Reviews (page 3 of 7)
What a great album. It was like discovering another early Grateful Dead I never heard of. Must have been a wild party in those San Fran days!
Love the concept of blowing a song up this much but a lot of it winds up sounding samey
Verloop good music, i like the guitar parts
Great psych/acid rock. Really shows the artistry that took over Haight/Ashbury in the late 60s.
Good album! Transitions songs really well
Groovy, gritty and legit bluesy psychedelia. The vocals aren't exactly soaring, but the axe explorations are steadily impressive and totally diggable. Dumb ending cut, though. Had to be there, one supposes, and wouldn't that have been fun, at either Fillmore.
Zuivere rockmuziek live gebracht. Erg leuk album
I wasn't holding out a lot of hope for this based on the name and the cover art, but it's true what they say about assumptions. I really liked this album. It was really ahead of its time given the whole "do you love" theme, connected tracks that bleed together, and the fact that they seem to have beaten everyone to the drug-rock era (clear and obvious influence on the Doors and others). I'm giving it a bump in the rating just for being early to this scene.
My dad has this record, I heard it a few times in high school because it was one of his favorites so even though it's the 1990s this is blasting out of the speakers in our home. It's a good record to my ears still. I like the psych. And I probably got that from my POP. But also, you see, there's this Boris record Rainbow with guest guitarist Michio Kurihara who likened inspiration for his tone to the tone of the lead guitar on this record. And, all I have to say is that as good as Happy Trails is that Rainbow record slays it. So it's hard to not rate this one relatively and in that context.
Loved it, very chill.
really enjoyed listening to the first few, nothing mindblowing
A very specific mood. It's nice, hippie alt rock realness
So 60s, so viby
Well I was kind of distracted so I will listen again. Sounded indulgent. But I think when I listen again with my headphones I will really like it. So going to give it a four.
A whole lot of fun jams. Best track: Calvary
very good. Valente seems like a cool guy
Starts off shy, but later progression makes it shine. A solid prog-rock album. Highlight: Calvary
Alkupuolen Who Do You Love Suite on suorastaan jazzahtavaa klassikkorockia! Sen perusteella annetaan 4/5, ei ne muutkaan biisit huonoja olleet.
1969 - Rock, Psychedelic rock, Acid rock, Jam band, Art rock
I imagine this album is going to score quite well in this group. I thought it was a very interesting concept to have one long song broken up into segments for half the album. I really enjoyed the guitar in When you love. Like when the Dead jam there were some parts I didn’t enjoy as much (where you love) but overall liked this one.
Wow, hard to believe that they made an entire album out of two classic, short songs. I liked this a lot, although some of the more trippy parts of of the jams were a bit much. That said, great guitars and mostly great jams. You can clearly see why they played so many shows on the same bill as the Dead. I will listen to this again and probably download.
Opens with a group of songs based around Love, and they're all pretty good. Where You Love gets a little grating to the end with the screaming, but then kicks into the next tune and picks things back up. I should have realized Who Do You Love is a cover, I only know the Thorogood version. After the Love set, we get into "some Rock" as the frontman puts it. It definitely turns away from the bluesy-ness and leans into the psychedelic guitar with the next few songs. Calvary is looooong, I don't know that it needs to go as long as it does. Overall, was excited when the album started as I'm into this type of music, but Calvary was the point I was ready for it to end. Still lots of good in here so it's getting 4 stars, but I think if it was a bit shorter it would have been a 5.
Happier trailing
I really dig it
Psychedelic Rock Bo Diddley remixes 13 minute instrumental A lot of guitar riffs
A little self indulgent, but a lot of fun nevertheless.
Cool psych music. Gets pretty far out there at times, perhaps too far out there on Song three. Some of the songs sound straight out of the Mayonnaise fake book, specifically Calvary, which slaps real hard. 4
I could listen to this again. Got a cobra snake for a necktie
Love me some psych rock and extended jams are my jam so this was right up my alley. The side B tracks are great too.
Yup. Gonna keep this one on a faves list for a while. I can see it now.
Hmmm. They show up with three KSHE Klassics, but none on this album. Fun to listen to, but mostly instrumental. Many of the songs are variations of Bo Diddley's "Who do you Love". I like it. Good jamming background music.
Really cool, A side is phenomenal but B side got a little boring, it’ll get played again
Mildy decent psychedelic take on Americana. 8.0/10
A nice slice of psychedelia. Like a DJ trance mix with guitars. A total surprise and definitely one I'll revisit.
Exceeded my expectations. Starts as fairly common 60s rock, then shines with seamless song transitions and fascinating experimentation.
Und so sehr der Adamsapfel vor Virilität wie bei Morrison zu bersten droht, und so sehr die Anfänge ein Pendeln im comme il faut der Zeit zwischen Santana und Led Zep gefangen sein mag, es gibt ihn dann doch, den spielfreudigen, freien, jazzig-psychedelischen Ausbruch ganz weit raus. Dorthin, wo der Art Rock das Licht der Welt erblickt hat, Jodorowsky einsam diese Welt zu fassen versucht, Motorpsycho durchs Wurmloch hinüber wandern auf Happy Trails, tripping but not falling.
Cool mostly instrumental album.
Alrighty, from Donovan's drippy end of psychedelia, to the proggy jam band guitar wailing end. I enjoyed this a lot. Fave track - the entire first 6 tracks being one long noodly "Who Do You Love?"
Pretty good sound. Like it but it’s not likely to make my rotation. 3.5
@@@½. all-time classic, nice playing, hippie stuff.
Cool jam bad album, starts out strong with "Who do you love" and is basically a set. Solid song changes. Lots of mood changes. Cool album
Sounded like a jam session or an experimental album -- didn't realize it was a live recording until I heard the crowd. Luckily, it's a jam session I enjoyed. Would listen again!
4/5. Jammy electric guitar riffs and solos, with upbeat drum kicks and deep-voiced vocals. The first 25 minutes is just one long, rambling and waning guitar riff. Great background music for introspective, manly things.
It was good. Jazzy in a way that reminded me of Jethro Tull. I would definitely listen to it again.
Good psychedelic rock, but sort of spirals into repetitive instrumentation at times
I half listened, to be fair. I found myself bored. It's not bad, it's not good, it's... There.
3.6
Day 326 Glad I heard this, especially this version of Mona. Highlights Mona
Lots of love on here, parts of it were interesting and psychedelic- but a tough listen overall
Guy who has only listened to 1 Grateful Dead album: I’m getting a lot of Grateful Dead vibes from this.
"Lysergic"
a nice artifact i suppose but i wouldn't listen to it again
It was a pretty cool rock album. Lots of quality western but also rock sounds to it.
maybe the gateway towards 70s psych rock still didnt care for it but wasnt bad
Nice, maar wat vermoeiend soms
First Listen; 3; This was an enjoyable listen that was fun/interesting in parts, but also starts to all blur together. Certainly drags on for a bit in parts, but there are enough interesting hooks and parts that make it worth listening to. It does seem a little more concise in some parts than other jam band records I've listened to, but the next to last track definitely wanders. Favorite Track: Who Do You Love (Pt. 2)
Psych blues rock which I do very much enjoy. But a genre that feels like it's has plenty of (better) representation on this list already. Enjoyable, will not make a beeline for again.
I find it hilarious that some of the reviews for this album are like angry at it. Like it’s a middle of the road 60s blues/psychedelic rock record. It’s fine but nothing here to elicit such a strong response
Never been a big fan of jam bands. This band sounds a little bit like if a southern rock band was a jam band. Good music, just not my jam.
3.5
No es mal disco pese a ser un directo y limitarse a hacer variaciones de una canción que ni siquiera es del grupo. Prefiero a grateful dead
7 / 10
Some great guitaring but that was about it. I can’t imagine a time when this is an album I wanted to throw on to jam to. Felt like a well composed soundtrack to a thrilling western movie.
Nice background music.
These guys know how to get a crowd grooving, I'll give 'em that. Their jams are heartfelt, but don't expect a seamless listen, there's dips in energy here and there. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Who Do You Love (Part 1) - When You Love - Mona
Rock that was pretty easy to listen to
Not a bad listen but not racing to listen again.
this is some good ol hippie choogie boogie goin on here. probably was much more immediate there in the room at the time, but these live performances don't transfer as well to a headphones listen in 2026. for a moment there midway thru "Calvary" you could hear some precursor to the dronier segments of Spiritualized, which was pretty cool.
I am not entirely sure what to think about this record, as it feels uneven. There are some nice guitar solos (although they are sometimes lengthy), some songs have a fun groovy vibe, and others are far more forgettable. Overall it was fun listening to this record, but I can't decide if I'll listen to it again or not. Fav track : Who do you love - Pt2
Interesting eaely rock album, but not really worth a relisten. Product of its time.
It's very good working music
mm, no se muy bien q opinas. Hay algunos temas que son una pia mal, otros que zafan. creo que un 3 xq me gusto la viola
"What if The Doors didn't record drunk on a toilet?" Cool album. Hadn't ever heard of these guys before. Experimental and worth a listen. Strong three, weak four. I wish I had the time for another listen to help sway my direction.
This album is strange. There are a couple brilliant tracks, and it's woven together beautifully, but by and large the distance between the brilliant moments is pretty big. The large instrumentals are pretty good so I can't knock it too much, and I appreciate the intent of doing what serves the album as a singular work of art. It's just different, and I think probably worth hearing, but it's one I think I'd rather sit with for longer to really figure out - if I ever decide to make the time for it, which I might not. Time will tell. 3.2/5
Thankfully, the music isn't as bad as the horrendous album cover. This kind of music works so much better live, even so, this was a tolerable listen.
Cool jam record, yep it does kinda go nowhere but it's about the journey not the destination
Pretty solid album, went in not wanting to like it. Some good guitar tracks, even if it felt a bit derivative. 3 stars
Fairly inoffensive extended noodling! Couple of tracks I recognise. Not bad overall
Noodled in, noodled out, tapped my foot, and nodded off. I don't think I really enjoy jam sessions
This is a fun jam album. It does drag quite a bit through "Calvary", and "Happy Trails" is not a well executed finale, but overall this was enjoyable. 3.0/5.0: Good
Other reviewers have generally criticized this as an overindulgent mess. It’s not quite that bad, but it lacks something. Some of the album was recorded live, but apparently some was studio work? If that’s the case, the producers were on more psychedelics than the band. The extended jam on Who Do You Love really wasn’t terrible, in fact it’s an interesting document of the San Francisco scene in the late Sixties. Sadly, they weren’t the best band to document that. Overall, I would say the album is worth a listen, but will not make my rotation any time soon. 3 stars for some decent guitar solos.
You know, with me being so far into the project, I've realized that I only have so many albums left from each of the major "archetypes" that flood this list. You know, 90s-2000s British indie albums, 70s-80s post-punk albums, 60s psych-rock albums, those sorts of things. They're all over this list, but with me having less than 170 albums left for this project, I don't have too many left for each of those archetypes. Of course, I do still have some remaining, and albums like this remind me of that. Yeah, this one's just kind of another 60s psych-rock album. Admittedly, it's got some interesting things going for it. This thing definitely has more of a jam-band feel to it, and it's much closer in sound to the Grateful Dead than the Beatles. This is perhaps most obvious in the length of the songs. The first half of this album is a suite of sorts, though it is split up on streaming. I think it's alright. It does a well enough job of feeling like a bunch of songs playing back-to-back-to-back and not just the same thing over and over again. "Calvary" is also long, but that's just one song and it's not quite as interesting as the "Who Do You Love?" suite. The style here is okay. Nothing exciting, but nothing mind-numbing either. This is definitely one of those "jack of all trades, master of none" albums. Everything is done decently well, but nothing is excellent. Happy Trails is good, but not great. It is pretty cool that much of this was recorded live though. Strong 3/5.
Cosas muy buenas y cosas muy falopa, muy desparejo
Cosas buenas, cosas muy raras. La suite inicial es excelente, y el art cover de 10.
Far better than expected. The guitar work is great and pleasingly experimental.
“Great!” I thought. Not heard of the band, be nice to listen to something different and that I am unfamiliar with…aaaand….its another blues jam band…Next.
Normal
There's no defending that Where You Love interlude and Calvary was truly a Golgotha for the ears but I thought this was a clear cut above most of what the Grateful Dead shat out in this era mostly thanks to a lot of that driving Bo Diddley beat.
pretty fun listen, probably wouldn't listen again though
Rock solid blues rock.
yeah, i wouldnt listen to it. like its really absolutely not my style. at all
I quite enjoy the track titles here for the first half, even if they feel a little forced. I have heard another version of who do you live which I think was more powerful and I prefer, but this is alright...oh the other tracks are just parts of this track as a jam... Ok. That makes sense, but is a little disappointing in an interesting titles sort of way. Some of this jam is quite fun, some of it exists, none of it is bad, it's just quite long and over the years my tastes have moved away from this approach to music a bit. Yeah, the longer this has gone on. I don't dislike it, but it doesn't keep my attention, the lack of vocals on most of it doesn't help, but there isn't much in the way of song structure that I can tell either (although, as I said I drifted off from it a bunch). It's fine. Not unpleasant, but I can live without it. Oh, the last song is dreadful though. Meh, I'll leave it as a 3.
Some interesting pieces of music on the album, but some real meandering parts as well. Liked the bluesy parts of "Who Do You Love". 2.5/5 Might listen again
It was an OK album.
Really cool album, very ahead of its time. It’s always a blast discovering San Francisco psychedelic acts from this period of time, each one has clear streams of influence but all have their own take on that movement. Definitely an album that is better consumed as a collective piece and not by each individual track, but this shouldn’t be shocking given the through composition on the A side. I like this album and will definitely be exploring more of their work. Favorite track: Who Do You Love - Pt. 1
7/10
A good album, I liked Mona, Which Do You Love and Who Do You Love Part 1 the most.
Seemingly endless jams at times but I was able to listen to the entire album which is quite an accomplishment based on what I've been getting lately. After hearing the terrible vocals on "Happy Trails", I can understand why this album is so jam-heavy. Still, not bad.
80’s Rock ⭐️How You Love
This is a genre I hate and the whole side A was one meandering cover of a song that's been better done. Yet it was strangely peaceful and interesting. This is an album that benefits from headphones so you can hear the stereo.
Highlight: Who Do You Love - Pt 1 & Pt 2 and How You Love. 3.2
Very fun jam record
Sounded familiar and unfamiliar at the same time
I enjoyed this. Its era was instantly recognisable, and the first comparison that sprang to mind was the Grateful Dead. This ain't the Dead, but it's good music nonetheless.
For the most part the actual content of the album ranges from decent to pretty great, but a big issue for me is how there’s such a lack of distinction between songs. There’s too much of a blended sound that results in mushiness instead of each song smoothly flowing into the next. The most captivating songs stand out by making their presence as individual tracks known with intensity. The loud and bending guitar is such a draw, but I don’t think it’s fully utilized. It’s a solid record when it manages to break away from the standard, but pretty forgettable when it doesn’t. Faves: When You Love, How You Love
Didn’t even realize there was music playing
Ok noodle fun
Enjoyed the first half
Great document of the scene but never transcendent for me
Psychedelische rock is niet mijn ding
Quite innovative band, I like the tune, but not better than their contemporaries
I had never heard of Quicksilver Messenger Service prior to this listen. Half of the album is their cover of Bo Diddly's "Who Do You Love?" is stretched to allow for experimentations and improvisations. It's actually pretty great! The rest of the album is kind of groovy and surf-y in ways that I find very satisfying. Things do kind of peter out with the title track "Happy Trails", despite being wholly appropriate. So close to a 4, but for now, a 3 out of 5.
My taste in 60s music came mostly from my mother's record collection (Beatles/Doors), plus surf music from being born and raised in Surf City, USA. I never managed to get into the San Francisco scene of that era... I saw the Grateful Dead for the experience rather than their music. As a result, very little music of that area during that era has really resonated with me. This was the first time I recall ever listening to this band. It's alright, but nothing I feel I need to pursue anytime in the future.
This album has one iconic song and then the rest sort of felt like filler, so 3 stars
Nada mal la primera canción, sigo escuchando las que siguen y me parecen interesantes...
A mostly live Jam album featuring some Bo Diddley covers, I can see why some might like this if this kind of thing is your...well, jam.. lol But I was just not as into the overly improvisational nature of everything. The songs seemed to go nowhere, leaving me feeling a little left out in the cold, even though the individual musicianship was pretty great. As I get older, I find that Jam Band type stuff just isn't as mind blowing or rewarding as it used to be when I was younger. This album isn't bad, it's just not anything I would seek out in a record for listening purposes.
This was good background music for a very stressful day at work but I don’t know that it’s something I would listen to again voluntarily (nothing really stood out to me/impressed me.)
Cool listen, music was vastly different from what the cover suggested.
Kind of a mess of an album and I'm unsure if I like it or not. It has a very raw, live, improvisational feel to it. The solos feel more freestyle than intentionally crafted. This gives the album some character but it also makes it feel a little unfinished. Shout out to the very creative naming of the first 6 songs as well.
It was fine
Nice. Nothing really stands out to me personally.
How on earth is this required listening? The album is alright but that's about it.
I think I fell asleep when I first listened to this album. But after relistening I still couldn't tell you if that was the case. It's a good time though.
I listened to this album with Percy while chilling on the couch of my apartment. This album was a pleasant listening experience, though not one which I found particularly engaging all the way through. The instrumentation is good, and the album mostly serves to highlight the guitar-playing throughout, but there is not much in the way of hooks which actively keep my attention. A handful of songs do cut through the flow of the album and stick out to me more than the others, with the 13-minute Calvary being a surprising highlight, but for the most part this album breezes on by. Which is not to say it was an unpleasant experience, of course, just one that doesn't particularly stick with me. Highlights: Who Do You Love - Pt. 2, Mona, Calvary, Happy Trails
nice
Creí que era un disco de música country... por la portada, eso es lo que pasa por juzgar solo con lo de fuera. Resulta que es un disco de rock de una banda con un estilo que me recuerda a muchos momentos progresivos, psicodélicos de The Doors. Interesantes.
Not what i expected when I saw the cover. Who knew a song could inspire so many.
Not sure we’ll meet again.
Like The Doors but for people who cannot be arsed with Morrison. Enjoyed the beginning and was ready to listen to more but it was a bit samey and waffley from halfway. 2.5 rounded up
Quite chill instrumental
That's not my taste in music - But ok
I kinda like the way this album starts with a Bo Diddley cover that then proceeds to spin out of control to dominate the first side. The rest of the album is much less good.
I was expecting country based on the cover... but actually a pretty solid album!
I think I have to be in the mood for an album like this. Bluesy riffing. Today I was not in earnest
This was fairly enjoyable. Calvary was a sweet track.
Not a bad album, limited vocals. Would probably listen to again. Didn’t have a favorite song from it, but overall it was a good album.
Partly nice, partly interesting, partly simply 60s music
It's ok
Donc cet album est un live. On ne dirait pas tant que ça parce qu'on entend rarement le public, mais en même temps, c'est un peu une sorte d'album studio quand même, c'est un peu bizarre. Bon, en tout cas, il faut aimer les longues séances d'improvisation et les morceaux instrumentaux un peu psyché qui durent des plombes. C'est mon cas, j'ai bien aimé cet album.
I really appreciate that they asked the rest of the questions pertaining to your love.
Not what I expected. Still good.
Not a bad album but also not sure what qualified it for this list.
É um forte 3/5, não estava a espera de um álbum progressivo em que a maior parte das músicas encaixam umas nas outros. Quando estava na terceira música fui ver há quanto tempo já estava a ouvir a primeira e foi aí que percebi que ja tinha passado há muito. Solos de guitarra longos e poucos vocais. Certas músicas fizeram-me lembrar os The Doors e outras partes de músicas fizeram-me lembrar Pink Floyd, mas lá está... todas bandas de rock progressivo/psicadélico, é normal que tenham aspetos semelhantes. Boa surpresa.
It was a fun album and one that I would like to play. I need to carefully relisten.
To quote another review: "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."
who gives a shit
Its a good album! My girlfriend love one of their songs!
Can see the appeal but not for me. Maybe another listen
3/5 Very charming little album. I enjoyed it a lot but it did kind of become background music for me after a while. Still, though, very charming and I enjoyed it.
Who Do You Love
Pretty funky
3.2 out of 5 stars for this album. I liked SOME of the guitar parts, but I felt there was a lot of just tangents and weird experiments (better than Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation) with the guitar work. Overall, I appreciate it, but not going into my library.
pas pour moi
Ok
Quite like the cover of Henry Ramsay’s Mona Some of the rest of it was alright, better than I was expecting (which was not that much based on the album cover!)
An odd album or guitar noodling cover versions, without the other component parts of what makes a song work. I found some of it enjoyable especially where there was percussion to help along. One or two of these type of songs would work well on an album but not the whole dammed thing!
This album has some really cool and interesting Psych Rock passages especially from it coming out in 1969, but there were also large sections of this album I found to be very boring. The later half of this album does kind of drag on. I do like how all of the songs transition into each other though. Mid 3.
I mean, yeah, it's good. But I'm a little over the extended jam session on Every. Single. Song. They all start to sound the same after a while.
Didn't know much about Quicksilver Messenger Service. Some kind of hippy jam band. I like Bo Diddley though, and was intrigued that the whole first side of this album is listed as a song suite based on the wondrous 'Who Do You Love?' Turns out it is just an extended live jam which soon ran out of steam. Oddly, though, I enjoyed the bit where they seemed to get bored and just experimented with some different guitar sounds. Side two started with another Bo Diddley cover: slowed down again but with more bite. Rather good and I liked this side better. It had some inventive guitar work, using feedback and sounds that are closer to the stuff I usually like. Not exactly Sonic Youth territory but not so far removed from it. Is there any actual Bo Diddley on this list?
Not a lot of singing but it still sounded good
Groovy but stale at times. Sounds like not a horsey album
A long jam session. Mostly music, not much singing.
i feel like they wanted this to feel like a psychadelic cowboy trip, but instead it kind of just felt like greening, just being uncomfortably high and overwhelmed by everything. good album but its giving me traumatic drug flashbacks to highschool. i wouldn't return to this
Patiko, fainas
Felt a bit long, but wasn't terrible. Low 3/5.
Late 60's jam band rock. Only a couple of songs have lyrics at all. Cool music, but not an album to listen to for anything other than background music. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: n/a
It's ok
6/10 Favourite: Who Do You Love (Pt. 1) Least Favourite: Mona
Not the country music I expected, but some pleasant psychedelic rock. It wasn't outstanding, but I listened to it twice, so it can't have been too bad. This definitely felt like a live performance, as it seemed to be only very loosely structured, with the first side being a jam over one song, split into sections, and the second half being dominated by a load of tracks that ran on into each other. Three stars.
Okay psych rock record, nothing standout or particularly memorable
Great album not many songs to pick out but as a whole it’s a fun listen
While definitely very impressive guitar skills, this album moves along rather unremarkably. I was quite bored, but it wasn’t terrible.
Random thoughts: * I bet this was a cool band in the late 60s. Today, just kinda meh. * Obviously not as folky, poppy, and catchy as their brethren Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead. * Was Steve Miller's "Quicksilver Girl" a nod to a girl who listened to Quicksilver Messenger Service? * I got a single delivery here and will probably be my last.
It was fine, standard late 60s blues rock
A cool jam band album
Enjoyed a big chunk of this one. Some really good guitar skills on show, one or two songs did seem to drag on a bit but I was vibing to it overall.
This was really fun. Not a favorite, but one I might revisit from time to time.
For an instrumental only album this was very entertaining
Wish I had seen these guys live back in the day because it seems like that’s where they would shine. This live recording is pretty decent but not great for me. 3.5
This album was quite a Journey. It started with a banger, after that there was a lot of "what am I listening to". Mona and Who Do You Love are definitely the highlights.
Erste Hälfte one note joke, zweite Hälfte ganz cool
Proto prog rock, bit of Cream, bit of Pink Floyd - I kinda like it but it feels a navel-gazey
Interesting tunes. Calvary is the highlight..
Fun listen once. Probably would've been GREAT to see live. Honestly I couldn't see it getting a lot of multiple plays though.
gr00vy
i dont really know what to think - sure its ok i guess, but could do with more?
стооолько инструментала. фоном норм, но специально слушать бы не стала
I guess the guitars are kinda cool?
I had this one on in the background most of the day yesterday. It has some good jam band grooves but nothing really jumped out at me.
Decent! The first side being one long song is fun. Good album
I expected to like this more than I did. It perhaps requires LSD to enjoy properly, which is hard to convince my wife to let me do on a Tuesday.
Interesting to start, but gets repetitive
Interesting choice and not one I would have thought to have made this list. Is it rocking? Sure. Gives great counter evidence to the Dead era country psych stuff, but also not an essential rock album IMHO. Fun, brash, and loud. Great semi deep cut on a vinyl night.
Jam band, pretty good for background noise while working, nothing stands out as particularly notable.
Really enjoyed this album, the whole "love" suite was great, nothing terribly innovative going on here but some really solid blues psych rock. I had only known them for the single Fresh Air, but this is worth further exploring. 3.5 rounded down because six of the ten tracks are an extended cover of one song.
Not as iconic as some other psychedelic music but a pretty good listen.
Ok jam music but doesn't exactly set the world on fire. The first part is dry sounding but most cohesive. The second part is more interesting. But the cover of happy trails was unnecessary.
The first forty minutes were pretty interesting; would have been good to see this group in concert during their fleeting career with the original group.
Never heard of this band, pretty typical 1960’s California rock album, very close to losing a star for “Happy Trails”
Grateful Dead light but not as good songwriters or jammers
Dad- 7 Mom- 7 Mike- NA Lori- 5.5 Michael- 6.5 Miles- NA Cole- NA Avg- 6.5
was not expecting to like this
I legit thought this was going to be some 60s country and western album based on the title and cover art, so I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be psychedelic rock instead. That twist alone made it more interesting right from the start. The playing is tight, and the band really leans into those extended jams with some wild guitar work and trippy vibes. It’s definitely got that late 60s energy where everyone was experimenting with sound and stretching songs way past the radio-friendly mark. That said, the instrumentals ran a little too long for my taste. After a while, it starts to feel more like background noise than something I want to actively listen to.
🍜
Kind of nice but a little basic.
Music is good, I remain a lyrics person to be more engaged.
он просто есть. ни хороший, ни плохой
A joyful listen.
6/10
Being a Grateful Dead fan, I thought this started out fairly promising. Certainly not the chops or enjoyment of the Dead however
Bo Diddley cover
Very middle of the road nothing blew me away
Neutral
Enjoyably weird. I was half expecting more CSNY style country, but this is Zeppelin-adjacent groovyness. Some interesting use of early effects, and some vibe which could fit alongside the doors or similar 70s work. Dragged a bit in places, and not giving me much reason to go back to it, but at least it was something different! A high 3.
Fine, unmemorable
I like the album cover. But it obviously ain’t country or even southern rock. It’s psychedelic guitar noodling and while it extended songs started out ok they disappeared up their own arse. And if wiki is correct this was an edited down version to fit, super noodling. But at least it stays loose and doesn’t fall into pretentiousness like the more prog noodlers do, but lacks that rhythm foundation that keeps it together of the southern rock jam bands. And I mean guess you had to be there (and high) with the slight guitar squeak noises and clapping part. It was ok to listen to but don’t need to hear it again, but do like the cover..2.5 star
What have I just listened to? Folk? Rock? Pre-MBV madness? It gets 3* for being absolutely mad.
Good live hippy music.
Only exist in the Fall and Spring. I said what I said.
I can see this not being everybody’s cup of tea. But as a blues/rock fan, some parts of this album are very enjoyable. Unfortunately a couple of the tracks lost me. But interesting enough for me to be glad to know about this project.
A lovely little ditty of a 60s album long gone by.
Pretty good psychedelic rock album released in 88’ from a concert in 69’ hah. Nothing crazy special IMO but was a good listen as I worked. Might throw on again.
nice
Pretty cool album, definitely had this band confused with someone else. I'd listen to it again.
Parts of this album had me psychedelic grooving, and the other parts had me questioning if any of this music was any good.
First 6 tracks here are a fun lovin jamboree. I did not realise this was a live album until the 6th track ended. So that's a very positive sign for this album considering how much I hate live albums. Ultimately though, this is just a jam session. Its fine, but I wouldn't really want to relisten. 2.8/5
Little to know vocals. Not really my thing. Psych rock would be better with a bit of singing.
They have a decent sound, but it all kinda runs together, especially with almost half an hour of Who Do You Love. If you're happy with super jammy psych blues that doesn't do much, this should work great for you.
Not my cup of tea
Pretty decent performances, but it really just felt like a jam. I once played with a friend who would stand at the mic and raise and lower his arms to show us how he wanted the music around intensify/detensify as we played. I imagine the band leader doing the same (which would be for AGES because there are some long lead breaks!). I was a bit disappointed as I was really hoping for a country and western movie soundtrack theme by the cover. Honestly, I've got a vinyl with that exact title and it really hits the spot. There was some cool guitar work, but it gets lost amongst the rest. 3 Stars.
A bit self indulgent.
3.5
That side A makes it
#DÍA 44: 1001 Discos Que Hay Que Escuchar Antes De Morir (English Translation Below) Por si no fuera suficiente, más psicodelia para mí. Quicksilver Messenger Service, a parte de ser una de esas bandas de los 60s cuyo nombre tiene más bien poco sentido, fueron uno de los grupos que mejor definieron el sonido psicodélico del San Francisco de entonces. Este segundo LP de la banda fue un éxito inesperado, y no es de extrañar lo de “inesperado”, por lo poco convencional de la música que contiene. La primera mitad está definida por una supuesta cover de Who Do You Love de Bo Diddley. Digo supuesta porque mantiene el riff y la letra, porque lo del festival de solos de 25 minutos que hay entre versos se lo han sacado de la manga. Y es que ahí reside un poco la magia de este LP, son un banda que, en general, demuestran tomarse poco en serio, y eso les da un encanto que me ayuda a diferenciarlos. Este suite se realizó en concierto, los acompañamientos tocaron en bucle de dos acordes original y de ahí fueron desvariando todos. El solo de Gary Duncan es más convencional, con una estructura en forma de valle que lo hace recompensante. A continuación, seis minutos bastante psicodélicos por parte de Greg Elmore que terminan con una especie de pelea melódica a voces entre la gente del público; un tipo de interacción con el público llamativa como poco. De ahí entra John Cipollina con un solo bastante vigoroso que encadena con otro del bajista David Freiberg. Dentro de que el sonido es bastante limpio, hay cierto interés en el uso de efectos, las técnicas que usa Cipollina son memorables desde luego y la progresión es muy sólida contando con que fue improvisado. La segunda mitad también es un extracto de concierto, solo que la pista Calvary tiene algunas modificaciones de estudio aparentemente (imagino que esos sublimes coros del interludio). Mona, por un lado, es otra cover extendida de Bo Diddley con improvisaciones de Cipollina. Llegado a este punto te das cuenta que realmente la gracia del LP en sí es la guitarra, es de lo que va, así que lo interesante es perderte un poco en el virtuosismo de los guitarristas. Ahora bien, no termina siendo cansino, aburrido o pretencioso, realmente son actuaciones potentes que me explican por qué entraron en la lista de los mejores 100 guitarristas de Rolling Stone. Calvary tiene una ambientación más oscura y desértica, apoyada en cierto sentido fúnebre dotado por las ligeras raíces flamencas de la pieza. Aquí encontramos distintos crescendos envueltos en coros, percusiones de película y serenos pasajes acústicos. Como se ha dicho, todo notablemente encabezado por las guitarras, como si huyeran del resto de instrumentos en una persecución. El LP como experiencia completa es entretenido, a mí me ha mantenido atento la mayoría del rato, aunque perdiéndome en algunos momentos del suite inicial y de Calvary. Aún así, quizá la música tan centrada en la guitarra no suele ser con lo que yo más conecto… Con algunas excepciones claro, pero en este caso, aún no pudiendo criticarlo demasiado, tampoco ha despertado especial pasión en mí. Favoritas: Who Do You Love Suite, Calvary Menos favorita: Maiden of the Cancer Moon #DAY 44: 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die As if I hadn’t had enough already, here comes more psychedelia. Quicksilver Messenger Service —aside from having one of those ‘60s band names that never made much sense— were among the acts that most sharply defined San Francisco’s acid-drenched sound. Their second LP became an unexpected success, and “unexpected” is the right word given how unconventional the music actually is. The first half is built around what’s ostensibly a cover of Bo Diddley’s Who Do You Love. I say “ostensibly” because while it keeps the riff and the lyrics, what you actually get is a 25-minute festival of solos. That’s the charm of this record: a band that clearly doesn’t take itself too seriously, and paradoxically that’s what makes them stand out. Recorded live, the band just loops the original track’s two chords and lets each player spiral outward. Gary Duncan’s solo is fairly traditional, rising and falling like a valley and ultimately rewarding. Then Greg Elmore dives into six minutes of psychedelia, capped off by what sounds like a melodic shouting match with the audience; bizarre, but also oddly engaging. John Cipollina comes in hot with some signature effects and sharp phrasing, seamlessly giving way to bassist David Freiberg. For something improvised, the progression feels surprisingly solid, and Cipollina’s techniques in particular are pretty memorable. The second half is also pulled from live performances, though Calvary seems to have been polished with some studio touches (those sublime choral passages, for one). Mona is yet another stretched-out Bo Diddley cover, but Cipollina once again keeps things interesting with extended guitar workouts. By this point it’s obvious what the record is about: the guitar. That’s the whole show, and it works because the performances never feel bloated or self-indulgent. No wonder Cipollina landed on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists list. Calvary, meanwhile, paints a darker, almost desert-like atmosphere, with a faintly funereal tone underscored by flamenco-tinged motifs. The track unfolds in waves: choirs, cinematic percussion, acoustic respites, all of it led by guitars that sound like they’re racing away from the rest of the band. As a whole, the LP is engaging. It kept me hooked most of the time, though I did drift during parts of the opening suite and Calvary. Truthfully, guitar-centric music isn’t always what I connect with the most… With some exceptions of course, but in this case, it didn’t blow my mind. Favourites: Who Do You Love Suite, Calvary Least Favourite: Maiden of the Cancer Moon
good listen, not really something id come back to though
surprisingly pleasant to listen as a background music
alright
Moins banal que ça ne s’annonçait. Un rock curieux et débridé
This was pretty good. Some good experimental hippie 60’s instrumental material going on here. Nothing remarkable, but certainly listenable. A high 3.
Very late 60s jam-band feel, loosey goosey. Some would say meandering….
Almost instrumental throughout the album but an interestingly easy listening experience.
He chill like that. Felt very relaxed after a day of work.
"Hey sarge, you better come take a look at this." "What? Why does all the songs have similar names?!" "I got a bad feeling about this..." ... "Hey, Bass player! Get back here now! That's an order, soldier!" "He's not listening, Sarge. He seems to be in his own world." "Get back here right now or I'll... hey! Guitar player! Where are you going?!" ... "Finally back to your senses, huh? Now look where we ended up because of your insubordination! The depths of some dank cave!" "We better be real quiet, Sarge. We don't know what could be hiding in the darkness." "Alright soldiers, on me." ... "Drummer, what's our status?" "Shouldn't be too long now, Sarge. The air is quickly becoming clearer." "Alright boys, good work so far. Let's keep it steady until we're out, heads on a swivel." ... This album truly captures the feeling of playing rock, paper, scissors. ... "Where are we, Sarge?" "Out of that godforsaken cave, Guitar player. Other than that I have no idea. Drummer?" "Not a clue, Sarge. I say we start heading west for now." "Alright boys, you heard him." ... "You alright, Guitar player?" "Guitar player?" "Put down that guitar, Guitar player." ""Put it down now, soldier! That's an order!" ... "I can't believe it." "We did what we had to, Bass player." "I just can't believe Guitar player was one off them all along, Sarge." "I don't think anyone of us could have known he was... a Gothenburgian" Yeah anyway this album is kinda cool, they could've played tighter though.
This was enjoyable, solid psych rock jam. Not something I’d listen to again and not something I quite understand as being 1001 Albums worthy but fine nonetheless.
Enjoyable but not 1001 albums material
Nice noodly psych rock
An odd one. Sounded unfinished
It's basically a jam session with the usual doodling on guitar as countless bands did back in the late sixties. It's ok but hardly what I would call essential listening. Maybe you had to be there?
Enjoyed this but nothing the Doors didn't do better
It hung together really well, and the playing was really good, but all the best songs were covers.
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.
5/10
Mostly instrumental. Flows really smoothly between songs. A lot of great technical guitar work. Not particularly my taste, and probably won't listen again. I can appreciate the talent and layering of sound.
Good
Some really fantastic jams here.. It's got some flavors of some other more popular bands. Pairs well with model airplane building.
Too Grateful Dead-esque to be enjoyable to me.
Prior to this list I had never heard of this band though I have heard "Who do you love" but a different version than the two versions here. I enjoy the musicianship and like the blues/ jam/ mix. I don't think I'll listen again but this is a fine example of this kind of music from an unknown (to me) band. 3/5
2.5
Decent enough jam rock album. A lot of the middle sections of the longer songs really start to drag and lose my interest, but there are some fun and high energy moments in each of the songs. Definitely feels like an album that gets better with each listen, but a little underwhelming on first pass. Top tracks: Who Do You Love Suite, Cavalry
Nice sound but nothing special! Again
Nice bit of psychedelia.
At times it was interesting. Something to listen to in the background
Good to listen in the car or in the backround 7/10
This one was odd - the first one was great but album devolved, 3/5. Definitely a very unique name though!
This psychedelic rock album has that jam-band feel with some longer songs that have amazing guitar work. Recommended if you want a great live album to listen to.
Algo volado para la época, pero por lo demás meh. Nota: 2.7
Much weirder than I thought it would be!
I don't think I've ever seen song titles be so obviously connected to one another. The first six (of only ten!) tracks' titles are essentially a list of short questions about love. In fact, these songs (which make up all of side 1) are essentially an extended jam session, and I'm absolutely here for it. All instruments are showcased and played pretty darn tastefully, from the Zeppelin-esque bowed-guitar-panning in Where You Love to the raging blues solos in When You Love, to the questionably mixed but still fun vocals in Who Do You Love. It's immediately obvious that this was a live recording, owing to the inconsistent singing volume, but that actually makes the rest of the performance more impressive if anything. Side 2 is also essentially one extended live take – excluding the final track, Happy Trails, which is a bizarre acoustic folk-jingle that acts as an afterthought. Calvary is also on this part of the record. And at 13 and a half minutes, it's too long. It's not exactly progressive rock, since the music doesn't progress at all. It just noodles over the same two chords with occasional addition or removal of drums. And it's at this point that the listener realises they've been duped into listening to 50 straight minutes of two-chord noodles (yes, the musical equivalent of your roommate's favourite meal). It's fun to kick back and mindlessly enjoy, but if you start to focus, there's not actually much of substance. Does it belong on the list? No. But it's a fun jam nonetheless. 3/5 Key tracks: Side 1
nothing amazingly engaging in here, but at the same time, nothing to dislike either, felt like it was totally radio friendly but didn't mind it at all as some backing music. the guitar work was really good throughout, very listenable
musique à écouter sur son rocking chair
Easy listening psych rock. Don’t imagine I’ll rush to add any tracks to a playlist, but it was enjoyable. Ironically I think the closing track was the weakest by a strong margin.
First two tracks are jammin', but "where you love" is distractingly bad. Overall good improvisational skills and interesting sounds. I particularly liked where they worked in Western trail music to "Calvary".
This was alright. Kind of different, which I liked. It flowed together very nicely, and I often didn't notice the songs had changed, but it never felt overly long. My interest did start to fade near the end of the album, but it was still good.
Prog rock Im indifferent to? Impressive. Usually it gets some emotional reaction from me but this was just alright.
This was was mad and fun. No idea from the cover, no idea from the wiki, no idea after listening to it.
If you like guitar solos then this is for you
I hadn't heard anything about the album or the band before. The first impression from the cover made me expect bad country music. But it wasn't like that. I liked the album. There wasn't anything on it that I absolutely have to hear again. But as a support act at a concert of giants or at a festival, it would certainly have been fun. 3/5
That was a wild ride. I was absolutely not expecting however minutes of 'Who Do You Love?' to be the opening chunk of that. Very Grateful Dead, photo-jam band stuff. Putting 'Happy Trails' on the end was just silly.
Surprised I’ve never heard of this band. Fantastic classic rock with deep, blues oriented guitar work. Reminiscent of the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers.
Pretty groovy 60's blues
Potential here and some good tunes. Just doesn’t quite hit the level of other psych albums
It's fine. I'd listen to it again.
-not at all what i was expecting, but damn this was super cool. peak late 60s psychedelic rock experience -i absolutely loved the way the songs all sorta blended together especially during the A-side suite. aside from that i think it was sometimes a bit aimless but still really solid, could bump up to a 4 after another listen who knows -Favorites are Who Do You Love Pt. 1 and Calvary
fun mostly instrumental
No idea what to expect this - never heard anything about this one. Well not what I expected at all. Jam band with some fun guitar solos and instumental parts. Had to inspire lots plot people. This was a good listen. This record rocked.
Not bad, reimagined versions of Bo Diddley songs.
Ok hardish blues, extended work outs, very 1960’s but listenable would probably listen again.
3.9
This was not great but not bad for me either. I thought they could play their instruments well and the covers were good.
I’m always down for some psychedelic/acid rock and this started off really strong. Loved the first half, great energy, fantastic playing and solos. The second half though was just completely devoid of all the energy of the first half. Was quite boring honestly and that really disappointed me. If it had kept that energy and power for the whole album this probably would have gotten a 4 maybe a 5.
with the opening several minutes of guitar canoodling solos I thought this might be interesting...... but that's pretty much all this album is. would be "meh" as background music
If you were to tell someone, "Imagine a psychedelic rock album from San Francisco in 1969," Happy Trails is what they would imagine
I thought this was a solid psychedelic rock album. This is the kind of music that I feel like I need to be in the mood for and I wasn’t sure that I was when I listened to it today. Psychedelic rock can be enjoyable but sometimes it can get repetitive and carry on a little too long for me without going anywhere. But I would be willing to give it another chance in the future!
2.5
Good playing, but too long ang noodly. 3 stars
I was actually aware of this album from previous deep dives into psychedelic rock. I can understand the hate that this album gets. It’s not exactly ground breaking and really just feels like a long drawn out droning guitar solo. The second half of the album becomes a series of uninteresting covers without much innovation. I am personally a fan of some jam music like “The Grateful Dead” and “King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard” but I find their jams to be more sonically interesting and evolving. If I did not enjoy psychedelic, progressive, or experimental rock music then this album would get a 1/5 stars. However for me, this album gets a 5/10.
cool intro into psychedelic rock / acid rock. definitely felt a bit meandering for the Bo Diddley interpolation portion. Mona and Cavalry were quite nice. would listen again whilst high on lsd.
6.5/10
6/10 - it was alright nothng was amazing but it wasn’t bad
Meh. More unimpressive 60s stuff