Quicksilver Messenger Service

Led by Dino Valenti, Q.M.S. played a version of laid-back psychedelia, but with a distinct American flavor that had elements of folk and country. They would become renowned for their epic (some say a bit too epic) jams, but at this stage they were playing mainly concise, original numbers that sparkled with melody, as well as passages that took off gently into outer space.

Quicksilver's initial and long-awaited excursion into the primordial clear light of San
Francisco isn't quite what was expected, due to the production staff headed by the
Electric Flag's Nick Gravenites and Harvey Brooks. The Quicksilver Messenger Service don't
sound quite the same since they've heard the Flag and Mike Bloomfield, late arrivals on the
San Francisco scene. As a result, most of the album cuts (only six altogether) co... More >