Manassas

With a title like that, I was expecting a much tighter experience. Butt all ass... There are a few passable tracks on here - Hell, I might even describe a couple of the C-side tracks as "enjoyable" - but EDITING MATTERS, and no less than two-thirds of this should have been cut. A correctly curated EP would have scored 3; a slightly bloated LP might have scored 2; but as it is, I'm failing this for aggressively wasting more of my time than it had any business wasting.

This did not need to be a double album. It's just not interesting enough to be this long. Every now and again a funky riff will pop up but nothing that lasts for one whole song, let alone 21. 2.5* rounded down to 2

Is this really that geound-breaking? It's not bad but it's not great either.

++*: How Far ++: Medley/Rock & Roll/Cuban Bluegrass, Jet Set (Sigh), Anyway, Fallen Eagle, Jesus Gave Love Away for Free, Don't Look at My Shadow, Johnny's Garden, Bound to Fall, The Love Gangster, What to Do, Right Now, Blues Man +: Song of Love, Both of Us (Bound to Lose), So Begins the Task, Hide It So Deep, It Doesn't Matter, Move Around, The Treasure (Take One) +-: Colorado 8,7/10

I like Manassas's folk infusion into '70s rock. I hear blues and country too, and all of it works together.

A good album that I will probably never have the desire to listen to again.

Suuuuper bloated, and not really any hidden gems in the over an hour long runtime. If they had shrunk this down to maybe 45 minutes, it could have been more enjoyable, but I feel there’s no reason for me to ever come back to this again. Not my style.

2.5

6/10 Stephen Stills is a legend, known as a member of the Au Go Go Singers, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash and sometimes Young, collaborator with Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Bill Withers and (a lot) more, and the man Hendrix desperately sought out to become the bassist for the Experience. So he’s got all the bona fides a musician could ask for. This album is his fourth solo effort, and the first with backing band Manassas, and with all of the aforementioned credits and notes, it’s one that I’m looking forward to digging in to. The album spreads itself pretty broadly over a wide range of genres, outside of a central blues-rock core. There are elements of funk, jazz, soul, folk, country and more. It’s admirable and interesting to have cast the net so wide in an attempt to bring a breadth of vibes and textures into the expanse of music on offer, but it does result in an experience that I found to be a little disjointed in places. That disjointed aspect of the record is also exacerbated by the sheer scale of it. At 21 tracks and 72 minutes, there’s so much material here that, at times, it becomes something of an overwhelming experience. It’s often my experience with double albums that the sheer volume of material has a tendency to drag down the overall quality of the work. All too often, a record that has huge potential is let down by a self-indulgence from the artists that are unwilling to cut songs in favour of a tighter and more coherent overall experience. Sadly, this is the case here, because there are moments of exceptional quality, but also too many fairly run of the mill tracks that make the flow of the album drag and let down the overall quality of the work. As I say, that lack of a firm editing hand is a real shame, because at its best, the material on this album is of really high quality. The band are a wonderfully talented bunch, with a tight core that’s tight as a nut, but displays great soul and energy in their delivery. There’s some really lovely guitar playing, right from the off. From the smoothness of the playing on Song Of Love, to the more expansive work on Jet Set (Sigh) and the counterpoint against the bass in Johnny’s Garden. Even the more routine tracks are given a slick and coherent presentation, enough to make them an enjoyable listen, even if the overall quality doesn’t stand up to the absolute potential that they have as a group. In reality, the lowlights of this album are relatively few and far between, while the highlights are of great quality. The issue really lies in the middle ground, in which there is a little too much that is merely competent and, with the excessive length of the record, those elements do drag down the average quality just a little too much. It’s a fairly common comment of mine when reviewing double albums, but had this been a 10-12 track 40 minute release, it would be one that I’d look forward to getting to know better. But as it is it was and enjoyable, but bloated experience. Song Of Love - It’s a chirpy start, with a nice funky blues base. The guitar playing is super smooth, and the bits and pieces of electric piano add a gorgeous edge to the groove. The production is lush and the underlying groove is really tasty. There’s more soul and rhythmic prowess here than I was expecting, and the layering of rhythmic patterns, with punch and nuance, are great. A strong start. Rock & Roll Crazies / Cuban Bluegrass - There’s a bit more of a laid back swagger now, though the groove is still decent. It feels a bit more of a by-the-numbers 70s rock effort, to be honest, with fewer really stand out moments, and some fairly clichéd lyrics. It’s not bad, but it I’m not sure there’s much here to help this stand out against contemporary music. Pleasant enough, but not vastly memorable. Jet Set (Sigh) - Another laid back bluesy number. There’s some lush guitar playing here that’s got swagger and chugging grit. It’s another fairly routine dirty blues effort though and, while I’m enjoying the playing, there’s not too much about the song that’s making it really stick out as anything vastly special, which is a bit of a shame, as the production and performances are solid. The funky stuff at the end is pretty good too, and has a bit more about it. Anyway - There’s a bit more to this. It’s still got that standard blues rock base to it, but there’s a bit more melodic quality and range in the composition that helps it to feel more distinctive. The production is specious and well balanced, and there’s some subtle but effective guitar work too. Pretty good stuff. Both Of Us (Bound To Lose) - More good but unspectacular music. It’s a bit too easy listening at this point, though there are some moments of quality in there, particularly once they break into the instrumental in the second half, which has great grooves and a much more fun and enjoyable rhythmic blend. There’s some cool piano stuff in there. Again, I’m enjoying this, but not in love with it at this stage. Fallen Eagle - This is some proper country bumpkin stuff now. It’s fast paced and frenetic, and I actually quite like it. There’s charm and a knowing level of cheese and twee about it. The fiddle playing is great fun and, at 2 minutes, you can’t go wrong with something like this. Jesus Gave Love Away For Free - This, on the other hand, is way too twee without that sense of ironic charm that the last one felt like it had. Musically, it’s very simplistic and unoriginal, and it’s just quite boring and sickly sweet. Not for me, this. At all. Colorado - This feels a bit more sincere. There’s some cool instrumental parts from guitar and piano especially, and some really nice vocal harmonies in places. It’s got a slightly more engaging melodic centre, and a lightness of touch that works really well, alongside a subtle but well balanced rhythm. Not bad. So Begins The Task - This is actually pretty nice. It’s got an edge of cheese, but the musical direction has the odd moment of surprise and there’s a decent melodic approach to the lead vocal, with the instrumentation dancing nicely around it. The grooves are decent, and again, there’s a lightness of touch that works really well, while also allowing for moments of instrumental focus. It’s not my kind of thing, really, but I quite enjoyed this one. Hide It So Deep - This drifts back to the kind of slow country ballad that just doesn’t speak to me. It’s so by the numbers that there are literally thousands of examples of songs that are almost exactly the same as this. It’s twee, plodding and quite frankly boring. If you like this kind of thing, more power to you. At least you’ve got a million songs out there that you can enjoy just as much. Don't Look At My Shadow - It’s funny, because elements of this could also be accused of similar things that I dismissed the last track for. But there’s actually a cool swagger and lilt to this that I quite like. It has a solid bouncing rhythm and strides out on the front foot, fully committed to what it’s trying to do. Now I don’t love it, and it is still quite of its type, but it was a pretty enjoyable one. It Doesn't Matter - Another track that’s well put together, really well produced, has some cool guitar work, especially the solo, which is smooth and enjoyable, but doesn’t really jump out of the speakers at me. It’s nice, it’s fairly enjoyable, and has some reasonable melodic choices. But beyond that, there’s nothing here that’s grabbing hold of me and pulling my attention towards it. Johnny's Garden - This is another pleasant track. The melodic and harmonic content is rich and enjoyable, and I really like his vocal on this one. There’s really nice layering of guitars against the bass, and the rhythm is gentle but well put together. I really like the shift in the groove into the chorus and out again. Another really nice track that I’d probably enjoy even more on a more concise and consistent 40 minute record. Bound To Fall - The structure and emphasis of this is actually really cool. I can’t quite work out what time signature it’s in. I think it might have some odd sequence of uneven bars, but I keep losing track of where the one is. It’s super interesting though and has a lot of that folk-country charm to it, along with the roaming, freeform approach to timing and structure. Give me more of this and I’d be right there with you, Stephen. How Far - This is nice. The guitar playing is great and the vocal delivery and melody are strong. It has a swagger and charm to it, without being too clichéd. It’s not complicated, but there’s a decent groove and a warm centre that makes it endearing. Love some of the lead guitar moments too. Move Around - And now we get some synth work thrown in. It’s a fairly benign track, but at least there is a bit of textural range with the use of that synthesiser. It’s quite a nice composition, but the mix is a bit weird, with the vocal sitting too far back and the guitars a bit too prominent. It’s got a nice vibe and atmosphere to it, but it does drone on a little too much. Another that might have shone better on a more concise record. The Love Gangster - This is much better. It’s got funk and groove to it, some really cool sonic textures, and plenty of charm and swagger to boot. The band are in the pocket, and there’s some fantastic bits of guitar. The vocal has got the mot grit and attitude there’s been across the whole record, and the whole thing has great energy. Top work. What To Do - Back to some competent, if fairly routine blues-folk rock. The chorus is pretty decent, to be fair. I’m not sure what he’s doing with the vocal during the verses, but it’s a bit weird. There’s a decent lilt to the rhythm here, and the honky-tonk piano is good fun. Quality drumming in various places too. I can’t pretend to love this, but it was an enjoyable enough listen. Right Now - The drive and pace of this is much better. There’s cool grooves and good vocal hooks. There’s also a grit to the production and an infectious sense of fun to the performances from the whole band. It’s the kind of track that completely sells the vision of a load of sweaty blokes grinning at each other on stage while the groove and rock out. Solid. The Treasure (Take One) - As if we needed an 8 minute song for the 20th track of a 72 minute record! It’s pretty damn good, to be fair. In a similar vein to the last track, there’s a lot of fun and energy on display here, and some of the instrumental work is phenomenal. The rhythms across the board are sharp and groovy, and I love some of the wah-wah guitar work. The underlying chord structures and motifs have great punch./ There’s a brilliant rhythmic shift at the four minute mark that’s superbly delivered. Then it sort of falls back into a cool bluesy jam, losing a slight edge of the funk it had early doors. Good soloing, of course, but it’s long and self-indulgent at this stage. Blues Man - This is pretty decent too. It’s a well delivered blues number, and the guitar work in particular is strong. It’s nice to get a slice of just Stills and his guitar to wrap things up. It does become a bit rambling after a while, but the ambience is good, and it has charm and quality to it that I find pretty enjoyable. The groove of his playing is good too. A nice way to end. It’s just a shame he wasn’t a bit more selective with his track choices.

The guy from Crosby, Stills, and Nash that I didn't really know too much about. It's a pretty ambitious country-rock record, pretty dirty and based in the grittier roots of rock ' n ' roll at times, with songs like 'Right Now' or 'Jet Set' which has a pretty out-of-left-field but honestly great psychedelic jam switch-up. But also this record's not afraid to get on the softer side of things with a good chunk of the songs near the middle. It's a cool record, I suppose; it tackles many different country-adjacent sounds with varying degrees of success. The highlights were there: 'Both Of Us (Bound To Lose' and 'Colorado' are about as perfect as you can get with early '70s soft country-rock music. I love the quaint folksiness of a track like 'Jesus Gave Love Away For Free' as well. Admittedly, Stills I find doesn't grab me as a vocalist, especially when compared to a guy like Crosby or Neil Young, but he gets the job done. And he has a knack for melody at the end of the day. Given how massive this record is, I found it very difficult to digest on a first go-through, especially given the fact that there's just so much thrown at you. But it definitely piqued my interest, and I'll likely be revisiting it in the future. Good album

Czasem muszę wziąć głęboki wdech zanim napiszę coś na temat niektórych płyt. Cóż, tutaj też. W ogóle nie wzruszyli mnie ci grzeczni panowie śpiewający trochę o codziennym życiu, trochę o dziewczynach, trochę o dawaniu miłości za darmo jak Jezus… I to jeszcze w takiej otoczce country-folku do potupania nóżką, karczmianym nastroju, no dla mnie to jest po prostu nie do przełknięcia. Dziadostwo, co poradzę 🤷‍♀️

A long album. Seems fine, but not much more. Blues Man was a great song, wish it had more of stuff like that one.

Really vibed

álbum excessivamente grande e chato. me poupe.

Just meh, don't really know what it's doing that justifies it being on this list, not bad and there are some great moments but it's very generic for alot I've heard from this period. Maybe I'm lacking context on a lot of this, albums being influential at the point of release but have aged poorly?

I really like how each side has a subtitle. That’s the kind of lost charm of how records were, especially a double album vs. CD’s. You could choose to play side 1, record 1 and listen to the “The Raven” or side 4, record 2 and jam the songs of “Rock & Roll is Here to Stay”. I mean, you can still do that, but it doesn’t have the same aesthetic. The recording sessions weee frenetic and manic with Stills doing marathon sessions and calling the musicians and engineers into a the studio and releasing them on a whim. Sometimes genius is erratic, I guess. The stories of the album are as legendary as this essential album is. It’s a varied and creative effort. Not QUITE Stephen Stills at his peak, but maybe at A PEAK? That works for me. My biggest complaint is the length... they coulda cut out several filler songs and kept the record at a reasonable length, possibly a single album. But, it's been over 50 years and there's really no fixing that now, eh?

A sprawling double album from Stills's band Manassas, organized in four thematic sides that move through different styles. Chris Hillman and Al Perkins bring the country and bluegrass connection, Paul Harris is on keys, and Joe Lala's percussion runs through the whole record. The best description is a melting pot rather than any single genre. The percussion adds rhythmic texture across the styles but doesn't make it a Latin record. The musicianship and harmonies are the strength. The band plays loose and tight at once, and the vocal blends are great throughout. The country and bluegrass side lands softer than the rest, and the record is at its best when it returns to the blues, where Stills's guitar and the band's chemistry are most alive. There are no major hits here. That's the honest limitation: a band record rather than a singles record, and one where the double album length asks for some forgiveness, like Something/Anything? and Electric Ladyland before it. The four-side structure helps, since each side has its own mood and can be taken in pieces. A four that the playing, the harmonies, and the blues earn, held just short of five by the lack of standout moments and the stretches that didn't connect.

If "this meeting could have an email" were an album Some good points but didn't need to be a double album

I was excited for this one but every song sounds the same tbh.

Dreary and boring.

Good instruments, and amazing vocals. The songs aren't really my thing, but the musicianship are great.

Shite

Talented but not my style of music

Fine. This is just fine.

649/1089 - And people say Steely Dan was a bad band to work with. It's fine overall; some alright country rock.

MAN ASS AS WHAT???? I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. maybe it's because I was driving as the sun was rising and it just felt right. some songs were very miss but what worked, worked. that one song sounds like the start of the George Lopez theme and it awoke me like a sleeper agent (anyway) note about the album cover, i do enjoy that it lists everyone's name, it's like the start of a powerpoint group presentation. everyone is included!!!:) faves: so begins the task Johnny's garden

Yeah i like this, but just like it. It was enjoyable to listen to with its folky/jam band interwoven vibe. Just had this on in the background at work and it did perfectly as background music lol. It’s wayyyyy too long and so many songs sound the same, what’s up with that. Yup, it’s ok/5. Gimmie something looney tunes for tomorrow pls.

nice enough, but nothing special. Can't help feel like he needs a couple of friends (or maybe occasionally three friends) to jam with

Pleasant, but way too long.

I don’t know - another average record with no hits from a member of famous group. Is this just here to show he had a solo career? That’s all I got from this. Don’t get me wrong there’s talented playing and such but I’ve heard this 1 million times before.

nice enough

6.2/10

I don’t doubt Stephen Still’s commitment to his craft, you can hear how earnest he is in songs like “Colorado”. He seems to have assembled a group of musicians who match both his vision and skill. But holy hell I don’t want to listen to over an hour of this. It just doesn’t scratch any itches for me, especially when there’s plenty of CSN on this list. “So Begins The Task” was the prettiest of the songs, but only because it leans into that much more appealing CSN sound he had with the group. Pains me to say I’m giving this a 2/5, even if it’s charming at points

self-titled debut double album of manassas, a rock band led by stephen stills. the band had been playing together while working on past album concepts, and the chemistry between the guys was so strong they decided to make a band. the roughly 70-or-so minute collection of records exhibits songs with a wide amount of genre overlap, four different themes make up each quarter of the album. the album was pretty successful when it came out, reaching to no. 30 in the uk and no. 4 on billboard's album chart, reviewers treating it as stills' comeback. holy cow what a little journey huh? this album just flings you from a rock and roll party to a hoedown to artsy fusion. part of the fun is anticipating where you'll go next. a lot of songs are really delightful for the most part. i think out of all four parts, i think the first and third parts are the strongest. but a lot of it is some good old-fashioned '70s soft rock... and i really really really can't complain about listening to that. for a double album it didn't feel too long or sluggish.

All over the place. Some songs are good. Some not so good. If this had been trimmed to around 40 minutes a very good album could have been produced. At least none of the songs outstayed there welcome.

Album started out strong and surprisingly took a more country/slower turn towards the end

This was a longe album but there were a lot more misses than hits for me. Maybe a bit too bluegrass influenced for me.

Good old fashion country bumpkin blues Not really my taste, and the runtime was pretty long Notable tracks: both of us (bound to lose)

I have honestly nothing noteworthy to say about this album. There wasn't anything bad or especially great. Tempted to give it a three but I would never likely seek it out or pick it up again to listen and so that makes me bump it down to it two.

A mix of yacht rock and country, which is a shame really as i can't really stand either. Bland, mawkishly earnest, deeply mid.

2.75 I wanted to hate this album. I'm not a big Crosby Stills and Nash guy. "Oh look we can harmonize" man shut the fuck up. But unfortunately, the opening tracks bang. Four straight blues rock bangers. But then by track 5 the album takes a turn. Had to look it up (because I was streaming it) and the double LP breaks down each side to its own group. So because of that, Im going to rate each side and average it out: The Raven: 4- Blues rock bangers that just blend into one another The Wilderness: 2.5- country folk now, getting close to the CSN sound. some good ones. Notably 'So Begins the Task' and 'Hide it So Deep' Consider: 1.5-trash. These have to be CSN demos or something. 'Bound to Fall' and "Love Gangster" not bad though. Rock & Roll Is Here To Stay: 3- pretty good Average of 2.75

I appreciate the songwriting, excellent band, and musical chops on this album. My issue with it is that so much of it is boomer white man rock... and this is coming from a close to boomer age white man. I found it boring and way too long. I enjoyed the more roots-oriented "second side" and songs like "Johnny's Garden." But it overstays its welcome and loses steam well before it ends. If it had been a single album it could have been as good as the best CSN and CSNY albums.

I wonder if Stephen Stills was underrated in CSNY after hearing this. Very much part of the tasteful 70s rock palette but I also like the forays into country and roots. Being a double album there's of course some forgettable songs but lots that grabbed me, like Song of Love, Colorado and How Far. This band he assembled was top notch and Stills himself is a phenomenal musician.

Way too long. I was surprised to enjoy some of the songs, I wasn’t optimistic based on the description. It’s funny, for an album marked as blues rock it was mostly folk/americana. And I was partially right to be wary going in, the blues rock songs on here stink, they’re dullsville. But the folkier and jammier stuff was pretty ok.

I hear nothing that makes me think this was in the slightest worth my time.

2.5 Rounded down for just being so long

stop adding those old folks to this list, nobody really likes it.

First time I put this on I was driving and felt like the huge range of styles and total length of this album was a lot to take in. I did a little reading and learned it was supposed to be a double album with 4 distinct sides. I listened to it again with this in mind and a bit more familiarity with some of the tracks and have got to say this is pretty great. It's still super thick and feels a bit manic (also might be reading too much in to the chaos of the recording process) but I'm convinced Stephen Stills was somewhat of a savant. I think it's easy to be fooled by the folk undertones into thinking this isn't super complex and ambitious but it certainly is. I'm still not always in the mood and sometimes his music feels a little too Americana, but this won me over and can hear why it is a standout album.

I love CSNY, and CSN, and just Y, but I don’t know if S needed multiple albums on a list of 1001 albums to hear before you die. That said, other than being a bit too long, this album is actually pretty good and I enjoyed it more than the last Stephen Still album that was generated.

Начинался альбом очень круто, я даже успел обрадоваться, что, наконец, нашелся хороший альбом, о котором я раньше не слышал. Но с Fallen eagle, альбом стал потихоньку снижать планку, и в итоге после яркого старта под конец остались крайне неоднозначные впечатления

The album is ok in the most ok est way possible.

I was going to rate this lower, but the string of songs from “It Doesn’t Matter” to “The Treasure” were great! A little too munch hockey tonk in the previous tracks for me. But even then, still a solid album. 3.5/5

It’s just so mid and overlong for really no reason.

Waited an hour for something to happen

It was fine. Thought Stephen Stills was the less rocky guy of the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young quartet, but got a surprise.

It started off with some enjoyable dad rock, before becoming a bit too country dad rock

3.5

The first side of this album is absolute gold. Honestly that latin rhythm jamming just really got me going through that side. Then it just kind of takes me for a loop cuz it goes straight into basically country rock that I think the Byrds did a lot better a few years earlier with Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Side three sounds more of the standard Stephen Stills affair. I think it closes pretty well on side four with the kind of a straightforward rock and roll sound I'm not sure how this album would sound if I listen to it on LP because each side is its own entity. Unfortunately when you listen to it on streaming it seems every time it switches to an another side there's a continuity break, when technically he was looking at the pauses in changing the record as a way to kind of reset. You don't get that luxury with streaming and it's probably works for its detriment. (8.33) ★★★★

I think this is good, but too long. 3.5 stars

I like the second half better than the first. First side sounded like an Allman Bros meets Santana knock-off and the second side a poor man's Eagles. Third side is kind of CSN style Stills and the last is him going for a Neil Young sound. "Move Around" and "The Treasure" were songs that kind of stood out, but the whole thing was pretty uneventful. Light 3 stars.

We had the Stephen Stills self-titled solo album a little while back and that was enough Stephen Stills for me. A double album of this is just dispiriting. Ordinarily 3 stars for being meh but minus an extra start for all the double album padding. Songs In The Key Of Man Asses.

Some outstanding Americana, superbly executed by a crack band, but though also a fair amount of trimmable fat across 70+ minutes

It's a good album with solid musicianship from the supergroup that Stephen Stills compiled. The album is long, and the tracks are sometimes a bit overwhelming with sound because there is so much going on in them. The panning saves the day by at least letting you hear each instrument in a different spot, but it's still a lot. Not a big fan of the vocals, and might like the tracks better if they were purely instrumental. "Johnny's Garden" and "Right Now" may be my favorite selections.

Its totally peepaw music and I'm here for it. Lesser known for his solo work Stephen Stills was definitely a staple of CSN (&Y) but I wasn't familiar with his solo album. Its starts off rich and robust with blues and americana historical themes. Great standards, but towards the middle and end it gets lost in a sea of over produced 70s slow blues rock and pop rock that all kinda sounds the same. A double album was not quite neccessary, if it were stripped down to 35-40 mins and 7 great songs it might be a 4 star album. But, 3 stars on the end product being a chore to enjoy.

"Wow de här låter verkligen som Crossby, Stills och ... jaha jo" --> Banger!

Great album with lots of good stuff, a few parts that could be cut or that just kind of wander along, and some parts that feel more country inspired than others. Overall great songs.

"Manassas" is a breakup record in two ways, both from his partner (Stills had recently split with Rita Coolidge, who left him for his former bandmate Graham Nash) and from his band, so it's no wonder he wanted to show his range. There's plenty of ideas packed into this, and the musicianship is as excellent as you'd expect, but it's a rather sprawling, incoherent double album. Like George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass", which came out of a similar situation, liberation needed an editor. Stylistically, it's all over the place, but rather than shuffling these styles, they've been filed into quarters (each side of the album on vinyl). The first quarter is the most conventional - straight ahead blues-rock, with some Latin tinges, but the shift from the 1st to the 2nd quarter - as the hoedown fiddle stomps in with "Fallen Eagle" - is so abrupt its comical. The second quarter, for which he brought in some of the Flying Burrito Brothers, is fun, and sticks with the folksier material, including some gospel numbers, and "Colorado", a beautiful slice of country-rock-pop. The third quarter's identity is smoother rock, and includes a couple of my favourite tunes: the psychedelic "Move Around" which has an almost dream-pop vibe (and includes some token Moog); and the heavy groove of "The Love Gangster" which could be on a blaxpoitation soundtrack. The last quarter finishes off with psych-inflected, wah-wah soaked rootsy rock: "The Treasure" is great country-funk, including a brilliant guitar solo, although the shuffle outro that takes the track to 8 minutes could've been omitted - that seems like the kind of creative decision made with the help of a hefty cocaine habit. I'm not crazy about Sills' voice by itself, but when it's part of the CNS&Y signature stacked harmonies it's incredible, and thankfully that happens plenty on this album - those harmonies can be iced on top of pretty much anything, it turns out. In fact, if there is a common thread running through the stylistic jumble of this album, it's that sound. But there are better, more coherent examples, with better songs, so this probably isn't an album I'll be returning to often.

I like it, but I don’t love it. I love that thick early 70s sound with multi tracked vocals and guitars and acoustic guitars on top. I love the crunchy guitar solos. The musicianship is great. I’ll definitely play this again, but probably more for general ambience and vibe. The songs themselves just aren’t quite there in my opinion. All very early 70s driving music, nice overall feel, without any killer melodies or hooks or riffs.

Eh. Not my music.

Manassas by Stephen Stills is a long album and, at times, not an easy listen. I’ve always thought double albums are rarely improved by being double albums, and this is another one that could have benefited from a lot of the filler being taken out. There’s nothing particularly terrible about it, but so much of the album is just really generic and boring. The musicianship is obviously good, but too many songs drift by without anything grabbing my attention. At over an hour, that makes it feel like a real slog in places. There’s also quite a lot of religious imagery and references to God running through parts of the album, which did very little for me. Combined with the country, folk and blues influences, there were long stretches where I simply lost interest. There are some good moments though. “So Begins the Task” is a really nice song, while “Don’t Look at My Shadow” and “It Doesn’t Matter” were also highlights. There’s probably a decent single album hiding somewhere inside Manassas, but as a double album there’s just far too much here that I wouldn’t bother listening to again. Favourite tracks: “So Begins the Task”, “Don’t Look at My Shadow” and “It Doesn’t Matter”. Least favourite track: Nothing was particularly awful, there was just far too much forgettable filler. Album artwork: Pretty standard album cover. Stephen Stills with all of his friends.

If you didn’t know any better, you’d think it was CSN. There are some gems here among the duds.

Enjoyed

I like the feel and style

#270/1001 🇺🇸 First listen - enjoyed this very much. An easy going mix of country, blues, soul and bluegrass. A reminder to listen more to the back catalogue of CSNY. Best Tracks: Jet Set (Sigh), Colorado, It Doesn't Matter, Johnny's Garden, How Far, Move Around.

I quite enjoyed this but as others have suggested, there’s nothing in it that made me think that I must listen to it again.

This is fine

Good southern rock sound with some solid tracks

A classic rock record I've slept on. I've always liked Stills work in CSNY and Buffalo Springfield, but never checked out his short-lived (other) supergroup he formed. Side B of the first half I could sleep on, but the rest of the album is full of some good music. An album that ensures Stephen Stills earned his spot on the CSNY supergroup.

A lot! Seems like a lot of cool stuff. But it's pretty range with some rockier stuff, bluesy stuff, countryish bits, bluegrass, revival folk of course. I generally find double albums a bit tough to get into and this one pushes that further with the lack of through line. It's cool stuff though.

Ihan okei oli tämä. Kantria folkkihöysteillä. Ei kuitenkaan mitään niin erikoista että jatkokuunteluun menisi.

Levy selkeesti koostu neljästä osasta (Wikipedia tukee tätä huomiota), kaikki muut osat oli kovin mukavaa ja menevää rokkenrollia, paitsi toinen osa joka oli vähän puskista tuleva kantrilevy. Se vei osaltaan vähän fiilistä suuntaan, että levy oli hieman sekava kokonaisuus, kun ei välissä tarvinnut fyysisesti "vaihtaa levyä". Kantriseinään törmäämistä lukuun ottamatta oli kuitenkin viihdyttävä levy.

Too f ing long

This is enjoyable background countryfolkblues getmesomemoonshine andageetar Manassary.

Best Track - "Colorado"

Hey, I've been there!

Pretty standard 70s southern rock with some country influences thrown in too. This was perfectly fine to have on in the background but I didn't think much of it other than the fact that it overstayed it's welcome slightly.

Very enjoyable. Blues/rock with a nice 70s vibe. Would I listen to again in full, maybe. Will I save it on Spotify, yea Would I own it on Vinyl cos I want to relisten to it often, nah

70s blues rock. Ok but boooooooring.

It’s alright but much of the same. Enjoyed others more.

Not bad, but often boring. A three minute song shouldn’t feel like seven minutes.

Pleasant listen

Good singer/songwriter, but a little too country sounding for my ear.

Second Stephen Stills in a row. I like most of this but not too fussed on the Chris Hillman stuff.

This album is interesting, a huge variety of styles throughout. The name Stephen Stills did not ring a bell immediately, but after looking him up, everything clicked. Stills as in Crosby Stills and Nash. And he was in Buffalo Springfield. This album is a massive collection of different talents active in the early 70s. There are some really good tracks, and others I don't like as much. I think it's interesting that each of the 4 sides had a different theme. Creative and interesting.

Well I had never heard of Stephen Stills before but here it is. Before listening the album I read some reviews and expected the worse...and was surprised with some really good melodies and sounds. The main problem of this album is that it's too long, but the first 10 songs are pretty varied and nice and I really like some harmonies and the melodies. It can get pretty much boring by the end, butbI am happy I got introduced by this challenge. 3/5

too long too monotone

I have respect for Stills as a guitarist, and think he wrote some great songs with CSNY and BS. But I've found his solo stuff really dull so far. A few decent songs scattered across this, but it's way too long to digest. Like most double albums, it should have be a single album.

Pretty alright southern fried rock, with some bluegrassy country in there, it was way too long though being a double album. Overall 3 stars

STEPHEN STILLS MAN ASSES STEPHEN S T I L L S

70