Stephen Stills 3: Manassas

It should be no surprise that someone of Stephen Stills’ ego would arrive so quickly at the double album. While his name was the biggest, there were several key players collaborating, including Chris Hillman, confusing the Byrds-Buffalo Springfield family tree even further. But he’s definitely in charge, from his name twice on the front cover to his handwritten lyrics on the gigantic poster and the dreamy silhouette on the inner sleeves.

Manassas is the name of the album, as well as a catch-all moniker for the group. Basically Stills combined some of his favorite sidemen and created an album that’s much more in the spirit of playing than production. It’s a large ensemble, all credited on the cover, with several guitarists, two guys who came in with Hillman from the latter-day Flying Burrito Brothers, and the clattery percussion of Joe Lala smacking away. Now Stills could truly embrace all the music he loved, from blues to bluegrass, rock to soul.

Being a double album, each side is denoted as a specific suite. Side one, or “The Raven”, connects five songs without a break, mostly Southern California rockin’ boogie. Song Of Love” has lots of electric piano and dirty slide going from speaker to speaker. “Rock & Roll Crazies” is a little slower, segueing in the second half to “Cuban Bluegrass”, then “Jet Set (Sigh) is even slower than that, owing a bit of a debt to Joe Walsh. If you wanted more cowbell, “Anyway” offers that plus a growled vocal from Joe Lala. Something of a departure arrives at the end of the side with “Both Of Us (Bound To Lose)”, sung by Hillman and Stills over a melody borrowed from Neil Young’s “The Loner”, ending with a salsa jam.

With its country touches, the side dubbed “The Wilderness” must have thrilled Hillman no end, beginning with the bluegrass “Fallen Eagle” hiding an anti-war lyric. Despite the piety, “Jesus Gave Love Away For Free” sounds like one of CSN’s better moments, while the sublime “So Begins The Task” really should have been theirs. “Colorado” also sports some wonderful harmonies, particularly in the unexpected chorus modulation. “Hide It So Deep” is hokey country, complete with twang and a hint of syrup, while “Don’t Look At My Shadow” has something of a shaggy dog quality.

Side three, or “Consider”, is the strongest, beginning with “It Doesn’t Matter”, sung in close harmony and sporting a tasty Stills solo over vibes. “Johnny’s Garden” is a simple appreciation of the simple life (supposedly inspired by the same man who would be the basis of Peter Sellers’ character in Being There), while Hillman had been trying to record the tricky “Bound To Fall” for years. Even the appearance of a Moog here and on “Move Around” works as color without crowding. “How Far” is a standard Stills strum that echoes his first two solo albums. Bill Wyman appears on “The Love Gangster”, and gets co-writing credit. Allegedly he liked hanging around so much that he offered to join the band, which in hindsight was probably just as well.

Side four insists that “Rock & Roll Is Here To Stay”, and who are we to argue? “What To Do” is nearly sunk by the mushmouthed verses (which frankly remind us of McCartney’s “Long Haired Lady” and do not rock) but the chorus is still killer. “Right Now” has all the tension to nicely balance the lopiness of the rest of the album. At eight minutes, “The Treasure” (pointedly subtitled “Take One”) has all the potential to be overblown, but manages to keep churning without flagging, even through the extended coda. And on the closing “Blues Man”, Stills doesn’t dare put himself on the same level of those to whom he’s paying tribute.

As long as it is (over seventy minutes) Manassas provides quite a bit of quality, while cramming in each of Stills’ pet styles. It’s also a nice throwback to a time when an album could be experienced as a set of sides, rather than in one big chunk. On CD (or via stream) the listener isn’t as tasked with flipping and swapping discs, but that’s not to say it rivals, say, Exile On Main St. for an enhanced experience when listening to it all straight through without pause. It could easily have been reduced for a really tight single LP, but excess ruled the day.

Stephen Stills Manassas (1972)—3