Customer Reviews

Pieces (2LP 180 Gram Vinyl)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Manassas engineers Ron and Howard Albert went through the master reels they had and compiled "Pieces"- mostly worthy tracks that were not quite album ready. The first few songs live up to what we might expect from musicians of this caliber. Manassas was more of a real band than say CSNY which was more like 4 seperate personalities working within a "band" context. They sound nothing like CSNY. Manassas' sound has more in common with Joe walsh or early Santana than CSNY. Actually Joe Walsh plays on a tune here. As the disc goes along it loses some momentum and we wind up with a handfull of 2 minute bluegrass work outs. The disc has 15 tracks but cues up at just 43 minutes, so some of the tracks really are just pieces, songs not fully fleshed out or jam snippets. The sound on the disc is good, fans who had the first Lp know it had a nice earthy sound to it. I'd like to see some live material come out- which is reported to be in the works along with some studio tracks with Hendrix (who played on Stills solo album). There are a few things here that make it desirable to collectors. I'm always on the fence about these type of releases, do they dilute an artists work, or add something meaningful to it?- I'd say this disc does both, but is better quality than usually found on archival or "deluxe" issues.

This is a very good album. Should have been the basis for the second Manassas album. They were such a great live band, and the two disc first album is among the best albums of the 1970s. I highly recommend this for anyone, not just Stills/Manassas fans. Even though some of the cuts are just "pieces", the production quality is really very good (nothing like the "Down the Road" Manassas album, which sounds muffled and the vocals are horrible sounding). This showcases how eclectic Manassas was, whether rock, bluegrass or blues. Some real gems in this collection. I cannot wait until the live album comes out.

Stills should have been the American Clapton. He certainly had no fewer vices and yet his muse was a fragile thing that would come and go as he engaged in different projects or dissolute directions. His records, then, can be very hit or miss, and by the 90's were largely less than impressive. And that's the tragedy. He had talent to spare and Manassas at its peak was a force to be reckoned with. After a very strong debut, he followed with an overproduced second album, a protean live document and then the brilliant Manassas double CD. Unfortunately, that was followed by Down The Road, as low a point in Stills' canon as there is. PIECES represents sessions engaged between the first record and DTR, and it's a genuine pity that this was not the second album. All of Stills' strengths are on display and none of his weakenesses. DTR followed these sessions and somewhere along the way the songs fell flat and the musicianship got unfocused and Stills' voice sounded like he had spent the weekend yelling at people. It was a mess. This, while not quite Stills 1 or the first Manassas, is a joy start to finish. There are songs you have not heard before, songs that would find life with the Flying Burritos, songs that recapitulated earlier statements from Just Roll Tape and Stills 2, and what results is a well-disciplined band hitting on all its cylinders. This band must have been a powerhouse live, and God willing, Stills has some tape worth releasing that documents just how good both the front line and the rhythm section were in concert.

Obviously, in the overly competitive framework of CSNY, this band was a gauntlet thrown at Crazy Horse and the CN back up bands of the time. Crazy Horse was a barely competent gaggle of misfits who could somehow rise above their abilities under the direction of Young and Briggs. CN's group of crack session players had to deal with Crosby's relentless indulgences of a different crack, and over a very short time could no longer rescue him from free fall. Manassas in some ways would not be able to save Stills from himself either, but while they were on, they were mighty. And how can you lose with Chris Hillman, Al Perkins, Joe Lala, Calvin Samuels, et al?

As I mentioned, Stills' career would have erratic highs (STILLS, Illegal Stills, Stills Alone, CSN 2) and lows (everything else), but just when you'd be ready to write him off, along comes MAN ALIVE, his very best CD. He readily admits that he isn't sure if he still has it, but perhaps by reviewing his CV he'll find he can rejuvenate his strengths. As a cancer survivor and dedicated Democratic campaigner, Stills has something to say that we all could learn from. While the next CSN CD is purported to be a Richard Rubin covers set, I'd rather have Stills head to the woodshed.

As CSN/Y's initial rush of productivity and fame led to a split in the early `70s, Stephen Stills followed up his two self-titled solo albums with a pair of albums backed by Manassas. The group, formed with Chris Hillman and others in the Stills orbit, recorded a large number of tracks across a range of rock, country, blues, bluegrass, folk and salsa styles. Their self-titled 1972 debut was a 21-track double-LP nominally divided into four sections, but cross-pollinating the styles throughout. Their followup, 1973's Down the Road, despite its single-LP concision, had neither the spark nor focus of the freshman effort.

Rhino's new collection offers fifteen vault selections, drawn from the original sessions, that include alternate takes, reworked solo tunes, cover songs, and live tracks. As on the group's debut, the styles vary from straight bluegrass to tightly harmonized country, electric folk and rock, and a taste of salsa. The soulful rock of "Like a Fox" (with backing vocal by Bonnie Raitt) is interlaced with pedal steel, Chris Hillman's "Lies" is layered with organ and slide guitar, the electric folk of "My Love is a Gentle Thing" is filled out with CSN-styled harmonies, and Stills' "Word Game" is sped along by fast shuffling drums.

The salsa instrumental "Tan Sola y Triste" and the blue soul original "Fit to Be Tied" close the first half of the album, and give way to earthier country sounds that open with Chris Hillman's twangy country-rock "Love and Satisfy." A pair of acoustic bluegrass covers includes Leon McAuliffe's "Panhandle Rag" and Bill Monroe's "Uncle Pen," and while Stills' "Do You Remember the Americans" is sung high and tight, Joe Maphis' "Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud Loud Music" is harmonized mournfully.

Perhaps the group recorded too much material for the pipeline, but it's surprising that any of these tracks failed to see release at the time. Not only are the performances and recordings generally up to par with the group's released works, Stills' originals are as good as anything else he wrote at the time. Reworked versions of "Sugar Babe" and "Word Game," originally waxed for Stephen Stills 2, and a smoking live version of "High and Dry," give a further taste of what this band had to offer. This is a superb complement to the band's debut, and perhaps a more rightful heir to their legacy than Down the Road. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

Manassas was the great American band that never quite was. The seven players were all at the top of their game in the early 1970s and - under Steve Stills' leadership - made some great music that took off from country-rock, but was a lot more. "Pieces" picks up the scraps from the cutting room floor and lets us enjoy the creative process and some mighty fine picking. Although this was Stills' band, co-leader Chris Hillman plays a vital role in the Manassas sound. He also contributes two of the strongest songs on "Pieces" - "Lies" (punchier and better than the version on "Down the Road") and "Love and Satisfy" (much better than the slick version on the "Souther, Hillman, Furay Band" LP). Hillman also brought a true country-roots sensibility to Manassas, just as he had in both the early (Gram Parsons-led) and later (Hillman-Rick Roberts-led) Flying Burrito Brothers. Stills admired the Burritos and was also keen on learning to play bluegrass music. Bringing in Hillman as a co-pilot was a great idea. Unfortunately, taking such a large band on the road in those days was costly and the in-demand talents of Al Perkins, Joe Lala, Dallas Taylor, Hillman, et al were being pulled in other directions. It could not last. The double "Manassas" LP was Stills' truly last great moment. Several cuts here are up to the overall quality of that debut (one of my all-time favorites) - The opener, "Witching Hour," is a great Stills song that Hillman did a nice job with on his debut LP. "Sugar Babe" also gets a solid reading and (to my ears) is superior to the version on Stills's Second LP. My main complaint is that some of the cuts are just snippets - five songs run less than 2 minutes each. Just when a bluesy version of "Word Game" is getting going...it ends. "Tan Sola Y Triste" sounds like early Santana and is just starting to cook...when it fades out. Oh well, it's still nice to have this material. Country rock was at its' creative peak in 1972 and 1973 when these stalwarts of the genre were recording together. I'll play this one a lot until the Stephen Stills box set comes out.

Not too much more to add to prior reviewers' comments but here are some thoughts that I hope will add some value for potential purchasers. This CD is an eclectic mix of, well, `Pieces' performed by Stephen Stills and Manassas. Although it is understandable how this collection could only be released retrospectively, it stands the test of time and is well worth listening to for Stephen Stills fans. Several of the best songs seemed to be saved for future release, most notably `My Love is a Gentle Thing' (which was slated for the ill-fated 1974 CSNY `Human Highway' album) and `Love and Satisfy' (Souther-Hillman-Furay). `My Love is a Gentle Thing' sounds almost identical to me to the one on the CSN box set and maybe it is. Others are re-recordings of previously-released (`Sugar Babe', `Word Game') or soon-to-be-released at that time (`Do You Remember the Americans', `Lies') songs. Others are great originals ('Witching Hour') or covers we have not heard.

The musicianship of this band is simply superior and for those appreciating high quality 2-channel recordings, the sound quality is outstanding. Folks, these are real musicians making real music. This is not digitally-synthesized over-processed garbage.

What stood out for me on many of the songs was Dallas Taylor's drumming which is very prominent on many of the rockier selections. A number of hardcore bluegrass cuts are included featuring fiddle and mandolin (by Chris Hillman, the pro's pro, of course) towards the end of the CD. Finally, Stephen is singing gritty, unforced and on key, and his guitar is sweet.

Years later, I am stills sorry that Stephen could never put Manassas back together, if for just a reunion tour.

I rate this CD is a buy.

This disc is reminicent of what happened with Cream circa 1970. The band had already dissolved and the players had gone their separate ways, and all that was left was to cull from splicings on the recording studio floor or concert soundboards. Cream didn't leave much tape behind, but fortunately there was just enough leftovers from Manassas' studio sessions to put together this little gem. I regard it as more than just snippets of unfinished projects. There is actually the makings of a decent album here, and virtually all of the songs have a degree of completeness to them. In fact, 'PIeces' could easily drive hard-core Manassas fans into long-winded debates about what coulda-shoulda been on 'Down the Road', the follow-up to the band's incredible debut double-LP. No one in their right minds would alter one note on those first two discs.

Stephen's first post-Manassas work, 1974's 'Live', continued to highlight the guitarist's acoustic and wah-pedal virtuosity. But beginning with 1975's 'Stills', Stephen's solo projects began to take on a pop feel that seemed to abandon the folk-rock and psychedelic underpinnings that drove his early career success. These tracks with Manassas harken back to those peak years in Stephen's tenure as one of the finest composers and performers on the rock scene. Two of the tracks included, in fact, pre-date even the formation of Manassas. A sterling, complete alternate version of 'Sugar Babe' appears, as does the one true snippet on the disc, a 1:35 teaser of 'Word Game'. Both tracks appeared on Stephen's second solo disc. The version of 'Word Game' offered here is quite unique in it's structure, presented sans the complex acoustic picking that accompanies virtually every version I've heard. That would seem to be the sole purpose to its inclusion here.

Alternate versions of several 'Down the Road' tracks are included. 'Tan Sola Y Triste' is an alternate instrumental backing of 'Pensamiento'; 'Do You Remember the Americans' is a less intense version, more down home and casual than the original release, but not necessarily better. 'Lies', on the other hand, is a much meatier alternate with some sweet psychedelic leads from Stephen. It's hard to imagine why this version of the Chris Hillman track wasn't chosen for 'Down the Road'. Speaking of Chris, there are also two entertaining bluegrass tracks from the co-frontman of this band, 'Panhandle Rag' and 'Uncle Pen', as well as a fine sounding cover of the Souther-Hillman-Furay track, 'Love and Satisfy'.

With all that going for it, I haven't even mentioned the true highlights of the disc! A mighty live version of 'High and Dry' again graces us with Stephen's maestro-like psychedelic guitar. A five-minute plus excursion on 'Witching Hour' opens the disc, a track possessing a classic feel much like 'Wooden Ships' or 'Shadow Captain' injected into CSN albums. 'Like a Fox' is a tuneful romantic ballad featuring strong harmonies from none other than Bonnie Raitt. 'My Love Is a Gentle Thing' is every bit as tender and unassuming as a ballad can be, and 'Fit To Be Tied' is better known as 'Shuffle Just As Bad', a funky blues number from 1975's 'Stills', this version being more genuine and persuasive in its tone. The album is topped off with 'Dim Lights, Thick Smoke', a slow cruise through the blues, and 'I Am My Brother', a decent solo acoustic folk piece.

Bill DeYoung provides some well-written liner notes, having done some recent interviews with Stills (who used the word "friggin'" back in the 70's?... has to be a recent comment), Hillman and others to flesh out the background and memories of Manassas. In perhaps an attempt at revisionist history, DeYoung refers to Stills as "a born collaborator", conflicting with reports of his head bumping with Crosby, Nash and Young, and the members of Manassas nicknaming him 'The Boss'. There are also rare period photographs of the band and memorabilia. While 'Pieces' is only an addendum to the 3 vinyl discs released by the band in the 70's, any addition to the Manassas catalog must be honored, and this disc easily earns its four stars.

....I couldn't wait to get my hands on this album (especially when you pre-order, time seems to stand still(s)....)and I wasn't disappointed! Stills has always been my main man when it comes to melodic tunes with a bite and Manassas proved to be an excellent vehicle for his creative prowess. If there is a downside, I only wish that some of the "pieces" where longer in length. What I wouldn't give to hear a five minute version of "Tan Sola Y Triste"!!! Anyway, if you're a Stills fan, do yourself a favor and buy this LP. Like everybody else, I'm looking forward to purchasing that "promised" box set that Nash is putting together for Stills. No doubt there will be a few choice "gems" to surface from the archives. Besides, its way past time to critically reevaluate the Stills canon. Song for song, I think Stephen Stills towers over the likes of an over-hyped Neil Young. Keep em coming, Stephen!

Having enjoyed the two Manassas albums since their initial release I have had many questions about this band and what went on? "Manassas Pieces" has answered the questions and passed on more of their distinctive sound. This is an album of complete songs and tracks that were not completed. This CD has made me appreciate the original Manassas albums even more. The music is great and the liner notes by Bill De Young and Stephen Stills complete a wonderful package. A definite must have for any Manassas fan.

A very cool person, Stills is. "Manassas", "Manassas down the road", and then connect the "Pieces". Right? Comfortable music to enjoy.