>> Thompson: TWO-TIME ROCK AND

ROLL HALL-OF-FAMER GRAHAM NASH

IS FAMOUS FOR WRITING AND

PERFORMING CLASSIC ROCK STAPLES

LIKE "TEACH YOUR CHILDREN" AND

"OUR HOUSE" WITH THE BAND

CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG.

BUT HE RECENTLY PLAYED A SET OF

SHOWS CENTERED AROUND SOME MUSIC

HE'S FAR LESS KNOWN FOR.

NEWSHOUR WEEKEND'S TOM CASCIATO

HAS MORE.

>> Reporter: IT'S NOT JUST HIS

FANS WHO APPRECIATE THAT GRAHAM

NASH IS STILL GOING STRONG AT

77.

>> NICE TO BE BACK.

>> Reporter: SO DOES GRAHAM

NASH.

>> AT MY AGE, IT'S NICE TO BE

ANYWHERE.

( LAUGHTER )

>> Reporter: BUT SOME OF HIS

RECENT SHOWS MIGHT SEEM CURIOUS

TO THOSE WHO KNOW HIM ONLY FOR

HIS HITS.

>> ♪ PEOPLE LIVE AND LEARN

BUT YOU'RE STILL LEARNING. ♪

>> Reporter: HE HAS DECADES'

WORTH OF CHART-TOPPERS TO DRAW

FROM...

>> ♪ DRIVING ME TO

THE AIRPORT. ♪

>> Reporter: ...BUT HE RECENTLY

DID SHOWS FEATURING HIS LESSER-

KNOWN FIRST TWO SOLO ALBUMS IN

THEIR ENTIRETY, AND YOU HAVE TO

WONDER WHY.

THERE ARE CERTAINLY ARTISTS OF

YOUR GENERATION WHO GO BACK AND

REVISIT THEIR FINEST COMMERCIAL

MOMENT IF NOT THEIR FINEST

ARTISTIC MOMENT.

>> I WANT TO BE AS REAL AS

POSSIBLE.

I'M COMING TO THE END OF MY

LIFE.

I'M 77 YEARS OLD RIGHT NOW.

HOW MUCH LONGER CAN THIS GO ON?

I HOPE TO BE AROUND FOR AT LEAST

THE NEXT 30, 40 YEARS, BUT I

MIGHT DROP DEAD IN THE MIDDLE OF

THIS CONVERSATION.

>> Reporter: WITH NO TIME LIKE

THE PRESENT TO DO IT, NASH KICKS

OFF THE SHOW WITH THE OPENER

FROM HIS FIRST ALBUM, "SONGS FOR

BEGINNERS."

>> ♪ IN AN UPSTAIRS ROOM IN

BLACKPOOL. ♪

>> Reporter: IT STARTS WITH HIS

BIRTH IN THE MIDST OF WORLD WAR

II IN BLACKPOOL, ENGLAND.

>> ♪ THE ARMY HAD MY FATHER

AND MY MOTHER WAS HAVING ME. ♪

>> Reporter: AND WHAT WERE YOU

DOING IN BLACKPOOL, WHICH WAS

NOT YOUR HOMETOWN?

>> NO, I LIVED IN SALFORD, WHICH

IS A SMALL PART OF MANCHESTER IN

THE NORTH OF ENGLAND.

AND MANCHESTER WAS BEING BOMBED

HEAVILY, AND PREGNANT LADIES

WERE EVACUATED OUT OF THE

BOMBING AREA.

♪ MILITARY MADNESS

WAS KILLING MY COUNTRY. ♪

>> Reporter: "MILITARY MADNESS"

WAS AN ANTI-WAR ANTHEM WITH

SOCIAL PROTEST ROOTED IN

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES, BUT IT HAD

THE KIND OF ENGAGING MELODY NASH

WAS KNOWN FOR AND EVEN A KIND OF

SING-ALONG FEEL TO IT.

♪

YOU AND A LOT OF YOUR PEERS OF

THAT ERA WERE ANTI-WAR, BUT NOT

ALL OF THEM CAME UPON THAT

HAVING GROWN UP AROUND BOMB

CRATERS.

>> WE WERE PLAYING IN BUILDINGS

THAT COULD HAVE COLLAPSED ON US

AT ANY MOMENT.

AND IF MY PARENTS WOULD HAVE

FOUND OUT, I WOULD'VE BEEN IN

BIG TROUBLE.

♪

>> Reporter: THE ALBUM CAME OUT

IN 1971, NASH JOINING A LIST OF

CONFESSIONAL SINGER-SONGWRITERS

ON THE CHARTS AT THE MOMENT

THEIR GENRE HIT THE COVER OF

"TIME" AS THE HOT NEW THING.

IT FOLLOWED THE BREAKUP OF

CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG AND

ANOTHER BREAKUP WITH HIS LIVE-IN

LOVE, JONI MITCHELL.

BUT ON "SONGS FOR BEGINNERS,"

EVEN LOST LOVE COULD RIDE ALONG

ON A TUNEFUL WAVE THAT TOOK A

BIT OF THE STING OUT.

>> ♪ AND IN MY BED LATE AT NIGHT

I MISS YOU. ♪

>> Reporter: OVERALL, THE ALBUM

CAME ACROSS AS AN AFFIRMATIVE,

IDEALISTIC AFFAIR.

>> ♪ WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

WE CAN CHANGE. ♪

>> Reporter: "WILD TALES,"

RELEASED IN EARLY 1974, WAS

SOMETHING ELSE AGAIN.

IT ARRIVED AT A MOMENT WHEN,

AMONG NASH'S PEERS-- ON THE

RADIO, AT LEAST-- CONFESSIONAL

SONGWRITING HAD GIVEN WAY TO

POLISHED POP BALLADRY.

>> ♪ AND WHEN I GO AWAY

I KNOW MY HEART CAN STAY WITH MY

LOVE. ♪

>> Reporter: "MY LOVE" BY PAUL

McCARTNEY.

BARBRA STREISAND, "THE WAY WE

WERE."

YOU KNEW HOW TO WRITE LOVE

SONGS, AND YOU KNEW HOW TO WRITE

HITS.

AND YET, WITH "WILD TALES," YOU

DIDN'T GO IN THE DIRECTION OF

WHAT WAS ON THE RADIO AT THE

TIME.

WHAT WAS ON YOUR MIND?

>> ALL THE STUFF THAT'S IN "WILD

TALES."

>> Reporter: NASH WASN'T GOING

FOR THE GLOSS OF POP-FRIENDLY

RADIO.

>> ♪ DON'T THE WIND BLOW COLD

WHEN YOU'RE HANGING YOUR SOUL

ON THE LINE? ♪

>> Reporter: AGAIN, HE MINED HIS

CHILDHOOD FOR INSPIRATION, BUT

THE MEMORIES HURT THIS TIME.

>> MY FATHER WAS AN ENGINEER.

MY MOTHER HAD TO LOOK AFTER

THREE KIDS, OF COURSE, BUT SHE

HAD TO WORK ALSO.

WE WERE VERY POOR, BUT MY FATHER

HAD BOUGHT A CAMERA FROM A

FRIEND OF HIS AT WORK.

AND ONE DAY, THE POLICE CAME TO

OUR DOOR.

THEY WANTED TO KNOW WHERE MY

FATHER HAD BOUGHT THE CAMERA

BECAUSE THEY THINK THAT A CAMERA

HAD BEEN STOLEN.

AND, WELL, IN THE NORTH OF

ENGLAND AT THAT POINT-- AND I'M

SURE IT'S THE SAME ALL OVER THE

WORLD-- YOU DIDN'T... YOU DON'T

RAT ON YOUR FRIENDS.

AND SO, MY FATHER WOULD...

WOULDN'T TELL THEM, AND HE

ACTUALLY SPENT A YEAR IN JAIL.

>> Reporter: AND WHAT DID THAT

DO TO YOUR DAD?

AND WHAT DID THAT DO TO YOU?

>> I THINK IT BROKE HIS HEART.

I THINK IT WAS SHAMEFUL.

HE FELT ASHAMED THAT THE POLICE

HAD COME TO THE DOOR.

AND HE DIED AT 46.

♪ ONE DAY, A FRIEND

TOOK ME ASIDE

♪ AND SAID I'LL HAVE TO LEAVE

YOU

♪ FOR BUYING SOMETHING

FROM A FRIEND

THEY SAY I'VE DONE WRONG. ♪

>> Reporter: NASH TURNED

EXPERIENCE TO A PLEA FOR PRISON

REFORM LONG BEFORE SUCH

SENTIMENTS HIT THE MAINSTREAM.

>> ♪ SO NOW I'M BIDDING YOU

FAREWELL FOR MUCH TOO LONG

♪ AND HERE'S A SONG TO SING

FOR EVERY MAN INSIDE. ♪

>> Reporter: MEANWHILE, THE

TROOPS HAD LEFT VIETNAM THE YEAR

BEFORE, BUT THAT DIDN'T STOP

NASH FROM WRITING A SONG CALLED

"OH! CAMIL."

>> SCOTT CAMIL WAS ONE OF THE

MOST HIGHLY-DECORATED SOLDIERS

IN THE VIETNAM WAR-- MANY, MANY

MEDALS FOR ABSOLUTE BRAVERY.

GUNG-HO, INTO IT.

♪ OH, CAMIL

TELL ME HOW DO YOU FEEL? ♪

AND THEN, HE HAD A... I GUESS A

COME-TO-JESUS MEETING WITH

HIMSELF WHERE HE REALIZED THAT

WHAT HE HAD BEEN DOING ALL THESE

YEARS WAS WRONG.

♪ WILL YOU TELL ALL THE PEOPLE

ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU KILLED

♪ NOT FOR GOD BUT FOR COUNTRY

AND WAR. ♪

>> Reporter: NASH WAS INSPIRED

BY CAMIL'S HAVING TESTIFIED IN A

WAR CRIMES FORUM SPONSORED BY

THE GROUP VIETNAM VETERANS

AGAINST THE WAR.

>> AND IF PEOPLE WERE IN THE

VILLAGES YELLING AND SCREAMING,

WE DIDN'T HELP THEM.

WE JUST BURNED THE HOUSES AS WE

WENT.

IT WASN'T LIKE THEY WERE HUMANS.

LIKE, WE WERE... YOU KNOW, WE

WERE CONDITIONED TO BELIEVE

THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS FOR

THE... THE GOOD OF THE NATION,

THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY, AND

THAT ANYTHING WE DID WAS OKAY.

>> ♪ OH, CAMIL, TELL ME WHAT

DID YOUR MOTHER SAY

♪ WHEN YOU LEFT THOSE PEOPLE

OUT IN THE FIELDS

♪ ROTTING ALONG WITH THE HAY? ♪

>> Reporter: UNLIKE HIS EARLIER

ANTI-WAR SONG, "OH! CAMIL" WAS

NO SING-ALONG.

>> ♪ DID YOU SHOW HER YOUR GUNS?

DID YOU SHOW HER THE EARS THAT

YOU WORE? ♪

>> Reporter: "DID YOU SHOW THEM

THE EARS THAT YOU WORE?"

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANT

WHEN I FIRST HEARD THAT SONG.

>> SOME AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN THE

VIETNAM WAR WERE GUNG-HO ENOUGH

TO... WHEN THEY KILLED THEIR

ENEMIES, THAT THEY WOULD CUT OFF

THEIR EARS AND MAKE A BRACELET

OF THEM TO WEAR.

♪ WILL YOU TELL ALL THE PEOPLE

ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT STAND UP

♪ FOR GOD

NOT FOR COUNTRY AND WAR. ♪

>> Reporter: HIS LOST LOVE, JONI

MITCHELL, MADE AN EXPRESSIVE

PAINTING OF NASH FOR THE ALBUM'S

BACK COVER.

AND IT WAS HER HAUNTING,

WORDLESS VOCALS THAT BROUGHT THE

RECORD TO A CLOSE ON A TUNE

CALLED "ANOTHER SLEEP SONG."

♪

IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE WRITING

ABOUT BEING FLAT-OUT

DEPRESSED...

>> YES.

>> Reporter: ...IN THAT SONG.

>> I AM.

I... I WAS AVOIDING THE DAY.

I WAS AVOIDING SUNLIGHT.

I WAS ALMOST LIKE A...

...ALMOST LIKE A VAMPIRE.

♪ ALL I NEED

IS SOMEONE TO AWAKEN ME

♪ MUCH OF ME

HAS GONE TO SLEEP. ♪

>> Reporter: THE MELODIES WERE

THERE AND THE WORDS WERE DEEPLY

FELT, BUT "WILD TALES" WAS

GRAHAM NASH'S FIRST COMMERCIAL--

THOUGH NOT ARTISTIC-- FAILURE.

YOU MADE AN ALBUM WHERE YOU HAD

SYMPATHY FOR INCARCERATED

PEOPLE, WHERE YOU WROTE VIVIDLY

ABOUT WAR CRIMES, AND YOU ENDED

THE RECORD WITH A SONG ABOUT

BEING THOROUGHLY AND UTTERLY

DEPRESSED.

LOOKING BACK, CAN YOU SEE WHY IT

MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN ONE OF YOUR

BIG HITS?

>> I DO.

I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND.

I WAS DEPRESSED, YOU KNOW?

AND THE MUSIC SHOWS IT.

BUT THAT'S ALL I'VE EVER WRITTEN

ABOUT IS WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME.

I'VE GOT MONEY, AND I'VE GOT

FAME.

AND I'VE GOT ALL THOSE OTHER

THINGS, YOU KNOW, THAT I NEVER

WANTED IN THE FIRST PLACE.

BUT I'M STILL THIS PERSON THAT

FEELS VERY DEEPLY ABOUT MANY

THINGS.

♪ WE CAN HEED THE CALL

WE CAN TRIP AND FALL. ♪

>> Reporter: WHICH BRINGS US

BACK TO WHY HE'S SINGING THESE

SONGS AT THIS MOMENT-- TO BE, IN

HIS WORDS, AS REAL AS POSSIBLE

WITH NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT.

>> ♪ LET THE ASHES FALL

UPON US ALL

♪ OR NOT AT ALL

IT'S IN US ALL. ♪