David Crosby recounted, "The whole thing, the recording of American Dream, it got stretched out. And we did not have, really, the best group of songs to work with. Then, even though we did not have enough good songs, we ended up putting fourteen of them on the album! I think that was stupid." For the first time in the group's history, none of the songs from a studio album became standard items in the group's live repertoire.
Reception
Writing in Rolling Stone, critic Anthony DeCurtis wrote that "Despite pleasant melodies, the occasional interesting song, and the signature harmonies, American Dream is, for the most part, a snoozefest."
Track listing
Side one
Side two
Personnel
David Crosby – vocals; acoustic guitar on "Clear Blue Skies" and "Compass"
Stephen Stills – vocals; guitars on "Name of Love", "Don't Say Goodbye", "Nighttime for the Generals", "Drivin' Thunder", "Clear Blue Skies", "That Girl", "Soldiers of Peace" and "Night Song"; keyboards on "American Dream" and "Got It Made"; bass synthesizer on "Don't Say Goodbye"; bass, synthesizer and handclaps on "Night Song"; percussion on "Drivin' Thunder"
Graham Nash – vocals; piano on "Don't Say Goodbye"; electric guitar on "Nighttime for the Generals"; sound effects on "Shadowland"; keyboards and harmonica on "Clear Blue Skies"
Neil Young – vocals; guitars on all tracks except "Compass"; all instruments on "This Old House"; piano on "Don't Say Goodbye"; harmonica on "Compass"; percussion on "Name of Love" and "Feel Your Love"
Additional personnel
Joe Vitale – drums on "American Dream", "Got It Made", "Name of Love", "Don't Say Goodbye", "Nighttime for the Generals", "Drivin' Thunder", "Clear Blue Skies" and "Night Song"; all instruments, sound effects and vocals on "Shadowland"; keyboards on "Clear Blue Skies", "That Girl", "Compass" and "Soldiers of Peace"; synthesizer on "Don't Say Goodbye"; percussion on "Drivin' Thunder" and "Feel Your Love"; vibraphone on "Feel Your Love"
Mike Finnigan – organ on "Nighttime for the Generals"; keyboards, backing vocals on "Soldiers of Peace"
Bob Glaub – bass on "American Dream", "Got It Made", "Name of Love", "Nighttime for the Generals", "Drivin' Thunder", "Clear Blue Skies", "That Girl" and "Soldiers of Peace"
Joe Lala – percussion on "Got It Made", "Shadowland", "Clear Blue Skies" and "That Girl"; drums on "Soldiers of Peace"
The Bluenotes: Tommy Bray, Claude Callilet, Larry Cragg, John Fumo, Steve Lawrence – horns on "That Girl"
Brian Bell – synthesizer programming on "This Old House"
Rhett Lawrence – synthesizer programming on "Soldiers of Peace"
Niko Bolas, Tim Mulligan, Tim Foster, Brentley Walton – handclaps on "American Dream"
Bill Boydston, Don Gooch, Bill Lazerus – sound effects on "Shadowland"
The Volume Dealers Choir: Kelly Ashmore, Betsy Aubrey, Tom Banghart, Cha Blevins, Niko Bolas, Craig Doerge, Scott Gordon, R. Mac Holbert, Stanley Johnston, Bill Krause, Debbie Meister, Tim Mulligan, Susan Nash, Jay Parti, Steve Perry, Vince Slaughter, Joe Vitale, Paul Williamson – backing vocals on "Soldiers of Peace"
