The Steel Guitar Forum Store 

Post new topic "So begins the task"....
Reply to topic
Author Topic:  "So begins the task"....
Bob Carlucci

 

From:
Candor, New York, USA
Post  Posted 7 Jan 2014 6:24 am    
Reply with quote

A simply beautiful song by Steve Stills and Manasses. Double album , with every song on it a masterwork.
The great Al Perkins supplies wonderfully airy, etherial, "atmospheric" steel parts that to my ears make the song.. I could be wrong, but I think Al was still using a Fender 1000 during this time, but its also possible he had started playing his ZB...
Either way, its simply classic country rock steel, the sound of which was the sound track to my life as a very young man,,, Well, as much older man as well.
This is how I hear the pedal steel in my head...

While you're at it, look up Fallen Eagle, and Don't Look at my Shadow.. great steel work, that still stands up almost 42 years later.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thdSORQn0eY
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!

no gear list for me.. you don't have the time......
View user's profile Send private message

Joachim Kettner


From:
Germany
Post  Posted 7 Jan 2014 9:02 am    
Reply with quote

What if Steve Stills ever made a Country record? Wouldn't this be good?
_________________
Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

John Hauck

 

From:
Long Beach, California, USA
Post  Posted 7 Jan 2014 10:36 am    
Reply with quote

Bob, Thanks for the post. I think Manassas was one one the finest bands ever put together. Saw them in L.A. in the 70's at the Hollywood Bowl. Great night out.

Here's a link to some live performance stuff out there from the same period. Looks like Al's playing the Zum.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuphMxyPWeA
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Dave Campbell


From:
Nova Scotia, Canada
Post  Posted 7 Jan 2014 2:34 pm    
Reply with quote

i've been into this album for a while. i can never figure out why it isn't talked about more.

i also can never figure out why they put the acid spangler on this concert broadcast.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Bob Carlucci

 

From:
Candor, New York, USA
Post  Posted 8 Jan 2014 10:10 am    
Reply with quote

Dave Campbell wrote:
i've been into this album for a while. i can never figure out why it isn't talked about more.

i also can never figure out why they put the acid spangler on this concert broadcast.

One of the reasons I posted it is because this masterpiece of an album has been pretty much erased from any musical discourse, except for those of us that remember it from our mis spent youth.
Simply wonderful song writing, singing, and performing.. this album to me repesents the best work Steve Stills ever did, and that says a LOT... bob
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!

no gear list for me.. you don't have the time......
View user's profile Send private message

Joachim Kettner


From:
Germany
Post  Posted 8 Jan 2014 10:20 am    
Reply with quote

Quote:
except for those of us that remember it from our mis spent youth

I know I have seen this band live, but I can't remember anything!
_________________
Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Gary Roda


From:
Stockton, California USA
Post  Posted 12 Jan 2014 10:32 am    
Reply with quote

Bob,

I could not agree more with you! I wore this record OUT back in the seventies...my buddies and I trekked out to Colorado to be part of the scene that Stills wrote about; he created the whole movement, evoked the whole ccountry-in the- Rockies mythos with that seminal album. Al's superb playing was a key influence on my musical direction, driving me to purchase my first steel (Sho-Bud 6139, bought from Nick The Greek's Music and Antiques in Boulder). What a band, what an album. I have also enjoyed the live TV videos (thank you YouTube!), even though Steve was obviously high as a kite during the taping (check out Chris Hilman's sideways looks!), it is great to have that as a historical document of a musical milestone.
_________________
'87 Emmons LeGrande SD10 (4x5), '97 Carter D10 (8x5), Quilter Steelaire, '89 Nashville 400, Cube 80XL, Steeler's Choice Easy Rider, lotsa cool memories
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Gary Roda


From:
Stockton, California USA
Post  Posted 12 Jan 2014 10:33 am    
Reply with quote

Another Manassas thought:

What I really love about this band was that they honored the traditions and sounds of classic country music, though they were rock musicians for the most part. Quite a difference from the current crop of Nashville "artists".
_________________
'87 Emmons LeGrande SD10 (4x5), '97 Carter D10 (8x5), Quilter Steelaire, '89 Nashville 400, Cube 80XL, Steeler's Choice Easy Rider, lotsa cool memories
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Mike Daly

 

From:
Tennessee
Post  Posted 18 Mar 2014 7:36 am    
Reply with quote

A latecomer to this thread but I have to agree with all of you as this album and Al Perkins was a huge influence for me as well . But all is not forgotten...currently there is another thread about Al on the Steel Players page. Cannot get that killer solo out of my head now.....
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Frank Freniere


From:
The First Coast
Post  Posted 18 Mar 2014 3:20 pm    
Reply with quote

Great song, Bob.
View user's profile Send private message

Bob Carlucci

 

From:
Candor, New York, USA
Post  Posted 7 May 2023 3:38 am    
Reply with quote

Thought I would bring this thread back as I have playing this song a lot on 6 string -just because...
Around the time this was recorded, Al was switching from his cable Fender to a ZB S11.. Anyone know what he used on this record??. I saw an article about him where he stated that on the Stone's "Torn and Frayed" song he used the ZB, and was struggling with it, but got through it ok.. yes going from 8 to 11 strings would be an issue for a LOT of steel players.. Funny thing is, when I listen to his recordings from that era, both the Fender he used and the ZB sounded pretty much the same.,, at least to me..

Anyone know for certain which guitar he used on the Manasses album?
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!

no gear list for me.. you don't have the time......
View user's profile Send private message

Kenny Davis


From:
Great State of Oklahoma
Post  Posted 11 May 2023 10:42 am    
Reply with quote

Bob - I speak to Al on occasion, and the other day I mentioned some posts about him recently. Since he isn't a member of the Forum, he asked me to pass this along to you:

From his email -

Here’s a link my wife ran across…with a Risson T shirt 😉
https://youtu.be/xL3si2spf2I

Below the link he added:

That’s Tom’s old D11-10. I began playing it soon as we began touring, but the 1st Manassas lp and the “Last of the Red Hot Burritos” live lp was the Fender 1000 with two home made knee levers on the E7th ft neck.
(Left knee rt -5th stg E to F#)
(Rt knee rt- 2nd stg E to Eb)
_________________
Best lyric in a country song: "...One more, Moon..."
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Bob Carlucci

 

From:
Candor, New York, USA
Post  Posted 12 May 2023 10:28 am    
Reply with quote

Thanks Kenny.. I know he played the Fender on the live Burritos album, which was shortly before they broke up[the first time] if I recall correctly, but wasn't sure about The Stills Manasses album.. I thought it sounded like his Fender but wasn't 100 %.. The clip of him playing the ZB live was great.. It sounded different than the Fender in that clip for sure.. It sounded more "mainstream pedal steel" if that makes any sense to anyone.

Todays pedal steel players kind of chuckle at the old Fender cable jobs as "dinosaurs", that are semi unworkable in the high tech, high precision, high dollar modern age, but I will say this-- An awful lot of truly great music was made on those old cable Fender guitars.. Just as much as any other brand in my opinion.....
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!

no gear list for me.. you don't have the time......
View user's profile Send private message


All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Jump to:  

Our Online Catalog
Strings, CDs, instruction,
steel guitars & accessories

www.SteelGuitarShopper.com

Please review our Forum Rules and Policies

Steel Guitar Forum LLC
PO Box 237
Mount Horeb, WI 53572 USA


Click Here to Send a Donation

Email admin@steelguitarforum.com for technical support.


BIAB Styles
Ray Price Shuffles for
Band-in-a-Box

by Jim Baron
HTTP