Quicksilver Messenger Service - Classic/Dud, Search/Destroy

But yeah the first two totally rip the paint off. You'd love them, Amon, I am sure of it. I'd say get them in order. um, not so sure I'd go along with the idea that Happy Trails is more 'accessible' tho!! especially considering that it's like three big long guitar jams, including the side-long "Who Do You Love". It is fucking great, though, no doubt about that. They are both great, but I may actually slightly prefer the first one if you put a gun to my head. get really wasted and listen to "The Fool" --> MAJESTIC. The "Calvary" part of side two of Happy Trails also --> MAJESTIC. Like, up there with the best dual-guitar free-improv, Daydream Nation's extended bits, the Dead C in improv mode, etc etc. Top landmark stuff in six-string exploration.

http://ilx.p3r.net/searchresults.php?board=2&mode=threads&q=quicksilver&titlepart=&name=&email=&username=diamond&dateafter=&datebefore=&catid=all

Rolling Stone's "50 Coolest Albums of All Time"

and about Cipollina here-

http://ilx.p3r.net/searchresults.php?board=2&mode=threads&q=cipollina&titlepart=&name=&email=&username=diamond&dateafter=&datebefore=&catid=all

Hey, who plays the solo on "Hey Bulldog"? Is it John?

anyhow classic obv

Sounds like George to me, anyway.

they were proto-Americana, along with Credence Clearwater Revival. CCR created a mythical Louisiana bayou to update with rock; QMS did the same thing with a Spanish-inflected Southwest.

I think that is basically what I was getting at when I remarked earlier about how ON they were with the whole "old west" motif; how their album cover art, and things like "Happy Trails" and "Calvary" and so forth, and how Cipollina's wicked vibrato was essentially following-on from MOrricone's stinging guitar stabs on so many of his great works ... the whole thing -- the art, the vibe, the titles, all conspired to evoke this kind of old-west in the same way that CCR did for the Bayou. So yeah, top observation by Vornado; you get it, my man!! Yeah, great group... Love that "Light Your Windows", too. Gosh, that thing is too short. Love that jazzy solo portion, with the open acoustic guitar in the background, the waltz-time, Cipollina's vibrato, wow, top fuck music...

"Light All Your Windows" was one of my faves growing up,

Also, can't overlook that great first Mad River LP either - like Quicksilver but with a more compelling singer.

get really wasted and listen to "The Fool" --> MAJESTIC.

I happened to do this last night. Side 2 three or four times in a row. Couldn't bring myself to skip past 'It's Been Too Long' though. What a great song. And a f'king great album!

I had that Copperhead album that Cipollina did, but I think I may have traded it back in. Did he ever record with Man? Seen a few things to suggest he did some live shows, at the least.

q.m.s. vs the dead

Did he ever record with Man?

"Maximum Darkness"

I had a QMS live at the fillmore boot on in the car on the way in. Opens w/"Dino's Song", closes with "Who do you love". Solidly excellent from beginning to end. hey really were an outstanding band of their era, I think second only to Spirit. I believe it's going to be released in '09.

http://chocoreve.blogspot.com/2008/07/u-spaces-san-franciscan-nights-vol-5.html

Let down by a poor rhythm section, like so many West Coast bands, this is but one of the reasons why Spirit stand out from the crowd so much

Spirit was from L.A., and L.A. bands had a totally diff approach to rhythm than their S.F. counterparts. One wasn't better than the other, just different.

Some notably poor drummers from SF tho

love the guitar on this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpTGM74dbuQ

Which tracks or albums are you thinking of when you say they're let down by a bad rhythm section? Is it just the drums, in particular?

Yeah, the drums, I don't know their later stuff and I haven't heard them in a while, but I do remember thinking the drumming was not exactly up to snuff - noticeably so. Same with Jefferson Airplane.

love the guitar on this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpTGM74dbuQ

-- Michael B, Thursday, August 7, 2008 12:18 PM

@__@

Did he ever record with Man?

"Maximum Darkness"

I have read that Cipollina's guitar was out of tune, and so his parts were mixed down or eliminated in the released disc. I have the LP but can't remember if I could hear him in there.

http://www.quicksilverms.co.uk/cm/gfx/centre_r2_c10.jpg

My parent's friends were Quicksilver roadies back in the day. So they knew a lot of people. So when I was 12 they got me free backstage passes to Huey Lewis & the News Sports tour. I went backstage and met the band at my first concert. And I've been ruined ever since.

CCR created a mythical Louisiana bayou to update with rock; QMS did the same thing with a Spanish-inflected Southwest. "Light All Your Windows" was one of my faves growing up, and I just wore Happy Trails out.

^^ just wanted to reiterate the OTM-ness

man whatever happened to "Vornado"? sad to see old ilxors leave.

in any case:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCoHH9hmsQ4

I'm listening on Spotify so I don't know anything about the actual release but the new Live at the Fillmore '68 sounds fucking incredible

Wonder if some of that overlaps with the _Maiden Of The Cancer Moon_ boot? One of my all time favourite bootlegs. QMS were just immense at that point in time.

Lost Gold & Silver was the same concert. Not sure if taht's still around , it was on Collector's Choice. I saw some complaints about editing from some people more familiar with the recording but I liked it. I think Maiden of The Cancer Moon repeated a track exactly but it's been years since I last heard that recording in that form.

All Collector's Choice CDs are oop.

Wow, hadn't heard that. Not sure what else they put out though. THink I have a very quiet copy of Gene Clark's No Other on the label. The UK version of that set had better sound, but taht's Gene Clark. Good lp though.

quicksilver are bomb!!!!!!

Ahhh, found this that clears things up a bit (obviously no mention of the new set):
http://www.lysergia.com/LamaWorkshop/lamaQuicksilver.htm

yeah, that was what I was thinking of when I mentioned people not being happy with the editing.
The only drag with the performance is that the drum solo in the middle of Gold & Silver drags on monotonously as it sounds like all the drum hits have exactly the same sound. Don't know if that had anything to do with the recording or if it was the performance. Just remember it being a major drag.
So maybe if there is a newer more accurate transfer of the same oerformance that might sound better, but it will remain a drum solo whatever.

"What About Me" has to be up there on a list of late 60s early 70s period era paranoid drug rock tunes. Chet Powers (aka Dino Valenti/Jesse Oris Farrow) seems to have been one heck of a character. In context of his troubles with the law, this tune resonates a bit more than say some of Neil's or Stones records of similar ilk.

Haven't listened to that one in a long time--it was certainly a personal saga that seemed to resonate for many at the time, judging by how often I heard it on late night FM, at parties (sometimes two-three times in a row, the chorus becoming a sing-along), walking down the street, hearing it from houses and passing cars. But picky me was put off by Dino's incessant bleating into his magic microphone, though it worked better here than on some other tracks ("Ah'm-uh---psychedelic rain-jah.")
Haven't heard the solo album finally excavated a few years ago, but he did earn his footnote by writing "Get Together," a poignant hit as performed by the Youngbloods (who I've always meant to check out more--more of the early stuff is good, huh? "Darkness Darkness" sounded great when Mott covered it). The precarious hopefulness of the verses--making the chorus more powerful really comes across on the recent Jimmie Dale Gilmore & Dave Alvin's recent album, with Gilmore's high lonesome drifter clarity, and Dave's rough-edged fluid guitar.
"Dino's Song," covered by the original pre-DV QMS, was a good change of pace on their s/t debut--thee first San Francisco dawning-ov-Acidquarious album, next to After Bathing At Baxter's, that really sounded like album covers, concert posters, light shows in the giant pages of Life Magazine etc. looked.In Quicksilver's case, there was a late night phosphorescence, and the feeling of being on the beach back when you didn't have to worry quite so much about helicopter spotlights---but that's all I'll say about that. Mainly agree with Myonga's take on their records' arc, way upthread.

yeesh, typos, sorry

Re: The Youngbloods--There's a nice single disc best of called "Get Together" that is probably all you need. IIRC, the tracklist is 1/2 of each of the first two LPs, and 3/4s of the third.

I also recommend checking out the "Go Ride The Music" TV special--half of it is the Airplane live in the studio at Heider's, and the other half is Quicksilver w/Dino (possibly one of his first shows w/them post-jail) live and busting out his best Rock Star moves at what appears to be an arts and crafts fair up in the hills for audience of about 50 people (babies included).

I really like that Copperhead record that John Cipollina's band did in '73. Has the recorded and never released second Copperhead record ever come to light?

Search on Youtube says no, but this place is good for that type of miscellany.

never even heard of it before. I’ll have to ask my dad, he’s a big quicksilver head

re-listening to the dino valente solo record today. i wonder if kurt vile digs this track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC3i2unDR_s

The one song of theirs I keep on my hard drive:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgoykLXz3Dw

Will look into his solo album.

I know he wrote it, and wasn't on the record due to being imprisoned (stuck in Folsom Prison?) but I don't think I've ever heard Dino singing Dino's Song, did he ever? Surely he must have, it's his song