Quicksilver Messenger Service - Happy Trails / Pure Pleasure

Without a doubt, this follow-up to Quicksilver Messenger Service's self-titled debut album most closely reflects the style of the band's live performances, acclaimed by critics and enthusiastic fans alike. The album

focuses in particular on extensive reworkings of Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love?" and "Mona," as well as guitarist/vocalist Gary Duncan's not-so-much-lauded, but no less intense, contribution, the song "Calvary."

This album is the last one that Quicksilver Messenger Service recorded still in its original version as a quartet.

The combined effort of John Cipollina (guitar/vocals), Greg Elmore (percussion), David Freiberg (bass/vocals), and the aforementioned Gary Duncan continues to have an uncanny spirit of psychedelic looseness without

ever becoming boring or pretentious in the least. The epic "Who Do You Love?" suite, which spans an entire side of the record, is divided into a common intro and coda by the entire band, as well as four distinctly different

contributions by the respective band members - the ongoing inventiveness of Quicksilver Messenger Service is particularly evident here. All the instrumental prowess and an almost supernatural interaction allow them to

seamlessly weave in and out of the main theme.

Nevertheless, there is enough space so that each musician can be in the spotlight for an uncompromising solo. Mona" and its companion "Calvary" continue the style adopted. Here the members of the band form more of a flush unit,

some of Cipollina's best and most memorable guitar riffs are heard on this track. None of his contemporaries from San Francisco's Bayarea could summon the spirits of the guitar like this. An excellent example of his individuality is the

frenetic "Maiden Of The Cancer Moon" - rising from the fading "Mona." The trepidation and energy in Cipollina's guitar work, layering line upon line of technical phrasing, could easily be the style of Frank Zappa. The short title track,

a reinterpretation of Roy Rogers' and Dale Evans' "Happy Trails," seems almost meaningless in the swirl of such creavity. The piece cleans up after the fireworks of sound and is an 'adieu' to those very special of the Fab Four of psychedelia.

John Cipollina, Gary Duncan, David Freiberg (b, g, voc); Greg Elmore (dr, perc)

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Title

Side One

1. Who Do You Love - Part 1

2. When You Love

3. Where You Love

4. How You Love

5. Which Do You Love

6. Who Do You Love - Part 2

Side Two

1. Mona

2. Maiden Of The Cancer Moon

3. Calvary

4. Happy Trails