Pieces

Sound DNA

• Country
• Americana & Roots

• warm
• laid-back
• pastoral

About

Though it only lasted 18 months, Manassas proved to be one of the best musical vehicles ever assembled by leader Stephen Stills. The odds and ends collected on <i>Pieces</i> show how consistently eclectic and interesting this genre-busting septet could be. These early ‘70s recordings — mostly alternate studio tracks and rehearsal tapes — find Stills in revitalized form, singing with a smoky, evocative edge and laying down incisive lead guitar. The simmering “Witching Hour,” the gospel-infused “Like a Fox” and the self-revelatory “I Am My Brother” are worthy additions to his song catalogue. Also strong are band mate Chris Hillman’s driving country-rocker “Lies” and the surprisingly funky “Love and Satisfy.” Al Perkins’s pedal steel work is particularly impressive, especially when he adds his swooning licks to the Latin tune “Tan Sola Y Triste.” A spirited romp through “Panhandle Rag” and “Uncle Pen” (taken from a Stills/Flying Burrito Brothers studio jam) reveals Manassas’s traditional country underpinnings. <i>Pieces</i> gathers valuable fragments of the band’s brief history.

via Apple Music

Tracklist

Credits