Happy Trails is the second album of the American band Quicksilver Messenger Service. Most of the album was recorded from two performances at the Fillmore East and Fillmore West, although it is not clear which parts were recorded at which Fillmore. The record was released by Capitol Records in 1969 in stereo.
Sometimes you discover a great new band. This wasn't that time.
I enjoyed side 1 as, despite it being a 26 minute song in 5 movements, it was accessible and a pleasant listen. Perhaps helped that it was a well known cover ('Who do yo love?'). It was also well performed - I didn't realise it was a live version until the applause at the end. Side 2 is somehow even more self indulgent. 4 songs this time. 2 are ok covers (although Henry from Neighbours still has the definitive version of 'Mona') and the other 2 just sound like dull jams with nothing going on to keep my interest. My snap judgement: QMS maybe good at noodling on a guitar, but are not blessed with much in the way of creativity or songwriting talent.
You know, they could've shot the messenger.
"Extended free-form jazz excursion" - Spinal Tap
Oh Christ, here we go. Even just looking at the cover I can guess two things: nowhere near as country as you'd think, and (probably) psychedelic rock instead. Plus it's 1969, so expectations are low. aaaaand boom, not country at all! Just psychedelic rock, extended jam SHIT. It was so boring I forgot it was on and only paid attention once spotify started playing "radio based on" songs. Fuck this stuff. it's an angry 1/5.
Quite a confusing album. Didn't really read or hear anything to suggest it's a worthy "1001" album and didn't massively enjoy it either. 4/10
Maybe it was subversive, edgy or outsider when it first came out but it sounds a lot like every jam band since. Reminded me of the Grateful Dead or Jefferson Airplane. I'm not sure why this would be considered important unless it were earlier than the Grateful Dead or Jefferson Airplane and influenced them.
This album is a great guitar solo, don’t think I needed to hear it though
pretty accessible psychedelic rock with some darker, jazzy blues riffs, and a vague desert-y vibe. Good contemplation music. A bit too long for a casual listen.
A song I vaguely know followed by 40 minutes of what sounds like people tuning their instruments, concluded by the worst version of Happy Trails I've ever heard.
Saved Prior: None Saved Off Rip: None Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: This is one of those albums where it inspired a lot of music that ended up being much better. The first couple of tracks were pretty cool how they overlapped and sounded like one long jam session, but not something I'll be returning to.
As much as the music wasn’t at all offensive, I didn’t really enjoy listening to a band jam for 30mins. It wasn’t terrible music and would normally be a 2 star, but because half the album is a cover, I have to mark it down as I did for The Sonics. The infamous “star rating system” is nothing without consistency.
Wow drugs
truly dreadful. First song is one verse of a Bo Diddley song then 20 minutes of uninspired blues noodling. And that's the highlight! Each track gets steadily worse, with awful hippy grunting on top of amateur guitar riffing. 2nd to last track is literally 13 minutes where nothing happens at all, but even this is preferable to the final track which is as brief as it is awful. might be one of the worst albums I have ever endured.
This album shouldn’t work as well as it does. I feel like if you asked anyone if they want to listen to a half hour rendition of Who Do You Love they would say no. But if you just put this album on without any context they’d think it kicks ass
Holy fuck. What have I been doing with my life that I haven't listened to this before now? This is exactly what I want out of psychedelic blues rock. A whole side dedicated to an absolute killer rendition of "Who Do You Love?" Yes please! I am now looking for the Pure Pleasure pressing of this as soon as I'm done my vinyl diet.
The first 25 minutes or so is a very long and experimental version of Bo Diddly's 'Who Do You Love'? that meanders around pretty aimlessly and doesn't ever come close to being as good as Bo's version. So there's that. It's not a 1/5 but it's unspectacular. Heard better stuff from bands who were wildly off their tits in the same era.
Per Wikipedia: Quicksilver Messenger Service began as a SF-based horseback courier, but was forced to pivot their business to psych rock after an unfortunate sexual incident involving a large, valuable parcel and an Appaloosa. Tip of the hat to QMS for somehow, against all odds, squeezing a half hour of juice out of the 2 chord Bo Diddly beat and keeping it pretty interesting. C+ Also very interested to see Josh's review since he usually isn't a fan of live albums but has a special place in his heart for QMS.
Its ok but not interesting enough to get away with no Lyrics. 2/5
this is like the musical equivalent of those 52-in-1 game cartridges for the NES. theres country, jazz, psych rock, blues, and even ambient on Cavalry???????????????? and why are half of the songs named one of the 5 W's with "You Love" stuck on the end???????? this may be the weirdest one yet.
the past 2 acid rock albums ive heard were both pretty underwhelming, but this one was great!!! about half the album is taken up by one long continuous track, apparently it's a bo diddley cover? im gonna be honest ive never heard a bo diddley song i dont think. maybe one on the radio but thats it. the cover is really good though, it goes thru a ton of sections that're all pretty cool (Where You Love is some rly weird improvisational bs for 1969), and the guitar tones are really good. Mona isnt my favorite thing ever but it picks right back up after that! also worth mentioning: this is the first live album ive gotten from this site! not sure how many there are :o very nice guitar tones on here, cool noodling. most of it is instrumental (i kept forgetting there was a vocalist at all) so its pretty nice to put on in the background and just let it go wild in the back of ur brain. great stuff :D 9/10
Half the album sounds like an improvised jam session and I am absolutely on board with that. A joyous treat of psychedelic rock and amazing guitar work. Will definitely stay in rotation for me.
What the f——-? Mind blowing guitar solos. Like Roy Rogers on acid. Loads of fun but I don’t think I’ll be listening to it again except as mood music for my apocalyptic western RPG.
Who spiked my LSD with retrospective adulation? I had a good time with this. Brings to mind Paul Butterfield’s Blues Band - this is a compliment. Those were the days: you could amble onstage dragging curly leads, thwack off over a couple of Bo Diddley covers for an hour, and then sixty years later have some faded Gen-X’er be compelled to write about your vintage jizz as it is now classic jizz that you must listen to before you die. Sounded even better on second listen and only didn’t make it to a four because the last song annoyed me. Reading the Wikipedia page on this album is confusing fun; reading QMS’s Wikipedia page is confusing poignancy - you can tell they were legit from the premature deaths with tints of bitterness, ey.
A hidden gem.
Alright I’m biased as a big fan of psychedelic bands from the 60s, especially ones from San Francisco, but surprisingly I didn’t know much about quicksilver other than hearing who do you love on car commercials. I thought about giving it a 4 because it certainly won’t appeal to everyone or be “objectively” great, but it’s accomplishes everything it’s going for and more. It’s an impressive feat to be a musically talented half forgotten live acid band in the 60s and yet still have your music played in mainstream 2020 commercials.
Love that this was recorded live and hat hte musicians just put thier stamp on some Bo Diddley tunes. Great psych rock record to listen to.
Fantastic long form 60’s psych. Experimental and jammy, with touches of avant-garde guitar interplay, noise and feedback, you can hear the influence this record might have had on a band like Sonic Youth. With such a dynamic sense of improvisation and tight rhythmic focus in these live performances, I’m left wondering, “Why on earth would anyone listen to the Grateful Dead when this exists?”
Reminds of my first job in high school, working for the Cheyenne Messenger Service. Used to deliver daily telegrams to ol' Tracy McCraken at the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. He'd sometimes scold me for being late, other times he'd buy me a beer from the Railspur across the street. Then me and the fellas would roll up a joint and listen to Happy Trails behind the rail yard. I dreamed of better days, not realizing I was living them all along. Happy trails my friends, happy trails.
It is a rule of nature that nobody likes guitar noodling, apart from the noodlers themselves. But you know what, I actually kind of dug this. That can only mean that it was in fact me who recorded this album; all despite never having touched an electric guitar in my life. For that feat alone, this album deserves three stars in my book.
It's ok. Just fine. Don't know why I had to listen to it though. I'm from the SF Bay Area and never heard of Quicksilver Messenger Service before.
No. 229/1001 What Do You Love Pt. 1 3/5 When You Love 3/5 Where You Love 1/5 How You Love 2/5 Which Do You Love 2/5 What Do You Love Pt. 2 3/5 Mona 2/5 Maiden of the Cancer Moon 3/5 Calvary 2/5 (2x) Happy Trails 2/5 Average: 2,27 Didn't enjoy this one.
Literally just 50 minutes of boomers noodling on guitars. 4/10
Psychedelic middle section that drifts into some good licks. The whole album seems like one continuous song until the Happy Trails song provides a clear ending. Will listen again.
5/5. I just love jam bands, especially ones that don't take themselves seriously. The whole Love Suite is hilarious, just the complete unseriousness of it keeps me entertained the whole time. The solos are awesome in every part of the song and each one feels distinct enough to know which part I'm at. The second half of the album is not as good overall but I wasn't surprised to hear more solos and long winded jams. There are better albums but this one just gave me what I needed and I enjoyed the whole thing. Best Song: Who Do You Love Suite (Who Do You Love Part 2 mostly), Mona, Calvary
unfamiliar beat and is not bad
Really enjoyable. Just good, well played music, something I plan on coming back to when I need ambient good noise.
I have always loved this album. It's a fantastic musical ride. I own a bootleg copy on CD that arrived from Russia wrapped in brown paper and tied with hemp twine. And I bought that shit on Amazon! A total 5!
The many meditations on “who do you love?” were probably the favorites of very high journalism students, but kind of test the patience of most sober people. Overall though, it’s a vibe of a record with a some really cool tracks.
I will never understand why this album gets so much hate. I LOVE IT from the first to the last second. It might be on the more accessible part of the psych rock spectrum, but in no way is it underwhelming or boring IMHO.
I absolutely loved this album! It felt like a fun jam band. This type of music transcends time and space. I could see myself listening to this on a long drive from Chicago to Phoenix (or vice versa). Super fun.
Jam. On.
I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll surprisingly bump up to a 5. From the album cover, I sort of assumed we’d get country music, and I was dead wrong – this is psychedelic rock, recorded seemingly live, and as such, I think there was a slight collective PTSD from that endlessly long and rather drab Grateful Dead album we got a while ago. Not a bad album, mind you, but a really fucking boring one. It did not help that the first 6 tracks of this are a 25 minute setpiece riffing on one track. Thank the good lord above that these guys know how to make 25 minutes actually sound captivating – I actually really, really enjoyed the opening suite that starts this album. It is just one long extended riff on a track, and therefore, maybe the longest cover I’ve ever heard, but they do a great job of keeping it fresh. It certainly helps that each little changeup is its own track here, to keep those changes really obvious, and to stop it from *feeling* like a 25 minute slog. Each individual segment does have its own vibe, and I really, really enjoyed “When You Love” in particular, just for being totally eerie as hell, especially when the audience noises come in. Mona is fine. It’s sort of Hendrix-y, but a bit too lowkey, without being fully in harmony, & it doesn’t really get its own conclusion, which threw me off. It is part of another 3-track set though, and Mona’s shortcomings are quickly resolved by both “Maiden of the Cancer Moon” & “Calvary”, which both really clicked for me. The former feels very Hendrix-y, even with how short it is – it finds the harmonization between everyone and the energy that “Mona” doesn’t. Calvary is a remarkably strong 13-minute track that has a really nice, building, swirling structure reminiscent of Western movies and militaristic soundscapes, before sort of settling into a more serene & ethereal tone for its final 5 minutes – a calm after the storm, if you will. I would’ve ended the album there, mainly because the Happy Trails cover falls flat on its face as a final track after all that, but regardless… I dunno, I really enjoyed this. This is, at its very basic core, just 50 minutes of a jam session, but it does feel infinitely better than that Grateful Dead album that we all had a bit of an ick towards, and I’m just glad they’re flexing their technical chops in a more fulfilling way that doesn’t feel self-serving and pretentiously artsy. It’s probably no less than a 3 – I think the people giving this a 1 or a 2 on the site either have no patience for these sorts of albums, or they just really did not pay enough attention to care about the little details that I found captivating. Realistically, it’s definitely not a flat 5, since it does have a little bit too much empty air at times, but I feel no shame in giving it the bump; I liked it a lot, and for 1969, I think this is about as good as you can ask for in terms of “50 minute jam session” albums.
I think there's some rule that whenever I judge ahead of time and think I won't enjoy an album, it turns out to be much better than expected! I was surprised by the date on this one. Some really bangin stuff - a few places where it felt a bit nothingy, but it would always build in a really stunning way. Bops throughout, from the last place I expected!
I’m pretty familiar with this album, and I enjoyed revisiting, as I hadn’t heard it for probably a decade. Jam oriented psychedelic rock, reminiscent of the Dead in many ways. There isn’t anything particularly spectacular about this album, but it helps capture the zeitgeist of the late 1960s. Live music with plenty of jams, such an integral part of that era. Rating a 5 to level out so many negative reviews.
It would’ve been better as a concert film, but regardless, it’s wonderful. Groovy, dynamic, artistic, I’ll definitely come back to this.
A live album, the first track, "Who Do You Love Suite", which would have occupied the whole of the first side of the original vinyl album, is a 25-minute cover of Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love?" in classic 1960's Psychedelic Rock / Acid Rock style. A great album.
I'm not even finished listening to it and I'm giving it five stars and putting it on the playlist for when I go up to the cottage with my girl to get real high and f*** all weekend
Tasty tasty psychedelic rock! This album has been one of my favorites since my deadbeat school buddies listened to it getting high. Amazing guitar work, joyful jamming. Sure, a bit self-indulgent but I put myself in the shoes of the grooving hippies who got to see John Cippolina live. The man definitely deserves a spot on this list, and this album (especially side 1) shows him off at his finest. Favorite tracks - When You Love
This project's taught me that I don't like the wider world of 60s psych rock as much as I thought, so it's great to find something that sounds like what I actually had in mind. Y'know, jam music
Sent me into a trance with it’s 27 minute track - not sure it’s for me but love the audacity and enjoyed it over a pint as I’m sure is best
kärlek som tema, ett koncept kanske. trevligt koncept 60-tal. och en gunghaj spelar gitarr och en flaska rom. tyvärr inte rom utan droger. eftersom ett gäng narkomaner. DRUGMAN!!! DRUG FREAKS!!! de gjorde fortfarande bra musik även om det inte fanns något mandat att använda dessa droger om det skulle behövas wjere do you love
Instrumental 60's rock. Yes, please.
I'd never heard of them until now, but having listened to the album everything suddenly makes sense. A definite missing link in psych-rock, and they seem pretty influential too.
honestly the best album here so far with the nick drake one, love the transitions, love the grooves, love the cover, just a great vibe generally
Dødskult og rar psychedelisk rock med innslag av americana/country
Three takeaways: - Kevin Bacon was a terrible day trader, but didn't know he made music - "happy trails" -heh - Where You Love is terrible - otherwise this is one of the greatest stoner rock albums ever -
YES! So trippy. Where has this been all my life???
10/10 super nice, proggy stuff love it
Over half the album is one big fucking jam. Sick
Возвращаюсь в игру. Тру Детектив + Джентльмены Гая Ричи (в подтверждение!!! у меня после окончания альбома медиатека продолжила проигравание похожего и включила Cream — Sunshine of your love из Джентльменов) Такое я люблю Очень приятные мне звучание и музыкальность, кайфово просто сидеть и слушать, следя за мелодией
очень круто! треки перетекают один в другой, альбом как одна полу-импровизационная композиция (как выяснилось (так пишут в вики) - смесь рока и джаза) захотелось снять короткий метр построенный полностью на хэппи трэйлс (что опять же говорит о его структуре)
Meu favorito até agora! Kkkk Muito bom. É bem mais rico do que os outros que eu escutei até agora. 5/5. Definitivamente.
This is a wonderful tribute to Bo Diddly. Most of the album is comprised of Bo Diddy covers or Bo Diddly inspired tunes. Side one is a tour de force - Who Do You Love Suite. Almost all rock groups in the late 60s and 70s wore the Bio Diddly influence on their sleeves for a song or tune. What Quicksilver Messenger Service did was something different. Rather than simply play or modify the famous Bo Diddly rhythm, they use it as a starting point and explore all the intricacies contained therein. I also love that it was recorded live at Fillmore East and Fillmore West, but they don’t tell us which coast.
This was right up my wheelhouse. I was wondering how long track 1 could be when I looked and realized I was deep into track 3. I mean that as a compliment. The whole first side of this album was a fantastic and interesting jam. Like the pig-pen era Grateful Dead with a harder and tighter edge. Great guitar parts. I never heard to this and will come back to this for sure.
Fantastic freak out medley on side 1. Then "Mona" Maiden Of The Cancer Moon" Does any other album scream San Francisco more than this?
Awesome psych rock album, great solos
I dig this a lot.
Loved this album. A staple in psychedelic rock
Loved it, loved their other music as well
Loved this.
Read up on this one. Very good once you do.
J’ai beaucoup aimé ! Du rock un peu expérimental/psychedelique, de la bonne guitare, ça fait plaiz. À réécouter
Rating: 4/5 Short Review: This is what happens when you give cowboys LSD and hand them guitars instead of horses. It’s a jam band rodeo—sometimes thrilling, sometimes like you wandered into a 25-minute soundcheck. But weirdly, you’re into it. Favorite Track: “Who Do You Love – Suite” It’s 25 minutes long, meanders like your uncle after one beer, and still somehow keeps you grooving. It’s the auditory equivalent of a cactus blooming in real-time. Consistency With Me: 6.3/10 I like a little structure, you know? Something with boundaries. This album? It left its shoes in the desert and started philosophizing about dust. I respect it, but I don’t trust it with directions or dinner reservations.
Jam band founders! Bluesy and loose
The standout here is the 13-minute western-infused psych rock instrumental "Calvary" near the end of the album. Really unique sound and I think it absolutely rips. I'm less enthusiastic about most the rest of the album - wouldn't say I don't enjoy it but it's more of a "fine background music" type of deal. There's an awful lot of guitar noodling.
cool old school surfy type shit with a healthy dose of experimental noise rock. loved it.
New to me, really enjoyed
Wasn’t sure what to expect here, but this was better. Really enjoyed.
I enjoyed this but then again I like early country and blues tinged psychedelic rock, and I particularly like high quality live recordings of that material from this era.
Quite liked it. Heavy on guitar solos. Liked the jammin' session/live vibe of the album, the psychedelic sound and the Bo Diddley lovefest on the first part of the album.
Album art completely threw me. This is exactly the type of surprise I was looking for from the generator. I had never heard of Quicksilver Messenger Service and glad I now have. Great record. Shocked to learn it was live. Could be seen as self-indulgent jam session though. 3.5/5. Adjusting up to a 4.
Serenely shredding Instantly iconic tunes That conjure power
O dziwo bardzo mi się spodobało. Nie na tyle, aby dodać do ulubionych, ale takie psychodeliczne instrumentalia mają w sobie coś magicznego. Nigdy nie będę prawdziwą fanką takiej muzyki, ale czasami, dla oczyszczenia kubków smakowych czemu nie? 7/10
Brilliant for 3/4 of the album but it really started to drag towards the end. Such a pity, shave 10 minutes off of this and it would’ve been in my overall Top 10
Pretty rad album. A bit psychedelic with a nice cohesive flow.
Cool stuff! The jamming gets a bit much, but enjoyable album just the same.
Haha, very clever with the song titles in the first half of this. Wasn't sure what to expect, but I would say this exceeded expectations. Landing on a 3.5 stars and willing to bump up to a 4.
Based on the cover I was expecting this to be another piece of shit 60s folk album with flutes and unicorns and whatnot. Instead I find myself gripped by a full side-length live rendition of Who Do You Love that absolutely slays. While it doesn't have the highest energy I've ever heard this song evoke, it is a wonderfully jammy and well-recorded (for the time) live rendition. On top of that, the vocals are far better than they need to be. This was great start to finish and I'll definitely be back again in the morning. High 4 / 5.
Just a straight up good time listening to this album. The Who, when, where, how, which, who sequence was so good to kick it off which was awesome way to do a cover. The guitar was quite awesome throughout the whole album and I feel like it was the perfect length for what it was. This is a very solid 4
Track names for the first side are pretty funny. Who Do You Love is definitely a song I've known (at least that one part you hear in movies) but never would've been able to tell you who it's by. Jk it doesn't even get to that point. Must be saving it for Pt. 2. That entire suite was sick. I expected a little more country from the album cover and am getting some serious jamming. Kinda surprised at the global rating on this one cuz that was a rippin album.
4/5
Good.
A happy blend of psychedelia, straight from the 60s. Just the way I like it, long, rambling, but filled with talent. 4.5/5
Normally, I hate this kind of music. But so far, it’s alright. Bitch is tearing it up on When You Love. It’s nice that the songs flow straight into each other. Feels like an unbroken musical experience. Where You Love, How You Love and Which Do You Love are interesting and experimental. I should not be enjoying a psychedelic jam band, but I think that’s what’s happening here. It helps that it’s mostly really well-played instrumental music. Words would not be helpful here. Better that they let the music do the talking. Makes absolute sense when you learn that the full six song suite was based on Bo Diddley’s original 1956 Who Do You Love. Pretty brilliant reinterpretation. Should hate, cannot find cause.
4 stars
Really enjoyed the guitar riffs and solos going on here.
QMS are another lot who I have heard of but never bothered to research them. Who do you Love is a song just about everyone should be familiar with but if you had asked me yesterday I wouldn’t have been able to tell you who sang it. As a Progger a 25 minute live version of this really did wet my appetite. I was not disappointed. A lot of fellow 1001’s complain that live albums should not be on this list. In this instance I do have some sympathy for this. Without visuals some of the guitar work which was going on stage does require a lot of the imagination. The audience reaction tells me that whatever was going on was really good and appreciative. So maybe the performance was that exceptional it really does deserve a place on this list? I certainly think so. A very good album and one which will make me look at QMS’s back catalogue. 4/5 1/3/25
Side 1 is an absolute knockout.. Releasing this as their second album took real courage. While Side 2 has its moments, it doesn’t quite reach the same heights, making for a solid but less remarkable finish.
Who would have thought that a lot can be wrung out of one song? Bo Diddley becomes the muse of Quicksilver Messenger Service as they blast the Fillmores East and West with psychedelic indebted blues appropriate for the time period and Happy Trails, the album that was the result, sees them stamp their place amongst all the other emergent jam bands sprouting from the ground of the late 60s. The other songs on here are worth checking out as well, with Mona (another Bo Diddley composition) and the thirteen minute epic Calvary being of most interest. Favorites: Who Do You Love? (Parts 1 & 2), Where You Love, Mona, Calvary.