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We are nearing the 40th anniversary of the release of one of the (largely) forgotten masterpieces of modern music–the eponymously titled debut album of Stephen Stills’ band, Manassas.\u00a0 The record was released in 1972 during what was a watershed year in modern music.<\/p>\n
Stills had gained his fame as an integral part of Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash (& Young), but following a CSN&Y hiatus he gathered together a group of great musicians (featuring ex-Byrd and Flying Burrito Brother Chris Hillman and Al Perkins on pedal steel guitar, and the others shown on the album cover above) and cameo artists (the Rolling Stones’ Bill Wyman and Byron Berline, amongst others), and created a multifarious\u00a0 masterpiece that was not (in scope) unlike the Stones’ “Exile on Main Street” or Wilco’s “Being There.”\u00a0 Stills and his band were not afraid to dabble in multiple genres, and the Manassas album featured rock, country, folk, blues, and even some Latin music.\u00a0 And while this sounds like a potential hodgepodge disaster (especially given the amount of drugs and booze being consumed at the time by certain members of the band), the album held together extremely well.\u00a0 Stills had the sense to group the songs together somewhat by genre.\u00a0 Side One of the record was titled “The Raven,” and was a brash mix of rock and Latin influences.\u00a0 Side Two of the record was titled “The Wilderness” and was focused mostly on country and bluegrass, and included great songs such as Colorado <\/em>and So Begins the Task<\/em>.\u00a0 Side Three of the record was titled “Consider” and was predominantly folk and folk-rock, and featured some of the album’s most compelling songs:\u00a0 Johnny’s Garden, It Doesn’t Matter<\/em> and Move Around<\/em>, the latter song incorporating one of the earliest uses of a synthesizer in rock music.\u00a0 Side Three ended with The Love Gangster <\/em>(co-written by and featuring Bill Wyman on bass) which rockingly segued into Side Four.\u00a0 The final side of the record (Side Four) was titled “Rock & Roll Is Here to Stay,” and was a rock, funk and blues set that featured the song The Blues Man <\/em>which was dedicated to (at the time) recently demised Jimi Hendrix, Al Wilson and Duane Allman.<\/p>\n One doesn’t hear this record’s praises sung very often, and we think that’s a crying shame.\u00a0 While the sound has aged a bit in the 40ish years since it was released, the instrumental playing, coupled with Stills’, Hillman’s and the others’ stellar harmonized vocals, is still very impressive.<\/p>\n Check out a few of the songs (presented in the order found on the album) from this masterpiece and consider adding it to your collection.\u00a0 And below those songs are some rare videos of the band more raw and live on a European music show.<\/p>\n Manassas–Colorado The harmonies heard in the chorus are alone worth the price of admission, not to mention Al Perkin’s pedal steel and other picking.<\/p>\n[audio:https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/08-Colorado.mp3|titles=08 Colorado]\n Manassas–So Begins the Task A great song later covered by Stills’ ex-girlfriend, Judy Collins.\u00a0 Again, the harmony vocals are beauty, and Perkins conveys the song’s emotion well.<\/p>\n[audio:https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/09-So-Begins-The-Task.mp3|titles=09 So Begins The Task]\n Manassas--It Doesn’t Matter One of our favorite songs on the album and sounding like it came right off of a CSN&Y album.<\/p>\n[audio:https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/12-It-Doesnt-Matter1.mp3|titles=12 It Doesn’t Matter]\n Manassas–Johnny’s Garden Many thought this song referred to John Lennon.\u00a0 Regardless, we liked this stanza:<\/p>\n “As the swift bird We too have unravelled.<\/p>\n[audio:https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/13-Johnnys-Garden.mp3|titles=13 Johnny’s Garden]\n Manassas–Move Around We love the segment found from 1:18 to 1:45 where, in the lyrics below, Stills almost seems to be singing in tongues.<\/p>\n “A superb point of reference detected Manassas–The Love Gangster<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The sound, we’ll grant you, is dated.\u00a0 But it is classic early-70s rock, replete with wah-wah pedal, cowbell and Bill Wyman (the song’s co-writer) on bass.\u00a0 We especially espouse the group vocals.<\/p>\n[audio:https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/17-The-Love-Gangster.mp3|titles=17 The Love Gangster]\n http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ESo0UvcRBY4<\/p>\n
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\nFlies over the grasses
\nDipping now and then
\nTo take his breakfast
\nThus I come and go
\nAnd I travel
\nAnd I can watch that bird
\nAnd unravel”<\/p>\n
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\nbecomes absurd with a moments reflection
\nleaves one a simple thought
\nnot sagging with the excess weight of excess baggage
\nand we move around
\nWe move around”<\/p>\n[audio:https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/16-Move-Around.mp3|titles=16 Move Around]\n