Tracks
- Song of Love
- Rock & Roll Crazies/Cuban Bluegrass
- Jet Set (Sigh)
- Anyway
- Both of Us (Bound to Lose)
- Fallen Eagle
- Jesus Gave Love Away for Free
- Colorado
- So Begins the Task
- Hide It So Deep
- Don't Look at My Shadow
- It Doesn't Matter
- Johnny's Garden
- Bound to Fall
- How Far
- Move Around
- The Love Gangster
- What to Do
- Right Now
- The Treasure (Take One)
- Blues Man
Manassas is a solid album. The music is rock—and country and blues and bluegrass. The band likes to get into a groove and jam, just like the blues. But what's played over the groove is country and bluegrass. It's similar in many ways to Will the Circle Be Unbroken. And it's also what one might expect if the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash were to merge together.
This album feels like one continuous jam that transitions by throwing in a groove or a melody. Thus, the songs are not always easily distinguishable and sort of become one long drone. However, there are enough exciting grooves, riffs and melodies to make to keep if from being uninteresting.
This album didn't impress me at first, but I've come to like it after listening to it over and over. It starts and ends strong. The middle is good but unremarkable. So, it probably could have been a single album instead of a double.
I think the album worth listening to. Although it's true there have been rock bands that have done country music albums, this one strikes a better balance between rock and country and emphasizes the groove more so than the others and that groove is essential to the country rock bands that follow. So, for that reason, it should be on the 1001 Albums list.
There are some really good songs on this album. The stand outs are: Song of Love, Rock & Roll Crazies/Cuban Bluegrass, Jet Set (Sigh), So Begins the Task, Don't Look at My Shadow, It Doesn't Matter, Johnny's Garden, Bound to Fall, How Far, The Love Gangster, What to Do, Right Now, The Treasure (Take One) and Blues Man.
★★★★★★★★★☆
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