Pieces

In 1971, Stephen Stills of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young gathered musicians to record sessions for his third solo album. Some of the people invited included members of the Flying Burrito Brothers and the Byrds. The resulting group worked out so well that they decided to record an album together as their own band.

The still unnamed band partook on a small tour. While at the train station in Manassas, Va., a photo of the band under the Manassas sign was taken, finally giving them a moniker and an album cover. The band released their double-album self-titled debut in 1972, and "Down the Road" in 1973.

After putting out two albums, the band eventually fizzled, overshadowed by CSN&Y's continued popularity and their record label's view of Manassas as Stills' side-project. "Pieces" is a collection of songs from those albums' sessions, released 36 years after the band parted ways.

Bluesy at the same time its folk, rock, and country-tinged, "Pieces" definitely sounds like it was recorded in the '70s. A perfect example of that sound is the track "Lies," where slide guitar joins distorted electric guitar and keyboards. The aptly named song is about the singer seemingly warning a friend that his girl will "walk all over you, leave your soul lying in the dust," just like she did to him.

The harmonies on "My Love is a Gentle Thing" definitely recall the vocals of CSN&Y; mellow acoustic guitar and quiet percussion take a backseat to the soaring layered voices.

"Word Game" features driving percussion, almost like a moving train, slight guitar, and lyrics about injustices like prejudice and poverty. The song, along with "Sugar Babe," was recorded in 1971 for Stills' second solo album, but the tracks that appear on "Pieces" are live performances by the band.

The eclectic sound of Manassas gets even more unexpected on "Tan Solo y Triste," ("So Lonely and Sad" in Spanish) an instrumental and very Latin jazz-influenced track. Likewise, "Panhandle Rag" is another track out of left field, featuring bluegrass-like fiddle that would feel right at home at a hoedown. "Uncle Pen" has that same countrified feel, as do "Do You Remember the Americans" and "Dim Music, Thick Smoke (And Loud, Loud Music)."

A few impressive guests appear on "Pieces," including guitarist Joe Walsh of the Eagles on "Lies" and Bonnie Raitt singing background vocals on "Like A Fox."

While it does feel like the songs on "Pieces" are like a meal of leftovers, that doesn't mean they were bad to begin with. Fans of CSN&Y, '70s music, and the genres touched on by Manassas on this album will be sure to appreciate its strengths as well as its occasional weaknesses.