Manassas was an American rock band formed by Stephen Stills in 1971. Predominantly a vehicle for Stills’ artistic vision, the band released two albums during its active tenure, 1972’s Manassas and 1973’s Down the Road. The band dissolved in October 1973.
...for Most Unfairly Maligned Recording of 1973... Stephen Stills and Manassas, 'Down The Road'!!! This is a solid album by SS and the boys... no need to call it anything less than fine. In fact, many of the songs on 'Down The Road' have counterparts on the predecessor to this album, the highly regarded 'Manassas' double-LP. 'So Many Times' readily brings to mind 'Hide It So Deep'; 'Remember the Americans' is reminiscient of 'Fallen Eagle', both being fiddle-fied side two openers; 'Business On the Street' resembles 'Don't Look At My Shadow', both being country-fied side closers; and 'Pensamiento' is a bouncy Latin number ala 'Cuban Bluegrass'. Both albums open with hard-rocking protest numbers. Perhaps people perceive the 'mimicking' as a conscious attempt to (less than successfully) clone the formula for the original Manassas LP's, but I think Stills was too far along as a musician at this point to need that. Besides, Stills' clones are more obvious, such as transplanting 'Questions' to 'Carry On' on the 'Deja Vu' LP, or revisiting 'Bluebird' via 'Bluebird Revisited'. Maybe this is just their style...?
If you want to measure 'Down The Road' against 'Manassas', and many people do, there is an upside for each. The upside for 'Down The Road' is that it rocks harder than the first Manassas double-LP. 'Isn't It About Time' lashes out first, really cracking the whip. 'Down The Road', 'City Junkies' (aka "When I Was a Young Man" Part One and Part Two), 'Rolling My Stone' and 'Lies' continue the scourge. The upside for 'Manassas' are the three classic love ballads that 'Down The Road' has no answer for: 'Both Of Us', 'So Begins the Task', and 'It Doesn't Matter'. Stills offers two Latin-influenced numbers in their stead, 'Pensamiento' and 'Guaguanco de Vero'. 'Pensamiento' is the better of the two songs, and though lyrics are included, you'll be needing an interpreter.
True to the era, there is plenty 'anti-ism' to be had on 'Down The Road'. 'Isn't It About Time' puts war-mongers in their place every bit as well as 'Song of Love' put down war itself on the first Manassas album. 'Down The Road', 'City Junkies', and 'Rollin' My Stone' indict drug and alcohol abuse, while at the same time implicitly acknowledging their allure (kind of like a more sincere Bill Clinton saying, "I inhaled, a lot, but wish I hadn't..."). Be sure to check out the comical partied-out background singers on 'Down the Road', and the driving slide guitar. Stills is given credit for a slide in the liner notes, and I'm betting this is it (although Joe Walsh is also credited with playing slide somewhere on the CD). And Chris Hillman's 'Lies' is a robust swipe at superficial love.
It's really a thoroughly enjoyable album. Had Stills added these 10 to the first 21 Manassas songs, we would just be all the more astounded. But again, no masterpieces here, and perhaps that is what people react to.
Sometimes it is difficult to identify what makes great art a cut above good art, and it is true that the first Manassas albums are one cut above this one. I suspect part of the problem is that there is just less here... 10 songs as opposed to 21. The band was on the brink of dissolving, and perhaps that effected the artistic expression as well. Some say the production is sloppy or the arrangements lack imagination, but I don't see it. Stills sounds like he is in his prime to me, and I'm more than thankful that he put one more Manassas album under his belt before Carrying On.
Production
Personnel
Notes
If you want to measure 'Down The Road' against 'Manassas', and many people do, there is an upside for each. The upside for 'Down The Road' is that it rocks harder than the first Manassas double-LP. 'Isn't It About Time' lashes out first, really cracking the whip. 'Down The Road', 'City Junkies' (aka "When I Was a Young Man" Part One and Part Two), 'Rolling My Stone' and 'Lies' continue the scourge. The upside for 'Manassas' are the three classic love ballads that 'Down The Road' has no answer for: 'Both Of Us', 'So Begins the Task', and 'It Doesn't Matter'. Stills offers two Latin-influenced numbers in their stead, 'Pensamiento' and 'Guaguanco de Vero'. 'Pensamiento' is the better of the two songs, and though lyrics are included, you'll be needing an interpreter.
True to the era, there is plenty 'anti-ism' to be had on 'Down The Road'. 'Isn't It About Time' puts war-mongers in their place every bit as well as 'Song of Love' put down war itself on the first Manassas album. 'Down The Road', 'City Junkies', and 'Rollin' My Stone' indict drug and alcohol abuse, while at the same time implicitly acknowledging their allure (kind of like a more sincere Bill Clinton saying, "I inhaled, a lot, but wish I hadn't..."). Be sure to check out the comical partied-out background singers on 'Down the Road', and the driving slide guitar. Stills is given credit for a slide in the liner notes, and I'm betting this is it (although Joe Walsh is also credited with playing slide somewhere on the CD). And Chris Hillman's 'Lies' is a robust swipe at superficial love.
It's really a thoroughly enjoyable album. Had Stills added these 10 to the first 21 Manassas songs, we would just be all the more astounded. But again, no masterpieces here, and perhaps that is what people react to.
Sometimes it is difficult to identify what makes great art a cut above good art, and it is true that the first Manassas albums are one cut above this one. I suspect part of the problem is that there is just less here... 10 songs as opposed to 21. The band was on the brink of dissolving, and perhaps that effected the artistic expression as well. Some say the production is sloppy or the arrangements lack imagination, but I don't see it. Stills sounds like he is in his prime to me, and I'm more than thankful that he put one more Manassas album under his belt before Carrying On.
- "Isn't It About Time" – 3:02
- "Lies" (Chris Hillman) – 2:55
- "Pensamiento" (Stills, Nelson Escoto) – 2:36
- "So Many Times" (Hillman, Stills) – 3:30
- "Business on the Street" – 2:55
- "Do You Remember The Americans" – 2:05
- "Down The Road" – 3:16
- "City Junkies" – 2:50
- "Guaguancó de Veró" (Stills, Joe Lala) – 2:51
- "Rollin' My Stone" (Stills, Calvin Samuel) – 4:50
All tracks composed by Stephen Stills; except where indicated
Companies, etc.
- Phonographic Copyright (p) – Atlantic
- Phonographic Copyright (p) – Atlantic Recording Corporation
- Copyright (c) – Atlantic Recording Corporation
- Manufactured By – Atlantic Recording Corporation
- Pressed By – Presswell
Production
- Engineer – Jeff Guercio, Malcolm Cecil
- Engineer, Mixed By – Bill Halverson, Howard Albert, Ronald Albert
- Producer - Stephen Stills, Chris Hillman, Dallas Taylor
Personnel
- Stephen Stills - guitar, piano, bass, vocals
- Dallas Taylor - drums
- Chris Hillman - guitar, bass, mandolin, vocals
- Joe Lala - percussion, vocals
- Al Perkins - guitar, pedal steel guitar, banjo
- Calvin "Fuzzy" Samuel - bass, vocals
- Paul Harris - piano
- Joe Walsh - slide guitar
- Bobby Whitlock - keyboards
- Sydney George - flute
- Jerry Aiello - organ
- Charlie Grimes - guitar
- Guille Garcia - percussion
- Lachy Espinol - percussion
- Pat Arnold - vocals
Notes
Released: April 23, 1973
Genre: Country rock, blues rock, folk rock, southern rock
Length: 30:50
© 1973
Label - Atlantic Records
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