Manassas | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 12, 1972 | |||
Recorded | Late 1971 | |||
Studio | Criteria Sound Studios, Miami, Florida | |||
Genre | Country rock, folk rock | |||
Length | 71:57 | |||
Label | Atlantic | |||
Producer | Stephen Stills, Chris Hillman, Dallas Taylor | |||
Stephen Stills chronology | ||||
| ||||
Manassas chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Manassas | ||||
|
Manassas is the 1972 debut double album by Manassas,a blues rock group led by American musician Stephen Stills,released April 1972. It was a critical comeback for Stills,and continued his commercial success by being certified Gold only a month after being released and peaking at number 4 on the US charts. [1]
The album was recorded at Criteria Studio B late 1971,where Stills used his clout to keep the studio and engineers Ron and Howard Albert available around the clock. The band all stayed in a rented house about 30 minutes away from the studio,in Coconut Grove. This allowed Stills to record the album around the clock,waking up band members in the early hours of the morning when an idea struck. Stills would also record in mammoth sessions often going on for days,until Chris Hillman and Stills got into a fight,after which they started to record at regular hours. Al Perkins and Dallas Taylor had a rule where they would not perform any more than seven takes for a single track,so often Stills would stay in the studio editing after having released the band at 4 or 5 am. [2] The band then flew to Stills' house in London in January 1972 to finish recording and mixing the album and to rehearse for an upcoming tour starting in March 1972. It was here that Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones played bass on and co-authored "The Love Gangster" and is reported to have said that he would have left the Stones to join Manassas. [3] At one point Stills put in an unbroken 106 hour stint in the studio,and engineer Ron Albert said he had just gotten to bed after a marathon session lasting 84 hours when the phone rang with Stills summoning him back to the studio with the words:"I know you're tired,but there's this idea I've got for this song that I want to get on tape before I forget it..." Another time,working to Stills' manic schedule,the band cut eight tracks in two days with no sleep. [4]
The album was split into four thematic sides. Side 1,The Raven,is a composite of rock and Latin sounds that the group would often perform in full live exactly as presented on the album,including the segues that connected several of the songs. Side 2,The Wilderness,mainly centers on country and bluegrass,and features Chris Hillman on mandolin and fiddler Byron Berline. Side 3,Consider,presents a mix of musical styles,including "Johnny's Garden" (reportedly written for the caretaker at Stills' English manor house bought from Ringo Starr),and Stills using a Moog synthesizer on "Move Around". Side 4,Rock &Roll Is Here to Stay,features rock and blues songs,including "The Treasure",a mainstay of Manassas' live sets,and Stills' acoustic solo piece "Blues Man". [5]
Several of the songs on the album are inspired by Stills' romantic relationship with Rita Coolidge,and Coolidge's leaving Stills for his CSNY bandmate Graham Nash. In particular,"Raven" was Stills' nickname for Coolidge, [6] while "What to Do" and "Right Now" were written about CSNY's subsequent breakup and Stills' relationship with Nash. [7]
The artwork was taken after Stills,a Civil War buff,had the band flown over to Manassas station in Manassas,Virginia,where the Confederacy had claimed its first major victory at the Battle of Bull Run. The photo they liked was the band standing on the platform under a Manassas sign,and so the band was named. [8] Included with the album were fold-out posters with named pictures of all the members and hand-written lyrics on the back,including a message urging people to 'Use The Power,Register and Vote'.
The album debuted on the Billboard Top LP's chart for the week ending April 29,1972 and eventually peaked at No. 4 [9] in June,during a 30-week run. [10] Stills' album shared the top 5 with an album by David Crosby and Graham Nash ( Graham Nash David Crosby ) and an album by Neil Young ( Harvest ),all collectively members of the quartet Crosby,Stills,Nash &Young. "It Doesn't Matter" was released as a single and peaked at No. 61,during a chart run of 7 weeks. [11] "Rock &Roll Crazies" was released as the second single and peaked at No. 92 during a 3-week run. [12] By 1974,it had sold an estimated 400,000 copies in the US,which is the equivalent of 800,000 as the album is a double. [13]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
Christgau's Record Guide | C+ [14] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [15] |
Manassas marked a critical comeback for Stills,with AllMusic calling it a "sprawling masterpiece" [3] and Rolling Stone saying it was "reassuring to know that Stills has some good music still inside him. Most of it has a substantial,honest sound found on too few records these days. All the sounds you hear come from the seven group members". Chris Hillman was singled out as an "importance in the success of Manassas and in the comeback of Stills,he can't be over-stressed [...] He's a masterful musician whether he's playing bass,guitar,or mandolin,and his boyishly pure,uncolored voice can carry a lot of emotional weight.". [16] However,Robert Christgau rated the album C+ and in a mixed review stated "Yes,Steve has gotten it together a little,even deigning to cooperate with real musicians in a real band,and yes,some of this four-sided set echoes in your head after you play it a lot. The only problem is you're never sure where the echoes come from". [17] In positive reviews,Record World called it "music of the highest order", [18] Cash Box said it will "convince you of Stills' worth", [19] and Billboard said it "offers loads of class material". [20] 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". [21] Chris Welch for Melody Maker said "The blues,soul,rock and country music are all the influences. They play them like the Grateful Dead,with a sincerity and ability that one does not always detect in the work of those exclusively involved in the original idiom".
Andrew Weiner for Creem said "Stills,perhaps the most maligned superstar in recent rock history,has finally - and against all the odds - got it on. And Stills has written too many good songs here even to try count them". [22]
The album was certified Gold on May 30,1972,just over a month after being released. [1] Stills has stated the album did not receive the recognition it deserved due to Atlantic Records and Ahmet Ertegun (head of Atlantic Records) wanting him back in the "goldmine" that was Crosby,Stills,Nash &Young. Stills said that as soon as the album shipped gold,Ertegun pulled it,and people could not find it in stores. [23]
The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . [24]
It was voted number 735 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums 3rd Edition (2000). [25]
Retrospectively,in 2022 the album was called a roots rock "landmark". [26]
All tracks are written by Stephen Stills, except where indicated
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Song of Love" | 3:28 | |
2. | "Medley
|
| 3:34 |
3. | "Jet Set (Sigh)" | 4:25 | |
4. | "Anyway" | 4:21 | |
5. | "Both of Us (Bound to Lose)" | Stills, Chris Hillman | 3:00 |
Total length: | 17:48 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
6. | "Fallen Eagle" | 2:03 |
7. | "Jesus Gave Love Away for Free" | 2:59 |
8. | "Colorado" | 2:50 |
9. | "So Begins the Task" | 3:57 |
10. | "Hide It So Deep" | 2:44 |
11. | "Don't Look at My Shadow" | 2:30 |
Total length: | 17:03 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
12. | "It Doesn't Matter" (original releases of Manassas do not credit Roberts as a co-author) | Stills, Hillman, Rick Roberts | 2:30 |
13. | "Johnny's Garden" | 2:45 | |
14. | "Bound to Fall" (original releases of Manassas do not credit Mastin as a co-author) | Mike Brewer, Tom Mastin | 1:53 |
15. | "How Far" | 2:49 | |
16. | "Move Around" | 4:15 | |
17. | "The Love Gangster" | Stills, Bill Wyman | 2:51 |
Total length: | 16:53 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
18. | "What to Do" | 4:44 |
19. | "Right Now" | 2:58 |
20. | "The Treasure (Take One)" | 8:03 |
21. | "Blues Man" (in tribute: Jimi Hendrix, Al Wilson, Duane Allman) | 4:04 |
Total length: | 19:49 |
Manassas
Additional players
Technical
Special thanks to Bruce Berry & Guillermo Giachetti, Daniel J. Campbell, Michael John Bowen, Michael O'Hara Garcia, Buddy P. Zoloth, Edward Astrin & Ahmet Ertegun
|
Year-end album charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA) [42] | Gold | 250,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Tour by Stephen Stills Manassas | |
Start date | March 21, 1972 |
---|---|
End date | December 9, 1972 |
Legs | 7 |
Stephen Stills Manassas concert chronology |
Manassas toured across the world in 1972, this being Stills biggest solo tour date, playing arenas in Americas, and headlining festivals in Australia. After the initial Manassas tour from 9 April to 20 May. Manassas then completed five tours in six months, from July 14 to July 30 they toured the West Coast, the second tour from 11 to 28 August toured the East Coast, they then toured Europe and Scandinavia from September 13 to October 9. The fourth tour was a tour of Midwestern American Colleges, and finally the fifth tour was conducted in the South from December 1–19. [43] [44] During this tour Manassas had a charter plane and toured manically, but Stills was losing money on these tours as he was paying the band very generously. [45]
Date | City | Country | Venue | Attendance/Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Europe Tour | ||||
21 March 1972 | Bremen | Germany | Beat Club (German TV) | |
22 March 1972 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Concertgebouw | |
23 March 1972 | Frankfurt | Germany | Jahrhunderthalle | |
25 March 1972 | London | England | Big Beat Club | |
26 March 1972 | Paris | France | L'Olympia [46] | |
Australia | ||||
31 March 1972 | Albury | Australia | Rock Isle (Mulwala) Festival [47] | Headlined both nights |
1 April 1972 | ||||
2 April 1972 | Due to headline (Cancelled due to weather) | |||
US Tour | ||||
9 April 1972 | Honolulu | United States | HIC Arena | |
14 April 1972 | Auburn | Auburn Memorial Coliseum [48] | ||
15 April 1972 | Jackson | Mississippi Coliseum [48] | ||
17 April 1972 | New Orleans | Municipal Auditorium [48] | ||
19 April 1972 | Baton Rouge | Assembly Center [48] | ||
21 April 1972 | Gainesville | Fieldhouse | ||
22 April 1972 | Dania | Pirates World | Sold Out [49] | |
23 April 1972 | Tampa | Tampa Jai Alai Fronton | Professionally Recorded | |
26 April 1972 | Oxford | Mississippi Colisseum | ||
28 April 1972 | St Louis | Kiel Auditorium | ||
29 April 1972 | Peoria | Fieldhouse | ||
30 April 1972 | Chicago | Arie Crown Theatre | ||
1 May 1972 | ||||
2 May 1972 | New York City | Carnegie Hall [50] | ||
4 May 1972 | ||||
5 May 1972 | Boston | Boston Garden | ||
7 May 1972 | Uniondale | Nassau Colisseum | ||
9 May 1972 | Buffalo | Buffalo Memorial Auditorium | ||
12 May 1972 | Philadelphia | The Spectrum Theatre | 6,410 [51] | |
13 May 1972 | Williamsburg | Kaplan Arena | ||
15 May 1972 | Atlanta | Alexander Memorial Coliseum | ||
18 May 1972 | San Antonio | San Antonio Municipal Auditorium | ||
19 May 1972 | Houston | Hofheinz Pavilion | ||
20 May 1972 | Dallas | Dallas Memorial Auditorium | ||
West Coast Tour | ||||
8 July 1972 | Miami | United States | Miami Jai-Alai Fronton | Dolphin Benefit, concert recorded [52] John Sebastian, Fred Neil guest |
14 July 1972 | Fresno | Selland Arena | ||
15 July 1972 | Las Vegas | Las Vegas Stadium | ||
16 July 1972 | Los Angeles | Hollywood Bowl [53] | Bryon Berline guests | |
17 July 1972 | Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara County Bowl | ||
20 July 1972 | Sacramento | Sacramento Memorial Auditorium | ||
21 July 1972 | Berkeley | Berkeley Community Theatre | Sold Out [54] Roger McGuinn, Neil Young & Graham Nash guest on 22 July | |
22 July 1972 | ||||
23 July 1972 | ||||
24 July 1972 | Albuquerque | Johnson Gym | ||
25 July 1972 | Denver | Denver Coliseum | ||
26 July 1972 | San Diego | San Diego Sports Arena | ||
28 July 1972 | San Bernardino | Swing Auditorium | ||
30 July 1972 | Tucson | Tucson Community Centre | ||
East Coast Tour | ||||
11 August 1972 | Washington | United States | Merriweather Post Pavilion [55] | |
12 August 1972 | New York | Roosevelt Raceway | Festival of Hope [56] | |
14 August 1972 | Clarkston | Pine Knob Music Theatre | ||
19 August 1972 | Wildwood | Wildwood Convention Hall | ||
European Tour | ||||
15 September 1972 | Manchester | Europe | The Hardrock Concert Theatre | |
17 September 1972 | London | Rainbow Theatre | BBC TV recorded for Stephen Stills Manassas: In Concert – broadcast on 16 Nov 1972 | |
20 September 1972 | Nederlands | Unknown Venue | ||
22 September 1972 | Stockholm | Kungliga Tennishallen | ||
24 September 1972 | Hamburg | Musikhalle | ||
26 September 1972 | Frankfurt | Jahrunderthalle | ||
3 October 1972 | Amsterdam | Concertgebouw | ||
5 October 1972 | Paris | Bastille Railroad Station [57] | ||
7 October 1972 | Norway | Unknown Venue | ||
9 October 1972 | Belgium | Unknown Venue | ||
10 October 1972 | London | Sundown Festival | ||
Midwest American College Tour | ||||
19 October 1972 | Bloomington | United States | Indiana University Assembly Hall | |
20 October 1972 | Tulsa | Assembly Centre | ||
22 October 1972 | Minneapolis | Minneapolis Auditorium | 4,700 [58] | |
26 October 1972 | Madison | Dane County Coliseum [59] | ||
27 October 1972 | South Bend | Athletics And Convocation Centre | ||
28 October 1972 | Indiana University | Assembly Hall [60] | ||
2 November 1972 | Dayton | Dayton Arena | ||
3 November 1972 | Michigan State University | Jenison Fieldhouse | ||
4 November 1972 | Port Clinton | Field House, University of Toledo [61] | ||
8 November 1972 | Stanford University | Maples Pavilion [62] | ||
11 November 1972 | Washington | Hec Edmundson Pavilion | ||
12 November 1972 | | Cancelled | ||
16 November 1972 | Portland | United States | Veterans Memorial Coliseum | |
17 November 1972 | Corvallis | Gill Coliseum | ||
18 November 1972 | Utah | Dee Glen Smith Spectrum | ||
South Tour | ||||
9 December 1972 | Anaheim | United States | Anaheim Convention Center |
Manassas
Tour setlist
Typical tour set list
All songs written by Stephen Stills, except where noted.
Buffalo Springfield was a rock band formed in Los Angeles by Canadian musicians Neil Young, Bruce Palmer and Dewey Martin and American musicians Stephen Stills and Richie Furay. The group, widely known for the song "For What It's Worth", released three albums and several singles from 1966 to 1968. Their music combined elements of folk music and country music with influences from the British Invasion and psychedelic rock. Like contemporary band the Byrds, they were key to the early development of folk rock. The band took their name from a steamroller parked outside their house.
Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) was a folk-rock supergroup comprising American singer-songwriters David Crosby and Stephen Stills and English singer-songwriter Graham Nash. When joined by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young, they were known as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY). They are noted for their intricate vocal harmonies and lasting influence on American music and culture, their political activism and their tumultuous relationships.
Stephen Arthur Stills is an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Manassas. As both a solo act and member of three successful bands, Stills has combined record sales of over 35 million albums. He was ranked number 28 in Rolling Stone's 2003 list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and number 47 in the 2011 list. Stills became the first person to be inducted twice on the same night into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. According to Neil Young, "Stephen is a genius".
David Van Cortlandt Crosby was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He first found fame as a member of the Byrds, with whom he helped pioneer the genres of folk rock and psychedelia in the mid-1960s, and later as part of the supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash, who helped popularize the California sound of the 1970s. In addition to his music, Crosby was known for his outspoken personality, politics, and personal troubles; he was sometimes depicted as emblematic of the counterculture of the 1960s.
Long May You Run is a studio album credited to the Stills–Young Band, a collaboration between Stephen Stills and Neil Young, released in 1976 on Reprise Records. It peaked at #26 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold in the United States by the RIAA. The album is the sole studio release by Stills and Young as a duo.
Byrds is the twelfth and final studio album by the American rock band the Byrds and was released in March 1973 on Asylum Records. It was recorded as the centerpiece of a reunion among the five original band members: Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby, Chris Hillman, and Michael Clarke. The last time that all five members had worked together as the Byrds was in 1966, prior to Clark's departure from the band. During the reunion, the current, latter-day lineup of the band continued to make live appearances until February 1973, with McGuinn being the only member common to both versions of the group.
CSN is the third studio album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, released on Atlantic Records on June 17, 1977. It is the group's second studio release in the trio configuration. It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart; two singles taken from the album, Nash's "Just a Song Before I Go" and Stills' "Fair Game" charted on the Billboard Hot 100. It is currently the trio configuration's best selling record, outselling 1969's Crosby, Stills & Nash by 200,000 copies. It has been certified quadruple platinum by RIAA.
Manassas was an American rock supergroup formed by Stephen Stills in 1971. It was used primarily for Stills' music, the band releasing two studio albums before disbanding in October 1973. They released a 1972 self titled debut and a second album titled Down the Road in 1973.
Songs for Beginners is the debut solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Graham Nash. Released in May 1971, it was one of four high-profile albums released by each member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in the wake of their chart-topping Déjà Vu album of 1970, along with After the Gold Rush, Stephen Stills and If I Could Only Remember My Name. Songs for Beginners peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart, and the single "Chicago" made it to No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100. It has been certified a gold record by the RIAA.
Graham Nash David Crosby is the first album by Crosby & Nash, the partnership of David Crosby and Graham Nash, released on Atlantic Records in 1972, catalog SD 7220. It peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and a single taken from the album, "Immigration Man", peaked at No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 on June 17 and 24, 1972. It was certified gold by the RIAA, and it was dedicated to Joni Mitchell, as "to Miss Mitchell".
Stephen Stills 2 is the second solo album by Stephen Stills, released on Atlantic Records in 1971. It peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200 and was certified as a gold record by the RIAA. Two singles were released from the album, both just missing the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: "Change Partners" peaked at number 43, while "Marianne" peaked at number 42.
Down the Road is the second and last studio album by Stephen Stills' band Manassas. It was released in April 1973, and peaked at number 26 in the US charts, to mixed reviews. "Isn't It About Time", a protest song, was released as the lead single and reached number 56 on the charts.
Whistling Down the Wire is the third album by Crosby & Nash, released on ABC Records in 1976, the second of the duo's three-album deal with ABC Records. Cassette and 8-track tape versions of the album were distributed by Atlantic Records, to which Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young were signed. It peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard 200 album chart and was certified gold by the RIAA. Two singles were released from the album, "Out of the Darkness" and "Spotlight," of which only the first charted on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #89.
Stephen Stills Live is a live album by Stephen Stills, released on Atlantic Records in 1975. Recorded on his first solo tour since 1971 and released after he had signed to Columbia Records. It peaked at number 42 on the US charts.
Stills is a 1975 studio album by American musician Stephen Stills. It is his third solo album and his first release on Columbia Records. The album was a commercial success on release, charting at number 19 on the US album charts, but was released to mixed critical reaction.
Illegal Stills is an album released by American musician Stephen Stills on 7 May 1976. This was Stills second album on Columbia Records and his fourth solo album overall. After it was released he would start an album and tour with Neil Young. It was released on CD in 1991 (Columbia CK-34148). The album charted at number 31 in the US on release, but wasn't a critical success.
Thoroughfare Gap is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Stephen Stills, released in 1978. It was a critical and commercial disappointment that only charted at number 84 in the US. This album is now available as a three-album set on two CDs with Stills & Illegal Stills, having never been released on its own on CD.
Still Stills: The Best of Stephen Stills is a compilation album of Stephen Stills, released on December 2, 1976 on Atlantic Records. Made up of songs from his first four Atlantic albums, including the two Manassas albums, it peaked at number 127 on the US charts, and increased Stills critical standing slightly. It was assembled without input from Stills himself, and is currently out of print.
4 Way Street is a live album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, and their second album as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. It was originally released as Atlantic Records SD-2-902, shipping as a gold record and peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. A document of their tour from the previous year, the live recordings presented were taken from shows at the Fillmore East on June 2 through June 7, 1970; The Forum on June 26 through June 28, 1970; and the Auditorium Theatre on July 5, 1970.
CSNY 1974 is a live album by Crosby, Stills, & Nash, and their seventh in the CSNY quartet configuration. Issued on Rhino Records in 2014, it consists of concert material recorded in 1974 on the band's tour during the summer of that year. It was issued in several formats: a standard compact disc box set consisting of three audio discs and a standard DVD; as one pure audio Blu-ray disc and a Blu-ray DVD; and a more expensively packaged limited deluxe edition consisting of the material on six vinyl records along with the Blu-ray discs and a coffee table book. Three single disc samplers were also issued: one of the acoustic material exclusively available at Starbucks in the United States and Canada; a second at normal retail outlets; and a third included as a covermount disc to the 250th anniversary issue of the UK music magazine Mojo issued as "an exclusive audio-visual sampler of the new CSNY 1974 box set." Each of the non-sampler sets also contained a 188-page booklet, and all formats were released the same day, with the Mojo sampler arriving with the September 2014 publication of that edition. The three-disc and DVD package peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200, while the Starbucks sampler peaked at No. 37 and the selections sampler at No. 81.