John Cipollina

The third long-player from San Francisco psychedelic icons Quicksilver Messenger Service (QMS) is a direct contrast from their previous discs. Shady Grove (1969) is comprised mostly of shorter and self-contained pieces as opposed to the long and extended jams that were so prevalent on their self-titled debut (1967) and Happy Trails (1969). Ironically, the one stretched-out instrumental is courtesy of their latest acquisition - Brit recording session guru Nicky Hopkins (keyboards). Another possible reason for the shift in style as well as personnel is the conspicuous absence of Gary Duncan (guitar) - who is rumored to have been a "guest" of Bay Area law enforcement at the time. The band incorporate a number of different styles on the album. Kicking off the disc is an up-tempo rocking version of the traditional Appalachian folk song "Shady Grove"…

If you want to know why producer Gary Usher is revered in some circles, play The Peanut Butter Conspiracy Is Spreading next to the pretty much self-produced For Children of All Ages. A name as trendy as the Jefferson Airplane - and a sound that is absolutely the Airplane - meets the Mamas & the Papas; the '60s guitars sound smart; the 1967 liner notes by Lawrence Dietz tell you nothing about the group; and the front cover looks like something Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper encountered during Easy Rider. "It's a Happening Thing," like much of this record, tries too hard. Decades after it was recorded, there is charm in a band like the PBC (which rhymes with PCP) being such an authentic figment of someone's countercultural imagination…

Solid Silver is the last Quicksilver album to fit into the group's original time line - although this was really a reunion rather than an actual continuation of their previous work, reestablishing however briefly the classic core lineup of Dino Valente, John Cipollina, David Freiberg, Greg Elmore, and Gary Duncan. And the results are impressive, even at times glorious and soaring, and not just on Valente's compositions, which fill six of the ten slots on the album. His work is as good as ever, and the haunting "Cowboy on the Run" was practically worth the price of the album. But it's Gary Duncan's "Gypsy Lights" that opens the album on a powerful yet lyrical (and memorable) note, and in more of a pop vein than listeners are accustomed to from this band; David Frieberg's "I Heard You Singing" isn't bad, either, and is a lot closer to the band's classic sound…

Musically, there is little to delineate the fifth long-player from Quicksilver Messenger Service, What About Me, from their previous effort, Just for Love. Not surprisingly, material for both was initiated during a prolific two-month retreat to the Opaelua Lodge in Haleiwa, HI, during May and June of 1970. The quartet version of Quicksilver Messenger Service - which had yielded the band's first two LPs - expanded once again to include Dino Valenti (aka Chester A. Powers, Chet Powers, and most notably on this album, Jesse Oris Farrow) as well as British session keyboardist Nicky Hopkins. The additional talents of Mark Naftalin (keyboards) were incorporated when Hopkins was unavailable. This began his short stint with Quicksilver Messenger Service, which lasted through their sixth LP, Quicksilver (1972). The most apparent change in Quicksilver Messenger Service's sound can be directly attributed to the return of Valenti…

Charles Lloyd Quartet - Journey Within (1967) {2012 Japan Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series 24bit WPCR-27107}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 252 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 89 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 16 Mb | 5% repair rar | 24bit remaster
© 1967, 2012 Warner Japan / Atlantic / Rhino | WPCR-27107 | Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series
Jazz / Hard Bop / Saxophone

Features 24 bit digital remastering. Comes with a description. I love JOURNEY WITHIN. This recording will certainly be a love it or hate it thing for most people. My sister hates it, for instance. I love it!! This is Lloyd at his trippy-est, spacey-est, best. The title song takes me there, if you've ever been there, even when I'm straight!! I love the free improvization of it. For those historians of you out there, this allegedly is the first live recording ever released from the original Fillmore Auditorium. This and Lloyd's LOVE-IN album were both recorded there, allegedly, over several nights.

Minnesoda did an obscure but fairly interesting self-titled jazz-rock album for Capitol in 1972, produced by Bob Johnston (famous for his work with Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen, Simon & Garfunkel, and numerous others). The record was in limited respects like the first recordings of Chicago and, more distantly, Blood, Sweat & Tears in its jazz-rock-with-vocals format…