The 500 - #189 - Happy Trails - Quicksilver Messenger Company

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #189
Album Title: Happy Trails
Artist: Quicksilver Messenger Company

Genre: Multiple genres: Acid Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Recorded: Live at the Filmore West Music Club (San Francisco) and the Filmore East Music Club (New York City).

Released: March, 1969
My age at release: 3
How familiar was I with it before this week: Not at all

Is it on the 2020 list? No
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Mona

Earlier this month, October, 2024, the Dave Matthews Band (DMB) was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The DMB is a divisive band -- people tend to love or loathe them. I fall into the first category. I went through a passionate DMB phase in the 1990s and early 2000s, seeing Dave with and without his band perform live at least six times in various locations, including Mississauga, Toronto, Rochester, N.Y., and Tampa Bay.

My first DMB show at Arrow Hall in Mississauga, Ontario.

Much like the DMB, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is divisive. Musicians become eligible for entry into the Hall 25 years after the release of their first recording. After being nominated, ballots are sent to more than 1,000 "rock experts". Seven to nine bands or musicians are chosen for induction. As of 2012, fans could also participate in the voting. It was they who put the Dave Matthews Band over the top and secured their admission this year.

The eight bands and solo artists inducted in 2024.

Fans of the DMB – sometimes called "Daveheads" or "Ants" (after one of their earliest and most popular song, Ants Marching), are a passionate lot. They often travel to multiple Dave shows every summer. The DMB are often called a jam band. Unlike many other touring band, they do not have an established setlist for the songs they play at their performances.  Instead, they decideon stage which song to play next. Then, they "jam" each piece – collaboratively improvising on the chord patterns and rhythmic groove, with different members taking solos. Their musicianship is exceptional -- even those who loathe the band will concede this point.

Dave Matthews Band, mid jam, Dave at centre. 

DMB's jam-style has its roots in the psychedelic music of the 1960s, which included The Grateful Dead (four records on The 500) and this week's artist, Quicksilver Messenger Service (QMS). Formed in 1965, QMS rose to popularity in the San Francisco music scene. They were not as commercially successful as their Bay Area contemporaries (The Grateful Dead or Jefferson Airplane - with, collectively, six records on The 500) but were integral to the improvisational movement.

The Quicksilver Messenger Service in 1970 (l-r) John Cipollina, 
Greg Elmore, Nicky Hopkins and David Freiberg

It would be disingenuous if I didn't mention the other commonality between all these bands -- recreational drug use. QMS are often called an acid rock band, a genre that evolved out of the garage band sound of the 1960s when it interacted with the psychedelic subculture, with San Francisco being, arguably, ground zero. Thousands of teens and young adults migrated to the area, protesting the Vietnam War, celebrating peace and love and experimenting with lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) -- commonly dubbed "acid".

West Coast "Hippies" protesting the Vietnam War.

As I listened to Happy Trails, the second record from Quicksilver Messenger Service, I could feel the connections between the acid rock of the ‘60s and the jam bands that I loved in the ‘ 90s, including the DMB. I imagine I would have been happy to experience the San Francisco scene during those strange, turbulent days, and delight at the musicianship of QMS, particularly their guitarist, John Cipollina. There is something magical about talented musicians who can communicate and collaborate with each other with seemingly effortless precision -- I am filled with both awe and envy.

John Cipollina with his one-of-a kind amplifier stack, featuring
six Wurlitzer horns, modified from an organ.

QMS are, much like DMB, still touring today. Only guitarist David Freiberg remains from the original band. They continue to release live records that capture their improvisational, acid rock style. Unfortunately, they have not been inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall, and without a passionate fan-base like the Daveheads, they likely will not be. You can, however, see Cipollina's incredible amplifier stack at the Hall on your next visit. Just don’t confuse your QMS with your DMB or that LSD…it might not work out well.