Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Enjoyable if overlong southern rock.
aaaa f
I still prefer Stills to Neil Young, Song of Love is excellent, Colorado is nice, it's solid but unspectacular country-rock stuff.
Dreary, boring, somewhere between country and rock, nothing to recommend it really. A handful of passable tracks, the best you can say about the rest is that it's not actively unpleasant. 2/5.
Started well then became a mosh mash that felt like it would be annoying to listen to on repeat. Loved the bluesy bits.
Cat: I liked it. Rock and rollll
this was ok
That was pleasant enough. Couple of the more country ones grabbed my attention a bit but don't know name
It's good old fashioned rock. Don't know much more to say about it. Most of the songs are fairly similar.
It's probably rounding up a wee bit, but there's enough solid rock, bluegrass, folk on this to easily appreciate. the slide guitar and the harmonies are spot on and the variety keeps it interesting (though it occasionally is a little corny when a bluegrass intro spins up). overall enjoyable.
Excellent blues rock guitar. Most songs would be improved by removing the vocals.
I liked it would listen again
This feels like a real journey through American music. A long, thorough journey, but also a quite lovely one.
This album eased into my ears nicely today. Again, a bit on the longish side, and that made it difficult for me to get an uninterrupted listen in, but I got a couple times through, eventually.
The first time I heard Johnny's Garden, it was playing in our favorite hipster burrito restaurant and I had a pretty nice margarita buzz going. I scribbled some lyrics on a napkin so I could do an AltaVista search to find the name of the artist and buy the CD. Could I give it some of the same criticism as I recently did for Christina Aguilera --- that it's long and the songs are kind of samey? --- why yes I could. And yet, this is a favorite. Top shelf.
Really amazing collection of songs. Plenty of variety, I listened to this all three times today! Terrific!
Pretty jamming’ overall. Jet Set is a nice blues rock jam! Really like the outro into Anyway. This is nice classic rock. Johnny’s Garden is a nice tune. Not sure I’ve heard it before but definitely jumps out as a hit. Really pretty good! I think I’ll listen more.
I had never heard of this one. It was pretty good!
A double album from 1/4 of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Technically Manassas is it's own band, but who's keeping track? There's a nice easiness to the album as Stills gently sings his little songs. Occasionally leans more county than folk. Nothing wrong with that, just an observation. As is the case with double albums, it runs longer than i would usually like and tends to wear me down a bit. That being said, it never feels like the album hits a low point. Every track is a pleasant listen. I also don't remember a single track. It's nice for what it is.
Decent
Stick with Crosy, Nash and sometimes Young.
"Manassas" is the debut double album by blues-rock group Manassas. Manassas was a super group of sorts led by Stephen Stills (vocals, guitars, various instruments) and included Chris Hillman (guitars, vocals) of the Byrds/Flying Burrito Brothers and various other session musicians. Each of the four album sides had a name and a different musical style which included rock and Latin, country, folk and blues and rock. The album was critically well received and commercially reached #4 in the US. Amazingly, when the album hit #4, a David Crosby/Graham Nash album and Neil Young's "Harvest" were also in the top 5. Side One is called "The Raven" and features rock and Latin sounds. "Song of Love" starts things off with a slide guitar, organ and congas. A nice guitar solo (plenty of those throughout). He's questioning the Vietnam War. "Melody- Rock & Roll Crazies/Cuban Bluegrass" was the second single released. Layered guitars. Lots of going musically. The song takes off and speeds up. The craziness of the musical business. Chris Hillman takes over the lead vocals on "Both of Us (Bound to Lose)." Electric piano, Latin beats. It's dreamy. One of the best songs on the album. Side Two is called "The Wilderness" and is country/bluegrass. A fiddle and harmonizing vocals on "Fallen Eagle." "So Begins the Task" has a steel guitar and rich harmonies. This song reminded me of "Marrakesh Express." Side Three is the folk-rock "Consider." It has the first single "It Doesn't Matter." This is more traditional rock...layered guitars and harmonies. Stills giving some of his opinions on Crosby and Nash. "The Lone Gangster" got my attention with its wah-wah guitar. Side Four "Rock & Roll is Here to Stay" is rock and blues and my favorite of the four sides. "Right Now" is the most rockin' song on the album. It has the fastest pace and sounds urgent. Slide guitar. Piano. I'm thinking hes taking swipes again at Crosby and Nash and former girlfriend Rita Coolidge. The album ends with a slow blues acoustic guitar number in "Blues Man." It's a tribute to Hendrix, Al Wilson and Duane Allman. This is a lot of music and is musically very busy with 7+ instruments going off sometimes simultaneously. There is a variety of styles but the constant for the most part was Stephen Stills' voice. That was kind of getting to me as were the CSN sounding harmonies. No doubt, the mmusicianship and song structure are top notch. The lyrics are strong. If you are Crosby, Stills and Nash fan, you should find this enjoyable.
Some good tracks but nothing great and got me excited to hear the next track. I tink a solid 3 is a perfect rating.
The blues rock part had some interesting ideas but everything was really mis. Than the album got to country rock and was the embodiment of everything I hate about it. Than some other genres passed but I was already done with the album. Did not finish it.
Fun for a bit but not for over an hour, give us a break Stephen.
Very calming and peaceful album. Some songs give me a Steely Dan vibe, mixed with Jimmy Buffett (may he rest in paradise). Overall, a fan! I've seen this album before at the record store and paid no attention to it. It will definitely be something I add to my collection next time I come across it. Great work vibe album! Have been enjoying it all day - 3:41 PM, 6 Sept. 2023
Pleasant sounds, quite easy to listen to
I expected to dislike this, but it turns out even a lesbian can like some man asses.
i came away from manassas with more appreciation for stephen stills. of the supergroup CSNY, stills was the last one to prove their significance to me. i can't say i was wowed by this album, so i'm at a middle-of-the-road 3, but i appreciate his songwriting and music creation now. tied with his buffalo springfield roots, this album does have more of a country and blues tilt. it wasn't easy listening like how yacht rock is, but there was that general ease that comes from blues music. and i say this even with manassas being a double album! the last song acted as a tribute to recently deceased musicians/friends. having "blues man" as the closing track of a supergroup's debut album tugs at the old heartstrings. "such a waste, left such a space."
Here I was thinking Manassas was just the name of the album, but it is actually the name of the band too, fronted by Stephen Stills! I had never heard of this Stills project before, so I was certainly intrigued. I was not surprised to hear the folk, country, blues, and rock influences on this album. What I was surprised to hear was the touch of Latin sounds permeating this album! Speaking of the Latin sounds, Side A on this double album was dedicated heavily to that sound, I noticed, with other sides focusing in other areas. It was a neat way to organize the album by themes, and yet even when considered as a whole the double album sounded altogether cohesive, too. I can see where this album was incredibly influential, too. Arriving in 1971, nearly all of the genres on display here seemed to be in incredibly "mature" forms...all of this sounds like music from much later in the 1970s. It's wild to think that this multi-genre album was likely influencing the future of ALL of the multiple genres represented here. There are a lot of band members here, and they're all great representatives of their particular role in the band. This is a full-sounding, well done album. I'd rate it higher than a 3 for sure, but not quite high enough for a 4.
Good
Good collection. Not so keen on the Byrds twangy country section, but the rest is high class CSN&Y. 3.5
Another bunch of crappy country songs
zzzzzzzzzzzz
Nice
Schon wieder Stills? 71 Minuten? Puh, das kann ja was werden. - Gefällt mir um Längen besser als sein Solodebüt-Album, dümpelt aber am Anfang vor sich hin und wird erst im letzten Drittel interessant. Viel zu lang. Fast drei Sterne.
Set the scene well and I liked a couple of songs but it’s always going to get marked down for being stupidly long.
Boring
A supremely talented musician and songwriter, and this is a fine album.
3.5
Good drivin’ music.
Yeah, man. Just yeah. Gimme all the generic white dude 70s rock. I’ve been in such a rut with this project, but this could be an uptick. It’s a bit too long, too many noodling tracks at the end, but it’s Saturday so whatever. You go, Stills, you go.
This took a lot of listening to before I really got into it. It is a good collection of west coast, americana and country, with similarities in places to the Band, Grateful Dead and early Eagles. Can't say there were many stand out tracks, but Colorado, So begins the task and Move around were all decent
Not for me at all.
I’m not a huge CSB fan but it was interesting to discover Stills had a different band for a few years.
Much bluegrassier than the other Stills, couldn't get into it very much
Wasn’t really good. felt really long and no stand out songs. needed more “love the one your with” esq songs
Meh. Felt like every song sounded exactly the same, which made this a slog to get through.
3-4
3.6 - A crowd-pleasing option for when you’re entertaining your Republican in-laws. Side A makes me picture a Tom Selleck-looking dude cruising down California’s highway 1 in a convertible Trans Am, heading to the beach with a lady friend. “Fallen Eagle” changes the vibe abruptly to farmers market-style country/gospel/bluegrass. From there, it sounds mostly like inconsequential Eagles-type rock but with better guitar licks and a more firm foundation in 12-bar blues. Check out the shimmery guitar and synths on “Move Around.”
Waaaaay too long! You can’t listen to this album and be grumpy at the same time. It’s hard to be mad at it. It just feels good all the way through. It is upstaged quite a bit by the songwriting genius of both CSN and Harvest which came out the same year, but I don’t think it’s totally fair to compare them. This is a different vision of that sound. I just was always waiting for the song to appear, but they rarely materialized. I thought the playing was terrific. Wild reading the harrowing stories of making this album and working under a cocaine-addled Stephen Stills for 100 hours a session! I liked it. 3/5
A great advert for double albums that might have made decent single albums. Sprawling, at times repetitive within each of the genres and could have done with a bit of sorting and editing. As a result the good points are diluted in a lot of so so tracks.
S'écoute bien, fait souvent penser à du Steely Dan. Ça fait un son vraiment carefree, idéal pour l'été. C'est un peu long par contre. 6/10
Sounds familiar, I guess I've been listening to a lot of this era music on the 1001.
This was a pretty fun listen - very repetitive, and I'm kind of done with the early-70s country-folk-blues-rock by white guys schtick - but it was done well. Colorado was a lovely song.
I don’t know SS from any of his solo work, and barely know him from his supergroup work with CSNY, but I enjoyed the first half of this album. I liked the song Jet Set a lot. Good intro to SS.
Not quite my cup of tea, it gets kinda gospel-y. It definitely feels very 70s, which is kinda fun, but I’m not a fan of this particular style. 2/5
Some good moments scattered on this inexcusably long album.
Folk music has so much more to offer than this.
Here are the nice folk songs you can find on this album : Both Of Us, So Begins The Task, It Doesn't Matter, Johnny's Garden, Move Around. The other songs are Claptoncore generic blues shit you don't need.
baita sonzao, rock e country
Too long. I gave up after 17 tracks. Made it longer than I thought I would but not particularly memorable for me. It's fine enough music just not for me I guess
If there's a correct ambition for an American double album, it's reflected here: Subdivide about four times, leave the borders fuzzy, play it out. Manassas surely benefits from a good mood: There's nothing in it to shock the emotional senses. Plenty of distinction, though. Stills's quietness works this time around.
Country-blues-folk-rock. Está bien. Un 4.
Country. No está mal.
cool
Kul opplevelse, stort album! Hørte det under fisketur alene I båten.
Too long not horrible but just meh
I've never heard this album before. I'm well acquainted with CSN and sometimes Y, but my only Stills solo material have been a couple of tracks on live albums. Pleasantly surprised! Interesting sound, material, songwriting, good harmonies. I'll have to listen more.
Stretches on a bit long, but he's a hell of a bluesy guitar player. 3/5
Solid album. Definitely Stills lead but you can hear Hillman’a influence bringing in that Byrds/Burrito Brothers sound. A wide swath of music with a country blues foundation.
Some very nice tunes. Growly guitar, I like that. Jesus, always good. Slide guitar. It's a little bit country, it's a little bit rock and roll. 3 / 5 stars.
It was okay, but nothing special. Just some good folk rock.
Funny, just last week I gave Stills’ recently released Live at Berkeley 1971 album a try, and gave up 4-5 tracks in on account of irrelevance. That conclusion still applies. Yes, credit should go to the mixing of genres, but still: We’ve moved on in the fifty plus years since this album.
C'est super bon, classique de ces années la. Un double album il y plein de super truc et plein de trucs que j'ai entendu des 100 de fois dans le genre. 4.25
I didn't hate it and it was actually quite pleasant listening in parts, but it didn't give me any reason to ever listen to this again. I think my main issue with this album is that the songs don't really have any relevance to me. The lyrics all seem to be about things I couldn't care less about, hippy concepts and lovey dovey stuff. I hovered between 2 and 3 stars for this.
missing CNY
I don't know if I'm just in a phase or what, but I'm having a hard time with all this classic rock. I used to consider myself a classic rock fan, but it's been wearing on me lately. I know Stephen Stills is hugely talented and all that, but how much classic rock does a person really need to hear before they die? The dominance of white boomer male taste on this list is really starting to grate.
I liked this album more than I thought I might, much better than Neil Young. (although what isn’t). I think that the album was a little long, but overall it was pretty good.
Hearing Stephen Stills' voice with a warm early 70s analog mix instantly turns me back into a 5yr old at the whim of dad's record player or AM radio in the station wagon. Problems with this (double) album are more than just that it's long; it more-than-occasionally threatens my tolerance for rootsy American rock (e.g. I don't like any of the country-tinged tracks on side 2 ("The Wilderness") of 4 - everything from track 6-11 is totally skippable for me). It's better on vinyl since you (I) can easily never put on side 2. Side 3 ("Consider") is so CSN in that apparently Stills almost actually named it "CSN" - I like 1 and 3 best; 4 is a little too clichéd early 70s rock. Obviously such a mixed bag, I could probably cut this down to a selective 8 song album to make it a high 4 but the bloat is way too much. 5/10 3 stars
did not enjoy this, as it sounds like someone asked AI to make a 70s rock album
Sweet
Pretty good for boomer music
A lot of range on this album. I liked some of the bluegrass inspired tunes and songs that were a little more proggy, but there was some other stuff that kind of fell flat. Not bad overall.
super mid album. I would have given it a 3, but it's 21 songs for no good reason. 2.5/5
Was not expecting to become a CSNY fan, but this is pretty cool, even for a lengthy double album. The guitar playing is really good, and helps to show off Stills’ songwriting. Would pick up a cheap copy. C+
Another slightly bland 70s country folk thing
Played well, sang well, just not my taste. The more psychedelic songs are OK, I hate the more Americana songs. Favorite song: it doesn't matter
Yeah, some good stuff. Generous 4
Journée de merde, le mood tracker tout ça
does it have to be that way ??? (1h15)
First half of the album reminds me of quintessential 80s driving montage.
I don't think you can truly go wrong with any of the CSNY bunch. I hadn't heard this one before and while there were some that I didn't particularly enjoy, there were others that I can't wait to listen to again. 3.5/5, rounded up to 4/5.
Some really good stuff! Enjoyed the variety of blues, bluegrass, and vocals.
Nice album, would be good for a summer BBQ
Super album
It was fine. Southern rock, but pleasant to listen to.
I've now had Stephen Stills' ambitious project "Manassas" on my list to review for a number of months. I've listened to it a few times in that period, and each time it has passed by perfectly pleasantly, like a summer's afternoon or an episode of Bake Off. The problem is this: Stephen Stills and his various folk-rock entourages have about as many albums in the 1001 club as there are summer afternoons or episodes of Bake Off. After so many, a bright blue sky is just air, a gorgeously presented gateau is just sugar, and a Stephen Stills-featuring album is just nice. The most interesting thing about "Manassas" (named after Stills' latest band, formed with restless ex-Byrd and Burrito Brother Chris Hillman) is that its loose structure allows a little more genre experimentation than Stills had done in the past, complimented by his ever-expanding ensemble and broadening horizons. The album is split into four sides: the first a homage to rock and Latin, while the second goes country/bluegrass, the third goes folk and the fourth opts for blues jams. My favourites were probably the middle two-sides, which seemed to have the giddiest, most care-free energy. "Colorado" and "So Begins the Task" are both standouts on the country end: breezy, lilting, highway-in-California-with-the-roof-down kind of songs. "Don't Look at My Shadow" is a buoyant, cartoonish bluegrass to send us skipping merrily into sunset. On the third side, "Johnny's Garden" and "How Far" are commendable folk-ish cuts. There are a handful of other highlights across the rest of the record: "Both of Us (Bound to Lose)" begins in plain beige dad-rock colours, before an explosion of Latin percussion and piano rhythms brings the song to a dazzling, technicolour close. The rest is middling and feels a little too inconsequential to reward repeated listens, with the final side in particular dragging its heels in self-indulgence. "Manassas" doesn't provoke a particularly strong reaction in me at any point - there's little sense of grit or emotion in these songs - but, like most Crosby Stills and Nash I've heard, it rarely stoops below a decent listen.
All of your favorite Crosby, Stills and Nash songs were written and sung by Stills. Same with Buffalo Springfield (it might just be the one Springfield song you've heard ad nauseam). Stills was apparently the first person to be elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. In the same year. So with that kind of resumé, this sort of pales. It's fine, nothing terribly memorable, nothing you'd hurry up and skip either. I suspect to hear more of Mr. Stills on at least one CSN album that will show up here, along with Buffalo Springfield. So we've awarded him plenty.
Love me some Stills especially with a super group, breaks my album length rule but I’m allowing a pass
Definitely sounds like an a Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young album. Or an album by one of them individually. Giants of folky rock. A good time! A little overlong.
3/10. no es pq sea country pero es cmo el pico. tiene algunas canciones q se salvan un poco pero en general son todas malas y fomes y las q no son tan malas musicalmente las arruinan la letra q es pesima en todas.
Has a vibe very in line with CSNY, a little more edgy and rock like than I picture from them. Segued perfectly into more of my favorite era of classic rock on Spotify too!
A very nice album though a bit all over the place that touches on country, blues and folk influences with even a little jazz thrown in. I'm not that big on the bluesy stuff but I can't fault the song writing nor the playing at all. A big sprawling epic of an album that I'm glad I was intrudeced to and which deserves more scrutiny. 4 stars
Man Asses.
Too damn long. Stephen Stillsinging more like. AMIRITE
Meg, it's fine. I can't really even muster up a solid review, but I don't hate it... so I guess that's alright.
This is pretty solid, I dig the vibe and all the awesome musical intricacies going on here... but this is starting to blend in with all the other 60s and 70s rock we've listened to so far and I think that's a big shame. Having said all that... i could only make it through about 10 of the 21 songs on this album, they were mostly fine, my favorite song of them was definitely "Both of Us", I loved the percussion.
Not for me
Enjoyed the two listens, would explore the lyrics and music further.
Stephen Stills serves you up a pleasant rock album that's slightly Southern fried on the one hand — a dash of Lynyrd Skynyrd, a sprinkle of the Allman Brothers — and a little meat 'n' potatoes country-folk on the other — a pinch of John Denver, etc. As a meal, there are a few great tracks but also a few bites too many (like so many double albums of the time). I was ready to excuse myself from the table before it was done.
It’s got a good sound to it, similar to the likes of the Allman Brothers, and CSN of course. Since it’s a double album, it’s got some fat that doesn’t add to the overall value
I'm not familiar with Stephen Stills, and I went into this feeling a bit skeptical just due to the genre fusion listed here. Rock, country, folk, psychedelic rock, and singer-songwriter? That's a lot of things and I wasn't sure how it was going to work. Turns out it works just fine. The music is pleasant throughout and there was nothing grating, nothing that made me want to skip a song or anything. However, I did find the majority of the album to be kind of boring, which is not at all what I expected. There were a few great songs on here that I'm sure I'll come back to, but I can't imagine I'll ever listen to this entire album again. Standout Tracks: "It Doesn't Matter," "Jet Set (Sigh)," "Song of Love," "Rock and Roll Crazies / Cuban Bluegrass"
- never heard of - eagles vibes - I like it
Didn't know a lot about Stephen Stills going in, just that he was in CS&N, who I only know a few songs from. I was pleasantly surprised. Great mix of a lot of genres (rock, country, blues, funk, etc.), nice harmonies and lyrics. I'm going to have to give this a 5/5 and listen to it again.
They don't make albums like they used to HOT DAMN. Continuity through a thoughtful 4 part album?! Sign me up Impressive segueing of styles and composition. A bit odd to listen to as such but really interesting
meh
Very cool mashing album of varying genres. Blues, folk, country, rock and roll, even some latin! While there's some really great songs on this album, I think it could've benefitted from some trimming. Some songs are just too run off the mill and don't stand out that much. Favorite lyrics: - But I'm all right you know I pay my dues - Is that really how you see me? Just a statue making sound. - Sing to the noble eagle. Help is on the way. - Come a woman who wants to be near. Me and my mountains, we'll be right here. - In the treasure of the oneness. That like sand becomes a diamond. Key tracks: - Song Of Love - Rock And Roll Crazies / Cuban Bluegrass - Jet Set (Sigh) - Anyway - Both Of Us (Bound To Lose - Colorado - So Begins The Task - It Doesn't Matter - Johnny's Garden - Bound To Fall - How Far 7,5 out of 10
I was quite enjoying this until "fallen eagle", which sounds like it's enjoyed by someone called Jeb who sits on his porch in a swing chair with a shotgun on his lap. There's a few tracks in this album that are genuinely decent southern rock fayre. The out-and-out county distracts from them, which is unfortunate.
I've not heard this before I don't think, I will ne listening to it again because it was a nice mix of fun and relaxing
Phenomenal.
boring
ughhh enough already i hate this shit
lol
Out of CSNY Stephen Stills is definitely my biggest blind spot. This is solid! Cool that we have a different member of the Byrds here in Chris Hillman. Steel guitar work is great. Wide range of genres is cool, though I wish it was sequenced to feel less jarring from track to track. I had not heard any of these before but they all felt pretty familiar, which was cool. Treasure is obviously the stand out.
Pretty good. I want this CD. 3/2/23
Never trust a hippy. This is a fabulously self-indulgent, self-important and cringeworthy album. The nadir is surely Jonathans Garden in which we have to consider the following: With his love And his carin' He puts his life Into beauty sharin' And his children Are his flowers There to give us peace In quiet hours I have considered it enough. One star.
The type of rock that makes me want to die
A bit on the dull side
who gave this mediocre band the confidence to debut with a double album 4/10
4/10. We don't need a spinoff album for every single member of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young…
Just drags on and on. 4/10
Liked the more folk rock songs, didn't care for the more bluesy numbers.
bluses babyyy
It is wild that this album shared the top 5 with albums by Neil Young and David Crosby/Graham Nash. This album didn't make a huge impression on me, but I thought it was good overall. There's a lot of variety to the music, which keeps it really interesting. Some of it is more like CSNY, and some of it is more straightforward blues, but it's all really well done 4/5
'Colorado' is a very nice song. The rest of the album is fine, but way too long. Those Moog interludes can take a dive too. I love the sound of they way they used to record drums in the early 70s. The drumming sounds amazing throughout. Doubt I'd every listen to this as an album again though. I guess that evens out to a three.
This album is a good balance of Stills' vocal and lyrical talents and a superb band. Probably 50 years since I last listened to it and it's as good as I remembered it.
An interesting record.
It’s a decent album, nothing objectionable about it, it’s just not really my style and wayyy too long
Meh. This was like an even more country Eagles album. Pleasant easy listening but nothing memorable.
Warm 70s fm rock. Will love to revisit. Out of CSNY I am the least familiar with S
I like how this is broken into 4 parts based on the sides of the vinyl. It is a bit long though and the middle is definitely slow at points. They are some great jams and songs in there. It’s crazy how much Stills pushed to get this finished and I do enjoy the country rock stylings of Chris Hillman. Not exactly a masterpiece, but would come back to this one.
Pretty diverse album with blues and bluegrass songs. I really fuck with Fallen Eagle.
Quite long but I won’t hold that against it. My biggest complaint is that the style of this album was all over the place, but the songs were actually quite solid.
This was a long album full of songs I kind of liked
The last song, Blues man, was good. The rest not so much. Fallen Eagle felt like a Disney style country song
The sounds are certainly true to the genre, and there are some winners, but overall, I feel the strength of the songs falls short of a 4.
Double album. Oh no. Stephen Stills. Oh no. Country rock. Oh no. Early 70s. Oh no. A fuckular concoction of elements most foul. My man ass did not enjoy this and I will certainly not be "spreading them cheeks".
Okay and stuff
Forgot how great this is. Lots of genre mixes but strong country. Chris Hillman!
learn "blues man" riff
A hard sort to review as I know I just like this blues country rock genre. Going for 3 as I enjoyed it all the way through and a couple of hooks stood out but not higher as felt no urge to listen to any of them again.
I’m not sure I needed to listen to this. It’s fine, just nothing out of the ordinary. Stills is still great, though, so I don’t wanna diss it too much.
Enjoyed this very much!
Curioso que este album de Stephen Stills si esté en Spotify no como otros del conjunto Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Suena muy bien desde el principio. Qué discazo!!! "Song of love", "Colorado", "It doesn't matter" o "Move around".
Nice 70 music. But not a classic like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. The music sounds kind of too country.
This is the album that got me to like Stephen Stills. Bluesy, laid back sound featuring some really strong musicianship. Love the low key Latin percussive vibe on some of the songs. I do think this would have made a spectacular single disk. As a double album, it feels a bit watered down and the best tracks get buried. Fave Songs: It Doesn't Matter, Colorado, Song of Love, Anyway, How Far, Rock & Roll Crazies/Cuban Bluegrass, Hide It So Deep, Don't Look at My Shadow
HL: "Jesus Gave Love Away For Free", "Colorado", "It Doesn't Matter", "Move Around" First I'm hearing of the supergroup known as Manassas. I did appreciate how each side is curated by style/genre; my favourite might be the country/western side 2 somehow. So points for organization, and points taken off for the bloat shared by its contemporaries "Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs" & "All Things Must Pass", without the soaring heights of "Layla" or even "Frankie Crisp". January 14, 2023 Note to self: doing this 1st thing in the morning just works
A Laurel Canyon hootenanny. A fun listen for an insight into these rockers' creative process, but not something I'd put on heavy rotation.
Quality American blues/folk/country rock
Honestly I quite enjoyed this, more than I was expecting. I think this was an example of an album suiting my day perfectly, having spent an afternoon driving along an old country road into Warwickshire to run an errand. Worked nicely with seeing the sun setting over the horizon on a winter day at the very beginning of the year. I really liked the Latin vibes at the end of Both of Us (Bound to Lose), and the whimsical country vibes of Fallen Eagle and Don't Look at My Shadow was fun. However, Bound to Fall came on at just the right time, just at the last glimpses of the sun before it set, to make it a real special moment. I just wish that song was longer. Yes I'm certainly not in the American South, but whatever. This album had a bit of everything to do with Southern Rock, Country, Blues and Folk, and while it probably wouldn't appeal to me on a normal day, it worked exceedingly well today. This is going into my driving playlist. Favourite: Bound to Fall
Lively, lovely and groovy, in equal measures. Latin-country-blues-rock-LA sound-etc...
Just plain boring, overlong, and stale. Only gets two stars for the level of musicianship at play, plus some enjoyable guitar runs mixed into the hour of dull twang.
So the month after this was released Rolling Stone mag decided not to put Stills on its cover and instead decided to put Keith Partridge on the cover. What a dis. Stills getting away from pure folk and multipart harmonies that defined CSN was a good thing. The country tunes and Byron Berline's capable fiddle playing make for some excellent toe tappers. On the other hand, this album is the poster child for the need to remove albums from the 1001. It's important that the list is refreshed as new years come and go since we would otherwise have a stale list. Also with the goal of keeping the list from getting stale, albums that are no longer relevant need to be yanked. This album is a good candidate. Music is a 3 but -1 for losing to Keith Partridge. Man that's gotta hurt.
I didn’t have a lot time to listen to this, so maybe a second or third listen would have brought a few things to the surface that I would have found more palatable, so I’ll add a point. I liked the songs on side 4 best, the “rock n’ roll” side.
Don’t need to hear it again.
didn't finish very honky tonk jesus
Didn’t know this. Interesting mix of rock and roll and bluegrass etc.
not my taste, not into it
I thought this was great. Great playing, great atmosphere
A rockin journey through the Southern States locked in the boot of a car. Please let me out.
Molasses
I can't put my finger on why I just didn't like this album, I liked all the pieces individually (the music, the vocals, the lyrics, etc) but there's just something about them all coming together that just felt bland... Best tracks were Bound to Fall and Move Around.
Just a bunch of sweet jams by one of the best to ever do it. Best track: Colorado
It’s good. Definitely hear the CS+N in this album a couple times. Overstays it’s welcome, though some of the instrumental jams make up for that.
classic rock. tooooo long. toooo many ideas. some truly good radio repeats. starts strong and fizzles by the end. whatever. probably more like a 2.5.
As soon as I saw "double album" I knew we were in trouble. A double album in the early seventies, what a recipe for disaster. As Emily Bronte once noted about Austen's Pride and Prejudice, "sprawling masterpiece my arse". Who did these hippies think they were? There's something horrible about the whole CSN (and sometimes Y) thing and the reverence that they are afforded. Has anyone taken themselves more seriously than Stephen Stills? I mean rock and roll, in all its guises, is supposed to be fun. Oh dear, each "side" has a "theme", my favourite being "Consider" which is side 3. Let me tell you anyone who makes it to side 3 has a lot to "consider", like what life choices did I make to be listening to Manassas. And poor Chris Hillman, a fine musician cursed to be constantly standing in the background to self obsessed hippies and weirdos. I've listened to the whole thing, and bar one or two tracks it is in the same key and tempo throughout each of his so called "themes". The whole thing just grinds on and on and on. And please, I don't care how good the playing is if the tunes are rubbish and the singing dreadful. Graham Nash tells a great story about he and Stills were given a personal preview by Dylan of the new songs for Blood on the Tracks. Nash walked away stunned by how good they were, Stills could only comment that Dylan was a terrible guitar player. That's cause he wouldn't know what a good song sounds like to save his life. 0/5
Quality musicians, good range of music…but nothing to grab my attention.
I bought the cassette of this album from a bargain bin back in the day. Then promptly loaned it to my dear friend, & future NDP senator, Bob Wood, and that was the last I ever saw or heard of it. Until today. What a terrific listen, although, like a lot of double albums, it was probably an album overweight. Stills is in top form on this, & a lot of it has to do with the band, particularly the great Chris Hillman. Many styles are traversed - bluegrass (Fallen Eagle); country(Jesus Gave Love Away For Free); acoustic blues (Blues Man)and great rock & roll (It Doesn’t Matter still slays me. There are also a lot of obvious influences, to my ear, anyway : Rock & Roll Crazies is reminiscent of Stills’s own Love The One You’re With; Both Of Us reminds me of Neil Young’s The Loser; So Begins The Task could be C,S& N ; Hide It So Deep harks back to Hank Williams; Right Now opens just like a Stones’ song. I can also hear Jimmy Buffet & Lynyrd Skynyrd, but it was them being influenced by Manassas. The second album is not as strong as the first, but hey, I’m not quibbling. It was so good to hear this again.
A double album, recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami in the 1970s. Many multiple takes of every song, recording sessions lasting over four days without a break, obsessive work and re-work from one of rock's most arrogant men. Stills claimed that critics hated him (possibly true), that he was passed over for the cover the Rolling Stone in favour of David Cassidy (probably true), and that Ahmet Ertegun pulled the album from stores as soon as it went gold to force him back to CSN (paranoid much?). Do I detect the influence of ... cocaine? In a June 1972 review for The San Diego Door, Cameron Crowe said "Manassas always remains admirable if not exciting. The musicianship is generally excellent with the only pitfall being that the droning Stills' vocal pervades all but one of the LP's sixteen cuts". He also stated the "lyrics represent a low-point in Stills' lyricist career". I tend to agree.
not for me
2.5 it's fine
Notes - Debut album by Stephen stills’ band manassas - Split into 4 sections, each with their own genre and style - Rock, bluegrass, folk, blues - Sections 2 and 4 less effective - The folk-rock sections are best - Featuring Chris hillman of the Byrds! - Part of the Crosby stills Nash and young cinematic universe - This album is so long, 21 songs - Could’ve been 12/13 fav - it doesn’t matter - great harmonies and phaser-y guitars Least fav - dont look at my shadow - biy too yeehaw 3/5 - pretty good but needed more focus and finesse
A little sprawling and unfocused at times, but the overall effect felt worth the time, and some really stellar pieces I hadn’t heard before pushed it into great territory.
J’ai l’impression qu’il s’agit d’un album exemplaire d’une époque, avec les guitares, les voix en harmonie. J’aime bien, sans plus.
Some CSN, some CBGB.
Outdated album, in my opinion. Couple of interesting country/southern style rock, but otherwise nothing special. Really forgettable experience.
Early-70s Blues-/Southern Rock without any redeeming qualities. 2/5
Started okay but dragged by half way through.
This was pretty good, some surprisingly heavy tracks (Stills has an almost grungy tone to his voice which was very unexpected considering the release date of this) and a nice blend of southern rock and folk subgenres. Pretty damn long but it changed things up just enough
A really enjoyable and consistent album. ‘Colorado’ was probably my favorite track.
This was pretty close to getting a 2, but it still consistently had things that I liked. It felt very long. Not much to say. Most of it wasn't my thing. My favourite song was It Doesn't Matter.
Good but a bit boring, even though there's quite a few different styles on here.
Stephen Stills is, to my ear, undeniably talented as a writer, singer, guitarist, and performer. It shines through on this album. No fault of his own, stylistically I'm not as close to what the tracks on this album sound like as I used to be. While the collegiate-aged me would have loved this, it's not so much my preference these days. Great work, though. Truly.
Some amazing songs and a nice vibe for the most part. Downside is that it is way too long and overflowing with hippy dribble. Stills filter was a bit broken, wasn't it
Country-blues-folk-rock. Está bien. Un 4.
Went into blind having never heard of them before and was very pleasantly surprised with how good it was. Almost every track was good and despite being well over an hour never felt as though it was dragging. Why this album seems to have been forgotten idk
Possibly a five star album if not for the fiddle songs.
This album had a lot of stuff I like but I just wasn’t that into it. I guess it’s safe to say that Stills is not my favorite voice from CSNY
Enjoyable range in styles, solid guitarwork, great tunes.
Standard American folk rock . Nothing really stood out for me. Competently performed, average singing, good songwriting.
I had a really hard time listening to this one. I like CSNY but I guess S on his own is just not an interesting enough lead voice. There are some nice harmonies on the folky/ bluegrassy tunes. I got a few tunes in and it all just sounds like generic classic rock to me. Way too many songs. Not a bad album but I’d definitely be fine dying without hearing it.
Not sure why this is on here. There’s nothing glaringly awful about this album but it just sounds like stock 70s music to me. I was pretty bored by the end of this one
This felt like an album of b sides.
cool
It's a real 70's American vibe and I like it.
hippies smell like boogers but i have to admit i enjoyed this far more than i expected to
Colorado sticks on on this one so far. I am a bit hot and cold when it comes to this "Americana" style country/folk from the 60s/70s. Sometimes I like the twanginess and other times it's just not what I want to hear. This one is a bit more soulful so I like it, but probably not something that will stay in rotation a ton for me.
Preferred the first half of the album, which was more rock centric to the more country/bluegrass vibes of the second half. Reminiscent of what was to become with Crosby stills Nash and young. Acid rock meets the stones with a fiddle in the middle.
Gezellig ma beetje te traag voor mij. Ma zitten wel een paar goeie schijfkes tussen.
Veel verschillende stijlen op een album, goede muzikanten.
Great old school classic rock. Nice slide playing, traditional song structures, unfamiliar songs with a familiar vocalist from his other projects.
Was a good one to tune out to while working. This is the store of music that makes me think...this is what my dad came to America for.
Second half of the album saved this one for me Also, lyrics to The Love Gangster are top notch
Solid album but doesn't feel revolutionary or a must listen to me. I have to give him credit for a song about my home state though. Best Songs: Both of Us, Hide It so Deep Worst Songs: Jesus Gave Love Away for Free, What to Do
got bored
It's well produced and there are some beautiful moments - but on the whole not outstanding for me
I've never been into the work of Mr. Stills. This doesn't change that. It's not exactly awful but it's just long and very unexciting. It just goes on and on, never being dreadful but never really sparking joy either. I guess I can understand why others would like this, but I'm just not into it at all.
definitely came from the 70s. it was okay, but i don’t think i would listen to this casually.
I really enjoyed this album.
Of CSN and sometimes Y (I laughed way too hard writing that, curse my Dad and his love of tagging me in dad jokes on Facebook), I probably listen to Stills the least. And I certainly hadn't heard of this band from one of their breaks. This is a good album, though it skews more bluesy than I typically prefer. I tend to like the more folk rock aspects of CSNY. Some of this hits that spot but most falls in that blues route. "Jet Set (Sigh)" was probably my favorite track, it was a great blues song that had an exciting turn at the end of it. I do find it hilarious that all four members of CSNY had an album in the top five at the same time, though two of them were together on an album.
And on today's episode of "Double Albums That Should Have Been EPs"...
I think this album started on a relatively forgetful note, and then picked up speed throughout. I was quite dissatisfied considering the other Solo acts from CSNY I did really enjoy. But the bloat was too heavy (I know it is a double album, I don't care) and I was tempted to tune out a few times, which is really quite rare for me.
3.5/5. A bit self-indulgent, it seems like every one of these artists has this need to make a double album to prove themselves. The results can be mixed.
Chill country, good.
A good bit better than expected, though it definitely leans more towards quantity than quality.
Great combo of folk, rock and blues…that CS&N vibe. Texas roots definitely showing through!
A double album of really 4 different themed sides. I would guess that this would make the most sense on the LP's on which this was originally released. If you felt like some bluegrass you'd put on Side 2, if you were in the mood for something heavier, you'd put on Side 4. Which for me would mean I could skip a side because when this album goes from side 1's great latin-rock into the country on side 2, my mind starts wandering and i feel the need to start skipping songs. I recognize the quality of the songs, I hear the amazing songwriting and musicianship, but it's just not my style and will never be. The folk on Side 3 and Bluesrock on Side 4 are once again more to my liking fortunately. All in all is this an incredible album, with quality songs throughout and that's not something you see much on double-albums. This might in fact be one of the best double-albums of all time.
3.75
Surprised me with the musicianship. Lots of great songs. Does get a bit long and starts to be jam tracks
Really long and mostly good. 2.5/5
p270. 1972. 3 stars CSNY meet the Byrds and Merle Haggard. Well done of its kind, but not many standout songs. It frequently strays into musical wankage and outstays its welcome. Would have been a far better single album.
Eh, country/folk rock from the period just after its "heyday" - I wasn't there but it feels like a transition period, where these sorts of artists realised folk music was fucking cringey and distanced themselves slightly from it. Not so much as to be unrecognisable, but enough. Lots of bluesy feel going on here. Over an hour though, that's pretty unnecessary. 2.5/5.
Well made songs.
Enjoyed this. Easy going, bluesy, groovy, dad rock with attitude
Sounds like Paul Weller has been transported back to the start of the 70s
Listened to on 9/12/22 4.5/5 Favorite song: Colorado, Both of Us This album was a bit of a hodge podge with lots of different styles of music but I loved all of it from rock to Caribbean to country vibes
7/12/22 Generally background, but I really liked how groovy it was. Actually enjoyed this. I liked Song of Love and The Love Gangster
eu não ouvi tudo porque to sem paciencia pra ouvir uma hora, mas foi metade. outra hora escuto tudo. o pouco que escutei gostei bastante, me soa como um creedence mais leve, sem vocal rasgadasso e guitarra estourada. não que isso seja ruim, mas o suave é bom
Rock blues country
I have yet to find a double album that really needed to be a double album. The wiki page for this one is a headscratcher too - they had 84-hour recording sessions and at one point Stills was in the studio for 106 hours(!) for...this? It's not bad by any means but it doesn't exactly scream of the wild mad genius you'd expect from that sort of production. Don't get me wrong, it's fun in places (What To Do is probably my favourite track) but a lot of it just feels very standard. I guess that's hindsight for you.
I think this is a very good release and ranks among Stephen Still's best work. I vacillate between thinking the thematic sides are a great idea and a so-so notion, but the expansive band is impressive throughout. The stylistic variety is broad and seems to be a collaborative effort.
Love this. Had only heard one or two songs before. If you told me it was CSNY I would have believed it. Great mix of styles that blend really well.
This was a very good album. I did not know a single song beforehand but had everything I like about Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Some songs with nice harmonies, some songs with searing guitar parts ("The Treasure" in particular) and a very "end of the 60's" feel over all. Almost like a final gasp of the decade although it was 1972. I will definitely listen to these songs again. Would have gotten a 4.5 if possible but a little too long. Also "Johnny's Garden" sounds like "Midnight Rider".
oh fuck yeah, love Stephen Stills (as well as the rest of CSNY) this was really fun, easy 10/10 some of the country stuff was a little boring but it’s easy to get back into it
1972, американец Stephen Stills - человек и пароход. Блюз, фолк, кантри.
Fíla þetta.
not that special to me
Percebe-se claramente a qualidade do guitarrista envolvendo o rock, blues e country. Só não empolga nas melodias.
Why we have quite so much of this bland shite in this list still escapes me, the ads on youtube were better then the songs
Sort of boring and monotonous when Stills takes a chance it goes far better then when he doesn’t. This was all very meh.
Country-folk, ma comunque non bruttissimo. Bella allegra 'fallen eagle'
2 1/2
Excellent stuff - love this vein of southern rock
Squams…..
Dunno if it’s the joy from finding a way to listen to this besides YouTube but I enjoyed listening to this album a bunch… just very solid, direct and stylistically varied across the four sides of the lp
Banans
Not on Spotify - Joe Rogan sucks! Pleasant enough, but pretty old sounding and very samey all the way through.
Another album unable to listen to as it’s not available online
Rock tranquilo, muy clásico, muy de los 70, muy americano, con un estilo definido. En ocasiones country, en otras un tanto más movido
I mean...this album is solidly, enjoyably okay. Would I re-listen a lot? No, but there are some interesting tracks on here. Not sure how to describe this one. Honky tonk blues? In any case, I liked it a good bit but it stops short of killer tracks or any real love for the style here. But yeah, I'd give this a halfhearted endorsement. Why not? Fave track: Hide It So Deep
Too much American folk fiddle
Get on Spotify. Otherwise pretty good.
Wish this was spotify
Great chill album. Americana.
That was a nice listening experience. Loved the folksy, bluesy southern rock sound throughout!
Never listened to Stephen stills record before. It was worth a listen but won’t be in a rush to listen to another.
Certainly a lot more interesting than I was expecting. Still not something that's immediately going on a playlist. Fave: Don'y Look at My Shadow
Not my bag baby...
Such a good album but I just wish it was on Spotify ughhhhhhhhh :(((((
There's nothing too bad on this album. It goes for diversity, bit everything seems to revert to a general 'West Coast' mean in the end. There's some good variety of instrumentation, you get some Neil Young folk, some blues, some Latin, some C&W but none of it is great. I didn't hate any of it, but I'll probably never listen to it again.
Alright
3 stars. Lots of pretty good songs. Would like to here more of Steven stills
Meh
Wow, did I love this listen! Great music, harmonies were so pleasing and I loved the concept of the album being in 4 themes with slight changes in the genres for each section! It made for such an interesting listen and I didn't end up minding the longer length because I was vibing with it so much. Definitely an album I will be returning to!
Not on spotify
I often skip Stills, and this album makes me wonder why. It was a good listen.
There were a couple of tracks I didn't mind but overall a long trek...a single album would have sufficed for me...it wasn't bad, it wasn't great...reminded me a lot of CSNY, without the extra initials.
fun album
Didn’t have to skip the songs, ok for background grocery store music but nothing I would choose.
Next.
Just blues
6/5….remember it so well…good rockin’
3/5 interesting, but...
It was an ok country rock album, perhaps those late nights/multiple days of recording hindered the overall quality of the album. Best: It Doesn't Matter Worst: Hide it So Deep
No pude
Might be a good album. I dunno. All tracks unavailable. Have a 2 for wasting my time.
Damn Joe Rogan for taking this off Spotify!
Really good blues rock and bluegrass for 70 minutes.
weirdly really vibed with this. 5 stars I guess
Started out so banging. Some solid southern rock. Kind of devolved a bit into some boring early 70s rock. Some great songs on here though.
Unfortunately I got assigned this album right after he took himself off Spotify, so I had to find sources elsewhere. Not sure I got the full experience. There weren't any stand out songs for me but the entire album felt like a great example of southern rock overall. Really enjoyed it.
Totally dig this album! Love the mix of folk, rock, blues and bluegrass. Twangy guitar and country fiddle really completes it with a southern rock type of sound. Need to go find a copy of it.
This album exemplifies folk/rock, but isn't the same stuff you hear on the radio all the time, so it still feels fresh. Great stuff. Highlight - Don't Look At My Shadow, What to Do
great album
Better than expected guitar work.
Country fair. Not something I’d bother listening to, but don’t actively hate it.
Vraiment bcp trop d'albums de rock boomer américain dans cette liste quand même Prefs: Anyway, Both Of Us (Bound to Lose), Johnny's Garden, Move Around, Right Now, The Treasure - Take One Moins pref: Jesus Gave Love Away For Free
Like I know every song, yet I've never heard one before. Musically super high quality. Need to revisit, like the guitar more than the voice maybe
Cet album du groupe Stephen Stills est très long mais néanmoins excellent. Il doit d'ailleurs beaucoup à la performance de son leader, Stephen Stills. À l'inverse du précédent opus, il dépeint un Stephen Stills bien plus conscient du monde qui l'entoure et moins égocentré. Le premier projet de la bande, sobrement baptisé Stephen Stills, était en effet construit autour de la personnalité de Stephen Stills L'unique morceau du CD, Stephen Stills, n'avait pour seules paroles que les mots Stephen et Stills inlassablement répétés pendant plus de soixante minutes. La moindre intervention d'un des autres membres du groupe donnait lieu à une tarte en plein visage de la part de Stephen Stills.