Man Alive
Stephen Stills aficionados will certainly have to give 'Man Alive' some time to settle in, ,the early returns lay kudos all over this one, and I pretty much intend to do the same. While this review may one day demand a rewrite, let's give it a once over.
It's been fourteen long years since Stephen gave us a solo release, and 1991's 'Stills Alone' was certainly restrained in production and investment relative to 'Man Alive'. 'Man Alive' sounds lovingly, painstakingly nurtured. You really have to go back to 1984's 'Right By You' and Stephen's 1970's solo discs to find a comparable work. Nevertheless, 'Man Alive' does offer songs that are reminiscient of 'Stills Alone' ('Hearts Gate', in particular, sounds like it could be an outtake from those sessions, as does 'Piece of Me'), 'Right By You' (the steady rocker 'Wounded World' being a kissing cousin of 'No Problem'), and Booker T's 'Ole Man Trouble', a staple on recent tours, sounding like a knock off of 'Myth of Sisyphus' from 1975's 'Stills' early on.
Then there are those numbers that sound better than you hoped they would ('Spanish Suite'), or just like you always imagined they could ('Round the Bend'). A live performance of 'Spanish Suite' from the Greek Theatre in Berkeley has circulated as a bootleg since 1978 (must be where I heard it), but this stunning studio version featuring Herbie Hancock's virtuoso jazz piano adds a perfect complement to a truly classic Stills acoustic track. 'Round the Bend', on the other hand, finally captures Stephen and Neil Young jamming together on a studio track on a level comparable to their exchanges on 'Carry On' and 'Southern Man' from the 'Four Way Street' discs.
Then there are the moments that are new, even for a veteran like Stephen. 'Around Us' makes use of a trio of female backing vocalists that lend a sound to the track that Stills hasn't approached since his first solo disc in 1970 applied the wall of sound concept to 'Love the One You're With' and 'Sit Yourself Down'. Stills' is in smoother voice on this disc than he has been in years, but his gruff delivery stands in stern contrast to these breathy, feminine background voices. It's a great new sound for Stephen. Aside from 'Round the Bend', Neil Young is most prominent on a duet with Stephen titled 'Different Man', sounding a bit like the Soggy Bottom Boys belting out 'Man of Constant Sorrow'. 'Acadienne' draws on Creole influences, and while 'Beaucoup Yumbo' from 1978's 'Thoroughfare Gap' may have been Stills' first Cajun diversion, I'm venturing a guess that the lively 'Acadienne' is the first Stills tune to feature an accordion! 'Feed the People' advances the gospel of peace and Third World concern through an engaging style of chant.
Another exceptional tune from the disc is the opener 'Ain't It Always', which is broken from the same mold as the opener from 'Stills Alone', 'Isn't It So', being every bit as engaging, and twice as vibrant. 'Isn't It So' was catchy enough to be adopted as the theme song for the 'Second Noah' television series, and 'Ain't It Always' possesses similar pop sensibilities. 'I Don't Get It' rounds out the twelve tracks and 58 minute running time of the disc, a standard Stills blues shuffle with a gritty edge, focused on relational confusion and miscommunication.
The personnel is all over the board for this set. Stephen draws from his past studio and road bands for bassist George 'Chocolate' Perry, journeyman guitarist George Terry, Joe Vitale and Russ Kunkel on percussion, and Mike Finnigan on keyboards and vocals. Gerald Johnson, whose bass work I've been enjoying on Steve Miller's 1970's releases, is featured on four tracks. In addition to Neil Young and Herbie Hancock, Graham Nash contributes vocals on 3 tracks. Stephen "Many Hands" is busy on everything from keys to piano to bass to lead guitar to backing vocals for his own lead vocals in a spirit going back to his first album with Crosby and Nash.
Overall, 'Man Alive' has a blues-lite feel to it, but it's far too diverse to be pigeonholed. This disc has considerable potential to grow on a person, and may outdo some of Stephen's late-1970's releases such as 'Illegal Stills' and 'Thoroughfare Gap'. The only suggestions I would have had for Stephen in looking at the final product would be including the lyrics in the liner notes, and finding some outlets for his long-neglected wah-pedal guitar skills. Nevertheless, this CD is a must for Stephen's fans. It will be interesting to see if it generates significant interest from critics and those outside of Stills' base. It's deserving.
Hopefully, with 'Man Alive' completed, Stephen might find time to revisit his archives as Neil Young did in creating a box set for Buffalo Springfield. There is a compelling audio and video recording of the first Manassas concert that many, including the band's steel guitarist Al Perkins, would like to see released, as well as video and audio tracks of Stephen's legendary 1979 performances in Cuba. There is a thirst for such nuggets that Stills will hopefully be addressing soon. In the meantime, thanks for this one, Stephen.
It's been fourteen long years since Stephen gave us a solo release, and 1991's 'Stills Alone' was certainly restrained in production and investment relative to 'Man Alive'. 'Man Alive' sounds lovingly, painstakingly nurtured. You really have to go back to 1984's 'Right By You' and Stephen's 1970's solo discs to find a comparable work. Nevertheless, 'Man Alive' does offer songs that are reminiscient of 'Stills Alone' ('Hearts Gate', in particular, sounds like it could be an outtake from those sessions, as does 'Piece of Me'), 'Right By You' (the steady rocker 'Wounded World' being a kissing cousin of 'No Problem'), and Booker T's 'Ole Man Trouble', a staple on recent tours, sounding like a knock off of 'Myth of Sisyphus' from 1975's 'Stills' early on.
Then there are those numbers that sound better than you hoped they would ('Spanish Suite'), or just like you always imagined they could ('Round the Bend'). A live performance of 'Spanish Suite' from the Greek Theatre in Berkeley has circulated as a bootleg since 1978 (must be where I heard it), but this stunning studio version featuring Herbie Hancock's virtuoso jazz piano adds a perfect complement to a truly classic Stills acoustic track. 'Round the Bend', on the other hand, finally captures Stephen and Neil Young jamming together on a studio track on a level comparable to their exchanges on 'Carry On' and 'Southern Man' from the 'Four Way Street' discs.
Then there are the moments that are new, even for a veteran like Stephen. 'Around Us' makes use of a trio of female backing vocalists that lend a sound to the track that Stills hasn't approached since his first solo disc in 1970 applied the wall of sound concept to 'Love the One You're With' and 'Sit Yourself Down'. Stills' is in smoother voice on this disc than he has been in years, but his gruff delivery stands in stern contrast to these breathy, feminine background voices. It's a great new sound for Stephen. Aside from 'Round the Bend', Neil Young is most prominent on a duet with Stephen titled 'Different Man', sounding a bit like the Soggy Bottom Boys belting out 'Man of Constant Sorrow'. 'Acadienne' draws on Creole influences, and while 'Beaucoup Yumbo' from 1978's 'Thoroughfare Gap' may have been Stills' first Cajun diversion, I'm venturing a guess that the lively 'Acadienne' is the first Stills tune to feature an accordion! 'Feed the People' advances the gospel of peace and Third World concern through an engaging style of chant.
Another exceptional tune from the disc is the opener 'Ain't It Always', which is broken from the same mold as the opener from 'Stills Alone', 'Isn't It So', being every bit as engaging, and twice as vibrant. 'Isn't It So' was catchy enough to be adopted as the theme song for the 'Second Noah' television series, and 'Ain't It Always' possesses similar pop sensibilities. 'I Don't Get It' rounds out the twelve tracks and 58 minute running time of the disc, a standard Stills blues shuffle with a gritty edge, focused on relational confusion and miscommunication.
The personnel is all over the board for this set. Stephen draws from his past studio and road bands for bassist George 'Chocolate' Perry, journeyman guitarist George Terry, Joe Vitale and Russ Kunkel on percussion, and Mike Finnigan on keyboards and vocals. Gerald Johnson, whose bass work I've been enjoying on Steve Miller's 1970's releases, is featured on four tracks. In addition to Neil Young and Herbie Hancock, Graham Nash contributes vocals on 3 tracks. Stephen "Many Hands" is busy on everything from keys to piano to bass to lead guitar to backing vocals for his own lead vocals in a spirit going back to his first album with Crosby and Nash.
Overall, 'Man Alive' has a blues-lite feel to it, but it's far too diverse to be pigeonholed. This disc has considerable potential to grow on a person, and may outdo some of Stephen's late-1970's releases such as 'Illegal Stills' and 'Thoroughfare Gap'. The only suggestions I would have had for Stephen in looking at the final product would be including the lyrics in the liner notes, and finding some outlets for his long-neglected wah-pedal guitar skills. Nevertheless, this CD is a must for Stephen's fans. It will be interesting to see if it generates significant interest from critics and those outside of Stills' base. It's deserving.
Hopefully, with 'Man Alive' completed, Stephen might find time to revisit his archives as Neil Young did in creating a box set for Buffalo Springfield. There is a compelling audio and video recording of the first Manassas concert that many, including the band's steel guitarist Al Perkins, would like to see released, as well as video and audio tracks of Stephen's legendary 1979 performances in Cuba. There is a thirst for such nuggets that Stills will hopefully be addressing soon. In the meantime, thanks for this one, Stephen.
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