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A sprawling masterpiece, akin to the Beatles' White Album, the Stones' Exile on Main St., or Wilco's Being There in its makeup, if not its sound. Rock, folk, blues, country, Latin, and bluegrass have all been styles touched on in Stephen Stills' career, and the skilled, energetic musicians he had gathered in Manassas played them all on this album. What could have been a disorganized mess in other hands, though, here all gelled together and formed a cohesive musical statement. The songs are thematically grouped: part one (side one on the original vinyl release) is titled "The Raven," and is a composite of rock and Latin sounds that the group would often perform in full live. "The Wilderness" mainly centers on country and bluegrass (Chris Hillman's and Al Perkins' talents coming to the forefront), with the track "So Begins the Task" later covered by Stills' old flame Judy Collins. Part three, "Consider" is largely folk and folk-rock. "Johnny's Garden," reportedly for the caretaker at Stills' English manor house and not for John Lennon as is often thought, is a particular highlight. Two other notables from the "Consider" section are "It Doesn't Matter" (later redone with different lyrics by the song's uncredited co-writer Rick Roberts on the first Firefall album) and "Move Around," which features some of the first synthesizer used in a rock context. The closing section, titled "Rock & Roll Is Here to Stay," is a rock and blues set with one of the landmarks of Manassas' short life, the epic "The Treasure." A sort of Zen-like meditation on love and "oneness," enlivened by the band's most inspired recorded playing it evolves into a bluesy groove washed in Stills' fierce electric slide playing. The delineation lines of the four themed song groupings aren't cut in stone, though, and one of the strengths of the album is that there is a lot of overlap in styles throughout. The CD reissue's remastered sound is excellent, though missed is the foldout poster and handwritten lyrics from the original vinyl release. Unfortunately, the album has been somewhat overlooked over the years, even though Stills considers it some of the best work he has done. Bill Wyman (who guested on "The Love Gangster") has said he would have quit the Rolling Stones to join Manassas.
P**R
Improved remastered sound
Item was just as described and played flawlessly. Remastering added clarity and fidelity not on previous recordings.
M**K
Golden oldie
Good
K**I
My dad was happy
My dad likes it
C**I
one of the greatest albums from 1972
This is one of my favorite albums from one of the best years in modern music history. These musicians are an elite bunch. Steven Stills is the one of the most talented guitarists/songwriters/singers in modern music history. If you want to taste music from 1972, start here. The list of great great albums from 1972 is long. Might be the best year of rock. "Exile On Main Street", "Harvest", "Honky Chateau", "Machine Head", "Thick as a Brick" ect. ect.
D**E
The lyrics and arrangements.
This collection of Stephen Stills' music affirms his place in the pantheon of the best Rock n Roll artists.
J**S
Steven stills
Good stills disc
E**.
Underrated Steven Stills
Stills at his peak. Also, Chris Hillman and Manassas was a great band of players.
J**.
Manassas Has Always Been Superb!!!
I know this album so very well, I can play all of the songs on guitar, bass and pedal steel. I was lucky enough to see them live when they were on tour so many years ago, and it was like being in another time zone, on another planet. This album proves, once and for all, that Stills and his bandmates can really cook, and they did on this original double-vinyl album. The country rock sides are superb, with guest visits by Byron Berline on fiddle, and Chris Hillman playing some fine mandolin work. Al Perkins is on pedal steel and guitar, they all sing, and Fuzzy Samuels and righteous Joe Lala keep the rhythm section percolating with high energy. Hillman mentions on the CSN boxed set, that Stills was fun to play with, and when they "were on it" on certain nights during the 1972 touring of yesteryear, they were a force to be reckoned with. I always thought it was Stills' best band to work with, independent of Crosby, Nash and Young. In those years, Stills was going through a hard time with breaking up with Judy Collins, and it shows in his classic "And So Begins the Task." He also pays tribute to Jimi Hendrix and some of the country blues masters with his album-ending "Blues Man." When I saw them live, they had a huge mirror-ball glistening overhead while playing "The Treasure," and it was like being inside a country-opry house with rock music blaring expertly to all parties concerned. A highly recommended album for Stills' lovers. Stephen remains to this day, one of the most underated guitar players alive on the planet. This album shows off his wordsmithing skills his dominant guitar licks, and a band that simply smokes all the way through the album. Five stars, indeed! -James
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