History
The album contained material previously available in studio versions, from both the various affiliations and individual work of the four principals. Two songs each by Nash and Crosby had not been officially released by its writer at the time of the arrival of this album in the shops: "Chicago," soon to appear one month later on Nash's Songs for Beginners album, and "Right Between the Eyes"; "The Lee Shore" by Crosby, as well as his controversial ménage à trois "Triad" composition, recorded by Jefferson Airplane on their Crown of Creation album of 1968, and by The Byrds, but not released until 1987 on the compilation "Never Before" and later as a bonus track on The Notorious Byrd Brothers reissue.
At the time this album was recorded, tensions between the band members were high, with their dressing-room fights becoming the stuff of rock legend, even being referenced by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention in their 1971 LP Fillmore East - June 1971. The tensions led to CSNY dissolving shortly after the recording of Four Way Street (and many months before its release). The next release of new material by the firm proper would not be until CSN of 1977.
The original double album LP came packaged in typical CSNY fashion, a gatefold sleeve without a track listing. On the gatefold was a black-and-white picture of the band sitting on a bench, with Nash and Crosby's heads perfectly framed by a wire clothes hanger hanging in front of them, with recording information and credits in the lower-right-hand corner. The only track listings on the album appear on the LP's labels, and on the fold-out poster that also included full lyrics. Inside the gatefold sleeve is printed "Recorded live at the Fillmore East, New York. June 2nd-June 7th 1970/ The Chicago Auditorium, Chicago, Ill., July 5th, 1970 / The Forum, Los Angeles, Calif. June 26th-28th, 1970. Produced by David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash & Neil Young, Drums Johnny Barbata, Bass: Calvin Samuels, Engineer: Bill Halverson, Art Direction/Design: Gary Burden, Photography: Center Squares: Joel Bertstein. All Others: Gary Burden, Inside: Henry Diltz. Management: Elliot Roberts & Associates, Direction: David Geffin.
The album went to #1 upon its release and also garnered a positive review in Rolling Stone where the reviewer called it "their best album to date." Other more recent reviews have also been positive.
4 Way Street was released in expanded form for compact disc on June 15, 1992. The expanded edition included four songs done by each member as an acoustic solo vehicle. Young performed a trio of songs from his first two solo albums as a medley; Stills included "Black Queen" from his eponymous debut, a tune he would revisit many times in his career; Crosby added a version of the song "Laughing" from his debut; and Nash did "King Midas In Reverse", The Hollies' single from 1967, his bid to have that band taken as a more serious entity in the pivotal year of flower power. Though credited to Allan Clarke and Tony Hicks as well, "Midas" was actually written solely by Nash: the three Hollies had had a pact to share publishing regardless of authorship, in an arrangement similar to that of John Lennon and Paul McCartney while in The Beatles.
Additional tracks from the tour appeared on Young's The Archives Vol. 1 1963–1972, released in 2009.
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