Quicksilver Messenger Service-Happy Trails (1969)

Quicksilver Messenger Service was an American acid rock band that fused various styles, including folk, blues, and jazz. They formed in the mid-1960s in San Francisco. Their musical strengths lay in the virtuosic interplay of their instrumentalists, especially guitarists John Cipollina and Gary Duncan, making them a pioneer in the world of twin guitars and an influence on later bands such as Wishbone Ash, Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden. Their style ranged from acid blues and folk to hard rock and heavy psych, with jazz fusion influences throughout their career. "Happy Trails", the band's second album, released in 1969, is their most blues-oriented work. The album is semi-conceptual, particularly the first side, and features prominent violin sounds, further solidifying their folk roots. It was recorded in 1968 at the Fillmore West in California. This album, both for its psychedelic blues and its cover art, reminds many of Pink Floyd's "More" as a somewhat analogous album, although the latter is much more symphonic. Among its standout tracks are the rhythmic "Mona" and the excellent "How Do You Love".