Manassas (Album)
Manassas is the third studio album by American rock musician Stephen Stills and the first album with his newly formed band Manassas. The double album is considered by many fans and critics as the finest work of Stephen Stills.
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Buoyed by the success of his two solo albums Stephen Stills (1970) and Stephen Stills 2 ( 1971), and increasingly frustrated by his fellow players in Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Stills began after a tour with the work on his third solo album. As for the two previous albums, he was again able to move many excellent musicians to cooperate, including but not limited Chris Hillman, Al Perkins and Dallas Taylor ( Main article: Manassas ). However, Stills proved also in a band context as outspoken multi-instrumentalist.
The intensive recording sessions, often up the middle went into the night, the musicians welded together to form a real band. Within a very short time emerged as the 21 predominantly written by Stills title of the album, which are arranged in four thematic groups ( corresponding to the four sides of the original 2- LP release ).
The album begins with the chapter The Raven, which consists primarily of a combination of rock and Latin pieces and therefore brings all Stephen Stills ' penchant for Latin music to advantage. For this chapter the title of Rock & Roll Crazies / Cuban Bluegrass, which was released as a single, but could not place among the top 100 in the U.S. charts comes from.
The second chapter, The Wilderness, puts the accent on country and bluegrass sounds, which bring the musical abilities of Hillman and Perkins to the forefront. The highlight of the chapter is the title So Begins The Task, written by Stephen Stills, who became a stills classics and later, among others was covered by Judy Collins.
The third part brings Consider mentioned especially folk and folk rock to ear. In this chapter, two of the best known songs of the album visit: It Does not Matter, which reached as a single number 61 on the U.S. charts, and Johnny 's Garden, a tribute by Stephen Stills at the quirky gardener of his English country house, the stills still today plays at concerts ( be heard on his album Live at Shepherd 's Bush, 2009). The chapter also contains the song The Love Gangster, had the Stills -written with Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones. Wyman can be heard here also on bass. The song was based on the title Bumblebee ( Do You Need A Place to Hide? ), The stills in 2007 on his album Just Roll Tape - published April 26th, 1968.
Rock & Roll is Here to Stay is called the fourth and final chapter of the album. It consists of rock and blues pieces, of which particularly stands out the eight - minute work The Treasure. Consequently, the album as well as Jimi Hendrix, Al Wilson and Duane Allman is dedicated.
The album was shortly after its appearance a great success. It reached # 4 on the Billboard charts and contributed to the further glory of all musicians who eventually went on an extended tour But not only critics and fans considered Manassas as a highlight in the career of Stephen Stills. Even Stills Manassas himself describes as one of his best works. Bill Wyman has reportedly once said that he would leave the Rolling Stones to play at Manassas.
Title list
All songs written and composed by Stephen Stills; marked exceptions
The Raven
The Wilderness
Consider
Rock & Roll is Here to Stay
Instrumentation and instruments
- Stephen Stills - vocals, guitar, bottleneck guitar, piano, organ, electric piano, clarinet
- Chris Hillman - vocals, guitar, mandolin
- Al Perkins - steel guitar, guitar, vocals
- Calvin "Fuzzy " Samuels - bass
- Paul Harris - organ, piano, electric piano, clarinet
- Dallas Taylor - drums
- Joe Lala - percussion, vocals
Guest musicians
- Sydney George - Harmonica
- Jerry Aiello - piano, organ, electric piano, clarinet
- Bill Wyman - bass
- Roger Bush - acoustic bass
- Byron Berline - Fiddle