Manassas (and Stephen Stills)

Manassas is a double album by the group Manassas, a blues-rock band led by Stephen Stills. Recorded towards the end of 1971 the album explored several musical styles including rock, latin, country and bluegrass. Released in 1972, it was a critical comeback for Stills, being certified Gold a month after being released and peaking at number 4 on the US album charts.

Stills, a Civil War enthusiast, flew the then unnamed band to Virginia, at one point visting Manassas which lies close to where the Confederacy had claimed its first major victory at the Battle of Bull Run. The group were photographed at various locations around the city by photographer Ira H. Wexler, choosing a photograph of them standing on the north end of the then-Southern Railway depot for the album cover. Above them is the Manassas railway sign which inspiored the name for both the band and the album. The photograph is in fact a wide-angle shot, the

Rock/rail enthusiasts (I'm sure they exist!) will be interested to know that Manassas station can also be seen in the music video for the 1987 Steve Winwood song Back in the High Life Again.

As well as Stephen Stills, the group’s personnel included Chris Hillman (the original bassist of the Byrds), steel guitar player Al Perkins and fiddler Byron Berline, both of whom had played with Hillman in the Flying Burrito Brothers, keyboardist Paul Harris; Blues Image founder Joe Lala and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young alumnus Calvin 'Fuzzy' Samuels and Dallas Taylor on bass and drums.

In January 1972, the band flew to Stills' house in London to finish recording and mixing the album and to rehearse for an upcoming tour. This led to Rolling Stone Bill Wyman playing bass on and co-writing the song 'The Love Gangster'. According to Dallas Taylor, Wyman was prepared to leave the Stones for Manassas but was never asked!

The album was included in the 2005 book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

This is Episode 22 of Season 3 (and one of over 100 other episodes). I would like to say a huge thank you to the overwhelming number of listeners and followers over the past two years as the Low Noise podcast continues to evolve in its own inimitable way. I truly appreciate all your interest and support.

I hope you enjoy this episode.

Mathew Woodall

The introduction to this episode features an excerpt from 'Ma' from the album 'Asimov' by Inafer Era. Thank you to Auden and Meah.