Quicksilver Messenger Service - Reunion

  by Carl Bookstein

published: 5 / 7 / 2009

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Quicksilver Messenger Service was one of the most prominent bands to come out of the San Francisco music scene in the 1960s; the same scene that produced the Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead. Psychedelic poster art from this period often features Quicksilver on the playbill below bands like the Airplane, the Dead and Big Brother and the Holding Company. The music coming from the Bay Area of California was rich in creativity and Quicksilver was one of the most popular draws there. Quicksilver Messenger service is a jam band, known for their long extended jamming numbers as well as some otherwise solid material. Their reputation is as a strong live act. The band came together in 1965 and over the next seven years released a number of albums and played shows across America. After the band split, there were a number of short lived reunions. In 2006 founding members David Freiberg, on rhythm guitar and vocals, and lead guitarist/ singer Gary Duncan went out on the road to celebrate the band’s 40th anniversary. Quicksilver Messenger Service 'Reunion' is a 2 CD set recorded live at The Sweetwater in Mill Valley, California on June 7th, 2006. Freiberg and Duncan are joined by vocalist Linda Imperial, keyboardist Chris Smith, bassist Bobby Vega and drummer Prairie Prince. In this recorded concert, Quicksilver Messenger Service plays together like an improvisational jazz band, as the instruments flow so well into one another. 'Mona' is electric blues based rock, featuring Gary Duncan’s exceptional lead guitar work which is evident throughout the album. 'Gold & Silver' is a fine instrumental number that begins with a beautiful guitar lead; solid drumming keeps the beat; keyboards flow; great bass work joins in. The musicianship here is excellent. 'Dino’s Song' concludes the first set: “All I ever wanted to do was love you. Baby hoping you could love me too.” 'What About Me' is one of the highlights of the show. The band plays smooth and loose as Freiberg sings: “Seems like the revolution must be mighty close at hand.” On 'Gypsy Lights' we hear the easy swing of the drums, the jazzy sound of the piano and the sweet exploration of the lead guitar as the rhythm guitar and bass help keep it all together. 'Who Do You Love? ' starts off with a positively stinging guitar lead which grows in power as the tune progresses. The lyric draws you in: “I walked 47 miles of barbed wire. I got a cobra snake for a necktie.” Quicksilver’s was among the most prodigious renditions of this famed tune. In the end, Quicksilver Messenger Service “Reunion” succeeds in capturing a slice of the music of San Francisco, California in the 1960s.

Track Listing:-

1 Vera Cruz
2 Edward
3 Mona
4 Pride of Man
5 Steve Mcqueen
6 Gold & Silver
7 I Don't Want to Live in Fear
8 Bubba Jeans
9 Dino's Song
10 Edward the Mad Shirt Grinder
11 Vera Cruz (Alternate)
12 Gypsy Lights
13 Holiday
14 Who Do You Love
15 Harp Tree Lament
16 Killing Floor
17 Close Enough for Jazz
18 Smokestack Lightning

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/QMS-Quicksilver-Messenger-Service-32915458057
http://quicksilvermessengerservice.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Quicksilver-Messenger-Service-Band-2395345095
http://www.udiscovermusic.com/artists/quicksilver-messenger-service
https://www.facebook.com/Gary-Duncan-Quicksilver-Messenger-Service-420
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quicksilver_Messenger_Service

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