Film Review: A Soul Laid Bare in ‘David Crosby: Remember My Name’

Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 31, 2019 - 9:27am

CHICAGO – Getting into the mind of a creative person requires a delicate brush, or on the opposite end of that spectrum a new wing of a mental hospital. Submitted for your approval, one David Van Cortlandt Crosby, in the new documentary produced by Cameron Crowe, “David Crosby: Remember My Name.”

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Cameron Crowe was the young wunderkind Rolling Stone writer from the 1970s who morphed into a high level film director (“Almost Famous,” “Say Anything…”). In a sense, he is returning to his roots as the interviewer of David Crosby – a seminal 1960s musician who began with The Byrds, and was one of the frontmen of Crosby, Stills and Nash (and sometimes Young) – in a film about the rocker’s mercurial life. The bar is raised in the film because Crosby is so honest, and expresses some reasons for his bad decisions (too-famous-too-fast, a distant father, legendary drug use) and spotlights an old man who is essentially dying, and longing to set the record straight.

David Crosby was a product of California, a rebel in school and a man whose main passion was music, both as a guitarist and gifted harmony singer. After dropping out of college he attempted a music career out of Chicago, and actually met Roger McGuinn, the eventual lead singer of The Byrds, while performing there. They formed The Byrds in Los Angeles, and helped to popularize the “California Sound,” beginning with their hit cover of Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man.”

Crosby continued his rebellious ways in The Byrds, and coupled with his heavy drug use and anarchistic politics, was asked to leave the band in 1967. The next year, he formed Crosby, (Stephen) Stills and (Graham) Nash, who played their second show at Woodstock in August of 1969 (first show, Chicago). Neil Young joined them in the early years, and they had several hit records including “Teach Your Children,” “Ohio,” “Guinnevere” and “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.”

“David Crosby: Remember My Name” is currently playing in a limited release in Chicago and elsewhere. See local listings for theaters and show times. Featuring David Crosby and Cameron Crowe. Directed by A.J. Eaton. Rated “R”