Customer Reviews

Quicksilver

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Coming so late in their career, this album was overlooked by almost everyone, fans and non-fans alike. That's too bad, because it's one of their best. Most people agree that the shining moment for this band was their first album, and they may be right. But although this album sounded entirely different, it was another definite high point, and it's sad that almost nobody heard it. "The Truth" is one of my all-time favorite QMS songs, right up there with "Fresh Air" (the closest they ever came to having a "hit" song), from the "Just For Love" album. "Song For Frisco" is another favorite. And "Fire Brothers" and "Don't Cry My Lady Love" are downright pretty. Great stuff. If you're already a fan and never bought this album, I would highly recommend it. If you're not a fan and are just curious about this band, this really wouldn't be a bad place to start. But while you're at it, pick up the first album, too.

Not all Quicksilver albums were great. Or even good. But this one is simply an unspotted diamond. Brings you straight back to the Summer of Love, melancholy voice, soaring guitars and some great songs. Listen to Hope or I Found Love. Or my all time favorite Don't Cry My Lady Love. Just pianos and voices. The album has the same sorryfull tone as Layla or Year of The Cat. And makes you think of the girl you meet 20 years ago - and you still wonder why she left. If you're into the West Coast music from the 70'ties you simply gotta give this album a try. But get the right album - most of the others are best forgotten.

This album was the sixth by Quicksilver (Messenger Service). On first listen, it sounded like a non-event. The second side (from "Fire Brothers" to "The Truth") is, however, absolutely wonderful! These four songs just flow. I hardly ever played the first side. Obviously, I don't have the CD so I can't vouch for the sound - as it seems to have been reissued in 1994 it should be good, though. The best QMS album for my money is the first. I never got as excited as others over "Happy Trails" (although the sleeve is fabulous!) and would have to say this is my second favourite. They were almost a different band by this stage (1971), of course, so don't expect instrumental fireworks. Recommended.

It ain't "Happy Trails," and Cipollina, Freiberg, and Hopkins have all disappeared, but this is possibly the best of the Valenti-fronted QMS albums, in part because the band is really no longer pretending to be Quicksilver. It's Dino's show from first to last, with Duncan as sidekick, and some of the tunes ("Play My Guitar," "Song For Frisco") are as good as this team will produce. Of course, there's also some junk ("Out of My Mind," "Rebel"), but most of the songs fall comfortably in between.

At this point in their career, QMS were kinda stuck in second gear. The last 2 Lp's had done ok but not enough to warrant any big push from Crapitol, I mean Capitol Records. But Duncan, Valenti, et al responded by making this record. Jazzy , Folky and rocking all at the same time,for me this is the best QMS album. A big plus is that Bill Inglot did the remastering. QMS albums always suffered from crappy sound quality, but this remastered disc sounds great!!! I highly recommend this along with the next one (Comin' Thru)...........

I first heard Quicksilver Messenger Service in the late sixties and still prefer the original line-up of John Cippolina, Gary Duncan, David Frieberg and Greg Elmore. In my opinion, their best album was the live 'Happy Trails.'As personnel began to mutate in later albums and Dino Valenti began to control the group's direction, I liked them less and less. However, this 1971 offering is a gem. From the double-tracked lead guitars of the first song, 'Hope,' on through, the writing is masterful and the musicianship exquisite. Duncan proves himself a capable guitarist without the idiosyncratic Cippolina. Recommended.

This isnt really a Quicksilver Messenger Service album/CD. This is more of a Dino Velenti effort with some of the QMS members backing him. All the songs were written by Velenti except "I found Love" written by Gary Duncan.
Velenti's style brings more of a San Francisco/Western Acid Rock Accoustic flavor throughout the album that the other albums lacked. Velenti's was the style they should have stayed with if they were looking for major success. Velenti also wrote "fresh Air" "Cowboy on the run" & primarily all the memorable QMS tunes.
Having said that, the only other exceptional Quicksilver album, IMHO, was "Happy Trails" & Velenti wasnt on it. I think he was in jail for a drug conviction at the time of recording. "Happy Trails" shows what a good 'jamming band' they were without Velenti. But Velenti was the writter/front man they needed to bring it all together.
This album, simply titled "Quicksilver" was without a doubt their best & I think most definitive of who they wanted to be.

Quicksilver Messenger Service / Quicksilver: This album proves once again that QMS could make an entertaining album without ever being able to reach that `classic' album level. This album is a joy to listen to but it produced no hits (no radio airplay) and it ultimately led to QMS being dismissed as a band of the past (and when the radio heads of the early 1970's came to that conclusion, the total absence of airplay meant that you really were a band of the past). This is a nice album, an enjoyable album, and a four star album.

I don't really care that Quicksilver Messenger Service's entire discography sounds incredibly dated, but the one thing that bugs me is that they sound amazingly similar to the classic late 60's version of Jefferson Airplane but lack two crucial elements that made the Airplane so memorable- irresistibly melodic guitar solos is obviously the main thing, and solid songwriting is the other. Jefferson Airplane was all over them in these two areas.

Instead, these guitar jams tend to wander aimlessly for extended periods of time, and the vocal melodies are usually secondrate as well. However a derivative band from the 60's is still a *heck* of a lot better than a derivative band from the 90's, for instance. At least when it concerns a band like Quicksilver Messenger Service, we're mainly dealing with a very distinct period in time that will never come back again.

I can't really find any standout tunes on this album because, to be honest, most of the songs blend together in my mind even after giving the album around five listens.

"Play My Guitar" is a decent attempt at a bluesy song focusing around guitar soloing that's borderline screechy and intolerable (but also strongly resembles Cream's "Strange Brew" in the vocal melody- listen carefully if you don't believe me), "Fire Brothers" includes a piano riff that's a perfect combination of beauty and strangeness, "Song for Frisco" contains an emotionally sincere chorus that's repetitive but effective, the 7-minute "The Truth" is decent enough with relatively dreamy vocals and guitar work, "Out of My Mind" drags a little bit because the vocal melody never picks up enough, "I Found Love" is either a really popular song that I've heard several times on oldies stations several years ago or one that just *sounds* like it should have been a huge hit, "Hope" is your typical affair of dated hippie vocals reminiscent of the Grateful Dead or the Jefferson Airplane that never mold into something truly memorable, and "Don't Cry My Lady Love" is immediately the highlight because the vocal melody is passionate and I like the way the piano jams delicately.

Otherwise... perhaps it needs to grow on me more. It's possible this is the case, and if so, I will surely come back and raise the rating higher. You never know, it might improve for me.

As the author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" and a former radio disc-jockey, I am often asked to write and or discuss various music supplies and recordings from the 60's and 70's.

It didn't take long for the 1968 debut from Quicksilver Messenger Service to make an impact. The leadoff tune "Pride Of Man" (Written by Hamilton Camp in 1964) would become synonymous with David Freiberg. To this day he performs it as a member of the Jefferson Starship. "Light Your Windows" is beauty in motion. The words flow flawlessly and the only shortcoming is the length of the tune not reaching three minutes. Dino Valente's "Dino's Song" follows in all its brilliance. Dino was in jail at the time of the recording sessions. The artistry of the song is without a flaw. The vocals are delivered with conviction and the instrumentation has a sincerity attached. "Gold And Silver" (Instrumental) lets the guitars of John Cipollina and Gary Duncan take center stage. If the production sounds exceptional during the high-energy display, give thanks to Nick Gravenites (Electric Flag) and Harvey Brooks (Miles Davis and Electric Flag to name only a couple) behind the scenes. "It's Been Too Long" continues with terrific instrumentation and a solid vocal. To end a memorable debut the twelve minute "The Fool" lets you encompass the many facets of QMS. May 1968 forever etched in the minds of those in and around San Francisco.


Enjoy the music and be well,
Craig Fenton
Author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent"