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Stephen Stills — Down the Road
Album: Down the Road
Avg rating:
6.6

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1165









Released: 1975
Length: 3:15
Plays (last 30 days): 2
When I was a young man
Standin' in the door
The room was dark and smoky
The smell of death before' me

Think I'll go down
Mama
Go on down the road
See what's goin' on
Down the road

Lots of friends and children
Layin' in the grass
Hookah makes me crazy
Believe I'm goin' have to pass

Think I'll go down
Mama
Go on down the road
See what's goin' on
Down the road

Then you find your cocaine
Start to movin' fast
Trip, stumble, fall, freeze up
Hope your body last

Think I'll go down
Mama
Go on down the road
See what's goin' on
Down the road

Drinkin' plenty good liquor
Bourbon twelve years old
Hero-ine, just in time
Worst trip that I know

Think I'll go down
Mama
Take a pass
Go on down the road
See what's goin' on

Some people into Jesus
Other people into Zen
I'm just into every day
I don't hide from where I been

I just go down
Mama
Go on down the road
See what's goin' on
Down the road
Alright
Comments (72)add comment
God awful 
"A drunkard wants another drink of wine
And a politician wants your vote
I don't want much of nothin' at all
But I will take another toke"

These lyrics fit right in this song.  They're from "Long haired country boy", Charlie Daniels Band. 
Rockin' stuff! This was one of those records that just about every upperclassman at E-School in Rolla had on their shelves, ready to take out and slap down to get the party started. Still sounds great, still carries that hard-drinkin', sky's the limit kinda vibe!
Stephen always sounds so great no matter what he is singing…
sounds like charlie daniels band song: " leave this long haired country boy alone"
Never heard this before!  A gem.
Great track for late on a workday Friday, what with Cocaine mentioned an all.  A good thing about working from home (still...) is cranking the tunes without bothering the co-workers.  The neighbors might think otherwise though.  LLRP!!
 2Hawks wrote:
Just a small bone to pick with you, Bill. Even though Stephen Stills was the primary motivation for Manassas, the band he formed was Manassas, and should be credited as the Artist.

2 Hawks 


Boy.
That's a small bone.
but thanks for bringing it to our attention.

Just a small bone to pick with you, Bill. Even though Stephen Stills was the primary motivation for Manassas, the band he formed was Manassas, and should be credited as the Artist.

2 Hawks 
Nice segue , Bill! "Can't Let Go" into "Down The Road"! As Steve says "Pick One!"
Stephen doing his best Mick Jagger (stolen from American blues) vocal here..

Very cool and new tune to me.  
 unclehud wrote:

Eight years later, and this is still a gem!  Thanks, BillG, and THANKS, Steven Stills!
 
In response to your earlier post, I still have this album. It has special sentimental value as this was the first live show I ever saw. My two older brothers and step sister were visiting and saw the ad for the show at the old Minneapolis auditorium. Spur of the moment and hauled my sixteen year butt along with to the show.  Been supporting live music  ever since.  It's down to me and one of the brothers but I still remember it like it was yesterday. Thanks for the memories Bill, Stephen, and unclehud!
very cool... reminds me of Ringo's no no no a bit... love Stills, Nash, Crosby, Young... they are amazing artist's
Highway 61 Revisited. Down the Road. Then this.  Road songs.  Love it. Reminds me of KMPX/KSAN in San Francisco in the late 60s. 
This was the first band I ever saw in concert- the old Boston Garden!! Man! They smoked! This was their first album tour.
 d-don wrote:
I heard this without seeing who it was, and I thought, "Dang, this sounds like what Stephen Stills will sound like at the Easy Care Rest Home when he's 92." Guess he got there a little early.
 
Ha, Ha, Ha!  You've read Jimi Hendrix Turns Eighty, by Tim Sandlin?  Similar concept ...

 unclehud wrote:
WHOA, DUDE!  I don't know anyone who has this album ... but then again, Bill has everything, doesn't he?

Lovely, lazy, lounge music from the Deep South.  Two disks worth, too!
 
Eight years later, and this is still a gem!  Thanks, BillG, and THANKS, Steven Stills!
 On_The_Beach wrote:
Excellent tune and album.
Not overlooked exactly, but never received the attention it deserved, in my humble.
 
So true.  I played it to death.  
Great song and I agree a great album. Stills' work with Manassas was overlooked by many. RP brought 'em to me. Thank you.
Excellent tune and album.
Not overlooked exactly, but never received the attention it deserved, in my humble.
 lizardking wrote:
this track reminds me of the C&W track by the Charlie Daniels Band "Long Haired Country Boy"
 
Speaking of which, there's gotta be a few Charlie Daniels Band tunes to play here, leaving the Devil in Georgia we could get some Uneasy Rider or Still in Saigon, or Mister DJ, or....Long Haired Country Boy. 

And this Stills track is an 8...Long Live RP!!
 ThePoose wrote:
Nice slide, Joe Walsh!
 
Nice bit of trivia.
I know Joe hung with Crosby back in the crazy hazy drug days.
this track reminds me of the C&W track by the Charlie Daniels Band "Long Haired Country Boy"
 sirdroseph wrote:

He never was a great vocalists, but this is pretty cool nevertheless.



 
Steven could sing OK, but his real talent was in songwriting/arranging, and pretty decent on guitar.
{#Boohoo} such great stuff ! this and the double album preceding this arguably his best work
love Manassas so wicked (no deer ticks in the wooded fields back then I suppose : )
Manassas was one the greatest assemblage of musicians ever. 
Ah....back when RnR was fun, goofy, laid back. 
1975?

Lot's of wisdom in those words, Mr Stephen Stills 

Much respect 
 Alexandra wrote:


 
I think I heard Bonnie Raitt on backing vocals, too! 

 

I hear her too!
 unclehud wrote:
The opening licks on that sloppy slide guitar will always brighten my heart. 

For those of you unfamiliar with this antique ... Chris Hillman, Fuzzy Samuels, Dallas Taylor, Joe Lala, and even Joe Walsh on at least one tune.



 

 
I think I heard Bonnie Raitt on backing vocals, too! 
 scrubbrush wrote:


I listen to RP almost all day, nearly 5 days a week and this is the first I've heard this song... and i like it! I have no complaints about the song frequency here. 

 
What he said
Nice slide, Joe Walsh!
 ziakut wrote:
For those new to RP format...it's been reduced to a seven or eight song playlist. :) Hope you like them a lot! {#Beat}
 

I listen to RP almost all day, nearly 5 days a week and this is the first I've heard this song... and I like it! I have no complaints about the song frequency here. 

Edit as of 2/2/22 - I just checked my contribution history and have been donating to RP monthly for over a decade. I first discovered RP in roughly '02 or '03 through an old PC mp3 player software called Winamp (some of you kids might read about it in your history books). In other words, I think I've been listening to this station for nearly 20 years. Is that possible?!? 
... and, still not hearing the same songs too frequently.
I heard this without seeing who it was, and I thought, "Dang, this sounds like what Stephen Stills will sound like at the Easy Care Rest Home when he's 92." Guess he got there a little early.
For those new to RP format...it's been reduced to a seven or eight song playlist. :) Hope you like them a lot! {#Beat}
Oh yeah!
Amazing that I've never heard this song.  He's in quite a different voice than "Southern Cross".  Great tune!
my mistake.....this is not a 6; it's an 8.......thank you Mr. Stills  {#Bananajam}

He never was a great vocalists, but this is pretty cool nevertheless.


 Cynaera wrote:
This song is good, but I like "Isn't It About Time" a whole lot better.  And I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that the Amazon.com price for this CD is $129.99!!!!! {#Eek} (The vinyl is $5.98.)  Weird....
 
You must have been on Amazon for the absurdly rich. Here it is for $9.63:
ManassasAmazon


This song is good, but I like "Isn't It About Time" a whole lot better.  And I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that the Amazon.com price for this CD is $129.99!!!!! {#Eek} (The vinyl is $5.98.)  Weird....
The opening licks on that sloppy slide guitar will always brighten my heart. 

For those of you unfamiliar with this antique ... Chris Hillman, Fuzzy Samuels, Dallas Taylor, Joe Lala, and even Joe Walsh on at least one tune.


Just found the station, great mix, great effortless boogie tune

WHOA, DUDE!  I don't know anyone who has this album ... but then again, Bill has everything, doesn't he?

Lovely, lazy, lounge music from the Deep South.  Two disks worth, too!



 On_The_Beach wrote:

No doubt Stephen has had his battles with the bottle, but he's also churned out a lotta classic tunes.
I'd love to hear some more Manassas tunes on RP.

  

   They all have written music that will be remembered through the ages. As folks say around here "they are so good to/for  the ears. "  When I hear a CS&N & sometimes Y  song, it immediately fills me with memories of great and not so great times and places. From the outraged protest of "Ohio " to the ethereal beauty of  (*)"Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,"  yesterdays lost love " "Helplessly Hoping" and words of advice "Teach Your Children Well"  the talent, beauty, and intelligent discourse endeared them to millions during the late 60's and they are still going. Young never slowed down.  
(*) detuned to  EEEEBE typical David Crosby guitar genius (he was a tutor to both J. Mitchell , J. Collins and others)  
 That_SOB wrote:
But this time be sober... Steve fell off the stage in Seattle in about 1972-3 ?
I remember him side stepping and then there was no Steven... Opps, got the rain check but they never came back... Hit the road Steve and don't ya come back no more !
CSN&Y were simply fantastic, consider the talent mix in that group ! They were like a ton of gold...
Now they / we are just old guys ... with great memories .
 
No doubt Stephen has had his battles with the bottle, but he's also churned out a lotta classic tunes.
I'd love to hear some more Manassas tunes on RP.

 wally42 wrote:
Freakin' Classic!
 

My hat's off to you, sir!
No-one plays guit like SS.


Wow, I thought this was some latter day stoner curmudgeon like James McMurtry! Pretty timeless hard-luck sound.
very cool, a long time since csny!
nigelr wrote:
More Steven, please.
But this time be sober... Steve fell off the stage in Seattle in about 1972-3 ? I remember him side stepping and then there was no Steven... Opps, got the rain check but they never came back... Hit the road Steve and don't ya come back no more ! CSN&Y were simply fantastic, consider the talent mix in that group ! They were like a ton of gold... Now they / we are just old guys ... with great memories .
More Steven, please.
Funny how time changes things. When this album came out it was panned big time by critics, FM radio and the general buying public. I too remember what a disappointment it was. Lyrically it was very unoriginal (if memory serves me correctly there were three songs on that album that started with the verse, "When I was a young boy"). But around the time that this album was released Stills had been doing some great work with CSN, CSN&Y, Manassas (first album), and his own solo work, and we may have been expecting too much with this album. Judging from the upbeat comments that have been posted for this song I at least ought to go back and give this album another listen (Probably don't have the vinyl copy anymore and if I did I don't have a record player anyway so what the hell)
solman wrote:
Haven't heard this for many moons!!! Great memories. Great album. Clapton and Hendrix sat in on some of the tracks. Not the best song on this album but enjoyable. -solman
Same here. Love "So Many Times" the best! I uploaded it awhile back. It got THE BOOT!
Me Likey! Almost a JJ Cale shuffle mixed with a tasty bit of rawness we no longer associate with Mr. Stills and his cadre of musical friends.
Freakin' Classic!
Dylan76 wrote:
Cool! Love Manassas.
Me also!!! Their first double disc was awesome! Check out Chris Hillman's hair on that album cover!
Crank up the volume!
Wow! My first post here on RP... the bestest(!!)radio on the net... if not, the whole world... I can only fantasize about a station like this on the regular airwaves... especially here in OKC! As for the Stephen Stills tune... he's one of my very favourites... any road trip I take, at least one of his cd's comes along for the ride... I have this particular album, but haven't listened to it in ages... so long so that I could'nt quite recognize the voice. It will be in the cd player tomorrow. Rocky&family
crockydile wrote:
Never heard this before! Thanks, Bill!
I've never heard it before either. This is a great track!
Cool! Love Manassas.
... Oh, too good , Ozarks next? ... ...
Never heard this before! Thanks, Bill!
Memories is right! I think I got one of those old record club things where you could pick Five 8-tracks for 1 cent when I was about 12 years old. I remember most of them today since it was all I had and I wore them out. Strange bunch too, this Manassas, New York Dolls, Captain Beyond, ELP, and the Climax Blues Band - who knows what I was thinking back then?
This kinda reminds me of "long haired country boy" by charlie daniels...
maybe Im crazy...but is Donna Jean Godchaux(SP) singing back-up on this track?
Haven't heard this for many moons!!! Great memories. Great album. Clapton and Hendrix sat in on some of the tracks. Not the best song on this album but enjoyable. -solman