Stephen Stills Manassas - Down The Road (1973)

 (U.S 1971-1973)

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.

Manassas was formed in the fall of 1971, following Stills' concert tour to support his album Stephen Stills 2 (1971). While Stephen Stills 2 was Stills’ second solo album, it was his first completed following the acrimonious 1970 break up of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY), and was not critically well-received. After a chance meeting with Flying Burrito Brothers singer/multi-instrumentalist Chris Hillman in Cleveland, where Stills’ tour schedule crossed paths with that of the Burritos – a band that, by late 1971, had undergone multiple personnel changes and was in financial trouble – Stills saw an opportunity to change his artistic direction. He subsequently contacted Hillman, asking him, along with Burritos’ guitarist Al Perkins and fiddler Byron Berline, to join him in Miami at Criteria Studios to jam. Stills also invited several members of his touring band – drummer Dallas Taylor, bassist Calvin “Fuzzy” Samuels, keyboardist Paul Harris and vocalist/percussionist Joe Lala – to play at the session.

The musicians quickly gelled in the studio, and within several weeks had recorded enough material at Criteria to fill a double-LP album release. The band was capable of a wide musical range, with a repertoire including blues, folk, country, latin, and rock songs. Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman, a friend of both Hillman and Stills who visited Criteria during the sessions, was an early fan of the band, at one point expressing an interest in joining. The band christened itself Manassas after Stills, who had an interest in American Civil War history, orchestrated a photo shoot for them in Manassas, Virginia, the site of the First and Second Battles of Bull Run (1861 and 1862, respectively).

Down The Road is the second and last album by Stephen Stills' band Manassas. It was released in 1973. The album was not very well received. Rolling Stone was especially critical, saying "it would be sad to think the people involved put this record out not because of business pressures but because they were proud of it." It only made it to #26 on the Billboard album charts and its single, "Isn't It About Time", only made it to #56 on the Billboard singles charts.

Album Reviews

by DAVE CONNOLLY (progrography.com)

The second Manassas record sounded a lot like Stephen Stills 2 with better playing behind it, which wasn’t good enough for critics, most of whom panned Down The Road as second rate. It’s really not a bad record, a good half of which can hold its own with the material on the first Manassas record. Highlights include “Isn’t It About Time” (which features some blistering slide work), Chris Hillman’s pretty “So Many Times,” a pair of winning south-of-the-border songs and the closing “Rollin’ My Stone.” Unfortunately, about half of the album could be accurately described as filler, including an apparently unconscious rewrite of The Rolling Stones’ “Let’s Spend The Night Together” as “City Junkies.”

For Stephen Stills fans, 'Down The Road' is still a worthwhile purchase. There’s no question that the man sounds better with a good working band behind him, especially when it includes extra piano, guitar and percussion. After listening to the lovely “Guaguancó de Veró,” which references his new relationship with Veronique Sanson (the pair married shortly before the release of this album), I’m convinced that Stills should pay a bongo player to follow him around everywhere.

The undoing of Manassas wasn’t an uncertain future, but the pull of the past. Stills and Hillman would soon reunite with their former bands (CSN, The Byrds), and Manassas would be remembered as a felicitous, ephemeral alignment like Derek and the Dominos. Both bands deserved an encore, Manassas got theirs, only to find that half of their audience had left in the interim. The fault doesn’t lie with the musicians but the material, which spends too much time in the middle of the road.

A More Favourable Review by FRAN COOMBS (AllMusic)

A hugely underrated album, 'Down The Road' is every bit as good as Manassas' debut double record. The same mix of folk, country and Latin is featured throughout.

Hillman and Stills

"Isn't It About Time", "Lies", "So Many Times", "Do You Remember The Americans" and "Rollin' My Stone" are gems, and Manassas/Stills/Hillman fans will be hooked throughout. Don't believe the doubters.

I think if Stephen Stills hadn't lost interest in the group/went back with CSNY in 1973 and '74, and if Chris Hillman developed/was allowed a more satisfying songwriting/musical role for himself (which the quality alone deserves), AND if keeping the collection of guys like Al Perkins, Joe Lala, Dallas Taylor, all together wasn't difficult... Manassas could have continued longer. But it's pretty cool they did something together anyhow. A really fantastic period of time for all of these artists.

This post consists of FLACs ripped from my 50year old vinyl, which was purchased from Batman Records back in the late 70's and is in pretty good condition for its age. Full album artwork and label scans are included.

Track Listing

01. Isn't It About Time  3:02

02. Lies [Hillman]  2:55

03. Pensamiento [Stills-Nelson Escoto]  2:36

04. So Many Times [Hillman-Stills]  3:30

05. Business On The Street  2:55

06. Do You Remember The Americans  2:05

07. Down The Road  3:16

08. City Junkies  2:50

09. Guaguanco De Vero  2:51

10. Rollin' My Stone [Stills-Samuels]  4:50

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

Guest Artists:

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

Manassas Link (182Mb) 

New Link 10/08/2026

Stephen Stills - Selftitled (1970)

(U.S 1962 - Present)
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Born in Dallas, Texas, Jan 3, 1945, Stephen Stills is a singer and something of a multi-instrumentalist - guitar, keyboards, drums. Back in the 60's, he played local folk-clubs, before dropping out of university to go to New York. There he performed with various groups, including Au Go Go Singers with Richie Furay, but was eventually lured to Los Angeles by what he felt was more creative musical environment.
He made abortive attempt to form a band with Van Dyke Parks, auditioned unsuccessfully for membership with the Monkees, and finally called the aforementioned Furay from New York to assist him in assembling a new band which became the legendary Buffalo Springfield. It was Stills who wrote Springfield's first U.S. hit in early 1967, the politically-conscious "For What It's Worth", plus other group stand-outs "Bluebird" and "Rock And Roll Woman".

When this group split in May 1968, Stills worked on a variety of projects: he turned down an offer to replace Al Kooper in Blood Sweat & Tears but he did cut a Super-session jam album, August 1968, with Kooper and Mike Bloomfield; and also played guitar for his girlfriend Judy Collins on her Who Knows Where The Time Goes? album (Nov 1968); and bass on Joni Mitchell's debut album (July 1968). He is also said during this period to have taken guitar lessons from Jimi Hendrix and cut a number of unreleased tracks with drummer Dallas Taylor.

Then in December 1968, Stills announced the team-up of Crosby Stills & Nash, which would produce an astonishing eponymous debut album evidencing Stills at peak of creativity. His epic-length Suite: "Judy Blue Eyes", written for Judy Collins, was that outfit's first U.S. hit (CSN&Y). Stills recorded his first solo album during latter days of this colossally-successful aggregation's traumatic life-span. When CSN&Y ended world tour at London's Royal Albeit Hall, February 1970, Stills stayed in England purchasing Ringo Stair's Surrey mansion for some £90,000. Employing a variety of stellar musicians - Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, John Sebastian, Crosby, Nash, Booker T., Cass Elliott, etc. - his selftitled solo album was cut at Island Studios, London, and Wally Heider's and Record Plant in Los Angeles and was an impressive solo debut. Hendrix had O.D.'d between recording and release in November 1970, and the set was dedicated to "James Marshall Hendrix".

Stills returned to CSN&Y for last few months of band's existence, then formed first own group line-ups using Calvin "Fuzzy" Samuels (bass), Dallas Taylor (drums), both ex CSN&Y side-men, plus Paul Harris (keyboards), Stephen Fromhob (guitar) and Memphis Horns brass section for tour purposes. Nucleus of band came together at Stills' Surrey home and he embarked on 52-date U.S. tour to promote second album, the somewhat less assured Stephen Stills II (July 1971).

This band metamorphosed into Manassas in October 1971 via Miami recording sessions on which Stills used services of singer/ guitarist Chris Hillman (ex Byrds, Flying Burritos) and Al Perkins (pedal steel). Hillman was virtual second-in-command to Stills' often outstanding and widely-acclaimed outfit; other members being Samuels, Taylor and Harris, and newcomer Joe Lala. Samuels later replaced by Kenny Passarelli.
The   band   toured   extensively and recorded two albums, including the classic double-set Manassas (May 1972) and Down The Road (January 1973).

However, in September 1973, Hillman, Perkins and Harris split to form Souther-Hillman-Furay Band. Stills, who had married French singer Veronique Sanson in spring 1973 and was by then living in Colorado, formed a second version of Stephen Stills Band retaining Lala, Passarelli, and bringing in guitarist Donnie Dacus, keyboardsman Jerry Aiello and noted session-drummer Russ Kunkel (James Taylor, etc.). This was only short-lived aggregation, however, because in May 1974 occurred the much-rumoured reunion of Crosby Stills Nash & Young. Lala and, briefly, Kunkel joined CSN&Y back-up squad for highly lucrative, widely-publicised one-off world tour ending in London February 1975.

By this time Stills had severed long-standing contract with Atlantic and signed to Columbia, who released Stills in June 1975. Something of a hotch-potch of material dating over previous five years, this failed to halt widespread opinion that Stills' talents were on decline - although the album was notable for record debut of aforementioned Donnie Dacus. Dacus, a young protege of Stills, co-wrote a number of tracks, and was important fixture in third incarnation of Steve Stills Band formed March 1975. Other personnel were Lala and Aiello, plus Ronald Ziegler (drums) and George Perry (bass).

Second Columbia album Illegal Stills (May 1976) was more spirited attempt to recapture former glory; later in '76 he teamed with Neil Young for a tour and album, and in 1977 recorded a reunion set with Crosby and Nash. [extract from The Illustrated New Musical Express Encyclopedia of Rock, by Nick Logan and Bob Woffindon, Salamander Books Limited, 1977 p225]

Album Review
Stephen Stills had nothing to prove, but he still did it anyway. A superstar of late Sixties California soft rock, Stills was already familiar with success by the time his first solo album came out. While in Buffalo Springfield he wrote the classic counterculture anthem "For What is Worth"; by 1970 he was a million-seller. At 25, the Texas-born musician had enjoyed a golden age few could touch.

However, critics underrated Stills in comparison with comrades Neil Young, David Crosby, and David Nash. With this album, he shut them all up.

Backed by an all-star lineup—including Jimi Hendrix (to whom the album is dedicated), Eric Clapton, BookerT, Crosby, Rita Coolidge, Nash, John Sebastian, and Cass Elliot—Stills' raspy voice and strumming guitar injects the standard singer-songwriter formula with his idiosyncratic combination of grit and melancholy. The album fuses CSN&Y high harmonies ("Do for The Others"), gospel-soaked R&B in the Leon Russell / Joe Cocker school (the splendorous "Church"), Latin rhythms (the passionately driven single "Love The One You're With," a radio favorite), folk blues (electric in "Go Back Home," acoustic in the live track "Black Queen"), and hard rock (funky, driven "Old Times Good Times"). A reflective quality is never far below the surface, though.

The song "We Are Not Helpless" was written in response to Neil Young's song "Helpless" from the Déjà Vu album and the song and "Black Queen" have remained in the performing repertoire of both Stills and CSN. "Love the One You're With," Stills' biggest solo hit single, peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 on December 19, 1970, and another single pulled from the album, "Sit Yourself Down," went to #37 on March 27, 1971.

The album peaked at #3 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart in the week of December 5, 1970. It was reissued by WEA after being digitally remastered using the HDCD process on December 5, 1995. "We Are Not Helpless" and "Love the One You're With" were first performed in concert on May 12, 1970 during Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's Déjà Vu tour.

Ten superb songs sketch a soulful journey through a deeply personal Ecclesiastes of love, and the lack of it. With his debut album, Stephen Stills manages to imprint his own strong and lyrical signature on a vibrant mosaic of American music.

This album has been listed in Michael Lydon's well known book '1001 Albums you Must Hear Before You Die'

This post consists of FLACS ripped from my shrink wrapped vinyl which I purchased from Reading Records in Carlton back in 1978, for the pricely sum of $12.99 (US Print / Import) . As a poor Uni Student this was a considerable outlay, but my key objective was to own anything that was associated with Hendrix - in this case the track "Old Times Good Times" features him on guitar.  Full album artwork for both LP and CD are included along with several single picture covers for his infamous "Love The One You're With" .
So, this is one album you can strike off the list - only 1,000 to go.....
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Track Listing
01. "Love the One You're With" – 3:04

02. "Do for the Others" – 2:52
03. "Church (Part of Someone) – 4:05
04. "Old Times Good Times"** – 3:39
05. "Go Back Home" – 5:54
06. "Sit Yourself Down" – 3:05
07. "To a Flame" – 3:08
08. "Black Queen" – 5:26
09. "Cherokee" – 3:23
10. "We Are Not Helpless" – 4:20
** Features Jimi Hendrix on guitar

Stephen Stills — vocals, guitars, bass, piano, organ, steel drum, percussion; horn and string arrangements on "Church," "To a Flame," and "Cherokee"
Jimi Hendrix — electric guitar on "Old Times Good Times"
Eric Clapton — electric guitar on "Go Back Home"
Booker T. Jones — organ on "Cherokee"; backing vocal on "We Are Not Helpless"
Calvin "Fuzzy" Samuel — bass on "Love the One You're With," "Church," "Old Times Good Times," "Go Back Home," and "Sit Yourself Down"
Conrad Isedor — drums on "Church" and "Old Times Good Times"
Johnny Barbata — drums on "Go Back Home" and "Sit Yourself Down"
Ringo Starr — drums on "To a Flame" and "We Are Not Helpless"
Dallas Taylor — drums on "Cherokee"
Jeff Whittaker — congas on "Love the One You're With" and "Old Times Good Times"
Sidney George — flute, alto saxophone on "Cherokee"
Rita Coolidge, David Crosby, Priscilla Jones, John Sebastian — backing vocals on "Love the One You're With," "Go Back Home," "Sit Yourself Down," and "We Are Not Helpless"
Graham Nash — backing vocals on "Love the One You're With," "Sit Yourself Down," and "We Are Not Helpless"
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Stephen Stills FLACs Link (243Mb)
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