This backing was uncluttered and tough enough to allow the group’s paces to ebb or flow at a single moment’s notice: as gracefully evident in the manner in which “Who Do You Love” constantly shifts, unfolds and turns into passages both reflective and active. These numerous and spectacular displays of twin guitar exchanges are supported by the impeccably synchronised rhythm section composed of David Freiberg on bass (and accompanying brusque vocals) and the perfectly restrained drumming of Greg Elmore. These free-flowing qualities were accented with carefully controlled, soaring feedback and stinging arpeggios of the purest tones. At times Duncan’s rhythm is a fat, toned-down punk buzzsaw working as a wash against Cipollina’s agile counterpointing and sometimes Cipollina’s solos are the smallest of strategic rhythmic strokes while Duncan’s rhythm playing at times appears more like solos rendered in shorthand.
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A cover of his “Who Do You Love” (credited on the original album as “Who Do You Love Suite” and comprised of six separate ‘movements’) spanned the entire first side of “Happy Trails.” The entire album was recorded live at The Fillmore East and West in 1968, and the sparks just flew all over the place.Ĭipollina and Duncan exchange solo and rhythm duties on “Happy Trails” so effortlessly that despite the production’s extreme stereo separation (Duncan on the left channel, Cipollina on the right) it’s never anything but a seamless series of intuitively placed fits of opposing forces with an undying attraction to each other. And in the hands, heads and hearts of QMS, two of his numbers would turn into sprawling epics. Chosen for its associations with Mercury (the ruling planet of Virgo and communication) as well as the double entendre for ‘quicksilver’ (the element, mercury) whose dual properties were simultaneously both liquid and metal, it was an appropriate description of the band’s own dual-guitar undulations.Ī key influence on QMS (along with countless others) at this time was Bo Diddley, whose amplified cigar box and ever-shifting shuffle beat lent itself easily to interpretations of extended electric guitar-based improvisations with its simplicity, buoyant consistency and hard, sawn-off jagged primitivism that allowed itself to be employed as if it were some new aural material which was highly conductive to electricity and malleable enough to stretch out into spaced-out plasticity.
And it was through this constant stream of live performances that afforded them the opportunity to tighten up every loose end in their repertoire while stretching out musically and evolving their sound beyond any reasonable set of expectations.Ĭomprised of four Virgos, their group name was as astrologically correct as it was perfect in describing their music’s characteristics. They put off signing with a label for years to avoid the pressures of touring and consequently getting rushed by record companies into making albums not up to their own standards (a fate they witnessed befall several contemporary San Franciscan groups.) Living on a ranch north of San Francisco in high style with their ladies, grass, guns and living out their space cowboy trips, QMS also benefited greatly from an abundance of local gigs they picked up in the absence of The Airplane or The Dead, whose unavailability was due to national tours and out of town engagements.
The LP was viewed as a comeback album as it reunited many of the band’s original members.QMS formed in late 1965 and continued through several lineup changes until late 1967 when they settled into to what would be their most creative lineup of John Cipollina (guitar), Gary Duncan (guitar), David Freiberg (bass, vocals) and Greg Elmore (drums). The song was released in 1975 on the album Solid Silver. Just one of those songs you wanted to roll down the window and cruise off into the sunset listening too. Its a rocking groove oriented piece with amazing vocals, great guitar work and a nice organ solo. This one really wasn’t much of a hit, but who cares, it’s a great song. Of course, Quicksilver Messenger Service was not really a band that celebrated hit singles, but who doesn’t want a hit. We open up our Quicksilver Messenger Service Songs list with the last single the band ever released. Our Top 10 Quicksilver Messenger Service Songs list looks back at the years between 19.
Many of the band’s original or early members such as John Cipollina, Jim Murry, Nicky Hopkins and Dino Valenti had previously passed away. In the 2000’s Gary Duncan and David Freiberg went back out on the road as Quicksilver Messenger Service one final time and toured until Gary Duncan passed away in 2019. Gary Duncan had reformed Quicksilver Messenger Service in 1986 with no other original members.
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