Carry On” and a blatant electric take of “Woodstock.” Young’s incendiary guitar playing even made sub-par recordings sound alive, “Military Madness” being the notable example.

The three-set, 28-song marathon could have been curtailed to perfection, although butchered covers, ill-advised tributes and sentimental rubbish diluted the greatness. The first disaster was a new Stills composition, “Feed the Children,” urging everyone to turn their swords into plowshares. Turning those swords toward Stills might be a better option.

After Stills ruined tour, maestro Booker T’s “Old Man Trouble” (Can anything explain why Booker T. didn’t sing it himself?), Nash stepped into the spotlight to perform “Half Your Angels,” which he wrote after the Oklahoma City bombing. As expected, this has also turned into a Sept. 11 tribute, though its presence in the CSNY repertoire is among the worst musical tributes about the terrorist attacks.

Ten Neil Young songs were played on Friday, all of them totally ace. Four new ones from his forthcoming album with Booker T. were the most pleasant surprises, from the worthy Sept. 11 tribute of “Let’s Roll” to the blistering guitar-led “Goin’ Home.” “Two Old Friends” and “You’re My Girl” found Young taking a soulful approach, with a touch of Dan Penn lurking underneath. Most welcome were the amped-up Young classics. During “Cinnamon Girl,” “Southern Man,” and “Rockin’ In the Free World,” Young appeared as focused and vital as ever. His perfect voice remains one of rock’s most oddly beautiful weapons.

Two Young songs are also the highlight of the acoustic set, especially a show-stopping “Harvest Moon” and the anticipated “Old Man.” It’s here where Crosby, Stills and Nash are most vital, providing gorgeous harmonies to Young’s definitive vocal styling. “Long May You Run” and “Eight Miles High” closed the evening on a high note and nearly made up for the early antics displayed by the Three Stooges. Neil Young, though, was spot on. The fall U.S. tour with Crazy Horse can’t come soon enough.